Biodiversity, the variety of life on earth, is required for the health of the natural environment and the continuation of the human species.  Though Australia has large endowments of biodiversity, human activities over the past 220 years have had ...

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 paper was originally published in May 1995. It has now been fully reviewed by the author and republished to reflect updates to the topic since original publication. Building design professionals are committed to enhancing the quality and ...

Santos Headquarters was the first building in South Australia to achieve both the 5 Star Green Star Office Design and the 5 Star Green Star Office As-Built certified ratings. It also achieved a 4.5 Star Australian Building Greenhouse Rating and has ...

This note, originally published in November 2000, was reviewed by John Todd in August 2005. This summary page includes recent updates to the topic since publication. Air pollution in the sprawling Australian suburbs and many rural cities ...

Rapid advancement and change within Australia's predominant timber certification schemes has led to the revision of the original November 2004 paper Timber and wood products from environmentally certified forests and plantations. That paper now ...

This note was reviewed and retained for legacy in October 2018. The design of new project homes constructed in Perth since 2003 is not always creating a stock of energy efficient houses for future generations.  This paper discusses the relationship ...

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 ...

The note describes a new procedure for Land Resource Assessment (LRA).  It uses Multi-Criteria Evaluation methods (MCE) in a Geographic Systems (GIS) environment. As an example, the LRA method is applied in determining land suitability for ...

This note was reviewed and approved for currency in September 2018. Green or living walls is an emerging technology that integrates vegetation into the built environment.  This paper looks at the benefits that living walls can offer to our built ...