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 ...

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 – ...

This note was reviewed and approved for currency by the author in December 2018.  Thermal mass can be effectively employed in buildings to increase occupants' thermal comfort conditions. This paper seeks to clarify the ways in which this can be ...

This note, originally published in August 2000, was reviewed by Dr Graham Treloar in June 2005. This summary page includes recent updates to the topic since publication. This Note considers the embodied energy of building materials in the context of ...

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.

This note was reviewed and approved for currency in September 2018. Increasingly, the designed solution to building performance is being replaced by the engineered solution. The reasons for this are a) the architectural profession’s valuing of the ...

This note was reviewed and approved for currency in October 2018. Computer simulation of a building’s environmental performance has been available as a technology for over 30 years, during which time the accuracy, depth and speed of simulation have ...

This note reviews the quantities and types of building materials use internationally and in Australia, with projected trends for Australia to 2055. It introduces methods available to evaluate environmental impacts and then goes onto analyse current ...

This note was reviewed in September 2018 and retained for legacy. George Baird, author of Sustainable Buildings in Practice – What the Users Think, presents a post-occupancy evaluation of Canterbury University’s Erskine Building. Although it has ...

Read time: 25 minutes The residential building sector is a significant contributor to carbon footprint and climate change. This is primarily due to operational energy consumption derived from fossil fuels, and the impact of embodied carbon in ...