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 ...

The benefits of green roofs have been well documented over the last twenty years and yet their implementation in Australia has been slower than in other developed countries. This paper goes beyond the EDG introductory paper DES 53: Roof and Facade ...

This note was reviewed and approved for currency in September 2018.  The use of double-skin facades has increased significantly over the last 10 to 15 years, primarily due to the benefits attributed to them in regard to increased energy efficiency ...

This note was reviewed in September 2018 and retained for legacy. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is an internationally recognised and standardised (International Standards Organisation 1997) approach for assessing the environmental impacts of ...

Using lightweight technologies, such as precast cellular concrete wall panels, provides an opportunity to reduce the environmental footprint of construction materials, through the general reduction in materials usage, reduced transportation and ...

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 ...

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 ...

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. This Note provides an introductory review of the energy use and climate and resource impacts ...

Alternative low energy air-conditioning solutions are now being commonly used in preference to more traditional air-conditioning solutions for commercial applications. In recent years we have seen an emergence of the application of chilled ceiling ...

Environmental design is in the broadest sense, the human response to the understanding that we are a part of our environment. This is the design realisation that ecology matters.  This area of human endeavour has undergone a rapid transformation in ...