Wood products are a staple of the construction sector, and are important in delivering environmentally preferable projects. However the sustainability of many wood products remains difficult to assess.  This note overviews key issues and considers ...

The previous version of this note (Energy Efficiency in Commercial Buildings by Deo Prasad May 1995) emphasised the need for including fundamental concepts of energy efficiency such as climatically suitable designs and forms, benefits of tailored ...

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 ...

This note was reviewed and approved for currency in November 2018. This note deals with architectural issues associated with photovoltaic (PV) power systems integrated into building design. It follows on from EDG note TEC 4, ‘Photovoltaic Cells – ...

The refurbishment of Trevor Pearcey House for the new Australian Ethical Investment Headquarters was designed by Collard Clarke Jackson Architects and in 2007 was the first building in the ACT and only the third in Australia at the time to receive a ...

This is one of three companion papers taken from a study that assesses the comparative costs of urban redevelopment with the costs of greenfield development. The first paper, The costs of urban sprawl – infrastructure and transportation, shows that ...

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 ...

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 ...

Read time: 25 minutes A summary update has been provided for this note in June 2023. This summary reflects updates to this topic on the National Construction Code 2022 and BASIX. There is an urgent need to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to net ...