This note examines the risks and benefits of using polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, in construction. It looks at environmental impacts of its use and disposal, and the desirability and practicality of its substitution. This note was originally published ...

This note discusses the difficulties currently being experienced in implementing Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) from a development perspective. It looks at what motivates developers and examines what is needed, either through mandatory ...

After 30 years of research into the health effects of indoor environment on occupants, there is now extensive research and assessment of the effects of indoor environment quality (IEQ) on occupant performance and productivity. This article will ...

The paper and its companion paper summarise reports published by the consulting firm GHD in 2003 and 2009 and in particular summarise final results of a two year trial of 6 urine-separating dry composting toilets and 2 waterless urinals at a new ...

This note was reviewed and approved for currency in November 2018. Life cycle energy analysis (LCEA) is a method of assessing both the operational and embodied energy of buildings over their lifetime. It is an easily-conducted form of life cycle ...

This note was reviewed and retained for legacy in September 2018. Adelaide has a relatively long history of innovation in wastewater treatment and water conservation, spurred on in response to South Australia’s predominantly arid environment.

Water heating accounts for around a quarter of household energy use in Australia. Low-energy water heating systems can reduce energy used for heating water by 60 to 80 per cent – or more – depending on the system type and location. This paper ...

This note was reviewed and retained for legacy in August 2018. This note discusses approaches to sustainable design in remote, rural and regional areas. Based on the author's experiences in the Top End, it recommends approaches to managing a project ...

This note was reviewed and approved for currency in August 2018. Tougher economic times have led to an increasing scrutiny of sustainability initiatives. Despite this, the environmental imperatives for action are not diminishing, which means that ...

Read time: 14 minutes Nightingale 2.0 in Fairfield by Six Degrees Architects, is the second Nightingale Housing project to be completed. The goal of each Nightingale project is to provide quality urban housing to owner occupiers, with high ...