There is strong evidence for environmental, economic and social benefits derived through the applied methodology of biophilic design. Early data on the impacts of biophilics provides evidence for the significant increase in urban land and property prices as well as the public value of ecosystem services. The need for urban regeneration has been proposed for...

The share of prefabricated modular residential buildings in the Australian construction market is growing mainly because they are quicker to erect on-site than traditional construction, and often cheaper; but how about their carbon footprint and more particularly their thermal performance? To bring some light on this question, this paper uses two case studies where existing...

Monitoring household energy and water usage can provide valuable insights into building performance and occupant behaviour. The monitoring of building parameters such as temperature, relative humidity and carbon dioxide levels can also be used to inform building management. Additionally, when coupled with data feedback display the information can be an important tool in helping to...

Due to the unsustainable nature of urban sprawl, Australian metropolitan strategies have increasing been pushing for increased levels of infill: the redevelopment of existing urban (typically residential) land. However, the current infill models of Brownfield and lot-by-lot redevelopment are largely incapable of generating the volume or range of future housing needs. This issue has led...

The green agenda for cities and the economy in general is a major focus of global institutions and is increasingly a major national and urban priority. Core issues and best practice for built environment businesses were collated from published studies and used in a survey of Australian firms to see how committed they were to...