Architecture, Building and Planning - Research Publications
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ItemExploring the application of the Carbon Risk Real Estate Monitor tool for Australian office buildings(PRRES, 2024)Urgent transitions to mitigate effects of climate change are needed. Policies and reduction targets for greenhouse gas emissions associated with the built environment are emerging. Meeting these targets will be essential to ensure built assets are not stranded. Asset ‘stranding’ occurs when a building no longer meets emissions targets and, as a result, may not be allowed to be occupied or rented, resulting in implications for asset income and occupancy. The Carbon Risk Real Estate Monitor (CRREM) tool was developed in Europe to enable emissions analysis of assets and portfolios to reduce the risk of stranding. CRREM is regarded as one of the most valuable tools for asset management and valuations in Europe and UK, however, in Australia it has only recently been adapted for local conditions. This research provides key insights into the effective use of CRREM for Australian built assets.
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ItemThe lIfe cycle performance of Monomur in Australian residential construction(Green Building Council Spain, 2014)Brick veneer is the most dominant construction type in Australia; however it is not necessarily the most advantageous for the climate. Mass wall types, where massing is evident on the interior of the building, can help to achieve greater thermal performance. Monomur thermal blocks are a thermal mass system, based on single leaf construction. They are resistant to compression, transfer of heat, and are made from natural clay. Monomur has shown to benefit construction in Europe, most predominantly France, where the push for low energy buildings is high on the national agenda. This study aimed to determine the life cycle energy performance of the use of the monomur system in Australian residential construction. A life cycle energy analysis (LCEA) was used to quantify and compare the life cycle energy performance of two case study houses, one built from monomur and one from brick veneer. It was shown that there is minimal difference in the performance of these two construction approaches, paving the way for the potential use of monomur in the Australian context.
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ItemTemplate schools: Measuring indoor environmental quality(The University of Sydney, 2011)
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ItemNo Preview AvailableImproving the life cycle energy performance of apartment units through facade design(ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV, 2017)The construction and operation of buildings require huge amounts of resources and contribute to climate change and resource depletion. In Australia, apartment buildings are increasingly being erected and are typically characterized by fully-glazed façades with a limited understanding of the life cycle implications of such design. This study uses a typical apartment unit in three climates (Melbourne, Australia; Brisbane, Australia; and Dunedin, New Zealand) and tests 87 different façade variations involving a range of window-to-wall ratios, window types and wall types. For each variation, the life cycle energy demand is quantified over 50 years and compared to that of the base case. Results show that the window-to-wall ratio is the most significant parameter and that smaller glazed areas reduce both embodied and operational energy use. Climate and orientation are other significant parameters, modifying the ranking of variations in terms of life cycle energy performance. In addition, the embodied energy of the façade represented, on average, 45% of the apartments’ life cycle energy demand, highlighting the importance of material selection. Reducing glazed area, considering a life cycle approach and carefully composing a façade with respect to climate and orientation are therefore critical factors in improving the life cycle energy performance of apartment units.
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ItemMore than a survey: An interdisciplinary post-occupancy tracking of BER schools(Taylor & Francis, 2012)In February 2009, the Australian Government announced the $16.2b Building the Education Revolution (BER) as part of an economic stimulus package. In the context of a global financial crisis, the Government called for ‘shovel ready’ projects requiring state education departments to develop template designs to speed the delivery process. Three years later, new facilities have been completed in over 1100 government schools in Victoria (DEECD, 2012). This article outlines research by an interdisciplinary team to track the early occupation of a template design used inVictoria. The design template was unusual: it enabled schools to continue using traditional classroom teaching or to slide open walls to form larger neighbourhoods suitable for team teaching. Our research linked different methodological frameworks to undertake post-occupancy evaluation (POE) of the new spaces. POE strategies are often driven by construction and project management perspectives rather than focus on organizational issues and user behaviour.
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ItemNo Preview AvailableTowards Buildings that Thrive(The University of Melbourne, 2016)
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ItemEvaluating the life cycle energy benefits of energy efficiency regulations for buildings(Elsevier, 2016-09-01)
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ItemNo Preview AvailableDoes current policy on building energy efficiency reduce a building’s life cycle energy demand?(The Architectural Science Association and The University of Melbourne, 2015)Building energy efficiency regulations often focus solely on thermal energy demands. Increasing the thermal performance of the building envelope through additional insulation and efficient windows is the typical approach to increasing building thermal energy efficiency. This can result in a significant increase in embodied energy which is currently not considered in building energy regulations. A case study house in Melbourne and Brisbane, Australia is used to investigate the life cycle primary energy repercussions of increasing building energy efficiency levels over 50 years. Embodied and operational energy are quantified using the comprehensive hybrid approach and a dynamic software tool, respectively. Energy efficiency is improved by material or design changes as well as a combination of both. Results show that while increasing the envelope thermal energy performance yields thermal operational energy savings, these can be offset by the additional embodied energy required for additional insulation materials and more efficient windows. The point at which increasing the thermal performance of the envelope does not yield life cycle energy benefits is just above current minimum energy efficiency standards in Australia. In order to reduce a building’s life cycle energy demand, a more comprehensive approach that includes embodied energy and emphasises design changes is needed.