Architecture, Building and Planning - Research Publications
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ItemInvestigating the Energy Efficiency Conversation in the Australian Volume Home Building Sector(GEER and QUT, 2019-04-18)High performance energy efficient housing can positively contribute through reduced energy demands and associated greenhouse gas emissions to the global environmental challenge of climate change. In addition, such homes can provide social and financial household benefits such as improved comfort, health and wellbeing, and reduced cost of living (ASBEC 2016, 2018). Although these potential benefits are well established, the adoption of increased energy efficiency in new Australian housing is not widespread. To address this gap between discourse and practice, this study focuses on the dominant providers of new housing in Australia, the influential volume home building sector. These organisations occupy an influential position in the system of new housing supply, informing and directing the choices of infrequent and inexperienced homebuyers, while offering significant contracts to a large construction supply chain (Warren-Myers & Heywood 2018). Communication of energy efficiency within the home building sector has been identified as one of the key institutional barriers to greater uptake of energy efficient homes (Heffernan et al 2015; Osmani & O’Reilly 2009). The focus of this study is the manner in which major volume home builders communicate energy efficiency to their potential homebuyers through organisational websites.
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ItemWhat are Microunits and can this new Housing Typology Help Solve the Housing Affordability Crisis? A review of the literature(American Real Estate Society, 2019-04-13)The increased density of many metropolitan areas combined with a trend toward shrinking household sizes is creating an increase in the demand for urban apartments. This increased demand has had a significant impact on the affordability and availability of housing in urban centres globally. The creation of smaller, denser units in the form of the micro units is one attempt to meet this need. Micro units are compliant with building codes and are developed with the idea that the individual unit includes shared amenities with other residents. Opponents claim that such apartments have negative effects on their occupants, on unit affordability in the adjacent area and lead to gentrification of traditional neighbourhoods. However, these claims are unfounded as very little research has been done on micro units. In most markets, micro units are a new typology for apartment housing and there is no evidence to indicate that such developments would have any negative impact on residents, neighbourhoods or pricing. Currently, several cities, such as New York, San Francisco and Singapore, are developing regulations related to micro units in their jurisdictions; these are in many respects different from one another. As there is no significant knowledge exchange among the planning departments of these cities, local governments, property developers and investors, and small urban households are beneficiaries of this study. As interpretations of the term ‘micro unit’ differ significantly, we first investigate the concept and provide a comprehensive definition of the term. We then present the results from a literature review and analyse the intentions of involved stakeholders in three international cities, each at a different stage in its implementation of micro unit legislation and development, as well as its perception of whether micro units will satisfy the needs of a demographically changing urban population. The three case studies include: New York (pre-development of legislation and micro units), San Francisco (legislation developed, micro units in development), and Singapore (units developed, currently re-assessing legislation). For policy makers, the research supports the development of zoning regulations identifying minimum apartment sizes; for practitioners, the research offers guidance to assist with development decisions on micro units, and notes that micro units are a feasible option for metropolitan centres to provide safer, more affordable, and suitable housing for small households.
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ItemAn Affordable Housing Negotiation Calculator: identifying feasible opportunities for voluntary agreements(SOAC, 2019-12-06)Rapid increases in housing costs, stagnant wage growth and limited government funding have created a housing affordability crisis in many cities, including Australia’s. Unlike elsewhere in the world where affordable housing contributions are secured through inclusionary zoning or other planning processes, the Australian context is largely devoid of any mandatory requirements for affordable housing provision in new development. Recent changes to legislation in Victoria have enabled planners to negotiate with developers to secure voluntary affordable housing contributions by offering alternative incentives. However, the lack of financial literacy and understanding of development feasibility and the effects of affordable housing provision on development viability and profit is likely to limit the success of this change. This paper reports on the conceptual framework and development of an Affordable Housing Negotiation Calculator to assist in educating local and state government representatives, community housing providers and developers about affordable housing provision and its effects on development feasibility. The calculator utilises existing valuation and development feasibility theory and practice; which can demonstrate the financial implications of affordable housing contributions and possible incentives. It is hoped this calculator will enable those decision-makers to better understand and negotiate positive outcomes for an increase in affordable housing; whilst considering the factors that impact development feasibility and enabling better understanding of the challenges of development.
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ItemLiveability at Height: Consumers' willingness to pay(Pacific Rim Real Estate Society (PRRES), 2019)As housing costs increase, transport congestion worsens and decreased affordability plagues growing cities, more people are considering high-rise living. This research empirically investigates the liveability, applying a nested framework of neighbourhood, building and apartment amenities. the relationship between liveability features, and apartment prices. This empirical analysis uses a bayside municipality as a pilot case study with planned future research to expand to Melbourne. The paper will provide insights into the main liveability elements consumers desire and are willing to pay for in the context of a city in transition to higher density living. This research helps developers in similarly changing markets select appropriate locations and incorporate socially sustainable elements into the design of buildings and individual apartments to improve the social impact for residents and provide direction for policy makers in determining mandatory and suggested requirements for increased density in urban areas.
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ItemExploring the energy efficiency conversation in the Australian volume home building sector(Pacific Rim Real Estate Society, 2019)Housing with high operational energy efficiency has the potential to positively contribute towards the global environmental challenge of climate change. Further, these types of homes can provide social and financial household benefits such as improved health and wellbeing, and reduced cost of living. Although these potential benefits are well known, the adoption of higher standards of energy efficiency in new Australian housing is not widespread. This is in part a result of limited mandatory requirements (compared to the benchmarks of other developed economies), and limitations to demand creation by consumers – two contributing features of an ongoing ‘blame game’ between consumer, government and industry stakeholders. This paper focuses on the dominant providers of new housing in Australia, the volume home builders. These organisations occupy an influential position in the system of new housing supply, informing and directing the choices of inexperienced homebuyers, and providing work opportunities to a large supply chain of building contractors and trades. But recent studies reveal that sustainability measures such as energy efficiency are not well promoted or prioritised by the sector. This paper presents preliminary findings from an exploration of the current energy efficiency ‘conversation’ between volume home building organisations and their potential homebuyers, as revealed by a content analysis of organisational websites. The preliminary review investigates the type of language being used to describe and promote the various housing products and options on offer, and its relationship to energy efficiency. This study establishes an evidence base for the current energy efficiency conversation in the volume home building sector, in order to identify opportunities for a more productive conversation, and the mainstreaming of higher energy efficiency performance in new housing.