Architecture, Building and Planning - Research Publications
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ItemNature-Positive Design and Development: A Case Study on Regenerating Black Cockatoo Habitat in Urban Developments in Perth, Australia(MDPI, 2022-09)The benefits of ecosystem services to cities are well documented; for example, water-sensitive urban design to mitigate stormwater flows and purify run-off, the cooling benefits provided by tree shade, and psychological benefits of urban greening. Cities tend to displace nature, and in urban environments where nature exists it tends to be as highly altered ecosystems. This paper sets out how it is possible to regenerate nature in cities. We outline the principles of how to do this through a study on a new regenerative urban development in Perth, Australia, where urban planning is intended to support the regeneration of a bioregional habitat within the city. The authors, drawn from sustainability, property development and ecological backgrounds, describe how urban regeneration can potentially facilitate the regeneration of endemic habitat within the city. This builds on the original ecosystem functionality to provide an urban ecosystem that enables biodiversity to regenerate. Perth lies on the Swan Coastal Plain, a biodiversity hotspot; it is home to 2.1 million people and numerous endemic species such as the endangered Black Cockatoo. Low reproduction rates and habitat loss through agricultural clearing, fire and urban expansion have greatly reduced the Black Cockatoo’s range and this continuing trend threatens extinction. However, the charismatic Black Cockatoos enjoy passionate support from Perth’s citizens. This paper describes a range of strategies whereby new urban development could potentially harness the popularity of the iconic Black Cockatoo to build momentum for urban habitat regeneration (for the cockatoos and other species) on the Swan Coastal Plain. The strategies, if systematically operationalised through urban planning, could allow city-scale ecological gain. The authors suggest a framework for nature-positive design and development that offers multiple benefits for human and non-human urban dwellers across scales, from individual gardens, to city/regional scale habitat corridors. Collectively, these strategies can increase the capacity of the city to support endemic species, simultaneously enhancing a bioregional “sense of place”, and numerous associated ecosystem services to increase urban resilience in the face of climate change.
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ItemTowards an assessment framework for the environmental performance of alternative, multi-residential housing models(The Architectural Science Association and RMIT University, 2018)Reducing the environmental impacts of building whilst improving urban liveability has become a key challenge for the Australian multi-residential sector, as recent projects have been criticised for their poor environmental performance and internal amenity. Alternative models for multi-residential development – such as the Nightingale Model – are a recent response to this challenge. Employing an ‘architecture of reductionism’, the Nightingale Model seeks to deliver superior environmental and occupant outcomes. However, given the infancy of the model, an assessment of its performance is yet to be conducted. Assessments of building performance are critical to developing new and emerging approaches, yet existing evaluation methodologies are plagued by limitations. The most notable limitation is the lack of holistic frameworks that concurrently consider life-cycle ecological impacts and occupant wellbeing. The absence of such frameworks limits the ability to identify interrelationships between areas of performance and may possibly promote problem shifting. To develop an approach that can address this key limitation – and subsequently assess innovative housing models targeting a holistic approach to building performance – the paper concludes with a series of recommendations for approaching the creation of an integrated framework of assessment, which will quantify impacts to ecological and human systems in parallel.
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ItemNo Preview AvailableTrees provide energy saving benefits to adjacent buildings for a small water cost(Australian Sustainable Cities and Regions Network, 2011)
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ItemTemplate schools: Measuring indoor environmental quality(The University of Sydney, 2011)
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ItemA modelling method to assess the effect of tree shading for building performance simulation(International Building Performance Simulation Association, 2011)Increasing urban tree numbers is a simple but effective means to provide climate change adaptation to the urban environment by reducing the thermal load on buildings. To better communicate and value the importance of urban trees it is necessary to quantify these benefits and to understand the properties and processes that influence the magnitude of these benefits. For this we need verified and effective ways of modelling the trees in modelling software. This paper presents the results and problems encountered when trying to model trees effectively. The aim is to present our approach which was to treat the shade as a shading co-efficient on the wall. This allows for the consideration of the benefits of deciduous versus evergreen species. A modelling method to assess the effect of tree shading was developed and presented in this paper.
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ItemNo Preview AvailableA field test to demonstrate the benefit of cool roof paints in a temperate climate(The Architectural Science Association, 2013)This volume contains the refereed papers of the 47th International Architectural Science Association Conference 2013, held at the School of Architecture, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, China, They provide a snapshot of current cutting ...
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ItemComparing mixing ventilation and displacement ventilation in university classrooms(ZEMCH Network, 2018-01-29)There are two main types of mechanical ventilation systems: the mixing ventilation (MV) and the displacement ventilation (DV). The aim of this work is to compare their performance in terms of ventilation efficiency, air temperature, relative humidity, size-resolved particle concentrations, carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations, and energy consumption. We performed a field investigation in two side-by-side classrooms installed with the two different ventilation systems. The energy consumptions were measured by i) a heat meter to measure the energy extracted by chilled water supplied, and ii) a power analyser to measure energy consumed by the ventilation fan. We also monitor indoor air dry bulb temperature, relative humidity, and CO2 concentrations in real-time for both rooms. It was found that the classroom with DV system consumed more energy. The unexpected high energy consumption can be attributable to the improved ventilation, CO2 and humidity control in DV room. Air temperature stratification were observed in DV room, but both room achieved similar volume-averaged temperate. We also found lower particle concentrations in both rooms compared to outdoor levels.
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ItemPilot study on IEQ of an aged-care facility in Victoria(ZEMCH Network, 2018-01-29)Australian population is ageing. The proportion of Australian population over 65 years old has been increased and it is projected to be 25% in 2042. Although the Victorian Government has promoted ageing in place under home care package services, there is still a genuine need to provide more residential aged care services to satisfy the needs. The indoor environmental quality (IEQ) of residential aged care facilities is closely related to the health and well-being of residents living there. In this pilot study, the Adare Supported Residential Services (SRS) in Victoria is selected as the site for investigation. Some sensors are deployed in both communal areas and residents’ rooms to collect transient data on IEQ parameters, including carbon dioxide concentration, dry bulb temperature, radiant temperature, relative humidity and illumination level. Data collected is analysed and the links between outdoor environmental conditions and IEQ parameters are investigated. Limitations of this pilot study are discussed and recommendations for the full study are provided.
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ItemEvaluating the Practice and Outcomes of Applying Regenerative Development to a Large-Scale Project in Victoria, Australia(MDPI AG, 2018-02-09)Regenerative development is one of the critical pathways or processes towards an ecological worldview and a built environment in synergy with the natural environment. This vision aims to restore and support environmental, social and economic flows from a systems perspective. While regenerative development has been discussed in theory and applied to some projects, very few studies have analysed the processes that support its emergence. Our study investigates the design process of an ongoing development project, “Seacombe West” in Victoria, Australia. It evaluates the design outputs, using the LENSES Framework (Living Environments in Natural, Social, and Economic Systems) which is specifically designed to facilitate the emergence of regenerative development thinking. The project included a series of four workshops that led to a set of guidelines that in turn were used to design a masterplan. We evaluate the resulting guidelines, the masterplan, and the experience of the participants through an online survey (70% response rate) and semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders. Our results show that using LENSES encouraged systems thinking and helps facilitate a transdisciplinary approach towards regenerative development. This evaluation provides insights into how regenerative development can emerge in projects and how the potential for net benefit can be embedded.