Year: 2007

Abstract: This paper describes the results of a survey conducted in a large commercial architectural practice in Adelaide. The primary aim was to explore how professionals believe their time and energy should best be invested over the various phases of delivery of an architectural project from inception to building commissioning, and to compare this with…

ABSTRACT: This paper is concerned with the direct planning and design implications of selecting the energy source—aimed at limiting impacts related to the associated noise, vibrations, visual impacts, operational or safety requirements. Other considerations include impacts from maintenance materials and activities. Such environmental impacts can expand human-felt presence, scaring off wildlife or making adjacent areas…

Abstract: This paper will seek to answer; “How do architects in Victoria incorporate Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) criteria into the design process?” For the purpose of this paper, “Ecologically Sustainable Development” is defined in line with the judging criteria used by the Royal Australian Institute of Architects for the ‘Sustainable Architecture Award’. The RAIA states…

Abstract: 3D Computer Aided Design (CAD) programs have become a vital part of contemporary architectural design practices. The introduction of computers & CAD into the profession has revolutionised the design & construction documentation process (Cory, 2001). Previous research has shown that 3D CAD programs have increased the efficiency of architectural practices (Bozell & Cory, 2001),…

Abstract: The paper looks at 3 recent studies to discuss the use of pinus radiata for industrial and commercial construction. The first study reports on two historic bridges and the lessons they reveal for designers of modern timber structures. The stresses in the bridge members and their significance for future maintenance works are explained. In…

Abstract: The overall aim of our research is to eventually develop a viable system for building multi-storey timber buildings that uses radiata poles for the main structural elements. The main issues, to be hopefully solved by the research, are achieving floor plans, building elevations, and jointing systems that are architecturally elegant and structurally reliable; and…

Abstract: As the pre-eminent diagram for the visual analysis and design of urban environments since the Renaissance, the figure-ground plan is an important graphic device, not only representing diagrammatically the relationship between buildings and their surroundings but, at the psychological level, the perceptual distinction between solid and void. This paper will look at the scientific…

ABSTRACT: In 2006-7 the Australian government will invest $9.3 billion in state government and nongovernment educational facilities (DEST 20061). One area of particular interest to both government and school designers is maximising this investment through providing students with healthy and productive indoor learning environments. The lack of post-occupancy evaluations carried out in schools (Lackney 2001)…

Abstract: This paper uses my home institution, the School of Architecture and Building at Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia, as a case study of sustainability in context. Reflectively and critically it looks at three areas: the Waterfront Campus which houses the School of Architecture and Building; the underpinning pedagogy of the current curriculum in the…

Abstract: The curricula of architectural schools consist of various types of teaching as design studios and supporting subjects, contextual/technology oriented design studios, or integration of these topics to design studio teaching. The present paper reviews insights from the theoretical literature on research into students’ learning experiences. Deep and surface learning approaches are discussed, as well…

Abstract: The increase in energy efficiency measures for residential construction in the Building Code of Australia has led to a shift from timber platform to slab on ground housing. Both industry and government have recognised the need to validate AccuRate’s thermal simulation modelling of platform floored housing. The University of Tasmania in collaboration with the…

Abstract: The problem of construction waste on building sites is not new and continues to be a significant problem to the waste stream. Much has been done to better understand and encourage re-use and recycling, but relatively little has been done on avoiding the occurrence of waste in the first place. A significant contributor to…

Abstract: Local climate is a critical element in the design of buildings. In this paper, ten years of historical weather data in Australia’s all eight capital cities are analyzed to characterize the variation profiles of climatic variables. The method of descriptive statistics is employed. Either the pattern of cumulative distribution and/or the profile of percentage…

Abstract: The cyclical interaction between climate change and building performance is of dynamic nature and both elements are essentially the cause and the effect of each other. On one hand, buildings contribute significantly to the global warming process. On the other hand, climate change is also expected to impact on many aspects of building performance….

Abstract: This paper reports thesis findings that quantified the impact of design decisions on the carbon dioxide equivalent gas (CO2-e) emissions of a house. Three architects’ designs for an energy efficient house in a temperate zone are compared. A life cycle analysis approach developed from the perspective of a designer formed a framework to assist…

Abstract: The aim of the paper is to report the outcomes of a POE study of Lark Quarry Trackways Building and Shelter, Winton, Queensland. The project is of interest due to its design process, remote location and desert climate. The research approach uses a number of post occupancy methods, including a green design benchmarking tool…

Abstract: Cross-sectional study was carried out with specific objective to determine the mean indoor temperature, outdoor temperature, relative humidity and indoor thermal comfort level in relation to north-south orientated and east-west orientated of single storey terrace houses. The study focused on 32 units of north-south orientated and 32 units of east-west orientated single storey terrace…

Abstract: Buildings are one of the important energy consuming sectors. The increasing environmental awareness has triggered a great emphasis on sustainable design in the current global building industry. Since the past century, there has been a distinct growing trend in the use of fully glazed façade in office buildings. This paper discussed and analysed how…

Abstract: Prefabricated building systems are becoming popular again, promising more than just affordable architecture. The new paradigm offers consistency, predictable environmental control, modular flexibility, and quick assembly. Above all, this type of construction may be the only promise in obtaining a sustainable architecture for our future. The language of prefabricated building is not new and…

Abstract: Built Environment is accountable for the increase in degradation of environmental quality in recent times. A considerable amount of energy is consumed during its construction, operational and post use phase. In acknowledging this, research into building energy efficiency is concentrated on active energy use which overshadows the embodied energy required for its production. Embodied…

Abstract: The effect of time-lag (or thermal-lag) – where thermal mass and ground coupling provide dampening effects that reduce the amplitude of temperature variations – is often used as a way to justify masonry construction technologies in hot/humid climates. Structures with mass walls are thermally more stable than those with lightweight walls because thermal mass…

Abstract: Throughout the 1970s the mathematician Benoit Mandelbrot developed an argument which proposes that natural systems frequently possess characteristic geometric or visual complexity over multiple scales of observation. This argument lead to the formulation of fractal geometry and it was central to the rise of the sciences of non-linearity and complexity. During the 1990s, researchers…

Abstract: As a consequence of changes in the heat balance, air temperatures in densely built urban areas are higher than the temperatures of the surrounding country. This phenomenon, known as Urban Heat Island (UHI) contribute to the urban dweller’s summer discomfort and significantly higher air conditioning loads. The effect of building is considered as one…