Read time: 29 minutes All buildings should provide a durable enclosure, thermally comfortable interior, good indoor air quality and energy-efficient operation. These measures can largely be met through an airtight building envelope with adequate ...

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

Although sustaining biodiversity features in the environment policies of BDP members, few EDG notes have addressed the issue directly, yet buildings and associated structures can have a very direct impact on wildlife. Birds are perhaps the best ...

This note was reviewed and approved for currency in November 2018. To perform well, buildings require not only good design and construction but also good operation – and designers cannot dismiss operation as solely the responsibility of occupants.

The note describes a new procedure for Land Resource Assessment (LRA).  It uses Multi-Criteria Evaluation methods (MCE) in a Geographic Systems (GIS) environment. As an example, the LRA method is applied in determining land suitability for ...

Read time: 18 minutes Water is necessary for human survival, but it is also a key ingredient in the production of construction projects. Increasing water scarcity means that we must reduce water use and improve water efficiencies across all human ...

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.

This note follows on from the note: The environmental impact of building materials. It outlines Australian and international responses to materials sustainability, reviews what a sustainable material is, and the role of design. It reviews recent ...

This note was reviewed and approved for currency in August 2018. A balanced mix of play activities is critical to a child’s development. However for many children in Australia, as elsewhere in the developed world, the proportion of active, outdoor ...

Rapid advancement and change within Australia's predominant timber certification schemes has led to the revision of the original November 2004 paper Timber and wood products from environmentally certified forests and plantations. That paper now ...