ECD Architects Ltd’s Post

While there is some very elegant work there and the architects have delivered on what was asked, if the level of ambition of the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure and Government Architect NSW pattern book is a 1970’s definition of sustainability and essential current code minimum 7 stars one truly questions the point of the pattern book, especially if it is going to need updating every 3 years as the NCC hopefully edges toward net zero. This is a missed opportunity to show leadership towards higher performing more comfortable and energy efficient homes and to educate the NSW construction industry on how to deliver better. It also means that essentiall families aren’t going to be living well or happily in TOD zones where we don’t have apartments that can be well sealed and allow cohabitation in close proximity to happen well. This is a quick short sited effort to build homes with no consideration to long term cost of actually living in them or the opportunities that patternised design, streamlined approval process and plannnjng gain offers to demand better. NSW would do well to look at what is being delivered in Victoria now by development Victoria and private develops like MODEL They high performance and #passivhaus embedded in development briefs and its producing great results. #oppurtuntymissed Australian Institute of Architects Australian Passivhaus Association

The first two projects built as part of A New Normal Melbourne (www.normalise.it) just got shortlisted for 5 awards at the AIA Victorian Architecture Awards!! Including the only retrofit in Multi-Res, the only retrofit in Commerical, Interiors and both projects are up for Sustainability. I think it’s safe to say no one involved is interested in trying to win an award for ourselves, but we are far more interested in these projects getting elevated as examples for the industry to hopefully replicate at scale. And hopefully demonstrating what the next generation of the industry could / should collectively aspire to. We have over one million buildings to retrofit in Melbourne, we started with two. One residential and one commercial. Both of them are plus energy retrofits. Of the $100bn required to transform Melbourne from a consumer to a producer, $55bn is in retrofit including: 1) removing gas from exisiting buildings, 2) solar on exisiting buildings and 3) building fabric / systems upgrades. Retrofit has the potential to reduce Melbournes emissions by 40%. In a time when new construction is very difficult to justify its financial feasibility, there is $55bn worth of work out there that no one is asking anyone of us to do. There’s often no tender or brief, sometimes not even a client. But lots of opportunity! $55bn of opportunity with a strong return. Now is a special moment for us all work together to maximise the performance of our exisiting buildings. This investment will come from the private sector not the government. Let’s get on with it and the policy will follow. Sanders Place with NMBW/Openwork, and Wilam Ngarrang with Kennedy Nolan. Tripple are the legendary client for both. 🙌🙌🙌 Wilderness Building Co and Neverstop the builders. And many more involved! Link here: https://lnkd.in/gmSD-QcK

Does it cost more to build a Passivhaus? Passivhaus is the recognised standard in delivering low-energy, comfortable and healthy buildings. Building to the Passivhaus standard requires a particular approach to both design and construction in order to meet the energy use and air tightness targets. Whilst these targets are becoming more familiar to the construction industry, they are still the ‘gold standard’, and as such can cost more than a ‘business as usual’ approach. Andrew Baker-Falkner, Director here at Tate + Co, has written an article for our Knowledge Hub exploring the investment associated with a Passivhaus project. Read Andy's article here: https://lnkd.in/e2DzETGU And do take a look at Kintyre, our RIBA award-winning Passivhaus project, here: https://lnkd.in/e7GKmgGR Passivhaus Trust #architecture #construction #passivhaus #sustainability #sustainabledesign #greenbuildings

As PassivHaus projects continue to grow in popularity, in the construction industry and wider public circles, the benefits they bring, including low/zero bills, comfortable environments and broader health benefits are widely touted.   And rightly so.   However, this comes with an expectation of cost premium's, after all, how could all of these benefits over a 'traditional' building not cost more?   I have explored this in the below article as part of the Tate + Co Knowledge hub series and the answer is perhaps not what you would expect! You can read the article here - https://lnkd.in/e2DzETGU #architecture #construction #passivhaus #sustainability #sustainabledesign #greenbuildings

Forbes published its very first list of 200 top residential US architects. Their 7 criteria (below) are principles I aim to live by. Hoping to make the list one day. 😉 Forbes 7 Guiding Principles: 1. Siting and Local Context · Respects and aims whenever possible to preserve natural landscape contours, while minimizing excavation overall · Respects the solar envelope over its own site and, consequently, over that of the neighboring houses · Strategic incorporation of existing land forms (berms, slopes, etc) and landscape to climatic advantage (for wind shielding, storm protection, etc.) · Rooms planned according to the ideal solar orientation per function of the specific spaces · Adapted to sea-level-rise and flood-risk projections 2. Architectural Form and Detailing · Balanced expression of form and massing, conscious of climatic response in approach, while honoring the fundamentals of any origins that might be the basis of the design · Honors cultural and environmental contexts · Structural principles elegantly and honestly expressed 3. Building Materials and Craft · A curated approach to selection and application primarily guided by the impositions of the local climate zone and the cardinal directions · Meticulous attention to expression of architectural detailing—at the smallest levels, materials and geometry in alignment; thematic consistency, inclusive of variations; with emphasis on the relationship of parts to the whole · Use of indigenous and locally sourced, or repurposed, materials and employment of local artisans · Use of Forest Stewardship Council-Certified wood and wood products 4. Spatial Configuration · Entry is prioritized, treated as an experience · Adventurous, stimulating plan circulation, with movement decidedly choreographed, ideally with appropriate/effective moments of compression and expansion · Integrative of any outdoor rooms and garden spaces—programmatic relationships between indoors and exterior context · Strategic mechanical-, electrical- and plumbing-integration consideration · Accommodation for flexibility and change in use 5. HVAC and Tech · Whole-house passive solar heating · Electric radiant floors · Electric-dominant, remotely controllable whole-house systems · Use of architectural shading devices · Inclusive of “smart home” lighting automation systems · Thorough provisions for natural ventilation 6. Physical and Psychological Effects · Emphasis on space perception · Integration of sound-reduction strategies to control the interior environments · Immersive, transformative, soothing environments · Natural light harnessed as an instrument for mood creation 7. Environmental | Appropriateness to Region and Local Climate Zone · Material circularity factor · Green infrastructure · Meets or exceeds green residential-building codes · Raises bar of “responsibility” within its community for its example · Designed and built to withstand extreme climate conditions

🌿 Standing seam metal roofs are eco-friendly and durable. Learn why architects recommend them for sustainable building projects. #GreenBuilding #StandingSeamRoofs #ArchitecturalDesign

The ideal scenario in architecture is clear: sustainable housing should inherently be affordable, and affordable housing should prioritize sustainability. However, the current landscape raises the question: are these two principles genuinely aligning? Recently, in a conversation with Realty+, I shared my thoughts on how to balance the long-term convergence of affordability and sustainability. From strategising a holistic, region-specific approach to making use of current construction and technological frameworks, we can deliver innovative housing solutions that benefit both the environment and the community. #SustainableHousing #AffordableHousing #Construction #EnergyEfficiency #Housing #Architecture #Sustainability

City of Orange, California-based architectural firm AO — formerly known as Orange Architects — has operated a dedicated modular studio since 2016. The firm works with two modular factories — Autovol Volumetric Modular in Nampa, Idaho, and Volumetric Building Companies Cos. in City of Tracy, California — and currently has 11,000 modular units in its pipeline. More than 6,500 of these units are in California, and many of them are affordable housing. Its ongoing modular projects include The Courtyards on International, a 140-unit affordable development in City of Oakland, California, designed for Eagle, Idaho-based The Pacific Cos., and Orbisonia Heights in Bay Point, California, a 169-unit affordable property and 22,000-square-foot library designed for Reno, Nevada-based Pacific West Cos.       Building Permits – Construction – Canada – November 2024 - https://lnkd.in/g_FmHMBi

At the dawn of Modernism, in the fervent search for innovative, efficient, and cost-effective building systems, modular construction offered the promise of precisely that: an industrialized system comprised of ready-to-assemble elements, easily configured, cost-effective, and quality-controlled. Read on. #modularconstruction #construction

Three ingenious ways architects are designing buildings to stay cool in a heatwave without air conditioning Sara Saadouni Lecturer, Sustainable Technology and Building Engineering Services, Nottingham Trent University As the UK braces for yet another record-breaking heatwave, we are starkly reminded of the need for climate-resilient architecture in a warming world. In the last few decades, architects have been addressing this by considering passive design strategies. These are design approaches that harness natural resources, such as sunlight or wind, to achieve indoor comfort, without relying on energy-hungry options like air conditioning. Architects around the world are developing designs that not only respond to their local climates and cultural contexts but also push the boundaries of sustainable design. Some are inspired by vernacular architecture, a type of traditional construction specific to the building’s location and the locally available materials. Others learn from nature and employ biomimicry, a process that copies strategies found in natural ecosystems to solve human design challenges, as these three examples illustrate. Read on at https://lnkd.in/g4Fx3WCH