Architecture, Building and Planning - Research Publications
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ItemBeyond the “premium-for-height” framework for designing the structural systems of tall buildings(The Architectural Science Association and RMIT University, 2018)
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ItemEstablishing a comprehensive database of construction material environmental flow coefficients for Australia(The Architectural Science Association and RMIT University, 2018)
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ItemA comprehensive model for quantifying the environmental and financial performance of cities(The Architectural Science Association and RMIT University, 2018)
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ItemTowards a comprehensive hybrid life cycle inventory for Chilean building materials(The Architectural Science Association and RMIT University, 2018)
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ItemEngineered timber for apartment buildings in Melbourne, Australia: A construction cost comparison with traditional concrete systems.(The Architectural Science Association and RMIT University, 2018)
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ItemGreen Building Projects: Process Innovation Leading to Project Innovation(Association of Researchers in Construction Management, 2017)Green Building (GB) project delivery is complex since these projects have many different requirements compared to conventional construction. There is not yet an agreement on which delivery approach is more effective in delivering more innovative and environmentally conscious GB projects. This paper investigates the GB project delivery approaches from an innovation perspective by reviewing the various empirical findings from previous research. Using 13 relevant studies identified through a systematic search, the relationship between innovation in delivery process and project innovation is identified. Depending on the extent of innovative features incorporated, each Project Delivery Method (PDM) is found to have the capacity to produce successful results. Incremental process innovation through the use of traditional PDMs is typically associated with a low level of project innovation and environmental performance while radical process innovation using integrated delivery method is found to be associated with a high level of project innovation and environmental performance in GB projects. Delivery process that encourages team work can be valuable as this promotes team integration and collaboration thereby leading to innovative solutions.
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ItemPutting Regenerative Development into Action: Understanding the Decision Making Process of a 680 Hectare Regenerative Project(Construction Industry Council, Hong Kong Green Building Council Limited, 2017)The built environment is responsible for significant environmental impacts. It is therefore a central research area to balance ecological and built systems and allow them both to thrive. While the majority of previous and existing attempts have targeted minimising environmental impacts, regenerative development goes beyond reduction and aims to restore and support environmental, social and economic flows. Yet, very few projects to date have been able to demonstrate a regenerative outcome. This is because few consulting firms currently offer regenerative design thinking, which is in turn linked to a lack of understanding of processes that support decision making in regenerative development projects. This paper uses a 680 hectares regenerative development project in Gippsland, South East Australia as a case study to investigate how implementing a regenerative development approach from the onset affects the decision-making process. A series of workshops were facilitated by the authors with the local community, indigenous elders, design experts, academics, scientists, government and industry partners and other stakeholders. An online survey consisting of 10 questions was sent to the 40 actors involved and 28 responses were collected (N = 28 and a response rate of 70%). This study provides a contribution to the understanding of both the processes that can support the implementation of innovative regenerative concepts in the built environment and their benefits. It covers aspects ranging from the personal motivation of participants, to the performance of the workshops in facilitating a regenerative design. The knowledge gained from this study will inform the future use of regenerative development and associated facilitation tools.
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ItemNet regenerative regional development: implementation in the master planning stage of a 680 hectares case study(The Architectural Science Association and The University of Adelaide, 2016)A positive vision for the future of humanity can be the basis for a needed change, a vision of opportunity, abundance and the potential for thriving. Regenerative development can provide a pathway towards this vision. Case studies are beginning to show that when applied, the concepts underpinning regenerative development can accelerate a transition to more equitable, sustainable, post fossil carbon societies. Net Regenerative Regional Development (NRRD) is development that supports the health and vitality of a region through mutually beneficial relationships between all the stakeholders and flows of the system. Though in its infancy in application, NRRD is based on the accumulation of millennia of human knowledge and provides us an opportunity to positively change the often negative future predicted. The potential of NRRD is being investigated using a large project called Seacombe West in Gippsland, Victoria and its masterplanning process. The masterplanning process is being informed by regenerative development theory and the facilitation process by the Living Environments in Natural, Social and Economic Systems (LENSES) framework. This study shows that planning NRRD through the use of LENSES supported the emergence of more holistic and systemic guidelines which informed a masterplan that has greater regenerative potential.
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ItemNo Preview AvailableHouse size and future building energy efficiency regulations in Australia(The Architectural Science Association and The University of Melbourne, 2015)The size of houses in Australia has significantly increased over the last decades. New houses have higher embodied and operational energy requirements due to their increased use of materials and larger area. Yet, current building energy efficiency regulations fail to adequately capture the effect of house size because of their omission of embodied energy and their sole use of a spatial functional unit for operational energy (e.g. MJ/m²). This study quantifies the effect of house size on life cycle energy demand in order to inform future building energy efficiency regulations. It uses a parametric model of a typical suburban house in Melbourne, Australia and varies its floor area from 100 to 392 m² for different household sizes. Both initial and recurrent embodied energy requirements are quantified using hybrid analysis and all operational energy end-uses (thermal and non-thermal) are calculated in primary energy terms over 50 years. Results show that larger houses appear to be more energy efficient per m² than smaller houses while actually having a much higher life cycle energy demand. Also, embodied energy represents 49-70% of the energy demand across all 360 variations. Guidelines are provided to improve current building energy efficiency regulations.
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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.