This note was reviewed and approved for currency in November 2018. The physical destruction accompanying disasters typically creates an urgency to rebuild and help survivors get back on track. There are inspiring examples of how architects and other ...

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 in October 2018 and retained for legacy. Co-housing has proven to be a successful and influential housing type. The reasons for its success also highlight the limits of its appeal, however, and some of the obstacles to its ...

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, showed that ...

This note was reviewed and approved for currency in October 2018, with qualification that some references and resources are now superseded. This note introduces the concept of design for adaptability as an essential strategy for creating sustainable ...

This note was reviewed in September 2018 and retained for legacy. This paper reviews the major North American and Australian sustainability rating tools to determine how they measure building energy performance. It then reviews the major building ...

This note outlines how architects can use the design of buildings to help create sustainable transport systems and a more vibrant public domain. Traditionally, architecture has been mainly concerned with the internal efficiency of buildings. However ...

Transit oriented development is a way of redeveloping a city to reduce car dependence.  This paper outlines its basic tenets by examining four strategic policy questions: why we need centres throughout the city and of what kind of density and mix; ...

While concrete is the most widely used building material in the world with many architectural and engineering benefits, it is associated with a high environmental cost that somewhat offsets this benefit. Previous EDG papers have investigated ...

This note was reviewed and approved for currency in November 2018. The physical destruction accompanying disasters typically creates an urgency to rebuild and help survivors get back on track. There are inspiring examples of how architects and other ...