This note was reviewed and approved for currency in September 2018.  Council House 2 (CH2) is a sustainable office building designed for the City of Melbourne. It meets the Council’s long-term need to house staff and breathes new life into an ...

This note, originally published in November 1998, was reviewed by Nigel Bell in September 2004. This summary page includes recent updates to the topic since publication. Lead is a health hazard. A useful material for thousands of years is now ...

This note includes descriptions of the different systems used for the on-site treatment and disposal/reuse of domestic wastewaters from residential developments in non-sewered areas in Australia. It also examines greywater treatment and reuse, which ...

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 case study looks at the passive heating design principles adopted in a Tasmanian House, discusses the designers consideration of the interplay between solar aperture, insulation and thermal mass, and analyses the thermal performance for a week ...

This note was reviewed and approved for currency by the authors in September 2018. This note is directed to one major aspect of the comfort of building occupants – namely, thermal comfort. Even though it may be difficult to isolate thermal ...

This note outlines a framework to appraise the extent and quality of native vegetation, and identify significant habitats at strategic regional and local levels, namely a Vegetation and Habitat Strategic Framework. The cornerstone of the framework ...

Concrete is the most widely used building material in the world with many architectural and engineering benefits, but also with a high capacity to improve its environmental performance. The environmental measures that can be taken also improve the ...

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 ...

‘Lighting’ is good lighting when it provides adequate illuminance to enable a task to be performed efficiently, is perceived as comfortable, and people have a high level of satisfaction.  Good lighting design is not simply about achieving a required ...