This note was reviewed and approved for currency by the Author in September 2018. Without the virtually free services of nature like clean air and water, humans would not last long. Natural systems can be incorporated in existing urban structures or ...

This note was reviewed and approved for currency in October 2018. The Passivhaus, or Passive House, standard is a rigorous, voluntary and performance-based standard, with fundamental objectives of thermal comfort and energy efficiency. Originally ...

'Sustainable Urbanism' encompasses Australian urban design and transportation practices that seek to create vibrant, liveable communities.  This approach proposes the creation of compact, walkable communities centred around high quality public ...

This note was reviewed and retained for legacy in October 2018. The design of new project homes constructed in Perth since 2003 is not always creating a stock of energy efficient houses for future generations.  This paper discusses the relationship ...

Issue 02 June 2024 Read time: 17 minutes This note replaces the June 2020 edition.  Abstract There is an urgent need to address the pressing social and environmental challenges facing architectural practice in the 21st century. These challenges – ...

Concrete is the most widely used building material in the world with many architectural and engineering benefits, but also with a high capacity to improve its environmental performance. The environmental measures that can be taken also improve the ...

We need artificial light in our daily lives, but we can have too much of it. Light pollution might be defined as excess artificial light, in the wrong place at the wrong time. Awareness of the problem, in Australia and elsewhere, has been growing ...

This note was reviewed and approved for currency in October 2018. This report describes water sensitive urban design (WSUD) initiatives in the Melbourne Docklands and outlines experiences from design, construction and operational phases.

Building T at Deakin University, Burwood in Victoria was designed by DesignInc.  The development, located in Melbourne's eastern suburbs, utilises thermal mass and hybrid ventilation systems.  This case study provides a detailed evaluation of the ...

Proponents of energy efficiency and sustainability in the built environment have always understood the importance of the facade as a key element for a building to achieve these aims.  In recent times the multiple roles played by the facade in ...