Design Matters National INTERSECT Q1 2021

PASSIVE HOUSE Is 2021 the year of the passive house?

Q1.21

DMN Perth Summer Sundowner.

Photography: Immer Photography

At EcoOutdoor, on Friday 5 March, featuring Roger Joyner, PassivHaus Consultant.

Member feedback about these events was extremely positive: “Was lovely to catch up with everyone. Great presentation by Roger Joyner.”

“Fabulous night! Amazing presentation by Ruth Wilson. Fascinating insight into the project process, history and results.”

Sponsored by James Hardie and Big Ass Fans “Thanks for a fabulous evening. I really enjoyed Ruth’s talk and the event was perfectly organised as well. Can’t wait to get back to the library for a proper look.”

DMN Melbourne Summer Sundowner.

Photography: DMN

At State Library Victoria, on Friday 26 February, featuring Ruth Wilson, Principal & Melbourne Studio Leader, Architectus.

Sponsored by Stiebel Eltron.

Contents

What’s Up

01 How-to 04

From the President & CEO

05

News from around Australia

08

Planning Tid Bits by Clause1 12

What’s In

02

Small Project Big Difference: The Garden Room,

by Justin Thyer, Justin Thyer Design 14 2021: The Year of Passive House?

By Anna Cumming, Managing Editor, “Sanctuary” Magazine

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Climate Safe Rooms

by Tim Adams, F2 Design 28 Designing for People and Planet

by Emma Green, Natspec Communications 34

What’s On

03

2021 Building Design Awards & Student Design Awards

38

Presenters & Events in March, April & May

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Editor Danielle Johnston Art Director Owen Walsh Printing Southern Impact

Preparing Energy Raters for the Future

by Emily Schiavello

60

Student Advice: How to Succeed as a Built-Environment Professional

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Who’s Who

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Five by Five: Five minutes with...

Pam Villares, TPA, Sydney, NSW Paul Lim, Interior Designer, Perth, WA Andrew Hooper, TPA, Parkdale, Vic. Sally Wills, Building Designer, Northcote, Vic. Anthea Wells-Corner, Building Designer, Darwin, NT

Nuts & Bolts

66

06

Results of the DMN Building Designer Survey

by Greg Blanch, CoM Member and Treasurer

76

Opinion: Updating Architectural/Housing-Industry Conventions by Tim Adams, F2 Design and DMN Life Member 77 Sketchbook

by Sam Martin, Sam Martin Building Design, Fremantle, WA. 78

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

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From the President

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

Welcome to our first issue of “Intersect” for the year!

February saw us launch both the 26th Design Matters National Building Design Awards, and the Student Design Awards.

This year, the Awards will be expanded to proudly promote and recognise the talents of building designers, and building design and interior design students, in EVERY Australian state and territory!

2021 Building Design Awards STATE AWARDS VICTORIA

This move to a national program allows us to recognise our newest members from Western Australia and the Northern Territory, as well as prepare for the soon-to-be-introduced automatic mutual recognition obligations.

(In 2020, the Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments agreed to introduce a uniform scheme for the automatic mutual recognition of occupational registrations.)

Similarly, for the very first time, the Design Matters National Student Design Awards will welcome entries from students anywhere in Australia.

See the article in this magazine for the full details, including the deadline for submissions.

Put this in your diary now and start preparing your entry!

I’m looking forward to sharing the great work our building designers do with the wider community and industry.

Happy reading!

Ingrid Hornung

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From the CEO

01 What’s Up

By Peta Anderson, CEO, Design Matters National

The first of our 2021 events was celebrated late last month at the State Library Victoria, with the sun setting over the Victorian long lockdown and a wonderful evening to once again get together.

We were privileged to have Ruth Wilson, Principal Architect from Architectus Design Studio, take us through the incredible journey of the library’s extensive refurbishment and show us the fine intricacies of reviving the old to blend with the new.

It was such a pleasure to share this experience with our Members, alliance partners and all who made it to the event, and to have it so well received.

A special thank you to Elaine Centeno, DMN National Events Manager and Danielle Johnston, DMN National Communications Manager, who brought this fascinating evening to life.

I look very forward to meeting you at the many memorable experiences we have planned for 2021, especially in our new regions of WA and NT. • Peta Anderson

The Ian Potter Queens Hall is by day a reading room, and at night it is an event space, transformable within an hour for a sit-down dinner for 250 people, a cocktail party for 700, book launches, fashion shows, weddings and parties.

Photography by Trevor Mein

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01 What’s Up

National

News

01 What’s Up

Members-only Facebook group grows to 725+ Members

New Design Matters National Team Members

The Facebook group serves as a place for Members to connect with one another, receive timely updates from DMN, and ask for and share advice on any professional matter of interest. To join the group, search for ‘Design Matters National Members Only’ in Facebook.

Online ‘Chit-Chats’ for TPAs start this month Join your fellow DMN TPAs along with TAC members and featured guests to ‘talk shop’ in our monthly Chit-Chats. EVERY month comes an opportunity to share ideas, ask questions and hear from key industry players, all in a lunchbreak! It’s free. It’s virtual. It’s a must! See What’s On for full details about these borderless events.

Caroline Connolly has joined DMN as Office Administrator. Caroline will be the first point of contact for DMN’s 2,000+ Members. Caroline honed her skills working with Point Force Group, Dennis Family Homes, and most recently, Fender Katsalidis in Melbourne. Contact Caroline at c.connolly@designmatters.org.au or (03) 9416 0227.

2021 Building Design Awards & Student Design Awards now national!

The 26th Design Matters National Building Design Awards and Student Design Awards

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will proudly promote and recognise the talents of building designers in EVERY Australian state and territory. This move to a national program allows us to recognise our newest members from Western Australia and the Northern Territory, as well as prepare for the soon-to-beintroduced automatic mutual recognition obligations whereby, in 2020, the Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments agreed to introduce a uniform scheme for the automatic mutual recognition of occupational registrations. It’s great that geographic boundaries no longer apply and, for example, that QLD-based building designers could enter the Awards and compete against a Victorian-based building designer entering a QLD-based project. See the story about Awards in this issue.

Vicki Marshall has recently joined DMN as Senior Manager of Thermal Performance & Sustainability, serving DMN’s 420+ TPA/Energy Rater Members. Vicki developed a sound understanding of the NatHERS landscape and TPAs’ pain points while she was ABSA’s Continuing Professional Development Officer. Vicki will advocate on behalf of TPAs and for TPA-industry advancement, at DMN. Contact Vicki at v.marshall@designmatters.org.au

01 What’s Up

Western Australia

The Victorian Government on 1 March said: “The revised private open space standard will introduce more flexibility for how balcony space can be delivered for an apartment above a 40-metre height level (around 13 storeys). This will allow the minimum private open space area to alternatively be provided as additional space in a living room or bedroom. The extra space given to a living room might provide a place to work from home, space for children’s play, or a concealed laundry and drying space.”

For more information, visit: www.planning.vic.gov.au/ policy-and-strategy/better-apartments/betterapartments-design-standards

Event: Annual Perth Summer Sundowner on 5 March 2021 at Eco Outdoor in Perth.

As the sun goes down, let’s get together for casual networking among peers, in an architecturally interesting space, with refreshments included!

Register: designmatters.org.au/Events.

See full details in What’s On. Event: Design Inspirations by Caesarstone on 19 March 2021 at Caesarstone in Subiaco.

WA Members: Get excited for what’s coming soon with Caesarstone! Join us as Caesarstone talks about updates to their products and their recently launched Outdoor Collection. Workshop and networking.

Register: designmatters.org.au/Events See full details in What’s On.

‘Small Home BIG LIFE’ A competition to promote the small-house trend.

This annual, not-for-profit design competition, run by DMN Member Sally Wills, for Victorian students of building design, architecture and interior design, is on again in 2021. Entries close July 2021.

Register here: smallhomebiglife.com.au

Northern Territory

Victoria

Victoria rolls out new apartment rules to improve liveability for apartment dwellers

Upcoming Webinar: Designing for Air-Con in the Tropics, on 30 March 2021.

In this webinar, we welcome our first NT-local speaker - Sandra Howlin, from Charles Darwin University. Join Sandra as she talks about air-conditioning as the preferred cooling in the tropics, and what you need to know about energy-efficiency regulations and common, non-compliance issues.

To register: http://bit.ly/AirconTropic

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01 Project Matters

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A BRAND OF

Event: Defining and expanding “users” of public buildings, on 29 April 2021 online.

In her second webinar, Georgia Lindsay will explain how clearly articulating who is using a building — and how — can help in programming and schematic design. While it is common to think of users in aggregate as people who come into the building, objects, the city, and even the larger environment can be considered users of buildings. In this presentation, Georgia will draw on her research on museums to articulate seven user types to consider in design.

Register: designmatters.org.au/Events.

See full details in What’s On.

Event: BDAQ Back to Basics - NCC & Australian Standards on 11 March 2021 online.

01 Project Matters

Georgia Lindsay, a Senior Lecturer in Architecture and Design at the University of Tasmania, will host two online events in April.

Her research focuses on the human experience of architecture, with a special interest in cultural buildings like museums and libraries. In her first webinar, Georgia will look at how institutions invest in energy saving designs and technologies and discuss what else the architecture can do.

Register: designmatters.org.au/Events See full details in What’s On.

Queensland

Tasmania

Event: Communicating Sustainable Architecture, on 7 April 2021 online.

Return to the basics of the NCC and Australian Standards, presented by Michael Tyrrell. This is a great session for members at every stage from experienced to newly licensed to students! It’s important for all designers to have an understanding of the NCC and Australian Standards, whether you’ve owned your own business for 30 years, just got your licence or are just starting your studies.

Presented by Michael Tyrrell (Building Approvals and Advice).

Register: bdaq.com.au

Spain’s Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is a museum of modern and contemporary art designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry.

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Planning Tid Bits

01 What’s Up

Recent Planning Scheme Amendment GC172 has been prepared by the Victorian Minister for Planning and affects the Planning Schemes for Ararat, Boroondara, Glen Eira, Greater Geelong, Knox, Melbourne, Queenscliff, Wellington and Whitehorse. The Amendment rezones residential land and modifies residential zone schedules in some of these municipalities, so that the provisions in the Planning Schemes are consistent with the reformed residential zones. The changes mainly ensure that the schedules to the zones have maximum mandatory building heights which are consistent with the zone provisions, that is nine metres for the Neighbourhood Residential Zone (NRZ) and 11 metres for the General Residential Zone (GRZ). In other cases, maximum heights are changed to be consistent with existing Design and Development Overlay controls.

The changes in GC172 amend the above Planning Schemes in different ways, to:

Little bits that can make a big difference to your town planning outcomes.

Victoria: Some changes to some residential zones – Planning Scheme Amendment GC172 Readers may recall that the Victorian State Government reformed the residential zones of the Victorian Planning Provisions between 2014 and 2017, with some additional improvements introduced in 2018.

• Increase the maximum building height in the schedule to the NRZ from eight metres to nine metres so that it is consistent with the zone provisions; • Rezone GRZ land to NRZ to retain the maximum height of nine metres; • Rezone Residential Growth Zone (RGZ) land to GRZ and modify the maximum height; • Increase the maximum building height in the schedules to the GRZ from nine metres or 10.5 metres to 11 metres and three storeys so that it is consistent with the zone provisions; • Increase maximum heights to be consistent with a Design and Development Overlay affecting the same area; • Make consequential changes to the Municipal Strategic Statement at Clause 21 or to Local Planning Policy at Clause 22 to be consistent with the reformed residential zones.

Applicants with projects within these municipalities should check these changes. They may limit or provide additional opportunities, particularly where the maximum building height in the Schedule to the zone has been increased.

Victoria: Bushfire Exemptions expire

These tid bits are part of the regular contribution made by Clause 1 Planning to Design Matters National. For more information, visit clause1.com.au

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

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Recent Victorian State Planning Scheme Amendment VC188 removed Clause 52.13 2009 Bushfire Recovery Exemptions and references to it from all planning schemes, following its expiry.

This Clause was inserted into the Victorian Planning Provisions in September 2010 with the purpose to support recovery operations following the 2009 Victorian bushfires, allowing temporary accommodation and removal of native vegetation to provide for some emergency works, access or to make safe buildings/demolition. This Clause had an expiry date of 30 June 2020.

Readers should note that, at the time of writing, Bushfire Recovery exemptions at Clause 52.07, Bushfire Reconstruction exemptions at Clause 52.10, Bushfire Protection Exemptions at Clause 52.12 and 2009 Bushfire - Replacement Buildings exemptions at Clause 52.14 still apply.

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01 Project Matters

02 What’s In

Small Project BIG DIFFERENCE

We want to celebrate the ‘small’ projects we do, which have made a big difference to a client’s life.

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

Until now, the difference we make to our clients’ lives through these projects has gone largely unacknowledged. This year, we’re sharing these feel-good stories in every issue.

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By Justin Thyer, Principal, Building Designer, Justin Thyer Design

The clients are a semi-retired, empty-nester couple in their 60s living in Malvern East, in Melbourne’s leafy eastern suburbs. They loved their garden at the rear, but the existing, south-facing room at the very back of the two-storey house didn’t connect well with it – it only had narrow, sliding doors and windows opening onto the garden.

02 What’s In

The Garden Room

Small Project:

It’s not a small house by any means, but it wasn’t functioning as an open-plan living area like we crave today. The back room was dark and also disconnected from the separate kitchen and dining room, making it less than ideal for getting the whole family together to celebrate special occasions, which the clients wanted to host.

The clients initially went back to the architect who designed their renovation 15 years ago and received a plan for an elaborate glass pavilion, which would have looked amazing, but was over the ~$300K budget. The builder who completed the last extension then suggested they approach a Building Designer and recommended me.

Obviously, budget was an important factor so I suggested something simple: a new, 23m2 open-plan room coming out into the backyard as much as possible, and opening right out onto the garden. It didn’t really need to stand out; it was more about opening up what was already there and how the new room functioned within the property.

Thank you to Member Justin Thyer for submitting this story about a completed project which fits this brief perfectly.

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Small Project BIG DIFFERENCE

02 What’s In

Big Difference: The clients loved the end result and wouldn’t change a thing. I added another living space with direct connection to the kitchen, using the same solid timber flooring so it blends in seamlessly with the original parts of the house.

The composite, wide-profile decking wrapping around the outside of the room on all three sides, has curved corners and provides enough room to have a table setting so the clients can sit and entertain outside or inside.

Large windows, custom-made sliding doors, and a couple of skylights all bathe the new room in natural light. Remote-controlled external blinds keep the heat out of the room and can be open, or semi open, creating a nice ambiance.

It’s just a small room with some glazing but the landscaping brought it all together. Without the lovely backyard, you probably wouldn’t really appreciate the building as much. The collaboration between the design, build and the landscaping is what took this project to the next level.

The biggest thing for the clients was that I listened to what they wanted and designed something affordable. Moving house was not an option, as they had many years of memories in the house, and love the location and spending time in their beautiful garden.

They just wanted a space to relax in, and better share their home with family and friends. The family Christmas was hosted in the new room and by all accounts, it functioned perfectly.

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Stakeholders Design: Justin Thyer from Justin Thyer Design Photography: Justin Thyer Design Build: Qualitom Pty. Ltd. Landscape: Suscape Projects Products & Materials Blinds: Evaya Skylights: Velux Decking: New Tech Wood

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02 What’s In

02 What’s In

About Justin Thyer Design: JTD has been operating for about two years. I focus more on residential - that’s my specialty, but I do a little bit of everything. The ideal projects for me are high-end extensions and new homes. It’s stressful and a lot of work, as it’s just me at the moment, so I’m doing everything, but it’s very rewarding. I enjoy the challenge of it all. And I guess it’s hard to not have people to bounce stuff off; that’s probably the downside, but I love it.

On being a Building Designer... A lot of people have this misconception that you have to have an architect to produce a good design, so I’d like to be able to reach out to potential customers more effectively and correct this. I studied architecture, but I’m not registered as an architect and I’ve worked with both designers and architects a lot. I’m sort of in a weird, in-between space. A lot of my work is referral-based, so it comes from doing a good job and then being referred on. Architects and building designers are like any other professionals - there are good and bad ones in each. The important thing is to find the best person for your job.

On getting through 2020... I didn’t realise how busy I was until work stopped coming in, and it took me a long time to catch up. But, having said that, in September, it almost stopped and then I built up again. I really just had one bad month. I think I was pretty lucky. I could get enough work.

The hardest part in promoting the work in our industry is the time a project takes to complete. Often the finished product is 1-2 years away.

On entering the 2021 Annual Building Design Awards...

I’ve got a nice project I’m thinking of putting in the DMN Awards. It’s under construction as we speak and everyone involved gets more excited each day.

The ideal projects for me are high-end extensions and new homes. It’s stressful and a lot of work, as it’s just me at the moment, so I’m doing everything, but it’s very rewarding.

Justin Thyer studied architecture but is not registered as an architect.

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Share your ‘Small Project, Big Difference’ stories with us!

We’d like your 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). Simply email a sentence or two about your project to editor@designmatters.org.au and we’ll get back to you.

01 Project Matters

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By Anna Cumming, Managing Editor, Sanctuary: modern green homes magazine

2021: The year of Passive House?

02 What’s In

Passive House is gathering momentum down under.

Late last year the editor of Sanctuary: modern green homes magazine, Anna Cumming, chatted with two expert practitioners and DMN Members about the benefits of the building standard and whether it’s poised for a great leap forward in 2021.

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02 What’s In

I have a longstanding interest in sustainable, energy-efficient and comfortable homes that tread lightly on the earth – an interest I’m sure I share with many INTERSECT readers – and I’m on a mission to inspire and educate people about the design strategies, materials and systems available to achieve them. One of these approaches is the Passive House standard (also known as Certified Passivhaus), which essentially ensures an airtight envelope to create low energy, healthy and resilient buildings.

Sven Maxa is also a certified Passive House designer and is actively involved in the building design community as the owner of Melbournebased Maxa Design. He regularly presents to professionals and advocates for eco home design to the broader community, including as a contributor to Sanctuary. In 2020, Sven’s Earth House design won three Design Matters National Building Design Awards: Building Design of the Year, Best Environmentally Sustainable Design, and Residential New House ($1M-$3M).

In recent times, I’ve observed Passive House really taking off in Australia, with growth doubling year on year and dozens of projects under construction. Late in 2020, I had the opportunity to interview two award-winning Passive House practitioners, Talina Edwards and Sven Maxa, as part of Design Matters National’s InspoExpo. Our wide-ranging discussion can be viewed as a webinar for free via the DMN website.

My opening question for Talina and Sven was the most obvious one: Why is there so much interest in Passive House at the moment?

In the interview, I asked Talina and Sven if they thought 2021 will be the year of the Passive House, and why. The following is a truncated version of our conversation which explored this question, covering global (COVID-19) and local (bushfires) events and other game-changers that emerged last year and which underscore 2021 being, quite possibly, the year of the Passive House.

Talina Edwards is the founder and principal architect of Talina Edwards Architecture, an award-winning small practice located in Ballarat, Victoria. Her Owl Woods Passive House project featured in Sanctuary issue 50 last year and won the Design Matters National Building Design Award for Residential New House ($500K-$1M). A certified Passive House designer, Talina joined the Board of the Australian Passive House Association just a day before our interview.

Sven Maxa’s Earth House (this page & opposite) won three Design Matters National Building Design Awards in 2020.

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Economics Talina and Sven acknowledged that, with the vicissitudes of 2020 giving many of us more reason to worry about our hip pockets, ongoing home running costs are more top-of-mind than usual. As a result, if clients are investing in building a new home, they want to get the very best value they can from it. Enter: Passive House design.

Sustainability Talina said that a lot of people are also worried about sustainability as a whole, and this feeling is only getting stronger in many parts of the community, perhaps leading to an increased take up of Passive House design. She pointed out that while a Passive House doesn’t necessarily have any explicit targets in place around broader goals of sustainability, “as a bigger picture objective, Passive House certainly addresses sustainability from a really effective standpoint – not just in terms of operational energy efficiency but also embodied energy, because the building fabric is designed to essentially last forever.

“It’s a highly protected thermal envelope.

You don’t get gaps and air leakage and things like that, so it does create a really high-performance building fabric,” she goes on. “Now I’m not saying that you can’t do that without Passive House. What I’m saying is, by following the route of a certified Passive House design you are ensuring you get that, and I think people are becoming aware of those benefits.”

Members of the construction industry are also becoming aware of the climate emergency, signing up to join the Climate Emergency movement. The bottom line, according to Talina, is: ‘don’t stop building better’. “Passive House is certainly one answer to the challenge of reducing our emissions. We talk about the construction industry as being 40 per cent of the problem, but really, we are over 40 per cent of the solution! We can all do better,” she said.

Fires One factor that highlighted the importance of airtightness and indoor air quality was last year’s fire season – specifically the catastrophic bushfires in south-eastern Australia in early 2020. Even away from the fire fronts, thick smoke lingered in the air for days on end in Melbourne, Sydney and particularly Canberra, bringing the idea of healthy homes to the fore like never before.

Although prolonged periods of poor external air quality will be a problem for any home, the ability to close up a Passive House and control the air coming in via a mechanical ventilation system is a boon in such situations.

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02 What’s In

As Talina put it: “People are realising that if there are health warnings saying to stay indoors, the indoor air quality can actually be worse than outside. Studies showed buildings that have mechanical ventilation with filtration perform so much better and healthier. So, in terms of bushfire smoke, having a Passive House helps,” she said.

Pandemic Within months of the terrible bushfires, we were thinking about the air we breathe for an entirely different, life-threatening reason: Covid-19. The pandemic threw into sharp focus the dangers of being indoors and under threat from airborne viruses.

Victoria was the epicentre of Australia’s second coronavirus wave, and when Melbourne went into lockdown for 112 days from July to October, home confinement and working from home were enforced for the majority of residents.

“I’ve noticed anecdotally that the lockdown had a huge impact, with many more people just thinking more deeply about their home environment,” Talina offered. “Perhaps similar to the way that retirees suddenly spending a lot more time at home would say ‘Let’s do that renovation we’ve been planning for years because we want a place that’s joyful, as opposed to somewhere that we just come home after work and sleep in’. This year, I think that that kind of mentality has extended to a much larger chunk of the population because so many of us are spending so much more time at home. It’s probably not going to be that way forever but personally I don’t think we’re going to go back to the way it was before.”

Talina also believes the huge jump in the number of people working from home must have had a big impact on the number of people looking to move out of the city to the regions for tree- or sea-changes – perhaps with the dream of building their high-performing ‘forever home’ in their sights, and making it a Passive House?

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02 What’s In

Passive House certainly addresses sustainability from a really effective standpoint – not just in terms of operational energy efficiency but also embodied energy, because the building fabric is designed to essentially last forever.

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02 What’s In

Longevity How long should a ‘forever home’ actually last?

At least 50 years, according to Sven, putting another tick beside Passive House, for those in the know. “One major advantage that Passive House has is that it is a post-build-tested standard,” he said. “It is amazing because it removes the potential for variation between what’s designed and put in writing and what actually gets built. For me, it’s not just about the blower door test for airtightness. The builder has to keep photographic evidence of everything they do along the way and provide documentation to prove the supply and installation of the correct materials and products. That is, for me, the real big plus of Passive House. It’s pushing the responsibility to where it should be going – to everyone in the chain.

“What we’re building needs to be around for 50 or even 100 years. That’s where I think the resilience comes into it, because with the changing climate, what we want in 50 years’ time is that the house will be comfortable and still perform well and not have to go through a retrofit, because that’s costly,” he added.

Payback Talina and Sven realise there’s a perception in the market that Passive Houses cost a lot more than standard houses, but they make the point that if you take a high-quality architecturallydesigned home ranging from $4,000-$6,000 per square metre, this could also easily get you a certified Passive House at no additional cost.

“I’ve seen Passive House projects executed with an entry-level price point of about $3,300 per square metre, and up from there,” Sven said. “I have even heard stories of people doing it for $2,700 per square metre.” He describes a Maxa Design project in Jan Juc, coastal Victoria, which came in at the bottom end of this price range: “It was a three bedroom home with two bathrooms and a double garage, not highly detailed and fussy, but a simple, beautiful building. It was designed as a 7.5-Star home and then we did an analysis on getting that to a certified Passive House. We had the thermal modelling done for both approaches, and had the builder work out the cost difference. It was about a five per cent cost increase on the whole project,” he said.

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The two designers also explain that they’d expect a Passive House to use considerably less heating and cooling energy than a standard house, meaning owners reap big savings on running costs.

“The Passive House standard has a tighter comfort threshold than the Star rating system – an interior temperature of between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius – so for energy load calculations the software assumes you’re using heating and cooling when it’s below and above that range. So your actual energy use for heating and cooling may be even lower if you’re comfortable with a wider temperature range in your home,” Sven says. “At the end of the day building a Passive House might cost a small percentage more, but will probably pay for itself in bill savings pretty quickly.”

01 Project Matters Conversion

Media

Within the construction industry, too, there’s starting to be a lot more interest in and knowledge of the Passive House standard, according to our experts.

Sven and Talina agreed that there’s certainly a lot more about Passive House in the Australian media now than there was a few years ago, when the initial exposure came from television programs like Grand Designs featuring people building Passive House projects. I know that in Sanctuary, we’ve gone from an article about a Passive House project every few issues to at least one in every issue, so I can certainly attest to Sanctuary increasing readers’ exposure to the standard (and without any complaints from our readers, I might add!).

“We talk to so many builders that go and do the Passive House course and then ring us and say, ‘We want to work on your projects. We want to build a Passive House! We can’t believe we haven’t been building like this.’ They come away with a whole new paradigm on construction,” Sven says.

So, the bottom line? The final word goes to Talina: “I think it’ll be another great year for Passive House. I would like to think that 2021 right through to 2051 will be. It’s certainly a growing sector, with certifications pretty much doubling each year currently. And there are many more Passive Houses in the design and construction phases, which is incredibly exciting.”

Watch the interview: http://bit.ly/PassiveHouse2021

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02 What’s In

Climate Safe Rooms Protecting people with health vulnerabilities from weather extremes

By Tim Adams, Building Designer, F2 Design

Implementation granted I was always more than happy to talk to anyone who would listen about the idea.

It was only in 2018 when a serious opportunity presented itself to implement the Climate Safe Room model.

The Virtual Centre for Climate Change Innovation[2] announced a grants program for innovative projects. As a representative of Geelong Sustainability, I floated the concept at a grants program workshop and received a very enthusiastic reception.

This positivity raised a level of confidence sufficient for Geelong Sustainability to commit to the substantial amount of work required to make a pitch for the funding of a pilot program, which would confirm the proof of concept of Climate Safe Rooms.[3]

The City of Greater Geelong (pictured) was the project partner responsible to assist in identifying the candidates for the Climate Safe Room project.

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In 2020, before COVID-19 struck and delayed installation of climate safe rooms, 16 houses in Victoria were assessed for energy inefficiency.

With the Victorian lockdown now behind us, the project’s back on, very valuable lessons have been learnt, and there’s more to come as health monitoring continues.

Extreme beginnings The goal of the Climate Safe Room project is to ensure community members with health vulnerabilities are safe in their houses during the more extreme weather events we expect will become more frequent.

The project’s genesis was in a Barwon South West region climate change adaptation workshop in early 2016. A discussion at the workshop, around building community resilience to climate change, morphed in my mind into a need to make buildings more resilient.

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Climate Safe Rooms provide a safe haven in the homes of people most at risk of serious illness or death from climate extremes. A Climate Safe Room is an energy-efficient room that remains comfortable in both summer and winter extremes, fully insulated and draughtproofed with high efficiency air-conditioning and small solar system to offset running costs.

An article I wrote about the concept was published in Design Matters National News[1] in March of that year. It was then presented to the Liveable Cities Conference in June 2016.

The project became a reality when an application to the Virtual Centre for Climate Change Innovation grant scheme was successful, and it was awarded $300k for implementation and measuring results.

The lead organisation of the Climate Safe Rooms project is Geelong Sustainability, with assistance from partners CSIRO, City of Greater Geelong, EcoMaster and Uniting.

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02 What’s In

Whole-of-house ratings

Targeting the most beneficial interventions

Critical to the solution is the understanding that all our major tools for assessing energy efficiency, like NatHERS and Residential Efficiency Scorecard, deliver headline star-rating scores for the whole house performance.

Both FirstRate5 [House Energy Rating Software] and Residential Efficiency Scorecard were used to assess the dwellings and identify the best improvements to achieve our goals.

This is useful and important for benchmarking but can deliver scores that are daunting and overwhelming, especially where building fabric thermal performance of the dwelling was not given a high priority when the building was designed and constructed.

A refuge in their own home In practice, it is not necessary to heat and cool the whole house for every hour of the year to very tight thermostat settings. Very importantly, however, it is essential for occupants, especially those with health issues, to have a refuge that maintains acceptable comfort levels throughout the year.

It is also completely unacceptable, as we learned through the process, that people find it necessary to go to bed and retreat under blankets at sundown in winter because heating is unaffordable, where the unaffordability is due to poor quality building fabric and inefficient heating appliances.

Retrofits balanced with renewables The project outline was to deliver climate-safe portions of houses occupied by low-income members of the community with health vulnerabilities. Energy efficiency retrofit tasks to improve building fabric and appliance performance were balanced with sufficient photovoltaic renewable energy generation to power the necessary heating and cooling loads.

Some of the results were surprising. The biggest revelation, in one house, was when adding R3.5 bulk insulation on top of existing R1.5 improved winter performance by eight per cent; whereas, adding R1.5 floor insulation, where none was existing, improved winter performance by 30 per cent.

Some of these findings provide the understanding that generic/rule of thumb upgrade activities may not deliver the most cost-effective results. Careful use of a NatHERS assessment has proved to be an extremely powerful aid to target the most beneficial interventions. Heating and Cooling energy allowances have also assisted the sizing of reverse-cycle appliances and Photovoltaic array capacity.

The works were defined and costed just prior to the COVID-19 lockdown.

Installations, accordingly, were halted but are now proceeding.

Driving maximum benefit CSIRO is the project partner for monitoring and data collection of indoor conditions and occupation profiles. One advantage of the delay in installation is that we have collected much more ‘before’ data than would have been possible otherwise.

Uniting have used their experience to assist with ensuring the candidates are well informed about the intended effective operation of the houses after remedial works are completed.

This is so that occupants do not fail to drive systems to maximum benefit. In some circumstances, this involves incremental By all accounts, the idea was viewed with a level of enthusiasm sufficient for the maximum behaviour change. grant amount of $300k to be allocated. This sum, combined with in-kind contributions from It was anticipated that EcoMaster would install insulation, draft sealing and secondary glazing. partners and a small injection of money from Geelong Sustainability, rounded up to a project Due to COVID-19 and other circumstances, EcoMaster had to withdraw, and those tasks budget of approximately $380k. will now be undertaken by local Geelong contractors, as will curtains, blinds, PV and City of Greater Geelong was the project AC systems. partner responsible to assist in identifying the candidates. A little surprisingly, participant uptake was slower than anticipated. This in part appears to be due to the response that it seemed too good to be true to be offered up to around $15k worth of upgrades at no cost to the household.

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WANTED

Building Designer of the Year Design Matters National is calling for entries in the 2021 Building Design Awards.

Get your work out there With the strict Awards timeframe and deadline across all states, you’ll be working on your business for a change and showing the world what building designers can achieve.

If you win your state or territory Award, you’ll proceed to the Nationals in November!

Start early, take your time The potential marketing mileage of a win is unlimited; the process of entering the Awards invaluable. Whether you win an Award or not, there’s not a moment nor a dollar wasted by entering the DMN Awards. BTW, did you know you can now enter a project completed anywhere in Australia?

It's an amazing feeling When your name is called out, all the effort you put in on a daily basis will be rewarded because a DMN Building Design Award will earn your clients’ trust and confidence for years to come. Invite your family, friends and colleagues to join you at a state Awards evening, happening around the country this October.

How to enter 1 Visit http://bit.ly/2021DMNAwards to read the Awards Guidelines.

2 Log on to AwardForce and indicate your ‘intention to submit’ by Tuesday, 1 June 2021.

3 Submit your entry by Monday, 2 August 2021 via AwardForce.

Need more info? Call us on (03) 9416 0227 or email Elaine at e.centeno@designmatters.org.au Need inspo? See 2020’s winners at https://bit.ly/AWARDED

Open the door to greatness.

Enter the DMN Building Design Awards.

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What is a Climate Safe Room?

A Climate Safe Room is a room in the house that has been retrofitted to ensure that it does not become uncomfortably hot in summer or too cold in winter. Initially, the room is made more energy efficient and then a high efficiency reverse cycle air-conditioner (for heating and cooling) is fitted, together with a small roof-top solar system to generate the electricity needed to operate the air-conditioner and offset its running costs.

The program is funded by the Victorian Government and will create the Climate Safe Room at no cost to the eligible participant. The program will also measure health and wellbeing as well as energy bill savings that result from making the home more comfortable during summer and winter weather.

Tackling morbidity After the project is completed, it is envisaged that the results will inform a broader roll-out of similar enterprises to ensure hospital emergency rooms are not inundated during heat waves, and that our morbidity statistics due to cold in winter do not remain around twice the number experienced in Sweden.[4] Sources: 1 https://news.bdav.org.au/safe-rooms/ 2 https://www.climatechange.vic.gov.au/ virtual-centre-for-climate-changeinnovation/virtual-centre-for-climatechange-innovation 3 https://www.geelongsustainability.org.au/ climatesaferooms/ 4 https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/ article/PIIS0140-6736(14)62114-0/fulltext

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Tim has been a Member of DMN since 1999.

He was one of the founders and instigators of DMN’s green history. He created the 10 Star Challenge and enjoys educating Members about greener alternatives, and sharing his knowledge of sustainable living. The 2012 Challenge’s award-winning design, ‘10 Star House Done Dirt Cheap’, was vindication of the premise that it is knowledge that makes the difference, not money.

Tim is a Member of DMN’s TPA Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) which brings together experts i n the industry to understand issues and opportunities for assessors that can be supported

by DMN. These professionals volunteer their time, motivated by their desire to strengthen and promote accredited assessors to consumers and stakeholders alike.

Tim also looks after the TPA Help Desk. This is available for TPA Members requiring assistance to navigate the technicalities of software to ensure informed and correct energy assessments.

The Help Desk has a dedicated email address for all TPA-related inquiries: TPAsupport@ designmatters.org.au If Tim can’t answer your question, he’ll refer it to the other members of the TAC and one of them will come back to you in a timely manner.

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About Tim Adams:

Tim has constantly promoted the understanding that TPA contribution to projects should start at the earliest possible time, in order to add value to design and specification decisions, rather than just occurring as a regulatory compliance activity.

DMN membership reinforces opportunities in this regard with its broad network of designers, thermal performance assessors and other construction industry practitioners.

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02 What’s In

Designing for people and planet

By Emma Green, NATSPEC Communications Sustainability. It’s a word thrown around so often that it’s easy to forget its true meaning. At its core, sustainability is about fulfilling the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. This means building – and designing – a better future. A baby born in Australia in 2021 has a life expectancy of approximately 82 years. This means they can expect to see the early years of the twenty-second Century.

Long before 2103, Australia’s population is projected to reach 41 million people by 2050. How we eat, how we buy and how we live will have changed by then, for many different reasons. In an effort to improve sustainability despite a growing population, the 2050 lifestyle will probably involve homes that are quite unlike the ones we live in today.

According to the Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council, we will need to build up to 197,000 homes per year to accommodate this population increase. As much as sustainability certifications have become something of a mainstream expectation, the sustainable homes of tomorrow will need to incorporate all aspects of sustainability to truly impact people and the planet for the better.

Universal design One concept strongly linked to sustainability is universal design. Universal design is the design of buildings, products and environments to make them accessible and useable for all people of different ages and abilities over time, without the need for further adaptations or specialised design. Sustainability and universal design want the same thing: good, long-lasting design that supports health and wellness. Incorporating some principles of

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universal design into a sustainable project may even happen unintentionally. However, working purposefully to design a project, especially a home, that aligns universal design with environmental, economic and social sustainability ensures a better outcome for everyone, now and in the future.

Environmental sustainability Environmental sustainability includes energy efficiency, water conservation, reducing waste, and conserving natural resources. Other aspects of environmental sustainability, such as ensuring a home receives enough daylight, is well designed in terms of acoustics, and has good indoor air quality, are crucial to universal design.

More importantly, universal design and environmental sustainability share the goal of ensuring a home’s longevity. If a home is flexible in its design, meaning it can adapt to changes in occupants’ lifestyles, such as parenthood, disability, temporary illness and old age, it is inherently more sustainable.

Most aspects of environmental sustainability are economically sustainable. Some technologies may be slightly more expensive up front but will almost certainly save money in the long run. For example, a well-insulated home reduces the need for air-conditioning in summer and

02 What’s In heating in winter – which is easier on wallets as well as the environment. Just as many existing homes can be modified or renovated to become more sustainable, so too can modifications be used to incorporate universal design.

These may include levelling doorsteps, widening doorways and renovating bathrooms. Home modifications done at a later stage are likely to be far more expensive than if these aspects had been included in the initial design. Stipulating incorporation of universal design from the very beginning is the economically sustainable option.

Social sustainability Social sustainability, as the United Nations concisely describes, is about benefitting society while protecting people. This means uniting the design of the physical world with the design of the social world. Universal design, which is about designing the built environment for all people at all stages of life, is key. Universal design supports community engagement as it allows people to continue living safely and independently in their own home. For example, the majority of elderly people would prefer to ‘age in place’ rather than relocate to an aged-care home.

Social cohesion can therefore be promoted through universal design.

Building designers can ensure a home is built in line with universal design and sustainability principles by specifying this in documentation. NATSPEC, which manages the National Building Specification, recognises that sustainability and universal design are both essential to improving the quality and productivity of the built environment. Recently released TECHnotes, available for free online, highlight the benefits of universal design and the ease with which designers can incorporate it into different aspects of their projects. The NATSPEC TECHnote DES 038 Universal design – Introduction provides a useful overview of universal design principles, goals and related definitions to guide designers.

If we want sustainable homes that last for a long time, they must be able to respond to individuals’ changing needs and lifestyles. After all, we might still be living in these homes in the next Century.

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

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03 What’s On

Going national opens the door to greatness for more building designers & students in 2021 In 2021, the Design Matters National Awards will for the first time proudly promote and recognise talented building designers and students, and their projects, in every state and territory of Australia.

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House N by F3 Studio f-3studio.net Photographer: Damien Kook Photography.

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2021 Building Design Awards

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In 2021, the Design Matters National Awards will proudly promote and recognise talented building designers, and their projects, anywhere in Australia.

The location of a project - not the building designer - will determine which State Awards the project is entered into. For example, if a Victorian-based building designer enters a project located in NSW, the project will be judged as part of the NSW State Awards.

This year’s Awards will recognise the most talented building designers across Australia in residential and non-residential building design; and showcase excellence in the use of steel, glass, bricks, timber, concrete, lighting, lightweight materials, recycled materials, documentation, and natural stone.

The Special Awards will recognise outstanding individuals, publicly popular projects, projects acclaimed by past DMN Presidents, and of course, bestow the greatest accolade: the Building Design of the Year.

Entrants must be a Building Designer Member of Design Matters National.

To be eligible, project(s) must have: achieved occupancy permit by the closing date and within the last two years; not have been entered into the Awards previously; a completed submission lodged by the advertised closing date; and not have identification of the entrant in the submission - this includes the title panel on the plans and on any reports and written submission.

To enter, head to the Awards platform: Members must submit their entry via the online portal: https://designmattersnational. awardsplatform.com/ No other method of lodgement will be accepted.

Each project entered will attract an entrance fee of $500.00 (ex. GST).

Entries close Monday 2 August.

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Why the Design Matters National Awards Matter Now in their 26th year, the Awards are the most prestigious in Australia and have been the most anticipated event of the year for built environment professionals since 1995.

Winners gain recognition among their peers at a salubrious Awards ceremony and other Member events including the Annual General Meeting and DMN’s trade show, InspoExpo.

All entrants are featured on the DMN website and increase their public profile via print (“INTERSECT” and “AWARDED” magazines), broadcast (podcast) and social media platforms.

2021 Residential Building Design Award Categories: • New Residential Up to $500K • New Residential $500,001 – $750K • New Residential $750,001 – $1M • New Residential $1M – $3M • New Residential Over $3M • Multi-Residential Up to $6M • Multi-Residential Over $6M • Alterations & Additions Up to $350K • Alterations & Additions $350,001 – $800K • Alterations & Additions Over $800K • Small Home / Dwelling 150 - 250sqm • Best Heritage Design • Best Interior Design • Best Bathroom Design • Best Kitchen Design • Best Environmentally Sustainable Design • Best Outdoor Space • Group Dwelling Design • Small Works Project • Conceptual/Unbuilt Design (and) Rural Design

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Allan House Brunswick by AD Design Develop addesigndevelop.com.au Photographer: Keelan O’Hehir.

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2021 Non-Residential

Important Considerations

Building Design Awards

Plans: • Floor plans must have north signs. If you have deleted your title panel, please check that the plans still have a north sign.

• Renovations and extensions must include the existing floor plan in addition to the new works plans.

• Clearly define new from existing.

• I nclude plans and elevations clean from amendment clouding.

• Plans must not identify the applicant’s name (including within amendment box).

• Elevations are to be included.

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

New Commercial Up to $2M New Commercial Over $2M New Industrial New Public Buildings New Unique Project Best Interior Design Best Heritage Design Best Outdoor Space Best Environmentally Sustainable Design Small Works Project Conceptual / Unbuilt Design Rural Design Group Dwelling Design

2021 Excellence Awards • Excellence in the Use of Steel • Excellence in the Use of Glass • Excellence in the Use of Bricks • Excellence in the Use of Timber • Excellence in the Use of Concrete • Excellence in the Use of Lighting • Excellence in the Use of Lightweight Materials • Excellence in the Use of Recycled Materials • Excellence in Documentation • Excellence in the Use of Natural Stone

2021 Special Awards • • • •

Building Design of the Year Past Presidents’ Prize People’s Choice Award Ronald Pickford Award

Photography: • The photography must show the building design works, not just the interior’s finishes.

• Show the whole of the rooms/spaces not just the close up of the kitchen, etc..

• Don’t focus photos on interior elements if they were not part of your design brief (i.e., the client, or an outside consultant who did the interior scheme).

• Show both internal and external photos.

• Make sure your photos show the full visuals of the home to match your written descriptions. If you have described a design element, please include a photo.

• The quality of the photography is showcasing the project to the judges.

Sustainability: • The NatHERS energy rating for new homes or the DTS report for renovations must be included under the Sustainability Considerations.

• The Energy rating, ESD and BESS reports, Passive House certification, etc., should be added as attachments.

Judging Criteria Judges will critique each entry on how well it satisfies each of the following three criteria: • Design Excellence & Innovation • Response to Client Brief, and • Sustainability Considerations.

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Prahran Townhouses by Sync Design. syncdesign.com.au Photographer: Jack Lovel.

Opposite: Ivanhoe Hybrid by Archsign. archsign.com.au Photographer: Jean-Luc Syndikas.

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2021 Student Design Awards

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The 2021 Student Design Awards will recognise excellence in responses to building design and interior design briefs; documentation; digital presentations; and group projects in building design and interior design. The Brian Morison Award will recognise the most promising first-year student of building design, based on their portfolio and an interview with the judges.

To be eligible, Students must be: A Design Matters National Student Member and in the process of completing one of the following courses or completed in 2020: Advanced Diploma of Building Design (Architectural), Diploma of Interior Design, Advanced Diploma of Interior Design or Associate Degree of Interior Design; not have been entered into the Awards previously; and a completed submission lodged by the advertised closing date.

To enter, fill out this form: http://bit.ly/DMNStudentAwards Entries close on Monday 12 July.

Student Design Award Categories: • Best Response to Design Brief by a Building Design Student • Best Response to Design Brief by an Interior Design Student • Excellence in Documentation by a Student • Best Group Project by Building Design Students • Best Group Project by Interior Design Students • Best Digital Presentation by a Student Special Awards • Brian Morison Award (for first-year building design students) • People’s Choice Award Judging Criteria Judges will critique each entry on how well it satisfies each of the following three criteria: • Design Brief & Site Response • Design Excellence & Innovation, and • Sustainability Considerations.

03 What’s On Each submission must include a Dropbox link providing access to all components of the entry, including an electronic submission, in PDF format, summarising the entry, displaying (as a minimum): • A written description of the project • PDF files of floor plan, site plan and elevations • Sections sufficient to explain the construction and design principles • Landscape plan (if applicable) • Coloured perspective drawings • Details of scale sufficient to explain specific information about the proposal • At least five, high-resolution marketing images of the submission in JPEG format at 300dpi for use in promotional activities, plus • An electronic photo of the entrant in JPEG format at 300dpi (head and shoulders only; file/s to be named as the entrant’s name) • A 500-word written description explaining the principles behind the design, and a brief schedule of materials and finishes • A 200-word written statement about the submission, in Word format, for use in marketing material, and • A project-specific budget for the project.

Top: 2020 Winner: Best Response to a Design Brief (Interior Design) - Ivona Nagel, Holmesglen.

Bottom: 2020 Excellence in Documentation - Rocco Molluso, Holmesglen.

Submission Requirements

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Additional Requirements • Submissions for the Excellence in Documentation by a Student must include sections, details and schedules to create a comprehensive set of technical working drawings.

• Submissions for Best Interior Design by a Student must include a mood board showcasing the inspiration behind the design.

• Submissions for Best Digital Presentation by a Student must include the digital presentation in mp4 format (5 minutes maximum length).

TAFE Requirements Each TAFE must develop a design brief based on a commercial building for second year students and residential for first year students, using a selected site in their local area that reflects the template herein.

Attachments must include: • • • • •

Site plan layout Planning property report Aerial photograph Site photos, and Other documents as deemed necessary.

Copyright & Moral Rights Each entry shall be the original work of the entrant/s.

The entrant warrants that the entry does not include any material that may infringe the copyright held by a third person.

Entrants will retain copyright, moral rights or other intellectual rights of all work submitted in connection with this competition.

Judging Process • Preliminary Round: Top Pick. Top pick is for judges to choose and rank their top entry preferences. Out of a field of entries, judges pick their favourites and number them in order of preference. The top three entries for each category will enter in the final round.

• Final Round: Assessment Scoring: • Design Brief & Site Response - out of 10 • Design Excellence & Innovation - out of 10 • Sustainability Consideration - out of 10 • Brian Morison Award. Judges use the ‘Top Pick’ method to short-list entries then the shortlisted students will be invited to bring their electronic portfolio along to an interview (face-to-face or online). This award is for first-year building design students only.

For more information about the 2021 Awards, please contact Elaine Centeno, Events Manager (National), at e.centeno@designmatters.org.au

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Top: 2020 Student Design Awards Best Group Project

by Zane Leist, Ramona Robinson, Brayden Tonkin from The Gordon.

Bottom left & right: 2020 Best Digital Presentation (Joint Winner) Carolina Osejo from Holmesglen.

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Presenters David Baggs

Matthew Graham

Global GreenTag Certification globalgreentag.com

Graham Energy graham.energy

Voted one of Australia’s Top 50 Green Leaders and Top 100 Sustainability Leaders globally, David is a world-renowned sustainability and materials expert, Life Fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects, as well as CEO and Program Director of the Global GreenTagCertTM Certification Program, the world’s leading ‘Beyond LCA’ based product ecolabel, Certification Mark and operator of the GreenTag Product Health Declaration (PHD), Environmental Production Declaration (EPD) and Modern Slavery Declaration (MSD) programs for healthy, environmentally and ethically conscious products. David is also a multi-award winning green building architect, author, Exemplar Global Lead Auditor, GBCA Materials Expert Panel member and Past President of the Australian LCA Society.

Matthew Graham is Principal of Graham Energy and an experienced subject matter expert in the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme. Matthew is a long-term accredited TPA, Trainer, TAC member and recognised Mentor in AccuRate, BERS Pro, FirstRate5 and HERO.

David’s events

HERO Introductory Workshop Wednesday 12 March 2021, 10AM AEDT / 9AM AEST / 8:30AM ACST / 7AM AWST. Register: http://bit.ly/IntrotoHERO

elivering Healthy Interiors D Friday 26 March 2021, 1PM AEDT/12PM AEST/ 11:30AM ACST / 10AM AWST. Register: http://bit.ly/HealthyInteriors263 Products and Rating Tools: The changing landscape explained Monday 12 April 2021, 1PM AEST / 12:30PM ACST / 11AM AWST. Register: http://bit.ly/ ProductsandRatingTools Getting to Net Zero: Dealing with Embodied Impact.

Monday 19 April 2021, 1PM AEST / 12:30PM ACST / 11AM AWST. Register: http://bit.ly/GetToNetZero

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What participants have said about Matthew’s workshops: “Matt presented an in-depth and easy to understand workshop. The house plans definitely provided a challenge that brought to light areas I personally need to improve in.”

– Michael Sullivan Matthew’s events

FirstRate5 v5.3.1 Workshop Wednesday 24 March 2021, 1PM AEST / 12:30PM ACST / 11AM AWST. Register: http://bit.ly/FR5v531Updates FirstRate5 Introductory Workshop Wednesday 30 March 2021, 10AM AEDT / 9AM AEST / 8:30AM ACST / 7AM AWST. Register: http://bit.ly/FR5Intro Intermediate FirstRate5 Workshop Monday 29 April 2021, 10AM AEST / 9:30AM ACST/ 8AM AWST Register: http://bit.ly/InterFirstRate5

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Geoff Hoare Graaph Design graaph.com.au Geoff Hoare is a Past President and Life Member of Design Matters National. He runs Graaph Design, a successful, award-winning building design firm. Geoff served on the Building Practitioners Board (BPB) for 11 years up to it being wound up in 2016, and still assists the VBA when called upon. During his BPB activities, he was involved in the audit of Building Designers, as well as inquiries involving Registered Building Practitioners, and also carried out more than 1,200 draftsperson registration assessments. He also prepared VCAT expert evidentiary reports on behalf of the BPB in defence of rejected application appeals. Geoff is a passionate advocate for ensuring all designers continually improve their professionalism, and all his presentations for the DMN have always been highly acclaimed. This is a great opportunity to learn from this very experienced and highlyrespected professional.

Geoff’s events Contract Administration Workshop Wednesday 3 March 2021, 10AM AEDT / 9AM AEST / 8:30AM ACST / 7AM AWST. Register: http://bit.ly/ContractAdmin3321 Improving Building Permit Documentation Workshop Friday 9 April 2021, 10AM AEDT / 9AM AEST / 8:30AM ACST / 7AM AWST. Register: http://bit.ly/BuildPermitDoc

What participants have said about Geoff’s workshops: “I think the workshop was a great way to be introduced to contract administration/reinforce what is already known, and the advice given by Geoff was invaluable. Being able to use this course towards the contract administration component of registration as a building practitioner (design draftsperson) is an added bonus.”

– Danielle Fedden

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*INTERNATIONAL SPEAKER*

Meror Krayenhoff

Michael Mobbs

Founder and Inventor, SIREWALL sirewall.com

The Off Grid Guy sustainablehouse.com.au/michaels-blog

Meror began his adult life as a hippy.

He learned how to integrate his peace and love aspirations into the built environment through his incarnations as labourer, carpenter, general contractor, designer, subtrade, developer, and international consultant. He’s inspired by leaving buildings for our 200-year (seventh generation) descendants that are a gift, not toxic waste. He is the inventor and founder of SIREWALL, which has been featured in projects

by Foster & Partners, Arcop, Dialog, and so on.

Two of Meror’s projects have won at the World Architecture Festival.

Michael Mobbs is a Sydney-based author and environmental consultant. He graduated from the Australian National University with a Bachelor of Laws in 1975 and then worked as an environmental lawyer for 19 years.

Through this work he developed an interest in sustainability. Mobbs served as an Independent Alderman on the City of Sydney Council from 1985–1987. In the 1990s Mobbs converted his Chippendale home into a more sustainable house by modifying the water, energy and waste systems.

Meror’s event Structural Insulated Rammed Earth Thursday 25 March 2021, 10AM AEDT / 9AM AEST / 8:30AM ACST / 7AM AWST. Register: http://bit.ly/RammedEarth2503

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Michael’s event Off-grid Living - Virtual Tour of Sustainable House Tuesday 23 March 2021, 1PM AEDT / 12PM AEST / 11:30AM ACST / 10AM AWST. Register: http://bit.ly/OffGridLiving233

01 Project 03 What’s Matters On

Nick Bishop

Roger Joyner

HERO Software blog.hero-software.com.au/

Passivhaus Perth, WA passivhausperth.com.au

As an ESD Engineer and Energy-Rater with more than 10 years’ experience, Nick Bishop founded Hero Software to help deliver better tools for energy-raters; to allow the industry to deliver a higher standard of work and to help drive the Australian construction industry towards a low-carbon future. Throughout his ESD & energy-modelling work, Nick started developing scripts and tools to automate processes and deliver in-depth, efficient outcomes for his clients, with highlights being the Nightingale 1 project in Brunswick, Victoria, one of Australia’s first net-zeroemission, all-electric multi-residential projects. Many of those ideas laid the groundwork for Hero and its capabilities.

Following decades of experience in the UK covering a range of architectural design & documentation and management roles Roger started residential design in Western Australia in 2000 with an award-winning home in the Perth Hills. Following Passive Solar principles, but with an acknowledgement of a need for a continuous thermal envelope, designs developed to improve indoor comfort and thermal stability. With a desire to find better modelling solutions, the application of thermo dynamics to every element of the building envelope and gaining control over indoor air quality to get a complete picture of the building’s performance embodied in the Passivhaus Standard seemed irresistible.

Nick’s events

Following training in NZ in 2012, the basic simplicity of the concept combined with TPA Chit-Chat rigorous attention to detail is beguiling and Wednesday 3 March 2021, 12PM AEDT / 11AM once known, there is no Unknowing! Roger AEST / 10:30AM ACST / 9AM AWST will give an overview of the concepts, some Register: http://bit.ly/TPAchitchat3321 practicalities and key timeline points that make it easier and more economical approaches to HERO Introductory Workshop achieving far better outcomes.

Friday 12 March 2021, 10AM AEDT / 9AM AEST / 8:30AM ACST / 7AM AWST Roger’s event Register: http://bit.ly/IntrotoHERO Perth Summer Sundowner Friday 5 March 2021, 5PM AWST. Register: http://bit.ly/ PerthSummerSundowner

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03 What’s On

Sandra Howlin

Theresa Braunsch

Charles Darwin University cdu.edu.au

SPECTrum Building Energy Ratings and Solutions spectrumbuildingenergy.com.au

Sandra Howlin is an Architectural Technician, Environmental Sustainable Design (ESD) Consultant and a lecturer in Building Design and Drafting at Charles Darwin University.

She is passionate the advantages of energy efficiency in a region where energy consumption for cooling is the highest in Australia. Sandra is also an active member of the Building Advisory Committee NT and the Property Council ESD Committee NT. She regularly engages with policy makers and industry to promote the benefits of energy efficiency regulation. Sandra offers a unique insight to the challenges of translating energy policy into building regulation and construction technology in the Tropical North.

Sandra’s event Designing for Air-Conditioning in the Tropics Wednesday 30 March 2021, 12PM AEDT / 11AM AEST / 10:30AM ACST / 9AM AWST. Register: http://bit.ly/AirconTropics

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Theresa worked for over three years as a Thermal Performance Consultant at Viridian.

She holds an Advanced Diploma in Building Design, Cert4 in NatHERS Assessment, and a Fenestration Diploma. With an understanding of construction methods and building product performance, she is keen to find project specific specification solutions, which results in the best possible outcome.

Theresa’s events Avoiding Condensation and Related Consequences in Buildings Wednesday 13 April 2021, 11AM AEST / 10:30AM ACST / 9AM AWST. Register: http://bit.ly/AvoidingCondensation Understanding Insulation Testing Standards, Wednesday 14 April 2021, 11AM AEST / 10:30AM ACST / 9AM AWST. Register: http://bit.ly/ InsulationTestingStandards

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Georgia Lindsay

John Glassford

University of Tasmania utas.edu.au

AUSBALE ausbale.org

Georgia Lindsay is a Senior Lecturer in Architecture and Design at the University of Tasmania. Her research focuses on the human experience of architecture, with a special interest in cultural buildings like museums and libraries. She is author of The User Perspective on Twenty-First-Century Art Museums (Routledge 2016), editor of Contemporary Museum Architecture and Design: Theory and Practice of Place (Routledge 2020) and coeditor with Lusi Morhayim of Revisiting “Social Factors”: Advancing Research into People and Place (Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2015).

Her current work focuses on how buildings can communicate values of sustainability. She earned her PhD at the University of California, Berkeley.

John is a former coffee farmer from Kenya who, after a few years of living in Sydney, went back to the land as a builder, relocating historic shearing sheds and homesteads and met Susan in one of the shearing sheds relocated from Darlington Point to Kangaroo Valley.

John’s Event Straw Bale Building Technology Wednesday 24 March 2021, 10AM AEST / 9:30AM ACST / 8AM AWST Register: http://bit.ly/StrawBale2403

Georgia’s Event Communicating Sustainable Architecture Tuesday 7 April 2021, 1PM AEST / 12:30AM ACST / 11AM AWST Register: http://bit.ly/ComSustArchitecture Defining & Expanding “Users” of Public Buildings Thursday 29 April 2021, 1PM AEST / 12:30AM ACST / 11AM AWST Register: http://bit.ly/DefiningBuildingUsers

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Events

03 What’s On

A packed calendar of events awaits Members from March through May: free webinars on sustainable design; AccuRate, FirstRate5 and documentation workshops; webinars on condensation and insulation, and more. We asked you what YOU wanted and we’re delivering it!

03.03.21 Event series: Building Design Title: Contract Administration Workshop Date: Wednesday 3 March 2021 Time: 10AM AEDT / 9AM AEST / 8:30AM ACST / 7AM AWST Location: Online Cost: $685.00 Member rate $345 Register: http://bit.ly/ContractAdmin3321 Duration: 3 hours CPD points: 2 Presenter: Geoff Hoare, Graaph Design graaph.com.au See profile on previous page.

Content: Managing and administering standard-form building contracts; developing administrative and reporting systems to manage a building contract on behalf of a client; confidently offering Contract Administration as another service; the principles of selecting, advising and administering a standard for building contract for both resident and commercial building projects; examining those contracts and identify the benefits and/or disadvantages of the various contract suites; examining the DMN standard-form contracts, the appendixes and various forms and instructions that are referenced within the contract to gain an understanding of each component; and how to seek registration as a building practitioner in Victoria; and how to produce a certificate and various work examples to satisfy the contract administration experience criteria required for registration as a Building Designer Architectural.

03.03.21 Event series: Networking Title: TPA Chit-Chat Date: Wednesday 3 March 2021 Time: 12PM AEDT / 11AM AEST / 11:30AM ACST / 9AM AWST Location: Online Cost: Free Register: http://bit.ly/TPAchitchat3321 Duration: 1 hour CPD points: 1 Presenter: Nick Bishop, HERO Software blog.hero-software.com.au See profile on previous page.

Content: Join fellow DMN TPAs, along with TAC Members and featured guests, to ‘talk shop’ in our monthly TPA Chit-Chats. EVERY month comes an opportunity to share ideas, ask questions and hear from key industry players, all in a lunchbreak! It’s free. It’s virtual. It’s a must!

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Event series: Member Networking Title: Perth Summer Sundowner Date: Friday 5 March 2021 Time: 5PM AWST Location: Eco Outdoor, Perth Cost: $10.00 Register: http://bit.ly/PerthSummerSundowner Duration: 2 hours CPD points: 2 Presenter: Roger Joyner See profile on previous page.

Content: Welcome to 2021! As the sun goes down, join us for casual networking among peers, in an architecturallyinteresting space, with refreshments included.

10.03.21 Event series: Immersive Experiences Title: George Brown Darwin Botanic Tour Date: Wednesday 10 March 2021 Time: 10AM ACST Location: George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens Cost: $10.00 Register: http://bit.ly/DarwinBotanic Duration: 1 hour CPD points: 1 Content: Darwin Members: Welcome to your first Design Matters National immersive experience, at the George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens, two kilometres north of Darwin city. The gardens cover 42 hectares and are noted for their collections of north Australian and other tropical species. More information: https://bit.ly/3prSzR

11.03.21 Event series: Get Registration Ready Title: Building Design Pre-Registration Course Date: Thursday 11 March 2021 Time: 10AM AEDT / 9AM AEST / 8:30AM ACST / 7AM AWST Location: Online Cost: Member rate is $120 & Non-member rate is $260 CPD points: 2 Register: http://bit.ly/BDPre-RegCourse Duration: 2 hours Presenter: Geoff Hoare, Graaph Design graaph.com.au See profile on previous page.

Content: For building designers planning to seek registration with the Victorian Building Authority (VBA), now or in the near future. Covering: legislative requirements for registration under the Building Act; VBA’s role; current registration process; dispelling the myths of registration and why and when you need to be registered; differences are between a registered Architect and Draftsperson; Victorian registration vs other states; mutual recognition and whether it is applicable when seeking registration within Australia; required qualifications, and what may be considered as being equivalent; demonstrating an appropriate level of experience; evidence to gather in support of your application and presenting and formulating it; competencies required for registration as a draftsperson; forms making up your application; declarations, insurance and police checks required; building a ‘best practice’ application; what VBA assessors might look for in your application; requests for further information; interviews and online assessments; what happens if your application is refused and what options are available if you are refused.

12.03.21

03 What’s On

05.03.21

SOLD OUT

Event series: Technology Title: Introduction to HERO software Date: Friday 12 March 2021 Time: 10AM AEDT / 9AM AEST / 8:30AM ACST / 7AM AWST Location: Online Cost: $400.00 Register: http://bit.ly/IntrotoHERO Duration: 3 hours CPD points: 9 NatHERS Technical CPD points Presenter: Matthew Graham, Graham Energy graham.energy & Nick Bishop, HERO Software blog.hero-software.com.au See profile on previous page.

16.03.21 SOLD OUT Event Series: Immersive Experiences Title: Dowell Windows Site Tour Date: Tuesday 16 March 2021 Time: 9:30AM AEDT Location: Smithfield, NSW Cost: Free Duration: 2.5 hours CPD points: 2.5

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03 What’s On

19.03.21

24.03.21

Event series: Inspirational Products

Event Series: Technology

Title: Design Inspirations by Caesarstone Date: Friday 19 March 2021 Time: 7:30AM AWST Location: Caesarstone Display Base, 55 Salvado Rd, Subiaco, Perth, WA Cost: Free Register: http://bit.ly/CaesarstoneInspire Duration: 1.5 hours CPD points: 1.5 Presenter: Emily D’Rosario, BDM | Custom Homes & Interior Design – Western Australia caesarstone.com.au

Title: FirstRate5 v5.3.1 Update Date: Wednesday 24 March 2021 Time: 1PM AEST / 12:30PM ACST / 11AM AWST Location: Online Cost: $44.00 Register: http://bit.ly/FR5v531Updates Duration: 1 hour CPD points: 1 Presenter: Matthew Graham, Graham Energy graham.energy”

Content: WA Members are invited to join Caesarstone as they share updates on their products including their recently launched Outdoor Collection.

Workshop and networking.

23.03.21 Event series: Immersive Experiences Title: Off-grid Living Date: Tuesday 23 March 2021 Time: 1PM AEDT / 12PM AEST / 11:30AM ACST / 10AM AWST Location: Online Cost: $44.00 Register: http://bit.ly/OffGridLiving233 Duration: 1 hour CPD points: 1 Non-Technical CPD points Presenter: Michael Mobbs, The Off Grid Guy. See profile on previous page.

Content: Virtual tour of a sustainable house.

“See the energy, water, recycled water and food systems at Sydney’s Sustainable House, operating (and disconnected from mains water and sewer) since 1996, supporting four- and five-person households for energy and water bills less than $300 a year. In March 2015, I disconnected my house from the poles and wires of the main electricity grid, and since then solar panels and batteries have powered the house. Let’s problem-solve together. That’s what I do to help you keep your dreams on track. My passion is to empower others to take control of their sustainable-living goals. When we live partly or wholly off-grid, we keep our lifestyle and use free energy and water from the sky, just like thousands of farmers do every day. Since 1996, I’ve worked on hundreds of sustainable projects across Australia, from helping to develop local council and other government sustainability policies to residential and commercial projects and infrastructure.”

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Content: FirstRate5 users, now is the time to get up to speed with the enhancements and bug fixes that come with the newly released v5.3.1 of the software. In the knowledgeable hands of Matthew Graham, you’ll leave this workshop with sound working knowledge of the most time efficient and accurate use of this current version that will become the official regulatory version you work in from 24 March. New features, enhancements and big fixed in this FirstRate5 v5.3.1 this webinar will cover include: Heat Map Tool; Global Zoning Tab; Custom Keyboard Shortcuts; Stacked Wall Builder; Display of ABCB and BASIX Load Limits; Detachable Plan and Zoning Tabs; Improved Windows Search Functionality; Improved Editing of Penetrations; Improved Add Penetrations Tool; and Addition of a new Green Roof Construction. Note: As Sustainability Victoria recommends that all users update to this current v5.3.1, DMN recommend that all FirstRate5 accredited TPAs attend this live webinar.

24.03.21 Event Series: Technology Title: Straw Bale Building Technology Date: Wednesday 24 March 2021 Time: 10AM AEDT / 9AM AEST / 8:30AM ACST / 7AM AWST Location: Online Cost: $44.00 Register: http://bit.ly/StrawBale2403 Duration: 1 hour CPD points: 1 Presenter: John Glassford, AUSBALE. ausbale.org See profile on previous page.

Content: Straw has been used as a building material for centuries for thatch roofing. It has also been mixed with earth in cob walls, and wattle-and-daub walls. Learn all about why we should use straw for our built environment: insulation; Bush Fire Level BAL FZ achieved; positive carbon footprint; sound qualities; termite resistance; and more.

30.03.21

Event series: Building Design

Event series: Technology

Title: Structural Insulated Rammed Earth – Future Ready Ecology Date: Thursday 25 March 2021 Time: 10AM AEDT / 9AM AEST / 8:30AM ACST / 7AM AWST Location: Online Cost: $44.00 Register: http://bit.ly/RammedEarth2503 Duration: 1 hour CPD points: 1 Technical CPD point Presenter: Meror Krayenhoff, SIREWALL sirewall.com See profile on previous page.

Title: FirstRate5 Introductory Workshop Date: Tuesday 30 March 2021 Time: 10AM AEDT / 9AM AEST / 8:30AM ACST / 7AM AWST Location: Online Cost: $400.00 Register: http://bit.ly/FR5Intro Duration: 4.5 hours CPD points: 9 NatHERS CPD Points Presenter: Matthew Graham, Graham Energy graham.energy

Content: The SIREWALL System starts with secured reusable forms that are filled with a mixture of damp earth. The soil blend, once compacted, creates structural rammed earth walls that will last several lifetimes without the need for maintenance. It is more accurate to say we design ecosystems than we design buildings. From that perspective, we can make choices that line up with our values more than how many square feet with what features. SIREWALL can play an integral role in ecosystems that can survive the future ravages of climate change. The buildings we build today will be asked to deal with tomorrow’s climate, not today’s, and such buildings fare better today.

26.03.21 Event series: Building Design Title: Delivering Healthy Interiors Date: Friday 26 March 2021 Time: 1PM AEDT / 12PM AEST / 11:30AM ACST / 10AM AWST Location: Online Cost: $44.00 Register: http://bit.ly/HealthyInteriors263 Duration: 1 hour CPD points: 1 Non-Technical CPD point Presenter: David Baggs, Global GreenTagCertTM Certification Program. globalgreentag.com See profile on previous page.

03 What’s On

25.03.21

Content: An opportunity to learn and understand how to use FirstRate5 v5.3 in conjunction with the NatHERS Technical Note (May 2019).

30.03.21 Event series: Building Design Title: Designing for Air-Conditioning in the Tropics Date: Tuesday 30 March 2021 Time: 12PM AEDT / 11AM AEST / 10:30AM ACST / 9AM AWST Location: Online Cost: $44.00 Register: http://bit.ly/AirconTropics Duration: 1 hour CPD points: 1 Technical CPD Point Presenter: Sandra Howlin, Charles Darwin University.

See profile on previous page.

Content: The rise in dependence on air-conditioning as a preferred method of cooling in the Tropics. The Application of NatHERS Software in Northern Australian Climates.

Common non-compliance issues regarding energy efficiency regulations.

Content: David will bring materials and product intelligence together with design principles to help you deliver healthier interiors for clients. David will provide ways to better select and make informed product choices by understanding: what defines healthy interior design and how to look for transparency when evaluating healthy products and materials, integral to healthy design and important to clients; how best to work with product information provided by the rating tool – the Global GreenTag Product Health Declaration (PHD) and its HealthRATE system to communicate the toxicology of a product’s ingredients, and highlight its health impacts on the end-user; and what to think about during development of design and compliance with health-focused rating tools under WELL, LEED and Green Star.

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03 What’s On

07.04.21

09.04.21

Event Series: Advocacy

Event series: Building Design

Title: Communicating Sustainable Architecture Date: Tuesday 7 April 2021 Time: 1PM AEST / 12:30AM ACST / 11AM AWST Location: Online Cost: Free Register: http://bit.ly/ComSustArchitecture Duration: 1 hour CPD points: 1 Presenter: Georgia Lindsay, University of Tasmania utas. edu.au See profile on previous page.

Title: Improving Building Permit Documentation Date: Friday 9 April 2021 Time: 10AM AEDT / 9AM AEST / 8:30AM ACST / 7AM AWST Location: Online Cost: $350.00 Register: http://bit.ly/BuildPermitDoc Duration: 3.5 hours CPD points: 7 Technical CPD Points Presenter: Geoff Hoare, Graaph Design.

See profile on previous page.

Content: Certified green buildings are becoming increasingly common, for both private developments and public projects such as museums and art galleries. As institutions invest in designs and technologies that save energy, it is worth considering what else the architecture can do. Through careful design decisions, green buildings could make the public more aware of sustainable design; offer solutions and positive news stories about sustainability; help educate about design and green building features; and contribute to a positive attitudea towards the organisation that commissioned the building.

Green buildings can do more than save energy and water — they can be used to inspire the public about sustainability. Some architectural features generate positive press more readily than others. Educational strategies can be more creative and interesting than brochures. Administrators of green museums need to have a basic understanding of the green systems to be able to communicate about the building to their staff and visitors.

Content: To assist participants to ensure building documentation meets minimum standards. The session includes the use and benefits of a specification, and deals with a variety of documentation-related matters including: identifying compliance issues early in the design process; dealing with reports and consents and building appeals; producing compliant working drawings; impact of Part 3 and 4 of the Building Regulations on documentation; OHS impacts on domestic building permit documentation; the importance of specifications in project documentation; the relevance of AS1100 to building permit drawings; co-ordination of relevant documents and the role of consultants; producing documents that are ‘fit for purpose’; and Australian Standards.

08.04.21 Event series: Technology Title: AccuRate Introductory Workshop Date: Wednesday 8 April 2021 Time: 10AM AEST / 9:30AM ACST / 8AM AWST Location: Online Cost: $400.00 Register your interest: http://bit.ly/AccuRateWorkshop Content: Similar to our successful FirstRate workshops, this four hour workshop is a great way to enhance your skills in AccuRate in a supportive environment with expert guidance. Dependent on numbers so please register your interest.

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12.04.21 Event series: Technology Title: Products and rating tools: The changing landscape explained Date: Monday 12 April 2021 Time: 1PM AEST / 12:30PM ACST / 10AM AWST Location: online Cost: $44.00 Register: http://bit.ly/ProdsRates1204 Duration: 1 hour CPD points: 1 Presenter: David Baggs, Global GreenTagCertTM Certification Program. globalgreentag.com See profile on previous page.

Content: Explore how building projects are navigated using a sustainability compass. Ensure the products you specify into projects comply with leading building rating tools, including Green Star, WELL and LEED. Learn how to: identify integrated design principles in a building project to select products that produce significant and beneficial outcomes using third-party certified, declared and verified products; compare leading project rating schemes and learn how to structure workloads to fit in with the different programs; discern quickly the differences between certified and uncertified products to improve your supply chain intelligence and procurement process.

14.04.21

Event series: Building Design

Event series: Building Design

Title: Avoiding Condensation and Related Consequences in Buildings Date: Tuesday 13 April 2021 Time: 11AM AEST / 10:30AM ACST / 10AM AWST Location: Online Cost: $44.00 Register: http://bit.ly/AvoidingCondensation Duration: 1 hour CPD points: 1 Presenter: Theresa Braunsch, SPECTrum Building Energy Ratings and Solutions. spectrumbuildingenergy.com.au See profile on previous page.

Title: Understanding Insulation Testing Standards Date: Wednesday 14 April 2021 Time: 11AM AEST / 10:30AM ACST / 9AM AWST Location: Online Cost: $44.00 Register: http://bit.ly/InsulationTestingStandards Duration: 1 hour CPD points: 1 Presenter: Theresa Braunsch, SPECTrum Building Energy Ratings and Solutions spectrumbuildingenergy.com.au See profile on previous page.

Content: Understand the physics behind condensation forming in buildings; calculations; planning for condensation-free interiors; choosing the right materials and applications to avoid condensation; design and documentation to avoid damage to building products and materials, caused by moisture; health implications on humans due to mould formation and poor IAQ; analyse and understand occupants’ behaviour when it comes to natural ventilation; and contribute to healthy indoor environments through education.

14.04.21 Event series: Networking Title: TPA Chit-Chat Date: Wednesday 14 April 2021 Time: 12.30PM AEST / 12PM ACST / 10:30AM AWST Location: Online Cost: Free Register: http://bit.ly/TPAChit-Chat84 Duration: 1 hour CPD points: 1 Technical CPD Point Content: Join fellow DMN TPAs, along with TAC members and featured guests, to ‘talk shop’ in our monthly TPA Chit-Chats. EVERY month comes an opportunity to share ideas, ask questions and hear from key industry players, all in a lunchbreak! It’s free. It’s virtual. It’s a must!

03 What’s On

13.04.21

Content: Distinguish between insulation types; differentiate insulation product application and performance; thermal conductivity and vapour permeability of materials; understand Insulation Testing standards; insulation selection for Fire and Acoustics; insulation Installation avoiding thermal bridging; and embodied energy and recyclability of insulation materials.

19.04.21 Event series: Building Design Title: Getting to Net Zero: Dealing with Embodied Impact Date: Monday 19 April 2021 Time: 1PM AEST / 12:30PM ACST / 11AM AWST Location: Online Cost: $44.00 Register: http://bit.ly/GetToNetZero Duration: 1 hour CPD points: 1 Presenter: David Baggs, Global GreenTagCertTM Certification Program. globalgreentag.com See profile on previous page.

Content: Pursuing a restorative, bio-based approach to assist in taking existing carbon impacts out of buildings; product selection; focussing on carbon reduction in the building industry to avoid climate change.

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03 What’s On

29.04.21

29.04.21

Event series: Technology

Event Series: Building Design

Title: FirstRate5 Intermediate Workshop Date: Thursday 29 April 2021 Time: 10AM AEST / 9:30AM ACST / 8AM AWST Location: online Cost: $320.00 Register: http://bit.ly/InterFirstRate5 Duration: 4.5 hours CPD points: 4 NatHERS CPD Points Presenter: Matthew Graham, Graham Energy graham.energy & Nick Bishop, HERO Software blog.hero-software.com.au See profile on previous page.

Title: Defining & expanding “users” of public buildings Date: Thursday 29 April 2021 Time: 1PM AEST / 12:30AM ACST / 11AM AWST Location: Online Cost: Free Register: http://bit.ly/DefiningBuildingUsers Duration: 1 hour CPD points: 1 Presenter: Georgia Lindsay, University of Tasmania utas. edu.au See profile on previous page.

Content: This workshop, exclusively for Design Matters National accredited Thermal Performance Assessors (TPAs), and tailored for those using FirstRate5 v5.3, follows on from the Introductory workshop. Whilst the first workshop covered the basics of a domestic rating, the Intermediate will cover some additional modelling topics, including: your next door neighbour; how to work smarter; keeping a roof over your head; not in my courtyard; to zone, or not to zone?; analytics tab; more top tips; can you split this?; complex errors highlighted from Design Matters National audits. Registrants MUST have completed the Introductory workshop and have access to a laptop with the version of FirstRate5 v5.3 that is loaded to bring to the workshop.

Content: Clearly articulating who is using a building — and how — can help in programming and schematic design. While it is common to think of users in aggregate as people who come into the building, objects, the city, and even the larger environment can be considered users of buildings. In this presentation, I draw on my research on museums to articulate 7 user types to consider in design.

13.05.21 Event series: Technology - COMING SOON Title: AccuRate Intermediate Workshop Date: Thursday 13 May 2021 Time: 10AM AEST / 9:30AM ACST / 8AM AWST Location: Online Cost: $320.00 Register: http://bit.ly/AccuRate135 Duration: 4 hours CPD points: 4 Presenter: Coming Soon.

Content: Similar to our other successful AccuRate workshops, this four-hour workshop is a great way to enhance your skills in AccuRate in a supportive environment with expert guidance. Dependent on numbers so please register your interest.

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01 Project Matters

Preparing Energy Raters for the Future

04 How-to

By Emily Schiavello, Thermal Performance Assessor Executive Officer

What does 2021 have in store for Thermal Performance Assessors?

Design Matters National (DMN) discussed this question with a panel of industry experts to provide some insight into how the industry is changing and the areas in which energy raters need to upskill, to stay ahead of the game.

Tony Issacs – Solar data & Scorecard

from five to six to seven stars. The project has generated a lot of data that will be useful for educating assessors on how they can best meet any increase to minimum requirements if imposed.

Tony Isaacs operates his own consulting practice Tony Isaacs Consulting and is a highly regarded member of the DMN Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). He is engaged regularly by NatHERS and CSIRO to research and test a range of adjustments to data used in the Chenath engine which underpins software used in NatHERS assessments amongst other projects.

Currently, he is working to finalise updates to the climate files refenced in the software.

According to Tony, the main driver of this was that the solar data, as has been known for years, was the best data we had but, in some cases, it was three-hourly, meaning they had to interpolate between the hours. Now, there are new techniques used to estimate solar radiation data based on satellite cloud cover.

This has allowed climate zones to be upgraded to new data sets while also considering a number of zones that had good existing data available. The simulated energy loads for the good data was compared with the synthetic satellite-based data and it was a pretty good match. There is likely some recalibration required once the updated data becomes available, but Tony is confident the discrepancy is negligible and, in some cases, more favourable.

Tony has also been engaged in a ‘re-star banding’ project investigating what increasing the minimum requirement from six to seven stars might encompass as a result of updating the climate files. Tony and team took a number of real houses and apartments and went through the whole process of upgrading them

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“For assessors, the things you’ve become accustomed to in meeting six-Star requirements won’t necessarily give you the same result.”

Another project Tony has been heavily involved in is the national trials of the Scorecard Program. Scorecard is a specialised accreditation tool developed in Victoria whereby Scorecard Assessors can go into existing homes to accurately assess the requirements of the occupants of the home, as well as identify opportunities for improvement of the performance of the dwelling.

Tony says, “Scorecard opens the door for a more comprehensive energy-audit type service” – something existing Thermal Performance Assessors might want to add to their offerings as consultants in the field.

Trials are underway across the country to test the training, accreditation and service of Scorecard for incorporation under the NatHERS umbrella, to be recognised as a national tool. Importantly, Tony asserts: “It’s useful for assessors to get on board and to understand the way the Scorecard works now, so that [they] can be prepared if and when mandatory disclosure starts happening.

The other great thing about the Scorecard is that all the data is stored on file, so the possibility of a building passport starts to become a reality”.

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04 How-to

04 How-to

“…the key for all of us is to work together, to try and harness some of these technologies... so that they can actually empower us as Assessors, without making our role and our contribution obsolete”.

Tony suggests energy raters should be aware of the very real scenario that there are three times as many existing dwellings offered for sale and rent per year than new dwellings constructed. So, should mandatory disclosure happen, there’ll be a huge increase in energy efficiency for the aging housing market.

Matthew Graham – Collaborate, embrace technology & think beyond compliance The assessor industry is also subject to technological efficiencies and tools that might leave some assessors in the dark or, conversely, provide opportunity. According to Mathew Graham, another panellist and DMN TAC Member: “…the key for all of us is to work together, to try and harness some of these technologies... so that they can actually empower us as Assessors, without making our role and our contribution obsolete”.

Matthew is a qualified Trainer, runs his own business Graham Energy, provides mentoring services, and delivers specialised workshops for Thermal Performance Assessors. Some AI-based advancements in technology might mean greater efficiencies yet more competition. Assessors should position themselves for the future by ensuring they are appropriately prepared and adequately skilled.

Assessors can gain a greater understanding and insight into maximising thermal comfort by considering related subjects including thermal imaging, air-tightness and passive house principles.

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Matthew understands the value of a supportive network; regularly contributing to two Facebook-based assessor-support groups.

In referring to DMN accredited Assessors, Matthew commented: “With 430 assessors at the moment, that’s a big cohort. There’s no reason you can’t network with three or four people in your local area… and communicate”.The other important consideration for assessors is to think beyond compliance. As Matthew conveys, design and architecture students at university are using NatHERS software tools as informative design tools. This gives them an edge in integrating thermal performance as part of the design process, meaning assessors should continuously look to upskill and use their knowledge to remain relevant.

Andrew Hooper – Engage with your AAO According to Andrew Hooper, a fellow panellist, it is important to engage with industry bodies and your AAO [Design Matters National] so that they can develop relevant CPD in areas assessors want and need: “…if Members give feedback that you’d like to see some CPD on this, then you can actually change the sort of stuff that DMN is presenting to you as well”.

To provide feedback about CPD to DMN, email Emily Schiavello e.schiavello@designmatters.org.au

04 How-to

The Top Five Ways to Thrive in 2021: 1 Understand the way the Scorecard works now 2 Look beyond compliance 3 Tell DMN what you’d like to see as CPD 4 Learn about incentives on offer to ensure clients get the most benefit out of their dwelling’s efficiency performance, and 5 Acquire knowledge about efficiency of fixed and household appliances to accurately understand the impact on the overall performance of the dwelling.

To listen to the full, one-hour panel discussion which was part of the inaugural InspoExpo online trade show, click here www.designmatters.org.au

Tim Adams – Stay up to date, lobby for EUAs, WoH Fellow panellist Tim Adams agrees it is important for assessors to ask questions and seek out information relating to the industry.

Tim highlights a number of loan-type schemes currently on offer which makes it more attractive for consumers to update, renovate or build a high energy-efficiency-achieving home. It is important assessors are aware of such incentives so that they can advise prospective clients and enhance designs to ultimately reduce heating and cooling expenses in the long run.

There are also some moves in Victoria to facilitate increases in efficiency of existing housing stock through Environmental Upgrades Agreements (EUAs). The Victorian Local Government Act has already incorporated EUAs but it relies on local government authorities to adopt it. This means people are able to access loans to improve the performance of their dwelling through low cost, small amount loans. The lender has some security in that the loan is attached to the dwelling and, should it not be repayable by the occupier, it can be recouped via sale, etc..

Tim encourages people to lobby their local Council to adopt EUAs and importantly, energy raters may be required to validate that enhancements will deliver the proposed energy efficiency.

Furthermore, Tim indicates that as we head towards Whole of Home (who) considerations, Assessors will find they need to acquire the

knowledge of the efficiency of fixed and household appliances to accurately understand the impact on the overall performance of the dwelling.

Whole of Home is earmarked to be incorporated into NCC2022 and aims to provide the homeowner a clear, wholistic calculation of the projected energy consumption of their dwelling, once built.

This gives consumers the knowledge and ownership over the expected performance of their house and may even be a factor contributing to ‘resalability’, if or when mandatory disclosure comes in to play nationally.

Having an idea of the performance of a product allows for long-term cost savings but also typically longer lifespan of products installed. Contact manufacturers, look at product specification sheets and ask questions.

Importantly, DMN is also looking to ask questions of government and industry bodies about how we can work to improve the accountability and image of the TPA industry through the establishment of a taskforce to look at a range of issues impacting it. The idea, as Matthew puts it, is to: “…engage in a broader way and put forward cases to state governments and the jurisdictions, ultimately, with a goal to work towards mandatory national accreditation for assessors, which I think is very important”.

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Student Advice

04 How-to

How to succeed as a built-environment professional Members offer their advice to students

“ There is one particular thing I have said to “ Understanding the sun, rain, wind, the many new assessors – learning does not different climates, occupants’ behaviour, finish with their ‘Cert IV’. We need the Cert IV and talking to architects, designers, builders to obtain accreditation initially, and we have and trades are all important concepts in this to have our minimum 12 points of CPD each profession. Furthermore, this field is constantly year to maintain accreditation, but it’s never changing and it is very important to enough if you want to be serious about continuously learn. Be courageous, bring energy efficiency. Additional learning could new and fresh ideas!” be self-education through subscriptions to industry news like ReNew or The Fifth Estate, Pam Villares, Thermal Performance Assessor or building your own technical library – some and Sustainable Building Consultant, of those early handbooks from the ’70s and Thermal Comfort Solutions, Sydney, NSW. ’80s are still relevant today; or training up in other tools like Victorian Scorecard, BESS, “ Have three reasons for every decision you BASIX or perhaps even a University Degree in make – this will help legitimise the whimsy Sustainable Building. Whatever your interest, – and don’t take it personally. As with anything just keep learning because this field has so in life, learn, adapt, grow; this will help fuel much potential.” the passion and hold the cynicism at bay.

If all else fails, throw your head back and Andrew Hooper, TPA, Statewide Rating howl at the moon.”

Service, Victoria.

Anthea Wells-Corner, Building Designer, Dancing Dragon Design, Darwin, NT. “ Design is such a multi-faceted industry and though ‘design’ itself is a component, there “ Learn as much as you can about ALL aspects of are many skillsets that are required to the built environment and don’t limit yourself execute a project successfully. There are to the world of design. Round out your many avenues to explore.” knowledge, whenever possible, to include the nitty gritty detail of town planning, Paul Lim, Director / Interior Designer, construction, materials, project management, Mata Design Studio, Perth, Western Australia. contract law, etc., all in as much detail as you can – it will make you a better designer and also give you an appreciation of just how amazing and complex our industry is.”

Sally Wills, Building Designer, Registered Builder, Director of Small Change Design and Construction Pty Ltd., Victoria.

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04 How-to

Five by Five

05 Who’s who

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Five minutes with...

Pam Villares, Thermal Performance Assessor and Sustainable Building Consultant, Thermal Comfort Solutions, Sydney, NSW. thermalcomfort.com.au

Passive design, occupant behaviours, energy efficiency and comfortable homes are my passion. So, becoming a thermal performance assessor was a natural pathway to follow, as I knew I would be working with projects that I could dedicate my mind, heart and soul to.

Her biggest business challenge...

Why she joined Design Matters National...

Starting my own business was the biggest challenge. I was studying full-time and had been doing so for at least the previous three I have worked as a Sustainable Building years. Putting together a business plan to Consultant for many years for one of the enter the market; reaching out to an audience biggest companies in the field, which was to try to be noticed; and acquiring clients, accredited by BDAV at the time. As I have always been very interested in the architecture whilst having all the university and family commitments, is tough. Then COVID-19 came and design industries, once I opened my own and made everything harder. With the business, joining Design Matters National different restrictions and lockdown, it was was a no brainer. Design Matters National time to reinvent myself digitally. I built my new provides me support for networking, further website and revamped my social media education, and allows me to stay aware of channels. And this initiative landed my first changes in the industry. ‘inbound client’ who came to me through my newly-built website. A delightful client from Favourite software tool... the Snowy Mountains region who ended up I have experience with BERS Pro and FirstRate5. becoming a referenceable project and has already put me in contact with new clients and They both have their pros and cons. opportunities.

BERS is a quick tool and quite visual – graphic What she’s working on now... based. You can also have a summary page which lists everything that you have modelled and makes it easy to check what you have done Currently, I am working on several projects which range from assessments of large and you can quickly pick up any mistakes you multi-unit apartments, to new dwellings, and may have made. small alterations and additions. I bring a blend of local and international experience, FirstRate5 is quite intuitive and easy to use. combined with a fresh academic knowledge It combines a graphic interaction with a and innovative mindset from my most recent table-style data-entry process, which allows Bachelor degree, granted by an Australian you to quickly draw your zones and refine top university. the information with the data-entry tables.

Why she become a Thermal Performance Assessor...

How energy rating and energy efficiency have changed over the years...

Back in 2007, when I was working for an architect in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, I started learning about the Australian building codes and the importance of a comfortable home. The following year, I completed a Graduate Diploma in Design Science at The University of Sydney, where I learned all the theory about Sustainability in general.

After that, working for many years at one of the largest certifying companies in Australia, I got the opportunity to learn much more and to put it all into practice. Later on, the profession started to be regulated and I completed my Certificate IV in order to comply with the new requirements.

Software improvements, government requirements for more energy efficiency, regulation of the profession with the Certificate IV, and public awareness and education have been changing and developing the assessments further.

When I started working with thermal comfort assessments almost 10 years ago, I could see the struggle that was to make improvements in the sector. Today, I see endless possibilities, and more resilient and sustainable building practices.

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Five by Five

05 Who’s who

Five minutes with...

Paul Lim Director / Interior Designer, Mata Design Studio, Perth, Western Australia.

Why he joined Design Matters National...

Biggest challenge...

We initially joined Design Matters National to keep us connected and informed both locally and nationally to what was happening in the Building Design industry specifically. What we have gained is a connection to a network of like-minded Designers across many fields who are committed to championing design and its community. We feel very fortunate to be a part of such a supportive association.

Growth has always been our biggest challenge from a business perspective and whether to do it or not has been in the forefront of our minds on several occasions. Having had the opportunity to grow and lead a bigger team made us re-evaluate what was important for us in terms of what the long-term vision of Mata Design Studio is. Running a smaller team and being able to work directly with each client, studio member and project is really what we enjoy most.

Favourite architectural style...

Since having worked in South East Asia after graduating from Industrial Design, I have been drawn to tropical modernist architecture and the austere beauty of its buildings from an interior and architectural perspective. It is what lead me to then study interior design and still influences my work today.

Favourite finish or feature...

I am a huge lighting enthusiast and one of my favourite features is considered illumination which highlights and enhances a well designed space. It is something that plays a major role in every one of our projects.

Favourite Australian building...

I haven’t been there yet but post-lockdown, the Jackalope Hotel [on Melbourne’s Mornington Peninsula] is at the top of our list to visit. Both the architecture and interiors look amazing.

Favourite international building...

The Basílica de la Sagrada Família (La Sagrada Familia), in Barcelona, Spain, was awe-inspiring and breath-taking to experience. The experiential nature of the building is etched in my memory and how technology is now playing a part in its construction is a testament to the progress and innovation of our industry.

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What he’s working on now...

We are starting a project for long-term clients and now close friends of Mata Design Studio after they secured their dream beach block in Cottesloe. This will be the fourth project we work on together and their final home. What is unique about this project is the long-standing working relationship we have and a solid understanding of their brief, aesthetic and requirements at the get go.

Favourite projects...

We have always enjoyed working on a diverse range of projects and the challenge of learning new aspects required of a project. Our most favourite projects have been the ones that have brought us to work alongside some amazing clients such as with Island Market, the Applecross Residence and the Claremont Residence. The trust and belief they have had in our design direction and ethos have led us to produce some innovative work that allows us to further explore design concepts and push the boundaries of what we do.

The designer currently inspiring him...

Vokes and Peters produces amazing work; the ‘Subiaco House’ is a project I love to go by.

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Jackalope Hotel is at the top of our list to visit.

Both the architecture and interiors look amazing 05 Who’s who

Five by Five

05 Who’s who

Five minutes with...

Andrew Hooper, TPA, Statewide Rating Service, Parkdale, Victoria. ratings@statewidegroup.com.au Why he joined Design Matters National...

I worked for a Building Designer who was a Member of BDAV at the time, but not actively involved. The seminars were of interest and I could see a number of Member benefits available that could help me on my path, so I joined as an Individual Member for unregistered Building Designers. In 2007, I became a registered Building Designer, and shortly after changed to a Full Member.

Favourite software tool...

There are a lot of different tools available to demonstrate energy efficiency despite the size of the market. Not just NatHERS tools, but other schemes like GreenStar, BASIX, eTool and BESS; or international tools like DesignBuilder and IES. I have had experience with many of them in one capacity or another, albeit briefly for some, but ultimately, FirstRate is what I currently use regularly to produce assessments for permits. Over the recent Christmas break I have had opportunity to explore and complete the accreditation training for HERO. I am looking forward to making use of this tool further in the new year. But my ‘favourite’, I think, is Design Builder. I am still becoming more accomplished in this tool, its capability and the shear amount of useful information that can be derived from the modelling in the hands of an expert is outstanding

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Why he became a Thermal Performance Assessor...

Energy efficiency was first announced as a planning scheme amendment in 2001 with new unit developments needing to be 4 Stars.

Most councils delayed their uptake of the new code until 2002, but a few jumped on board straight away. Initially, I did not give it a lot of thought, but the company I was working for was documenting many unit developments and I saw it as an income opportunity. Within a short time, I realised energy efficiency was the future of building design, and that I have a very real and profound interest in it.

Why he joined the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) for Thermal Performance Assessors...

Brian Morrison called me one day and said he wanted to put a TAC together and asked was I interested. I actually called him back later in the day and asked, ‘Are you getting me confused with someone else?’. There was another Andrew Hooper teaching at Chisholm TAFE who I figured was who he really meant to call, so gave him opportunity to correct the mistake.

But Brian wanted a representative of the typical BDAV membership to be involved.

There were aspects of the Energy Rating industry that really frustrated me, so here was an opportunity to do something and I jumped at it. With only a couple of members changed since its inception, I find we are an effective team to talk through the various topics which are raised, and to identify technical issues before they become issues for the membership. That might be looking at what CPD could be offered; reviewing and commenting on NatHERS documents before release like the Tech Notes; working with NatHERS on the long-running windows issues or other changes; or having Members directly involved in the Cert IV course structure.

Not everything immediately has a successful outcome, like VBA Practice Note 55, but we keep hammering away.

There have been many challenges along my path, but my biggest was simply stepping out on my own. Having worked for a designer for almost 15 years, who I must say gave me many opportunities, it was difficult to break from that security. I was fortunate that energy ratings had become a significant part of the BCA earlier, with rumours of 6 Stars being considered. I was already successfully running a small business from home in the evenings.

Late into the night. Every night. The intent was that I would continue my efficient-home design work a few days a week and energy ratings for others, one or two days a week. As it happened, energy efficiency assessments became the sole focus of the business almost immediately. My wonderfully supportive wife is an MBA graduate, and my father-in-law an accountant well versed in companies and small business, so there was no opportunity of a lackadaisical approach. And as quite a religious person, a lot of prayer and faith have been thrown into the mix. Also, I had some fantastic clients right from go, some of whom I still have the pleasure of working with.

What he’s working on now...

This would actually be a personal project.

We recently moved home, and it is needing a lot of work. We have previously built and extended, so a renovation project will be a new experience for us. The front half is 70 years old, the rear half is 35, so there is a bit of mismatch across the home. Insulation is patchy, sealing is non-existent, no thermal mass, and a north backyard that is heavily shaded. There is evidence of dry rot and potentially condensation issues (mould) which we do not want to worsen or have reappear after removing. As assessors, we have a lot of knowledge we share with clients on how things should be done, and I am excited to tackle our home and personally make a practical difference.

How thermal performance assessing and energy efficiency have changed...

Enormously! There was a generic minimum prescriptive insulation requirement dating back to BCA 1990 – foil to walls and R2.0 on the ceiling, but much of the housing stock around the country didn’t even have that! Then, I have already mentioned assessments were introduced in 2001 in Rescode. That is approaching a twentieth anniversary in Victoria. We’ve seen minimum performances move from four Stars to five and then six. The last decade has held steady at six Stars, but we will have Whole of Home introduced next year which sees fixed appliances and solar being considered. Software and modelling have improved, too. Prior to 2005, we were using First Generation assessment tools, which allowed for only simple overall information to be entered. Second generation tools allowed for greater detail, where each room or zone could be fully detailed and really look at how energy transfers through the home, and the aspects of optimisation by tuning different elements. Each iteration of FirstRate gets something more to help us, or a function from AccuRate added which was previously unavailable in First Rate. With leading industry bodies like Design Matters National committed to efficiency, Building Designers are flooded with information on improving design or new products and techniques available. The information and products available to the building industry has grown exponentially and getting larger, yet, unfortunately, I still see the building industry uptake as being the least that can be done – six Stars as the target, rather than being the minimum.

05 Who’s who

Biggest challenge...

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Five by Five

05 Who’s who

Five Minutes With...

Sally Wills, Building Designer, Registered Builder, Director, Small Change Design and Construction Pty Ltd., Northcote, Victoria. smallchangedesign.com.au Why she joined Design Matters National...

Biggest challenge...

As a builder who also designs, I joined Design Matters National 10 years ago to stay connected to other building designers and to be well informed on all issues that directly impact the design side of my business. Design Matters National has also supported the small house student design competition I’ve run for the last five years which is, in an indirect way, supporting my deeper business goal – to generally promote small sustainable housing options.

Changing attitudes and planning rules around small housing have been my biggest challenge. It’s taken a concerted effort for about six years but finally, in Victoria, the planning rules have changed to allow secondary dwellings in four local government areas as a trial, which will then hopefully be rolled out across the State. I’ve been single minded about talking to whomever will listen about the merits of small housing, namely: affordability; sustainability; catering for the rapidly growing demographic of single-person households; and the need to specifically support and preference small, sustainable housing in our planning rules. I’m pleased to say that sticking to message and spreading it far and wide works, eventually!

Favourite architectural style...

Mid-century with a bit of a Scandinavian flavour.

Favourite finish or feature...

Void space/volume – which sounds a bit wasteful but a small void or increase in volume can change a very small room from feeling constrictive to feeling generous, which is important when you are dealing with such small spaces.

Favourite Australian building...

I’m going to cheat and pick two – Glenn Murcutt’s Magney House in Bingie, on NSW’s South Coast; and John Wardle’s Shearer’s Quarters, on Bruny Island, south-east of Hobart, Tasmania.

Favourite international building...

A collection of buildings – the artist studios on Fogo Island by Todd Saunders. Fogo Island is the largest of the offshore islands of Newfoundland and Labrador, in Canada.

What she’s working on now...

Two very small (45m2) townhouses in Geelong, Victoria. We will be aiming for eight-Star all-electric homes that incorporate the liveable housing silver level liveability features and showcase small footprint sustainable development for our changing demographics.

Favourite projects...

One of the small (58m2) homes I designed and built a couple of years ago was especially enjoyable because it was for a very good friend who had not had her own home for several years. She was very excited about the process and keen to try new products which is always a bonus for a Building Designer and builder when there is that level of trust and risk taking to try something new. The end result was great and she is still enjoying her small home.

A designer currently inspiring her...

Drew Heath, who is a sole practitioner Architect and builder specialising in handmade and handcrafted buildings with low environmental impact. He delights in small projects which comes through in the beautiful attention to detail.

John Wardle’s Shearer’s Quarters, on Bruny Island, Tasmania.

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Five by Five

05 Who’s who

Five Minutes With...

Anthea Wells-Corner, Building Designer, Dancing Dragon Design, Darwin, Northern Territory. dancingdragondesign.com.au Why she joined BDANT/DMN...

Her biggest challenge...

Somewhat idealistically, in the hope of finding a group of people with a passion for design who would undoubtedly have meetings of creative mayhem involving deep and meaningful discussions on the merits of synthesising frog membrane while lounging on silk cushions and drinking red wine. Or at least a couple of beers gazing at the ocean dissecting details.

Design for me is like the chess pieces on the ceiling in ‘Queen’s Gambit’ but with space.

It is simply what I do. Business on the other hand – I have yet to overcome it – but it has yet to overcome me.

Favourite architectural style...

I possibly find the term ‘style’ somewhat restrictive – but if you let drop the reins who knows where the horse might go? With brevity, I appreciate any architecture that manifests the humanity of those who will inhabit it, whether that be a public or a private space.

Favourite finish or feature...

Shou Sugi Ban. Along with its sustainability and longevity, the reported properties of the charred timber include resistance to fire, insects, fungus, rot and UV rays – what’s not to love! Aesthetically, I find it extremely evocative – like the perfect LBD [little black dress], it can stand alone or be the velvet backdrop for a pearl.

Favourite Australian building...

Planchonella House in Cairns, QLD, by Jesse Bennett Studio. Exquisite detailing and curves are the logical way for our built environment to embrace nature, it is such a beautiful expression of its location and I would gladly glide around its spaces.

What she’s working on now...

A few alterations and additions, a new residential build and a suburban rooftop market. Like anyone, the uniquity I’m bringing is myself. We are all such a wonderful concoction of everything that has been, is and will be, how could it be otherwise?

Her favourite project...

Yron’s Yurt, an 80m2 extension housing a kitchen, butler’s pantry, dining, living and powder room that can be enclosed or opened as a deck area. It was one of those treasured occasions where everyone was in sync. Owner/ builders with two little human ones and two big furry ones, it took them two and a bit years to complete. The soul is palpable.

A designer currently inspiring her...

While I greatly admire many architectural works, I find they rarely trigger the fireworks that prompt me to pick up the sketch book, although there would no doubt be subconscious analysis. I am more inspired in my work by interaction with the client and site, art (in its myriad forms), literature and the natural and fantastical world. A current favourite is Alice III by French sculptor Francine Auvrouin.

Favourite international building...

No one building, possibly more the qualities imbued in bodies of work: Gaudi’s exuberance; Calatrava’s sensuality; Ando’s stillness; Zumthor’s quiet strength; Kuma’s materiality; and Studio Mumbai’s spatial humility.

Anthea’s favourite buildings include those

by Antoni Gaudí, a Catalan architect known as the greatest exponent of Catalan Modernism.

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05 Who’s who

Nuts & Bolts

06 Nuts & Bolts

Results of the DMN Building Designer Survey

By Greg Blanche, Director, Detail 3 & Member of the DMN Committee of Management

Sixty per cent of DMN Members work on projects other than Class 1 and Class 10 types, that is Class 2 through to Class 9 types.

Members may recall that DMN asked for input, back in late 2020, in respect to how many Members were involved in project types other than only Class 1 and Class 10 buildings. The DMN Committee is pleased to advise that the response was very good with in excess of 330 Members submitting their response to our questionnaire.

DMN wanted to get a good sense of the types of projects our Members do so that we had a better understanding of the percentage of our Members that are or will be affected by industry and legislative change currently being brought about through things like Professional indemnity insurance and the associated increase in premiums and policy exclusions, together with a general tightening up of insurance by the VBA on Members and practitioners seeking or renewing Building Practitioner Registrations; Members that will be affected by the banning of certain combustible cladding materials; and Members that are involved with or affected by design and construct contracts and novations.

DMN is continuing to lobby for change and certainty around these important issues and others. Our snapshot questionnaire gave us a good picture of the diversity of our Members’ interests and practice.

It is useful that the questionnaire results be summarised for our Members knowledge and interest. Broadly, results are as follows (figures have been rounded up):

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The committee wishes to thank the respondents that allowed us to collate this data. This information is incredibly useful and determines where DMN needs to focus its attention and provide strong participation/representation.

Opinion

By Tim Adams, F2 Design & Member of the DMN TPA TAC

06 Nuts & Bolts

• Number of Members responding to the survey: 335.

• Percentage of Members working on projects other than Class 1 and Class 10 types, that is Class 2 through to Class 9 types: 60 per cent.

• Of those who work on project types other than Class 1 and Class 10: • 25 per cent of those work on Class 2 • 6 per cent on Class 3 • 4 per cent on Class 4 • 15 per cent on Class 5 • 15 per cent on Class 6 • 12 per cent on Class 7 • 7 per cent on Class 8 and • 17 per cent on Class 9 buildings.

• Of those members who responded, around 15 per cent are involved with design and construct types contracts where novation of design consultants is involved/ required.

Is it time to update architectural/housing-industry conventions?

The anti-politically correct brigade will probably build up a head of steam over a discussion we probably should be having but standard practice sometimes blinds us to observations about unthinking conventions we use every day.

Allocating room-use labels on our drawings is often done without much thought. Sometimes a space is called a store because regulatory requirements for a habitable room are difficult to achieve. Similarly, the perplexing concept of enclosed al fresco rooms can attract confusion with regard to their treatment in NatHERS as to whether they are a conditioned zone or not.

More critically, we have come to question the label ‘Master Bedroom/Master Suite’ which is broadly accepted across the housing industry as the name of the biggest bedroom in the house frequently associated with an en-suite bathroom and walk-in robe.

A quick search of volume builder plan labelling indicates that the use of Bed 1 and Master Bed/Suite is split reasonably evenly.

The appropriateness of this label was initially brought into question when completing the sketch design presentation drawings of a house for a lesbian couple. Having had the consciousness pricked by this experience, it occurred to me that, on a much broader application, the label represents unquestioned acceptance of convention that entrenches patriarchal authority in the home.

This ingrained convention ignores terms like this that imply a hierarchy of male superiority/control within the home and especially within the bedroom.

We have, as a result of this reflection, ensured that we use a simple bedroom numbering system as the identification nomenclature for the biggest bedroom in a home.

PS. Since writing this item about a month ago, the observation has become even more current and relevant.

We must all be aware of unintended consequences of our personal and professional actions to ensure that practices are not allowed to cause harm.

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Sketchbook

06 Nuts & Bolts

East Fremantle Residence This beautifully sculptural, refined family home makes surprising use of its very narrow 6m-wide, small lot and points to the future of highly-crafted, sustainable and liveable home design for small-lots and urban infill. Built mainly with insulated cavity brickwork, it’s multigenerational durability and timeless yet modern aesthetics will last the test of time.

By Sam Martin Building Design, Fremantle, Western Australia.

Designed to be an embracing, neutral, flat link to space the bold adjacent buildings apart.

This character-filled home is yielding and forgiving as it politely holds its own ground/space, and yet it has its own distinct spirit, clear destination, and identity. The beautiful sequence of spaces is light-filled and uplifting, generous enough to not feel confined or compressed on such a tight site.

Capturing the sea breeze, it is efficient in every way imaginable; structurally, aesthetically, spatially, materially, economically and environmentally. Providing an energy efficiency rating of 6.1 Stars, a 6.6 kW Solar panel system, energy monitoring system and water wise succulent gardens.

The ‘hit and miss brickwork’ of the façade minimises the bulk and scale, further articulating the dynamic, serene façade.

The upstairs terraces and their planting further soften and minimise its bulk and scale. The articulated façade of the building is consistent with, and harmonises with, the local vernacular/historical architecture.

This all provides an intimate link to the footpath and street, encouraging social/cultural interaction with the other residents of the street.

Email your sketch and inspiration to editor@designmatters.org

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