Proponents of energy efficiency and sustainability in the built environment have always understood the importance of the facade as a key element for a building to achieve these aims.  In recent times the multiple roles played by the facade in ...

This note was reviewed and retained for legacy in November 2018. This paper discusses a pilot study which involved altering the thermostat set-points to 2-3°C above the normal summer setting in two air-conditioned buildings during a Brisbane ...

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 November 2018. There are a number of environmental rating tools for non-residential buildings in the Australian market. Some rate a project based on its design features, whereas others focus purely ...

The 811 square metre site had been owned by the Mathews family since the early 1970’s, and was used as a car park by nearby businesses up until construction commenced in 2002. In 1998 several family members (including this author) formed a company, ...

This note was reviewed and approved for currency in October 2018. The School of Architecture and Design at the University of Tasmania relocated at the beginning of 2007 to a converted 1950s heritage listed industrial building near the centre of ...

This note was reviewed and approved for currency in November 2018. The design of the Prasad house renovation evolved from a fusion of the owners’ commitment to green design, the needs of the occupants, and a staged experimental approach to ...

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 in August 2018.  This paper describes how green roofs influence the energy performance of a hypothetical commercial office building in each of the Australian Building Code Board’s eight climate zones ...

David Baggs looks at the role of the built environment in our un-sustainability and explores the full spectrum of strategies and solutions as to how our buildings might become a pathway towards a low-carbon future. Baggs explores the concepts of ‘ ...