Extract

This work was inspired by the crucial need for development of the Australian National Construction Code and its Regulatory Impact Statements (RIS) to be based on Australian building data. It is known that a cost-benefit analysis conducted via a RIS is very sensitive to variations in the window-to-wall ratio (WWR) due to higher glazing costs. Regrettably, there is currently no publicly available data on the WWR for Australian commercial buildings. The focus of this work is to characterise typical WWRs for Australian commercial buildings within the past 30 years, specifically offices, education, retail, aged care, hotels and hospitals. The methodology employed the use of photography of the external building envelopes across central and regional cities, followed by measurements of ratios for these buildings. It is the intent of the Authors to publish this work and for the WWR of the building types referenced be made publicly available to the wider community of architects, Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD) consultants, building modellers, glazing manufacturers, insulation industries and policy-makers.

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