Design Matters National INTERSECT December 2020

ED33 DEC 2020

Season's Greetings 

Issue 33

Ingrid Hornung, President, Design Matters National,

Welcome to our December issue of INTERSECT Our People Ingrid Hornung President Peter Lombo Vice President Greg Blanch Treasurer Dominique Hunter Immediate Past President John Armsby Committee Member Timothy Ellis Committee Member Jeremy Spencer Committee Member Darron Lyons Committee Member Jason Saunders Committee Member Peta Anderson Chief Executive Officer Emily Schiavello Sustainability Advocacy & Thermal Performance Assessment Elaine Centeno Communications and Events Danielle Johnston Senior Communications Advisor Alex Hunt Administrator

This is our final “INTERSECT” for 2020 and we’ve saved the biggest news for the ‘pointy’ end of the year: our amalgamation with the BDANT and BDAWA. We warmly welcome our new colleagues, based in the Northern Territory and Western Australia, to the DMN family.

There are already lots of borderless events and face-to-face activities in the pipeline for DMN Members in 2021, so we’ll be sure to cross paths, at least virtually. We look forward to getting to know you in the New Year.

Speaking of next year, BDAWA’s President Pip Smith shared a very thoughtful and eloquent piece in this issue called ‘What’s Next?’.

At once grounding and inspirational, it’s definitely worth a read.

And as you take a moment, at some stage, to reflect on the year that was, please scan your archive of past work for the small projects which made a big difference to your clients’ lives.

If you find one, please send us an email about it to editor@designmatters.org.au. Not the grand, ‘wow’ projects – save those for the Awards which open 1 February 2021! We’ll feature your best, not-so-grand designs on these pages in 2021.

Enjoy the magazine and have a restful break.

Ingrid Hornung President

Contents Sponsors Matter 01 02 03 04 05 06 07

Growth Matters What’s Next?

InterVIEW Member Matters Planning Matters Industry Matters Business Matters

4 6 12 18 20 24 26

Design Matters National appreciates the support of our sponsors.

Here for members during COVID-19

Our team at Design Matters National is set up to work remotely to ensure there is no interruption to services provided to our members. We are here to help, so email us at info@designmatters.org.au or call on 03 9416 0227

Ph: 03 9370 9599 www.clause1.com.au

DISCLAIMER

Publication of an article or inclusion of an advertisement in this edition does not imply that Building Designers Association of Victoria Inc trading as Design Matters National agrees with the views expressed, or message conveyed, nor does it imply endorsement of products. In addition, Design Matters National does not accept responsibility for any errors or omissions. No content may be reproduced without the written permission of Design Matters National. Requests should be lodged to The Editor, at editor@designmatters.org.au 3

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01. Growth Matters

By Ingrid Hornung, President, Design Matters National, 2020-2022

Welcome to our new NT & WA Members What a milestone month for Design Matters National! I’ll start with extending a very warm welcome to our new Members in the Northern Territory and Western Australia. Also, congratulations, you’ve just joined Australia’s largest network of over 2000+ professionals in the industry.

I’m very excited about these amalgamations, not only as President of DMN, but particularly as a building designer.

It doesn’t matter where you are in Australia, a building designer continues to be a profession which is not widely recognised, or even understood; and having offices in the NT and WA and Victoria enables us to connect with local building design communities and consumers within those states through education, advocacy and industry events; whilst still using our national voice to raise public awareness.

Planning of 2021 events in all three states has already started, and I look forward to the opportunity to meet many more of our Members (new and old!) in person next year. DMN has come a long way since our beginnings in Victoria in 1983 to become Australia’s largest professional association of building designers and thermal performance assessors, as well as architects, building surveyors, town planners, landscape architects and interior designers.

I look forward to meeting our WA and NT Members (new and old!) and I congratulate CEO Peta Anderson for bringing these alliances, based on shared values and vision, to fruition.

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01. Growth Matters

Dear Peta Anderson CEO and DMN Members, As one of the near-original Members of the BDAV, back in the late 1980s when I think we only had about 40 Building Designers as Members, I am so proud of what the BDAV has become.

Design Matters National was exactly what was needed to embrace the changing face of "design" professionals into the new Millennium.

I am so proud of having been involved with the growth and development of the organisation to what it has become today.

I am absolutely thrilled that we have been able to negotiate with the BDANT and the BDAWA who have voted unanimously to join forces with DMN and become part of the Management team.

I would also like to thank and congratulate everyone for their untiring work and effort in bringing this wonderful result to a successful conclusion.

Change is a constant state and I am sure the organisation will continue to embrace the changes necessary to maintain a fully professional relevance in today's and tomorrow's world.

Well done to everyone, and I will continue to watch and be even more proud when I see what the next few years bring.

Hopefully we can bring some of the other Chapters from around Australia under the banner of DMN. Please continue to keep me informed of progress.

Regards, Graham Paulin Retired BDAV Member Cert IV TAE40110 - Workplace Training and Education

G R OW T H M AT T E R S

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02. What's Next

2020...

I have some questions

By Pip Smith – Manager & Principal Architect CADDS Group and former President BDAWA

As if the bushfires, hailstorms, and flooding at the start of the year weren’t enough, 2020 had a real doozy up her sleeve… a global pandemic: COVID! We did not see that one coming.

We have been implausibly fortunate here in WA. Loss of life, safety, livelihoods, jobs, even lifestyles have been impacted relatively little compared to the rest of the country, and the world.

With experts all telling us that COVID is something we have to learn to live with, even though we have been relatively unscathed so far, this virus seems to have changed everything we thought we knew in just 9 months. It’s difficult to talk about 2020 and not talk about COVID … It’s “The New C Word”.

But I didn’t want to focus on COVID. It’s the end of the year now (which is terrifying), but as we approach the New Year I don’t want to focus on COVID. I want to focus on what’s next.

The Pirelli Tire Building, aka the Armstrong Rubber Building, is a private building in, Connecticut, USA, designed by modernist architect Marcel Breuer.

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02. What's Next

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02. What's Next Much of the modernist design movement can be attributed to the fear of, and treatment of, tuberculosis in the 20s and 30s. With Mies van der Rohe, Alvar Aalto, Marcel Breuer and old mate Corb lifting their buildings off the ground, clearing the floor plate and ensuring “light, fresh air and sun” had access to every space, to discourage bacteria and contamination.

Marseille Terrasse by Le Corbusier.

Photo by Vincent Desjardins.

What’s next - for the built environment?

What’s next - for housing?

What might it mean to design for a world that will never quite be the same, especially when it comes to how we gather in, and use, public open space, and shared buildings we probably never really questioned before: offices; gyms; hotels; airports; and hospitals?

What kind of spaces are people going to want to live in, now that we’ve all become (maybe a little bit too) familiar with the inside walls of our home this year? In lockdown, our habitable spaces - and their flaws - are one of the few things we have had to focus on. While residential shared spaces being “open plan” are still so fundamental to our Australian design identity, visual and acoustic divisions become rather critical when 4 people in the same house are all on different Zoom calls!

What’s next - for building design?

This wouldn’t be the first time that form has followed the function of avoiding disease.

Much of the modernist design movement can be attributed to the fear of, and treatment of, tuberculosis in the 20s and 30s. With Mies van der Rohe, Alvar Aalto, Marcel Breuer and old mate Corb lifting their buildings off the ground, clearing the floor plate and ensuring “light, fresh air and sun” had access to every space, to discourage bacteria and contamination.

As TB shaped modernism, how will social distancing and sanitisation shape the next wave of building design?

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A lack of privacy or the chance to move to a different space is harder to bear when bars, cafes and shops can’t offer an escape.

So how will our collective experience of lockdown impact future home design?

What’s next - for clients?

With everyone experiencing improvisations like taped “X” on floors, plexiglass barriers, and pop-up handwash stations, what kind of spaces are people going to want us to design for them now that everyone is becoming, if not designers, makers of their own safe space?

02. What's Next

How will this democratisation of design impact client briefs, budgets, and understanding of what they want from their space?

What’s next - for building technology?

Almost everyone is predicting that public spaces will move toward more automation to mitigate contagion, so what touchless technology is within reach for doors, light switches, handles, elevators, rest rooms?

functions into exterior landscapes, design for reallocation and flexible use within the CBD, and promote an occupation of public space that can be unrelated to commercial activity?

It is critical for the survival of cities that we don’t just take away, but that we think about what voids of one use can be filled with another.

What’s next - for construction?

In addition, the importance of ventilation has been brought to the fore, with the need for almost hospitalgrade HVAC systems in everyday buildings now. What technologies can make high-grade mechanical design more accessible, quickly and affordably?

The informal nature of construction sites means that social distancing is often hard to maintain, and if the construction sites I’ve been on are anything to go by, sanitising hands frequently is like putting a band-aid on a broken leg.

What’s next - for cities?

Traditional construction is dependent on physical teamwork, with a variety of tasks that have to be undertaken simultaneously, and an often unforgiving Critical Path which provides no option to stagger resources on a building site.

With the idea of putting hundreds of thousands of people on public transport twice a day to get them into open plan office buildings and have them queue up in small cafes for lunch probably not an ideal outcome anymore - what’s next for our cities?

Urbanism and density cannot be the baby we throw out with the bathwater, so how can we improve pedestrian and bike networks, expand our interior

Are we better off looking to innovations in modular or lightweight solutions to better control staging, that have the added benefit of the ability to be assembled quickly, converted or relocated in the event of disaster and crisis response?

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02. What's InterVIEW Next

What’s next - for our industry?

The Federal Government was commendably fast to release the HomeBuilder grants which, along with WA’s hard border policy and an apparent real estate bubble, has created a bit of a perfect storm seeing so many of us busier than we have been in years.

And the proof that we can meet this challenge is surrounding us tonight - literally, pinned up on the walls. These amazing projects tonight are our demonstration that we are up to the task.

I know tonight might have sounded a bit like a big one-sided Q&A - all Q, no A. I did say I had some questions… we all do. There is a lot of uncertainty At a time when we can’t rely on 457 visas or potentially even skilled workers from interstate to cope rolling into 2021, but I think a lot of it is good uncertainty. This year has shaken us, but it has also with this surge, will high quality construction be able shown us that we can survive, thrive even, in the most to keep up with demand? Will there be another wave extraordinary circumstances. of rectification refurbishments and builders going out of business tomorrow, because of unadministered I don’t know what 2021 will bring (obviously, from all construction contracts today? my questions). But I do know from looking around at these projects tonight, that whatever is next, building And although the Federal Government released a high-spending budget last month, will it be enough to designers will continue to do brilliant work, and stop the lineup of new construction projects drying up continue to strive for the built environment that all in the years to come? As designers, we are at the very Australians deserve. start of the construction supply chain, and know all This year has been professionally and personally too well that we will be the first ones to feel the pinch challenging for so many of us. However, we’ve been of industry slowing, if and when there is one. here in this crazy ride of 2020 together, and we’ll be here next year together… as we give 2021 its answer: What’s next - for practice?

What’s next!

For our profession, for us?

About Pip Smith For a line of work reliant on meetings, construction Pip was nominated for the role of President of the site visits, keeping on top of emerging trends, BDAWA in 2018 by the BDAWA Management technologies, and legislation, how will we ensure that Committee. the modifications we are making to how we work are sustainable, and empower us to provide services that Pip first came on board with the BDAWA in 2008, are stronger… not just services that are relevant? working part time for CADDS Group – a long-term supporter of the BDAWA – while she completed her Many of us were already working from home, and we study. In 2010 she joined the architectural design have adapted quickly to online meetings, forums, and learning spaces. Maybe the upside of moving our work industry full-time, and in 2016 was appointed manager of the architectural department at CADDS. online is the broadening of our horizons - we are no During this time Pip has been passionate about longer restricted to the information available in our intelligent and sustainable design, and providing an own backyard. informed service to clients regardless of project size or type (or fee!).

Designers will have a more critical role to play than usual in the future composition of a COVID-safe built Pip completed a Bachelor of Applied Science environment. But at least now through our online (Architectural Science) degree in 2008, a Master of workspaces, we have more information and a broader Architecture degree in 2010, both at Curtin University, support network available to us than ever before - to and became a registered architect. help equip us with meeting this challenge.

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02. What's Next

Top (L-R): Daniel Lee - James Hardie; Pip Smith- CADDS Group; and Jason Saunders - Arc seven.1. Middle: Michelle Sikora - Modus Design, and Rob Van Der Stroom. Bottom left: Daniel Lomma - Daniel Lomma Design, and Pip Smith - CADDS Group. Bottom right (L-R): Darren Clark - CADDS Group; Brendan Jarvis - CADDS Group; Simon Taylor - Taycon Group; Sally-Ann Weerts - Arcadia Design Studio.

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02. InterVIEW 03.

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03. InterVIEW

JOHN DAMANT Director, Arcologic

John Damant is the founder of Arcologic Design, a Perth-based practice specialising in the design of sustainable homes and medium density infill. He is the recipient of many awards, especially in the sustainable housing sector. His projects span most areas of Western Australia and are at many scales using a variety of materials and technology.

He is currently on the Panel for the Department of Communities Medium Density Housing and in that capacity is working on some exciting projects in the ‘Missing Middle’ space. He is also working towards a series of prototypical carbon positive infill homes based on his winning entry in the Density and Diversity Done Well competition.

What he’s working on now.

We have a nice variety of work on at present including both single homes and medium density projects. Currently we are planning three hemp homes in the Witchcliffe Ecovillage which is the first time we’ve used this particular material.

It is exciting because we can bring all our past sustainable design knowledge to bear on a project which is slated to be the most environmentally responsible residential project in Australia. All homes have to be carbon positive, self-sufficient in water and power, and each Lot has a dedicated exclusive use area for edible gardens.

His favourite type of project.

I would have to say it was the Density and Diversity Done Well competition (run by the Queensland Government and UDIA Queensland) in which we were a joint winner. This project brought together all my interests in sustainable design coupled with solving the problems of the ‘Missing Middle’ in housing in our suburbs. We have taken the lessons learnt in that competition and are adapting our solution to create a series of smaller, smarter, sustainable homes we are branding as ‘Econests by Arcologic’.

His biggest business/design challenges.

I think, like many, it has been riding the rollercoaster of peaks and troughs in the industry, while staying afloat and sane!

We’ve managed to remain a lean practice that still produces a large portfolio of work while also being able to pivot in new directions where required.

Words of wisdom for a design student.

I would say you need to develop your passion for all things design and never stop looking at the world around you for inspiration. I was lucky as a young architectural graduate to be given a lot of design responsibility at a larger firm, but if you want a good all-round learning experience, a small- to medium-sized practice may offer greater opportunities.

You need to keep evolving in this profession and it is a life-long learning experience in which confidence and competence comes with time spent working on projects.

You need to keep evolving in this profession... it is a life-long learning experience John's favourite international residential building is Frank Lloyd Wright’s ‘Falling Water’ for how it engages with the natural forest setting and the stream/waterfall around which it is designed.

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03. InterVIEW

Why he joined BDAWA. Primarily to belong to a group with common interests, to share ideas and to learn from others on a similar journey.

Also, to be able to have my work benchmarked against my peers to encourage striving for excellence, which is why I try to enter the Awards programme most years.

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What he wants to know more about.

I would like to see a greater focus on sustainability in all its forms and to learn more about carbon positive building and alternative construction methods.

03. InterVIEW

His favourite finish or feature.

It would probably be burnished concrete floors that are great to look at, have minimal maintenance and serve a useful function in the Perth climate of providing thermal mass. We are starting to use more and more lightweight building methods in Perth (which has an historical obsession with double brick) so the concrete slab on our sandy soils is a great way to add some thermal mass to our houses.

His favourite architectural style.

Mid-Century Modern. For its honest use of natural materials, simple expression of planes and forms, and the way it merges the indoors with the natural world outside.

Also, the understanding of the way the homes relate to the path of the sun and natural ventilation, something that has been lost with a lot of speculative housing in our suburbs today.

John's favourite project was the 'Density and Diversity Done Well' competition, run by the Queensland Government and UDIA Queensland, in which his company was a joint winner.

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03. InterVIEW

His favourite Australian building.

The Sydney Opera House is the first that springs to mind as a true iconic building.

But if I were to put on my parochial hat it would be Kerry Hill’s Western Australian State Theatre in Perth. It is a master class in how to integrate a state of the art new complex into an existing heritage streetscape while creating meaningful, human-scaled spaces in between the built form. The restrained use of concrete, timber and brass is inspired.

His favourite international building.

As a commercial/public building, the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California, by Louis Khan. For its sheer strength of concept, honest use of materials and the courage to leave its central court as a single unadorned plane, which he referred to as the ‘Fifth Façade’. Residentially, it would have to be Frank Lloyd Wright’s ‘Falling Water’ for how it engages with the natural forest setting and the stream/waterfall around which it is designed. Timeless architecture that works with the natural world.

The designer currently inspiring his work.

I’m not sure there is any one above all others, but the work of the late Perth architect Kerry Hill resonates with me for its clarity of concept which is then taken through to the built form using a simple palette of materials and finishes. I admire architecture where the ‘big idea’ can be read and forms are honest, but that still has the human scale at its heart. His Perth City Library is a great example of this where the built form answers Louis Kahn’s rhetorical line of questioning: ‘What does a library want to be?’

John's favourite international commercial/public building is the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California,by Louis Khan.

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03. InterVIEW

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03. Member Matters

Small projects that make a big difference Ingrid Hornung, President, Design Matters National

I want to celebrate the 'small' projects our Members do, which have made a big difference to a client's life.

I’m sure everyone has these by the dozen.

Whether it's enclosing a verandah to create a guest bedroom; or a garage conversion for accommodating grandparents (or teenagers!); or a garden revamp creating some contemplative space, we want to hear about all of them!

You see, I think the difference we make to our clients’ lives through these projects has, until now, gone largely unacknowledged. We have our annual Building Design Awards celebrating projects with the 'wow factor’, and rightly so, but we all have work which doesn't qualify for the Awards, that is also worth celebrating.

In 2021, this is one of the things we want to change.

So, what are we looking for, and where will it end up? We’d like words and pictures telling feel-good stories about small projects which made a big difference, to publish in this magazine.

The project must be in Australia, under $350K (not including land), have its certificate of occupancy, and the client must agree to be profiled (though anonymity is OK). That’s it. Please email a sentence or two about your project to Danielle and she’ll get back to you.

What’s important is not the object we’re making; it is the life we’re making new possibilities for.

"As a newish building designer, I've chosen to design at the really budget end of the home reno market. I'm not sure I'll ever produce the kind of work that features in design competitions, but I already have projects I am proud of, so I'm thrilled Design Matters National is creating this new space for us to acknowledge and celebrate the ways our work as designers can transform people's everyday lives."- Elizabeth Wheeler.

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48 hour turn around time on virtual staging

No subscriptions Only pay one fixed low rate per image

100% guaranteed satisfaction with unlimited changes

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04. Planning Matters

Planning: A Year in Review

Clause 1 recently made a presentation at the Design Matters National InspoExpo. The presentation provided a summary of significant changes to the planning scheme, important VCAT decisions and other important planning issues that have arisen over the past 12 months. For anyone who was unable to attend, please head to our website www.clause1.com. au for a copy of the presentation.

Christmas Advertising Extended

These tidbits are part of the regular contribution made by Clause 1 Planning to INTERSECT. For more information, visit www.clause1.com.au

At this time of year, Councils across the state will implement ‘blackout periods’, restricting the advertising of planning applications over the holiday season. The dates and restrictions of the ‘blackouts’ vary significantly from Council to Council.

Permit applicants should contact their relevant Council for details, but here is an example of what some Councils have already announced will not count towards the normal 14-day public notification period.

Casey: 15 December 2020 – 4 January 2021 Melbourne: 7 December 2020 – 8 January 2021 Stonnington: 21 December 2020 – 10 February 2021 Maribyrnong: 2 December 2020 – 28 January 2021 Moonee Valley: 4 December 2020 – 11 January 2021 During these periods, most Councils will not count the ‘blackout’ days as part of the required advertising period. This generally means sign(s) must be maintained on site for all of the ‘blackout’ date, plus 14 days.

In some instances, Councils require the sign(s) to be erected for 14 ‘continuous’ days (not including the blackout dates). In such circumstances, if your sign is erected 10 days prior to the blackout period, remains up over the black period and is required to be maintained for 14 ‘continuous’ days after the blackout period, your sign will be erected for nearly 6 weeks.

As a result of the elongated advertising period, it is often in an applicant’s best interests to not erect the sign on site until after the blackout period has ended.

It is noteworthy that the Planning and Environment Act does not authorise Council to ‘blackout’ days over the Christmas period. Despite that, VCAT regularly supports the notion of ‘blackout’ periods when issuing Orders that require advertising over the holiday season.

Clause 1 is of the opinion that the inconsistency in ‘blackout’ periods across Victorian municipalities creates a slightly confusing, frustrating and unnecessary time delay for permit applicants over the Christmas break. Practitioners should contact the relevant Council to confirm their advertising protocols over this time.

Ph: 03 9370 9599 www.clause1.com.au

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04. Planning Matters Food and Drink Exemptions Planning scheme amendment VC193 is a Victorian state-wide amendment; one of a number of planning scheme amendments made to support the State’s social and economic recovery from the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The Amendment was made operative on 21 October 2020 and provides 12 months of exemptions to planning scheme and existing planning permit requirements, for uses and development in relation to (mainly) outdoor dining.

The Amendment seeks to facilitate the reopening and safe operation of restaurants and other food and drink businesses.

The Amendment changes Clause 52.18 State of Emergency and Recovery Exemptions in the Victorian Planning Provisions to specify: The exemptions in this clause prevail over any inconsistent provision in this planning scheme or condition of a permit.

The exemptions in this clause do not apply to a requirement in the Heritage Overlay relating to the construction or carrying out of works to an existing building, the alteration of an existing building, or the painting of an existing building, other than a building constructed or placed under an exemption in this clause.

A use or development carried out under an exemption in this clause must comply with the requirements in clause 52.18-7.

Previously, this Clause included exemptions relating to existing planning permits or planning scheme provisions limiting hours and or days for goods delivery and dispatch, loading and unloading of food, drink, groceries, medicine, or cleaning, sanitising, health, hygiene, medical or personal protection equipment, supplies, or products or the like.

Those provisions have now been expanded to exempt proposals from planning scheme requirements (where on public land) for: • the use of land for the preparation or sale of food or drink for immediate consumption on, or off, the land, or for the consumption of food or drink, during the exemption period if the requirements of clause 52.18-7 are met.

• buildings and works for a temporary or moveable building associated with the preparation, sale or consumption of food or drink on the land during the exemption period if the requirements of clause 52.18-7 are met.

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04. Planning Matters

And: • the use of land for food or drink premises if the use is associated with the existing use of adjoining land for a food and drink premises, function centre or winery, and the requirements of clause 52.18-7 are met.

• buildings and works for a temporary or moveable building associated with land used for a food and drinks premises if the requirements of clause 52.18-7 are met.

We sincerely hope you have survived 2020 reasonably unscathed and look forward to working with you in 2021.

The exemptions include car parking requirements, whereby any car parking requirement in the planning scheme does not apply to a use commenced under an exemption in Clause 52.18, or to an existing use of land for a food and drink premises, function centre or winery, during the exemption period.

Existing planning permits issued prior to 21 October 2020, for use or development of land for a food and drinks premises, function centre or winery, (including the use of land for sale or consumption of liquor for these uses) now benefit from exemptions to planning permits and conditions which would otherwise restrict: • layout or location of the use; • layout or location of development or works on the and; and • provision of car parking provided the requirements of Clause 52.18-7 are met.

Clause 52.18-7 sets out important limitations to these exemptions. However, these exemptions provide a significant opportunity for relevant businesses. We are aware of a number of food and drinks premises operators that are already using these exemptions to establish outdoor seating for consumption of food and drinks, without the need to amend or apply for new planning permits.

However, practitioners should also be aware that these exemptions are separate from local law requirements which differ from Council to Council in respect of outdoor seating and dining arrangements. Some Councils are also waiving or expediating local law requirements to assist business owners.

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Merry Christmas The staff at Clause 1 Planning wish you, your families and loved ones a safe and joy-filled Christmas break. Thank you for your support and assistance over the past, tumultuous 12 months.

We sincerely hope you have survived 2020 reasonably unscathed and look forward to working with you in 2021.

We, once again, have not purchased our clients and associates gifts for Christmas, in lieu of those gifts we have made a donation to our favourite charity, the EB Research Partnership. To learn more visit: www.ebresearch.org.au Our office will be closed on Tuesday 22nd December and reopening on Monday 11 January 2021.

Throughout this time, we will continue to monitor our phones and manage your applications – however, our response will be slower than normal over this time.

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06. Industry Matters

Specifying slip resistance

By Emma Green, NATSPEC Communications

Residential design is hugely important to quality of life and a person's ability to live independently.

NATSPEC is a not-for-profit organisation owned by Government and industry. It maintains the National Building Specification and has been a valued part of the Australian construction industry for 45 years. For more information, visit www.natspec.com.au.

Slips occur when a person's foot loses traction with the ground surface. This can be due to inappropriate footwear, surface contaminants such as water or grease, the flooring product's finish, or its innate slip resistance rating. Environmental factors such as poor lighting or poorly maintained walkways can also play a role.

Slips commonly result in falls and further injuries, particularly fractures to the hip and leg. Slips, trips and falls are the leading cause of serious injuries related to building design and construction, and they disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, especially elderly people, people with illnesses or disabilities, and children. People aged 65 years and over account for almost 75 per cent of all hospital separations nationally due to falls occurring in buildings.

The structural and design components of buildings can have a major impact on the likelihood of slips, as well as their severity.

According to a 2008 report by Monash

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University Accident Research Centre, hazardous building features include the non-attenuating and non-absorptive nature of many residential and institutional flooring surfaces, insufficient lighting in stairways, and the possible lack of handrails in many domestic stairways.

Building design considerations that implement universal design can reduce these hazards. Universal design is the design of buildings, products and environments to make them accessible and usable to all people of different ages and abilities over time, without the need for adaptation or specialised design.

The most common location for falls resulting from slips or trips is the home.

Residential design is hugely important to quality of life and a person's ability to live independently. The principles of universal design can be applied to residential projects to reduce the risk of slips, trips and falls to the greatest extent possible.

Existing flooring can be treated to improve

06. Industry Matters

its slip-resistant qualities, for example by grinding or sanding the flooring product.

In some areas, such as kitchens, bathrooms and laundries, slips are a foreseeable risk. Slip-resistant surfaces are most useful here.

beginning of the design process to ensure the suitability of a home for all residents at every point in their lives. Universal design considerations can come at minimal or no extra cost to the client if introduced from the initial design stage of the project.

In universal design, flooring should accommodate all users regardless of age, condition, pace or footwear. This is not limited to the floor surface itself; other elements come into play. Entrances, for instance, should be provided with adequate weather protection (such as drainage, sufficient awning depth, and an entry floor mat), and the installation of handrails on both sides of a staircase can be very effective in reducing the risk of slips. Ensuring adequate lighting is another simple way to effectively incorporate universal design into a project.

These considerations require appropriate documentation, such as NATSPEC specifications. The ABCB has recognised under-specifying as a problem in the past when it comes to slip resistance.

Stipulating the exact requirements for a product, material, treatment or finish ensures the incorporation of universal design and reduces the risk of slips and injuries.

Although adaptations and modifications can be made at a later stage (and often at a higher cost), universal design can be specified in documentation from the very

With the October update to the National Building Specification, NATSPEC released three new TECHnotes highlighting the effectiveness of universal design and ways in which designers can incorporate universal design into their projects. The TECHnote DES 039 Universal Design: Slip Resistance focuses in particular on how

universal design can prevent slips, providing further information about standards and the application of universal design. Like other NATSPEC TECHnotes, which cover a variety of topics relevant to building professionals, this document provides helpful considerations for specifiers.

The majority of people will benefit from universal design during at least one period in their lives. It should not be an afterthought added on at the end of the design process, or not at all. Specifications reduce the potential for ambiguity and misinterpretation between parties.

They are an indispensable tool for designers, complementing the drawings and allowing the final construction to reflect the design as accurately as possible.

Including stipulations to improve slip resistance is one way to make the home and the built environment safer for everyone.

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07. Business Matters

11 Simple Social Media Marketing Tips for 2021

By George Hawwa, Growth Director, Attention Experts

Heading into 2021, social media has become increasingly more important for business marketing to both consumers and other businesses.

Using social media to build a brand and generate some sales, may seem daunting. But there are steps you can follow to improve your success.

I will be explaining all this in our 11 tips for social media, that you can’t live without!

01

Post Often and Consistently.

Make sure that if you are going to post content, that it is done consistently and to a content plan. Ensure your content plan is done by a content schedule where each day of the week is broken up into topics to discuss for that day (see point 5, below, for more).

02

Make sure you understand that your social media is not just about content only.

Make sure you know that your social media strategy should be incorporated with building databases, leads and sales!

03

Learn how to create databases off the back of your social media accounts.

With social media, especially platforms like Facebook and Instagram, it is important that you learn how to create databases off the backend of your social media accounts. If you are unsure as to how, make sure that you book in a session with us so we can teach you.

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07

With any content, ensure you have a clear strategy that aligns with delivering value, inspiration or relevance to your audience.

Know that if you haven’t been receiving sales or enquiries from your social media, your engagement isn’t high enough.

To create engagement, you must have created some value for your audience. You also must have created some inspiration or relevance for your audience. It is important to note that if you are not receiving engagement, one of these things are out!

Understand that sales and enquiries from social media won’t come overnight. You need engagement to be able to have someone want to buy from you. So, know how to lift your engagement. This is mentioned in point 4 above.

05

Incorporate a content calendar with your content, which will allow you to execute your content strategy.

As mentioned in point one, it is important to have a content strategy and content calendar in place.

For example, Monday could be ‘Branding’ where you talk about your brand; Tuesday could be ‘Business Benefits’; Wednesday could be ‘Education’. This will allow you to create a consistent and easier to follow posting schedule.

06

Understand that if you haven’t been receiving engagement, your brand value is not high enough.

Most people attempting social media marketing are often confused as to why no one is engaging with their brand online. To begin you need some brand value first.

This is the first step to getting more engagement. The biggest companies in the world have strong brand value principles (look at Coca Cola or Nike).

Off this they receive a tonne of engagement. So, it is important to understand that you must first build brand value. This takes time and patience. If you want more information on Brand Building, please visit our article on ‘How to build brand value’ by going here: https:// attentionexperts.com/how-to-buildbrand-value/

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08

Don’t always promote your services.

You need to add a lot of value first.

Always selling your services is extremely boring and comes across as self-serving to your audience. Ensure you are genuinely adding value to the marketplace and to the audience you are communicating to. Create brand awareness through offering value, such as: If you are selling candles, talk about different candle scents and what aromas you can get from these to change moods, etc.. Do not promote your candles in your post or article, just talk about the value of candles. From there, you can lead your audience to trust your brand, and feeling comfortable to buying from you.

09

Understand that social media marketing requires patience and consistency.

The average company takes about nine months to deliver a return from social media. Understand it takes patience and time. You need to first build brand value, then build enough engagement with enough touchpoints. This will allow you to create a brand that is strong enough to invite sales, leads or enquiries.

10

Listen to your audience and build a community around them.your engagement isn’t high enough.

Listen to your audience, understand their comments and messages. Build a community around your audience to then understand their needs. This is all important to then delivering the content that they want.

11

Try to incorporate other avenues of communication through social media, other than just your Facebook page.

Add a Facebook group to create community with your brand being a central focus.

Creating other avenues than just a Facebook page will see your brand reach more and receive more engagement. Start Facebook groups, Instagram pages, LinkedIn Pages, Start forum messaging, and so on. This will all create a great campaign for you to focus on moving forward with many dimensions in it.

About George Hawwa: George is the Founder and Growth Director of Attention Experts, an award-winning social media marketing and digital marketing agency servicing clients across Australia, New Zealand, South East Asia and the UK. award-winning social media marketing and digital marketing agency servicing

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