Design Matters National INTERSECT Q3.21

Q3.21 CONCRETE COLLECTIVE

By Rachcoff Vella Architecture 2020 winner, Best Non-Residential - Small Works Project.

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Contents

What’s Up From the President & CEO

05

News from around Australia

08

Planning Tid Bits by Clause1 14

What’s In

02

Small Project Big Difference: Bringing Life to a Ballarat House,

by Tracy Howard, Archdesignspace 20 Michael from the Block

24

It’s easy being green

by Jackson Thurlow, Island Block & Paving

28

Client budget dilemma?

How to reset expectations – ethically

by Richard Armstrong, ProCalc

30

Staying safe

by Emma Green, NATSPEC Communications

32

Drawing inspiration from women in design

by Shelly Dival, CF, Enabling Spaces

34

CAD/BIM Boom!

by Handy Kosasih, Interscale

36

Be Part of the Climate Solution – go Carbon Neutral

by Danielle King, Green Moves Australia

38

What’s On Presenters & Events in October & November

Editor: Danielle Johnston Art Director: Owen Walsh Printing: Southern Impact

01 How To

04

Why we do what we do

by Rebecca Robins, Energy Assessments

60

How to succeed as a Built-Environment Professional

62

Building design process explained

64

Design narrative in hotels: Enhancing guest experience

by Nic Graham

66

Seal it tight & ventilate right

76

Who’s Who

05

Five by Five: Five minutes with...

Wayne Gorman, Energyman, Tas. Izabela Katafoni, Studio Origami Architects, WA Gracinda Gomes-Franklin, Speedy Gomez Design, Qld. Marco Zicarelli, Projeto Design Solutions, Vic. Nicole McBain, McBain Design, Vic. 80

Nuts & Bolts Public comment version of NCC 2022

by Tony Isaacs and Matthew Graham

06 90

To detail or not to detail.

Avoid a lapse of your planning application

by Ashley Thompson, Clause 1 Town Planning Consultants 94

03 40

DISCLAIMER

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

3

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01 What’s Up

From the President

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

By the time you read this, all your projects will have been submitted to the Design Matters National Annual Building Design and Student Design Awards and judging completed.

I can’t wait to celebrate everyone’s achievements on the big night(s): on 15 October in Perth for WA and NT Members, and on 28 October, with Members from Victoria, NSW, Queensland, Tasmania, and South Australia.

Mark it in your calendar now because, whether we see each other in person (did you know, I am an optimist by nature?), or virtually, it will be a night to remember!

Between now and then, I hope you enjoy the wealth of information and inspiration contained within these pages.

I’m personally looking forward to reading about another great small project that made a big difference, this time by Tracy Howard in Ballarat. It’s inspiring to see the difference our Members’ work makes in the lives of others.

And finally, on a more reflective note, the challenges we are dealing with at the moment are a constant in all my conversations. Now more than ever, it’s important to look after each other (and ourselves!) as we go about our life and work.

See you (virtually) later this month!

Ingrid Hornung

Now more than ever, it’s important to look after each other (and ourselves!) as we go about our life and work.

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From the CEO

01 What’s Up

By Peta Anderson, CEO, Design Matters National,

Our DMN TALK podcast is now live, the latest in a long line of exciting DMN initiatives designed to support building designers keep up to date with industry best practice in sustainable building design. The podcast can be found here: at anchor.fm/ designmattersnational or by clicking here The first podcast episode – “Builder, Designer & Assessor: Why early collaboration is key to sustainable building design” – features a three-way conversation between a builder, building designer and an energy assessor.

Thank you to our three highly-successful built-environment guests who are also DMN Members: - 2020 DMN Building Designer of the Year Sven Maxa, of Maxa Design, Sustainable Home Design; - Builder/energy assessor, Jeremy Spencer, of Positive Footprints Sustainable House Design and Construction; & - Energy assessor, Darren Parker of Australian Energyraters.

Conversation was focused on the merits of getting together at the start of the design process rather than the usual practice of leaving the energy assessor out of the picture until the end of the project.

Working closely together as a team at the outset, leverages all skills and expertise necessary to reach a sustainable and solid outcome for the client and their build.

Education and early collaboration between building professionals is key to better sustainable design. In this podcast, Sven, Darren and Jeremy explain exactly how they do it and why it’s so successful.

More ‘DMN TALK’ podcasts are in production, and will be free-of-charge for everyone. I hope you enjoy the listen.

Peta Anderson

6

7

01 What’s Up

National

News

01 What’s Up

Countdown to 2021 BD Awards The 2021 BD Award entries are in, so the first part of the 2021 Awards narrative is written. Now it’s time for a fitting conclusion. Secure your ticket and celebrate the best building designers and design students Opening the Door to Greatness, on Friday 15 October in WA, and on Thursday 28 October online. Grab your tickets and look back, among your peers, on years of hard work. This occasion only happens once a year. Don’t miss it.

How to locate Scorecard courses Over on DMN’s Member-only FB page, a Member asked about the pathways to becoming a Scorecard assessor.

In response, Deanne Labbett, Policy Officer - Residential Efficiency Scorecard, in the Victorian DELWP, said: Pathways include prior relevant experience; Cert 4 NatHERS CPP41212 or CPP41119 which includes (CPPHSA4001A or CPPHES4005) and (CPPHSA4005A or CPPCOM4002); Four units from Cert 4 (CPPHSA4001A or CPPHES4005) and (CPPHSA4005A or CPPCOM4002) and (CPPHSA4004A or CPPHES4007) and CPPHSA4006A; and Older sustainability courses.

All of the courses above are found through Registered Training Organisations (RTOs). Search using the course code here, and then search for an RTO. If an assessor has the relevant experience or training, then they can be accepted into the Scorecard program, and will then undertake Scorecard tool training.

Further information is available by searching ‘deliver assessments’ at: https://www.victorianenergysaver.vic.gov.au/ Watch the recording of the webinar: An introduction to National Residential Scorecard.

Head to: https://www.designmatters.org.au/Webinars

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Member-only Facebook Group welcomes 900th subscriber!

Congratulations to Shaun Chris for being the 900th subscriber to the ‘Design Matters National Members Only’ Facebook group.

Thank you to all Members who participate in this platform, providing advice and exchanging information. It’s great to receive feedback describing the Group is, such as: “Can I just say how useful this group is? I learn more here than I did in my entire diploma. Thank you.”

DMN joins ACIF The Australian Construction Industry Forum (ACIF) is the meeting place for leaders of the construction industry in Australia. ACIF facilitates and supports an active dialogue between the key players in residential and non - residential building, and engineering construction, other industry groups, and government agencies.

Welcome to new DMN Team Member: Lizzie Green Lizzie recently joined DMN as Administration Officer, a Melbourne - based role previously held by Caroline Connolly, who has become Executive Assistant to the CEO.

“A great initiative DMN - proud to be involved in the first episode, and am really looking forward to hearing more of these in due course!”

- Sven Maxa, Maxa Design

“I was honoured to be asked to be on the first one. Being intimately involved in all three professions, and having pretty strong views on the benefits of combining the three to achieve really good sustainable design outcomes, I was chuffed to be asked.”

- Jeremy Spencer, Positive Footprints

“This was a good listen. Look forward to the next one.”

- Darren Parker, Australian Energyraters

01 What’s Up

DMN TALK Podcast DMN TALK brings together industry professionals to talk about everything that matters in building design, and is for building designers, energy assessors, builders, and anybody with a passion for sustainable building design.

The first episode, released in August, is: “Builder, Designer & Assessor: Why early collaboration is key to sustainable building design”. It features a casual chat between a builder, building designer and an energy assessor, exploring the merits of getting together at the start of the design process rather than the usual practice of leaving the energy rater out of the picture.

Featuring: - 2020 DMN Building Designer of the Year Sven Maxa, of Maxa Design, Sustainable Home Design; - Builder/energy assessor, Jeremy Spencer, of Positive Footprints Sustainable House Design and Construction; & - Energy assessor, Darren Parker of Australian Energyraters.

Listen here

Listen to DMN TALK at: Anchor: https://anchor.fm/designmattersnational Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3KjfXq0n3ncXgpcB4vD9Xa Breaker: https://www.breaker.audio/dmn-talk Google Podcasts: https://www.google.com/

9

TPA News

01 What’s Up

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Long-awaited changes are coming Our heads are spinning with the recent avalanche of 2022-related releases and calls for public comment. Here is a summary: • NatHERS 2022 Updates: Of note of course are the NatHERS updates for NCC 2022, which include: moving from a minimum of 6 stars to 7 stars; updated climate files; updated heating and cooling load limits; thermal bridging; condensation management; Whole of Home; and In Home (National Scorecard) assessments.

Once details become available, you will be informed about training and accreditation procedures on Whole of Home and In Home assessments. There is a lot of information that has been updated here on the NatHERS website, with links to the various update items. The Whole of Home Development Timeline will help you understand how it will roll out. The In-Home assessment page will provide details and roll out for that.

• Informational and CPD webinars: There will be a range of webinar presentations released in the coming months to help us all navigate and understand the changes and what they mean for us. There will also be a series of DMN-hosted CPD webinars coming up later in the year when we know which new or updated skills will be needed to accommodate the raft of 2022-related changes. We will have relevant CPD materials for you, at the appropriate times, to ensure you don’t feel as though you’re being kept in the dark.

• Summary of changes, energy efficiency and condensation management: This document provides background information on the proposed NCC 2022 energy efficiency and condensation management provisions. This information is provided to inform and support public comment.

• ABCB NCC 2022 Public comment closes 17 October 2021: The ABCB is now seeking comment on proposed amendments to energy efficiency and condensation technical provisions, via this second and final stage of public consultation. While DMN will be contributing comment via the TASC Force and ASBEC, all stakeholders are encouraged to contribute. In line with the ABCB’s process for undertaking public consultation, comment will only be accepted through the ABCB’s online Consultation Hub. • Information & resources on the ABCB website: Improved NCC useability offers a range of information and resources to help get your head around NCC 2022 change, and support materials which are either available now, or in development for release soon.

• A new-look for ABCB NCC 2022 webinar: As part of the Australian Building Codes Board’s (ABCB) commitment to delivering a National Construction Code (NCC) that is user-friendly and modern, NCC 2022 comes with some important changes to its structure and format. Hear from one of our subject-matter experts on what to expect, along with examples of what the changes will look like in practice, plus a Q&A session. ABCB NCC 2022’s new referencing system NCC 2022 comes with some important changes to its structure and format. This short, animated video shows what to expect with the code’s new referencing system ‘SPTC’ (Section - Part - Type - Clause).

• Resources for all DMN Members: DMN encourages all Members to join the 900-strong ‘Design Matters National Members Only’ private Facebook group, to be among the first to receive the latest news and important updates, and to collaborate with your colleagues.

HMAS L02, by Tony Vella, Rachcoff Vella Architecture.

2020 Winner, Best Heritage Design.

Photographer: Tatjana Plitt.

11

01 What’s Up

12

01 What’s Up

TPA Meet-up June

Overheating

June’s TPA Meet Up with Theresa Braunsch was a fun and informative online get-together to discuss all things airtightness.

Anthony discussed some known issues with NatHERS modelling, outlining recent research and emerging solutions. Three specific issues were discussed.

As air tightness and insulation increase, so does the risk of overheating. Further, most studies of the as-built performance of NatHERS-rated houses have found cooling loads to have been underestimated, and climate change is expected to exacerbate the problem. It seems that the underestimation of cooling loads is largely due to NatHERS occupancy assumptions and the wide range of cooling behaviour seen in the real world.

Dong Chen has published research (https://bit. ly/2W7TJc8) on some of the impacts but fixing the problem is hampered by Australia’s lack of comfort standards across its many different climates. CSIRO has recently started a three-year research program to develop free-running comfort standards to help fix the issue.

Slab modelling assumptions

Moisture

Concrete slabs are thermodynamically complex. Heat moves in three dimensions through the slab depending on the difference in temperature between inside air, outside air and the ground. The high thermal inertia of concrete slows this transfer significantly and complicates the maths. NatHERS software uses a model simplified to allow it to be run in reasonable time on a standard computer.

As energy efficiency stringency increases so, too, does the risk of moisture issues. How should Australia tackle this? International jurisdictions adopt prescriptive approaches to construction practise, or complex hygrothermal modelling. To date, Australia has not taken either approach. Victoria University is working on an open-source extension (https://bit.ly/3zamXWs) for NatHERS tools to allow moisture modelling.

Could this help us to find a way forward? Until we have tools or prescriptive approaches for assessors, moisture will remain a risk.

TPA Meet-up July This month’s Meet-up featured long-time DMN Member and BD Anthony Wright, who first registered as a FirstRate4 energy rater in 2007.

He now leads CSIRO’s residential energy efficiency program, covering the NatHERS tools, Liveability Real Estate program, among many other things.

CSIRO has spent the last four years running multiple supercomputers to develop a more complex slab model. That model is almost complete and generating very good results, but it would take several days to run a single calculation on your office computer.

To improve performance, CSIRO have developed a neural network which allows the model to be run in seconds with good accuracy however, integrating it into NatHERS software will change the results of current simulations.

Black Swell, by Guy Holman, Holman Designs. 2020 Winner, Excellence in Use of Lightweight Materials. Photographer: Nic Stephens

One of the major issues identified by the new model is that the depth of the water table has a profound impact on energy ratings. CSIRO has published research on this and it can be read at: https://bit.ly/3maOd3J. Deciding how to integrate these new findings into the regulatory scheme will take some time and might rely on better water table data being available.

01 What’s Up

TPA Monthly Meet-up Recaps for June, July & August 2021

TPA Meet-up August August’s TPA Meet-up included an update on The Scorecard. The Scorecard Residential Efficiency tool is set to go national in the coming months. This TPA Meet-up answered questions about the launch of the National Scorecard, what it is, where it’s applicable, and how to become accredited.

For all TPA inquiries, please contact Vicki Marshall at v.marshall@designmatters.org.au To watch a recording of a past TPA Meet-up, please head to https://www.designmatters.org.au/Webinars

13

Planning Tid Bits

01 What’s Up

Allan House Brunswick,

by Aydan Doherty, AD Design Develop.

2020 Winner, Excellence in Use of Glass.

Photographer: Keelan O’Hehir.

Objectors Lodge Wrong Application Form – One Yes & One No Two recent VCAT cases looked at the validity of applications lodged by objecting parties, where the wrong form had been used by the appellant.

In Bridger v Yarra CC [2021] VCAT 98 an original objector sought to apply, within the statutory timeframes, to VCAT for a review against Council’s decision (under section 82 of the Act) to grant an amended permit for the partial demolition and additions to a single dwelling nearby.

However, the objector used an incorrect application form, and actually lodged a form that sought to appeal conditions on Council’s decision (under s80).

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

The error resulted in Council not being notified of the VCAT application and subsequently issuing the planning permit.

VCAT goes fully digital Further to reforms undertaken in 2020, VCATs Planning and Environment Division has taken additional steps to move to a fully ‘online’ process. Effective from May, all Word and pdf versions of the Planning and Environment application forms are no longer available on the website. All forms/ applications are now required to be submitted online at vcat.vic.gov.au.

Digitalisation of forms has been done to increase efficient processing of applications and streamline payment of fees.

If you are experiencing difficulties with the online system, you can contact VCAT on 1300 01 8228.

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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The Tribunal noted that the need to use the ‘appropriate application form’ to ensure the efficiency of the legal process is important. However, went on to say that was not the end of it and that each matter turned on its own facts. In this instance, the objector had lodged additional information with the (wrong) application form that, in the mind of the Tribunal, made it clear that they ‘intended’ to contest the granting of the permit – not conditions on a permit. So, the Tribunal used its discretion to amend the application form and allowed the matter to proceed to hearing.

Conversely, in Albert v Whitehorse CC [2021] VCAT 188 objectors lodged an application for cancellation or amendment of a permit under S89 of the Planning and Environment Act. However, what they intended to lodge was an application for review of Council’s decision to grant the permit, under s.82.

The applicant advised the Tribunal at a Practice Day Hearing of their confusion whilst completing the forms and that it was their intention to lodge a review of Council’s decision under s82. However, in this instance, the Tribunal was not satisfied it should use its discretion and the matter was summarily dismissed. Unlike the Bridger case, supplementary material lodged with the application form did not clearly indicate the applicant’s intent. Other differentiating circumstances also existed between the two cases.

Clause 1 Planning recommends a quick call to either our office or VCAT for clarification, if you are lodging your own appeal documentation.

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01 What’s Up

01 What’s Up

Planning Fees to Increase Council planning fees set under the Planning and Environment (Fees) Regulations (2016) rose 1 July 2021.

In the Regulations, fees are expressed in fee units, the number of fee units applicable to any application will depend on the type of application and its estimated value of works.

The 2021-2022 fee unit value is $15.03, compared to 2019-2020 fee unit value of $14.81, with no increase in 2020, due to Covid-19. The Council fees will be converted to dollar amounts rounded to the nearest 10 cents.

Please check with your respective Councils prior to lodging your application.

VCAT hearing fees From 14 June 2021, where VCAT hearing fees are payable regarding your Planning & Environment matter, they are payable in full upfront, whether your matter has been listed for one or five days, all fees are now due prior to commencement of the first day of the hearing.

Clause 52.30 State Projects applies to projects decided by the Planning Minister to be a State project (subject to criteria set out in Clause 52.30-2) to be exempt from planning scheme requirements. These eligibility criteria must consider the objectives of planning in Victoria and take into account any significant impacts, including social and economic impacts. The Minister’s ability to make these decisions expire in 2025.

These exemptions do not apply to: • subdivision in green wedge land, • where an environment effects statement has been or is required to be prepared, use or development carried out by/on behalf of the Director of Housing, • where Clause 53.02 applies (Bushfire Planning), and • a requirement in Clauses 45.07 (City Link Project Overlay) 45.07 (Upper Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges Regional Strategy Plan) And 51.03 (Melbourne Airport Environs Overlay).

Also, native vegetation offsets apply, including native vegetation removal information requirements.

Email reminders will be sent by VCAT six days prior to the scheduled hearing, with a link to paying online, and a further reminder three days prior to the hearing if the amount is still outstanding.

The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) has prepared an online assessment guide for State projects for information requirements and assessment criteria for DELWP.

Should your matter conclude early, VCAT will assess if a refund is due and process accordingly without requiring a formal request.

Clause 52.31 Local Government Projects relates to projects undertaken by or on behalf of a Municipal Council, where the estimated cost is less than $10m. This clause gives exemptions to requirements of a zone, or schedule to a zone, to obtain a planning permit to construct a building or construct or carry out works, except for works in:

State Projects and Local Government projects – New Planning Scheme Provisions VC194 introduced new provisions for State projects, and Local Government projects with a cost under $10 million.

The amendment was approved on 25 March 2021 to assist with social and economic recovery after Covid and to provide timely delivery of state and local government infrastructure projects.

The new clauses provide a new assessment pathway for State and local government infrastructure projects, providing exemptions from planning scheme requirements for State projects and from some permit and notice and review requirements for local projects, subject to meeting specific criteria.

• an Urban Floodway Zone, • development associated with accommodation, earth and energy resources industry, energy generation, industry or warehouse, • where an environment effects statement has been or is required to be prepared, and • works in a Floodway zone, Land Subject to Inundation Overlay and Special Building Overlay where the relevant floodplain management authority is satisfied.

Pursuant to Clause 52.31-2, buildings and works carried out by or on behalf of a municipal Council are exempt from notice and appeal requirements, but not where: • the cost of development is greater than $10m, • development associated with accommodation, earth and energy resources industry, energy generation facility, industry or warehouse, and certain vegetation removal/lopping applications.

The provisions do not prevent state government or local governments carrying out public consultation before carrying out a project (which is otherwise exempt from notice and appeal), but do not require public consultation or public input under Clause 52.31, except in the specific non-exempt items noted here. Planning Fees to Increase

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The 2021-2022 fee unit value is $15.03, compared to 2019-2020 fee unit value of $14.81, with no increase in 2020, due to Covid-19. The Council fees will be converted to dollar amounts rounded to the nearest 10 cents.

Please check with your respective Councils prior to lodging your application.

VCAT hearing fees From 14 June 2021, where VCAT hearing fees are payable regarding your Planning & Environment matter, they are payable in full upfront, whether your matter has been listed for one or five days, all fees are now due prior to commencement of the first day of the hearing.

Email reminders will be sent by VCAT six days prior to the scheduled hearing, with a link to paying online, and a further reminder three days prior to the hearing if the amount is still outstanding.

Should your matter conclude early, VCAT will assess if a refund is due and process accordingly without requiring a formal request.

State Projects and Local Government projects – New Planning Scheme Provisions VC194 introduced new provisions for State projects, and Local Government projects with a cost under $10 million.

The amendment was approved on 25 March 2021 to assist with social and economic recovery after Covid and to provide timely delivery of state and local government infrastructure projects.

The new clauses provide a new assessment pathway for State and local government infrastructure projects, providing exemptions from planning scheme requirements for State projects and from some permit and notice and review requirements for local projects, subject to meeting specific criteria.

Clause 52.30 State Projects applies to projects decided by the Planning Minister to be a State project (subject to criteria set out in Clause 52.30-2) to be exempt from planning scheme requirements. These eligibility criteria must consider the objectives of planning in Victoria and take into account any significant impacts, including social and economic impacts. The Minister’s ability to make these decisions expire in 2025.

These exemptions do not apply to: • subdivision in green wedge land, • where an environment effects statement has been or is required to be prepared, use or development carried out by/on behalf of the Director of Housing, • where Clause 53.02 applies (Bushfire Planning), and • a requirement in Clauses 45.07 (City Link Project Overlay) 45.07 (Upper Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges Regional Strategy Plan) And 51.03 (Melbourne Airport Environs Overlay).

01 What’s Up

Council planning fees set under the Planning and Environment (Fees) Regulations (2016) rose 1 July 2021.

In the Regulations, fees are expressed in fee units, the number of fee units applicable to any application will depend on the type of application and its estimated value of works.

Also, native vegetation offsets apply, including native vegetation removal information requirements.

The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) has prepared an online assessment guide for State projects for information requirements and assessment criteria for DELWP. Clause 52.31 Local Government Projects relates to projects undertaken by or on behalf of a Municipal Council, where the estimated cost is less than $10m. This clause gives exemptions to requirements of a zone, or schedule to a zone, to obtain a planning permit to construct a building or construct or carry out works, except for works in: • an Urban Floodway Zone, • development associated with accommodation, earth and energy resources industry, energy generation, industry or warehouse, • where an environment effects statement has been or is required to be prepared, and • works in a Floodway zone, Land Subject to Inundation Overlay and Special Building Overlay where the relevant floodplain management authority is satisfied.

Pursuant to Clause 52.31-2, buildings and works carried out by or on behalf of a municipal Council are exempt from notice and appeal requirements, but not where: • the cost of development is greater than $10m, • development associated with accommodation, earth and energy resources industry, energy generation facility, industry or warehouse, and certain vegetation removal/lopping applications.

The provisions do not prevent state government or local governments carrying out public consultation before carrying out a project (which is otherwise exempt from notice and appeal), but do not require public consultation or public input under Clause 52.31, except in the specific non-exempt items noted here.

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01 What’s Up

Meet the Judges of the 2021 Building Design & Student Design Awards

2021 Design Matters National Building Design Awards Judges (Vic., NSW, ACT, Qld, Tas. & SA) Belinda Stewart, 3875 design & drafting Jessica Fredericks, Silo Building Designs Mark Sproule, Insight Building Design Group Roy Hodgson, Roy Hodgson Design (Chair) Zol Nagy, Nagy Design 2021 Design Matters National Building Design Awards Judges (WA & NT) Alex Smeu, Longfield Designs Andrew Abercrombie, Serneke Australia Jacopo Bonomi, Essenziale Jason Saunders, Arc Seven.1 John Chisholm, John Chisholm Design Mark Barker, Meyer Shircore & Associates Shayne Le Roy, Shayne Le Roy Design Shelly Dival, Enabling Spaces Susanne Lindstrom-Wilson, Coastline Design & Drafting Wen-Chi Tseng, Arc T-Lab 2021 Design Matters National Student Design Awards Judges (Vic., WA & Qld.) Alan Cubbon, Crosier Scott & Associates Belinda Stewart, 3875 design & drafting Jessica Fredericks, Silo Building Designs Mark Sproule, Insight Building Design Group Rhys Davies, Rhys Davies Building Design Roy Hodgson, Roy Hodgson Design Zol Nagy, Nagy Design

Judges of the WA & NT Building Design Awards enjoyed inspecting the spectacular projects entered in the 2021 Awards.

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Small Project BIG DIFFERENCE

02 What’s In

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Bringing Life to a Ballarat House Interview with Tracy Howard, Archdesignspace, Blampied, Vic., and her client, Jen

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 are making; it is the life we are making new possibilities for.

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

02 What’s In Small Project: Tracy Jen lives in Central Ballarat with her husband Daniel, who has Parkinson’s disease. Jen contacted me wanting to have something designed for their changing lifestyles. While her house was well maintained, the previous clients had added an external laundry and decking which was collapsing and wasn’t a functional space for Jen. The original building was built 1891-1892 and Jen and Daniel purchased it in 1997 and moved in.

On meeting Jen, I learned her main drive for the project was for herself and for when Daniel progressed to a wheel chair. Access and planning were critical. The design brief was to create a space that continued seamlessly from the existing building to the proposed extension, and build an area that related back to original feature of the existing dwelling, but also create a modern space.

Some building constraints had to be considered in the conceptual design phase, as there was an existing brick wall on the external boundary adjoining the neighbour’s wall, and a common wall on part of the deck that also ran through to the adjoining property. Both of these elements needed to be part of the design space. The original building had a low, bullnose roofline just sitting above the door that let no light into the rear of dwelling.

It also had a tacked-on laundry that didn’t serve a great purpose, being external, and in no way reflected the style of the original building. The decking and stair were both collapsing and quite dangerous to use.

The brief at the early conceptual stage was to design a space filled with natural light, with an internal laundry, an ambulant bathroom for Daniel, and a decking and stair that was safe to use. Jen wanted to make sure that we picked up features from the existing dwelling and these were brought through within the design, so it didn’t look like an afterthought.

Accessibility was a key feature we had to look at with access for a wheelchair for Daniel.

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02 What’s In

The extension itself needed to be quite compact as Jen has a small car in her back yard that we didn’t want to encroach on and I had to consider how much space we could use as well as keeping her car space. The extension itself was 32msq and 16msq for the decking.

We were able to use the existing decking space for the extension so the encroachment of the decking into the yard space was minimal.

Another big aspect to the design, as the property faces true-North, was to be able to get winter sun in, but protect from the summer heat. Jen wanted to make sure the space, although small in scale, felt spacious and grand so we needed to create high ceilings in the extension, to match those in the existing dwelling. The breakthrough from the existing dwelling was to retain the original height of the doors, once removed, and walk through to the light-filled space where Jen could sit on her day bed and relax.

The external doors and highlight windows replicate the front door and internal hallway door linking the style and element from front to back. The line of sight, entering from the front door and looking through to the new space, highlights these elements.

On designing the roof-line, consideration had to be given to an enclosed wall adjoining the neighbours, sitting the new roof profile just under the existing, as well as creating high ceilings for natural light. The roof line was separated with two raked gables: a smaller one over the bathroom and laundry space, and a larger one over the majority of the new extension. Behind the external brick wall, hidden from view, is the third roof a skillion with a large tapered gutter, so the focal point is the existing brick wall that is retained.

One key feature in designing the main gable was to extend the eave out 1.3m to protect the space from the summer heat, and link the two gables together. Jen questioned putting a skylight into the space, and once renders were completed, l removed the skylight. The size and heights of the external French doors, with highlight windows above, coupled with the heights of the ceilings and the placement lighting, meant the skylight was not needed.

Internally, we wanted as much height in the ceilings as possible. The gable roof line, the ceilings of the bathroom and extension of the dining/sitting room were both raked with exposed beams.

One element of the design brief that Jen wanted to make sure she got right was the new bathroom. The centrepiece of this space would be her freestanding bath, purchased well before the final plans, which needed to be designed around. Jen also required that the doorway access was 1m wide for wheelchair access.

The space itself is centred with the raked ceiling window placement and the view to the external yard. The bath, being the showcase of this room, sits directly below the window. The window elements were replicated within the design to link through to the existing dwelling.

The design needed to be simple yet practical, with a single, glazed screen separating the WC from the shower and direct access from the WC to the basin also allowing for a wheelchair to wheel under.

The laundry space sits directly behind the bathroom with a simple galley style to be the most functional for Jen’s requirements.

Placement of a double-hung window links to the windows in the existing dwelling bedrooms. A small decking and new stairs with handrail made it safe for Jen and Daniel to use this area.

Jen and I started working on the project 2018.

A few health issues put the project on hold a few times before it was completed at the end of 2019. The finished project reflected everything Jen needed and wanted in her original design brief.

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

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02 What’s In 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.

Big Difference: Jen We do absolutely love the extension. It captures the winter sun beautifully, so it is wonderful to sit and read on the day bed I have just inside the windows.

The house remains cool in the summertime as the extension just cuts out the summer sun so it is not exposed to the heat.

To have a modern, internal laundry compared to the previous outside one is an absolute treat and the extra bathroom is great.

The safety aspect for us oldies is wonderful. Our previous steps were hazardous and, with a nice new deck, we often eat outdoors, now.

The extension has brought the house to life.

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02 What’s In

Michael from The Block

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Why did you become a building designer?

As a child, I loved to draw and I have always been interested in the problem solving and creative aspects of building design. I see building design as a combination of these three interests.

Where did you do your study?

I studied at Holmesglen TAFE in Melbourne, part-time at night school over seven years, while working full-time in the corporate world. I have also completed a Master of Business Administration (MBA) at Swinburne University.

That’s not the usual path into building design.

How was that experience?

It was tough. I sacrificed a lot, especially weekends to complete assignments, but looking back, I’m glad I persevered as it has given me a great career path.

Where do you work?

In early 2020, I started a design and construction business called Toak Projects, with my brother, based in Preston, north of Melbourne. Toak Projects now employs a building designer and an architect. We used ‘Toak’, the phonetic version of our surname, which is Lebanese, as the name of our company because it is easier to spell and to remember.

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It’s not every week that a building designer pops up on a reality TV series attracting 600,000+ viewers an episode.

Design Matters National Member Michael Taouk did just that in early August, on Channel’s Nine’s long-running renovation competition reality TV series “The Block”, raising the profile of the building design profession exponentially across Australia. We caught up with Michael to find out what it was like to be invited into TV land and have his design talents displayed on national television.

Tell us about the first year of Toak Projects’ operation and how you find running the business.

Another difficult, yet rewarding time. We were fortunate to have some amazing initial clients who specifically wanted to work with Toak Projects.

They gave us the opportunity and allowed us the flexibility to grow and develop with them.

What kind of projects are you working on now?

Toak Projects specialises in bespoke builds, ranging from a single-dwelling to multi-unit developments. One of my favourite upcoming builds is a multi-unit development complete with basement and elevators. Each unit is 30sqm, with luxury finishes.

How did the opportunity on “The Block” come about?

My brother [joiner Paul Taouk; the “hot tradie” with 15.2K Instagram followers as @paultaouk!] has worked as a carpenter on “The Block” for the past two years, so it was through that relationship that I was introduced to the show.

When did you first appear on the show and in what context?

My first appearance was in the second episode of the current, 17th series of “The Block”. The show’s host, Scott Cam, introduced me as the ‘architectural draftsman’.

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02 What’s In From left to right: Jesse and Kirsty, Michael and Paul Taouk, working on House 5, in Hampton, Vic.

What is “The Block”?

In case you’ve been living under a rock, “The Block” sees couples compete to design and build high-end homes then sell them at auction for the highest price.

The current, ‘Fans versus Faves’ themed series offers an around-the-clock view of what happens when you take five determined couples (or twin brothers, as is the case in this series) and five properties (this year in Bronte Court, Hampton, in Melbourne’s south-east), give them equal-sized budgets, and just weeks to out-design and out-build each other to see who becomes the ultimate winner and walks away with their prize of $100,000.

Your clients on “The Block” are Jesse and Kirsty, on House Five. Can you share how, as a building designer, you added value to their project?

House Five is a large, double-storey home and, compared with a single-storey building, the extra storey adds another level of complexity. Being a building designer has allowed me to provide valuable advice on not only the structural elements but also what potential buyers will be looking for, and design to their specifications.

Are there any Michael Taouk ‘signature’ features in House Five?

Definitely! I can’t give too much away before each week airs, however, it will be impressive.

Was the experience of being on “The Block” what you were expecting?

The experience was much more difficult than I had expected. It was daunting having to assist designing a whole house layout without notice and meeting short deadlines. Having several cameras recording your every move knowing that an error could be nationally televised was unnerving.

Why do you think your house will win “The Block”?

I think House Five will win because it had a building designer assisting with the design process. Collaboratively working with my brother Paul, the builder and the tradies allowed for innovation and synergy.

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It’s easy being green with Island Block & Paving

By Jackson Thurlow, Victorian Area Manager, Island Block & Paving

With a focus on sustainability, the Victorian government is contributing to environmental efforts which help the community respond to climate change in a positive way.

One example of this is the Victorian Statewide Waste and Resource Recovery Infrastructure Plan (SWRRIP).

It is an Australian-first and places Victorians at the cutting edge of resource recovery.

The plan outlines the recovery and reuse of Victoria’s limited natural resources within the supply chain, inspiring innovative technologies delivering economic value.

The plan aims for a recycling system which reprocesses and uses recycled materials, reducing the need for raw materials and sending less waste to landfill.

An important point to emphasise is that, with innovation and process, recycled products can be used to not only assist our environment, but value-add by offering uniqueness and alternatives to conventional materials, the manufacturing of which can detrimentally impact our environment.

An example of this is the use of recycled waste-container glass in the manufacturing of concrete masonry products.

In simple terms, instead of using raw materials, such as quartz sand in production, an ‘engineered glass sand’ is substituted. The engineered glass sand is made from clean container glass crushed to the same microns as the natural sand it is replacing. The container glass is collected from kerbside recycling centres and, if not used in masonry manufacture, the glass ends up as part of the thousands of tonnes of the material sent to landfill annually.

Island Block & Paving. No one knows Blocks & Pavers better. islandblock.com.au/victoria/ Go to https://www.designmatters.org.au/Webinars to listen to the recording of Island Block & Paving at the Design Matters National InspoExpo on 4 October 2021 at 2PM. For more information, call 1800 004 499, email jthurlow@islandblock.com.au, or drop into 8 Metrolink Court, Campbellfield VIC 3061.

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Partner Promotion – Island Block & Paving

Specifying masonry products into building projects to encompass environmental benefits has never been easier.

Island Block & Paving manufactures the only certified Global Greentag range of bricks, building blocks, retaining wall systems and pavers. Protected by patent, these innovative products are trademarked as ‘Sustainable Products for the Future’. Products have no additional cost imposts over other masonry products, allowing industry professionals to specify them without additional costs.

The ‘Sustainable Products for the Future’ range includes four main product lines: Bricks for the Future; Blocks for the Future; Pavers for the Future; and the Freestone ECO retaining wall system. All products are available in on-trend colours such as whites, mid-greys and blacks.

Among the features of the range are unique surface characteristics achieved in bricks, blocks and pavers made with the engineered glass sand. High-end shotblasted, refined and polished finishes up to a 420 grit are available to highlight the feature aggregates within. These finishes are accentuated in sidelight. A free door-to-door sample service is available Australia-wide for designers who would like project-specific samples for their clients.

Island Block & Paving is at the forefront of innovation.

All products from the ‘Sustainable Products for the Future’ range up to the only 240mm-wide building block available within Australia, and manufactured under the company’s quality management systems to ISO:9001:2015.

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We use recycled waste-container glass in the manufacturing of concrete masonry products. In simple terms, instead of using raw materials, such as quartz sand in production, an ‘engineered glass sand’ is substituted.

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02 What’s In

Client budget dilemma?

How to reset expectations – ethically

By Richard Armstrong, Founder, ProCalc

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02 What’s In Pricing construction for clients has always been a vexed issue for designers and now, the abundance of TV renovation shows sees more and more clients with entrenched expectations about construction costs.

your expert opinion to help them ‘re-anchor’ or adjust their price expectations.

Here’s how, as an industry professional, you can ethically and professionally reset your clients’ budget expectations using a dynamic called ‘price anchoring’.

Clients who don’t adjust their price expectations will struggle to justify a cost that exceeds their anchor price. That is, the project is far less likely go ahead.

Price anchoring is a psychological mechanism identified by psychologists Gretchen Chapman and Brian Bornstein in a 1990s consumer study.

Second, if you are anchoring (or re-anchoring) your client’s price expectations, you really only have the chance to do it once or twice.

Fundamentally, it showed that when consumers first hear a price for a product or service, they then compare all other prices to that reference point. A theory of price relativity, if you like.

Curiously, the study showed that even when test subjects knew the original reference price point was random (or uninformed), it still ‘anchored’ their future price expectations for that product or service.

So, how can this help you manage clients’ pricing expectations?

For building designers, this raises two important implications: First, understanding that most clients will have an existing anchor price for their project that could have come from anywhere – TV, a friend or something they read.

Chapman & Bornstein’s study showed the original anchoring source doesn’t have to be expert or informed. No matter where it came from, it will still influence your client’s price expectations.

So, as an industry professional, one of your first tasks is to check your client’s anchor price by asking their budget.

If your client’s anchor price falls short of adequately funding their brief you can provide

What’s In - Partner Promotion - ProCalc

This is the prime time in your engagement when they’re most receptive to re-anchoring.

Understandably, a client who is continually asked to adjust their price expectations, for the same scope of work, will be become jaded and sceptical of the advice they’re receiving and the person providing it.

So, it follows that the first time you discuss likely construction costs, you need to be quite measured and precise in your comments.

If you’re looking to better manage your clients’ budget expectations: • Design Matters National offers CPD points in the recorded webinar ‘Stop Losing Sleep Over Clients’ Construction Budgets’ with Richard Armstrong: https://bit.ly/3iWWaHS • You can read more articles that help building designers manage construction costs at www.procalc.com.au/blog • Design Matters National members can take a free trial to estimate a concept construction cost at https://procalc.com.au/dmn/ (Professional Construction Estimator).

Richard Armstrong recently undertook a construction pricing research project, interviewing more than 200 design practitioners about how they manage client budget expectations. A former registered builder with more than 15 years’ design and construct experience, he possesses post-grad property qualifications and is the founder of ProCalc – Professional Construction Estimator. www.procalc.com.au.

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02 What’s In

Staying safe

By Emma Green, NATSPEC Communications

For many, the greatest investment of their life is their home. Poor design is not acceptable.

Compliance issues in the construction industry are still at the forefront of public consciousness. The impact of events like those at Lacrosse, Neo200, Opal and many others in Australia and overseas remains apparent today. Particularly following the Shergold and Weir Building Confidence Report (BCR) published in 2018, the extent of noncompliance and the need to improve building safety has been evident. State and territory governments pledged action. It is clear that past non-compliance will affect industry regulation and practice for years to come. In their responses to the BCR, state and territory governments were quick to emphasise that the building industry has a duty of care to the consumer.

Design and building practitioners have been put on notice that governments will hold them responsible for design and workmanship well past the handover to the purchaser. In states and territories where building designers do not currently need to be registered, this requirement will soon be in place. The Australia Building Code Board’s draft 2022 National Construction Code (NCC), as well as their work on the implementation of BCR recommendations, underlines building designers’ obligations to better understand the NCC and to provide full documentation.

At the core of compliance is the issue of public safety. It’s simple: when building practitioners do not comply with regulations, this puts people’s safety at risk. Problems caused by non-compliance can also disastrously affect individuals’ and companies’ finances, as well as building practitioners’ reputations, even the industry’s reputation in general.

In New South Wales, the Government is currently prioritising Class 2 buildings as part of its ongoing response to the BCR. New regulations requiring building practitioners to declare certain designs for compliance and rectify any design issues prior to construction came into effect on 1 July. Other states and territories are taking similar approaches, prioritising specific industry areas.

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Queensland’s Safer Buildings Taskforce focuses in particular on combustible cladding; and in Victoria, building surveyors have been required to comply with a code of conduct since January this year.

As part of the nationwide effort to overhaul industry compliance, NATSPEC has released a reference specification for Class 2 buildings.

This reference specification was developed in cooperation with the NSW Government but is applicable nationally. Sold on a project-byproject basis and updated every year, it sets out the minimum requirements for Class 2 buildings, allowing building practitioners to verify that materials, products and techniques are fit for purpose.

The reference specification covers the majority of design and construction scenarios; as such, not every worksection will be relevant to every project team member. Building and trade professionals focus on the worksections that apply to them. The comprehensive document facilitates communication between everyone involved in the project. As a reference specification, it cannot be edited and is only binding when paired with all project-specific requirements, such as schedules, drawings, models and amendments to the reference specification.

Industry-wide compliance will be achieved through industry-wide effort. NATSPEC’s Class 2 Reference Specification is part of this goal, providing easy access to minimum requirements and improving communication between all project team members.

As always, quality documentation helps achieve a quality result – including a safer construction industry.

NATSPEC maintains the National Building Specification, as well as other reference specifications for Government departments.

NATSPEC is a not-for-profit organisation owned by Government and industry and has been a valued part of the construction industry for over 45 years.

For more information, visit www.natspec.com.au.

For many, the greatest investment of their life is their home. Poor design is not acceptable.

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Drawing inspiration from women in design

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Weston Park House, Main Entrance. Weston Park is a country house in Weston-under-Lizard, Staffordshire, England.

By Shelly Dival, CF, Autism Design Specialist, Enabling Spaces, Toodyay, WA enablingspaces.com.au

In 1651, a young, English, aristocratic lady of 19 years married a Baronet. As was common in that period, she and her husband honeymooned on the continent. Lady Elizabeth Wilbraham, née Mytton, was interested in Architecture from a young age.

As her husband, Sir Thomas Wilbraham, was it seems, quite proud of his wife’s intellect, their honeymoon turned into an architectural tour of Europe. This allowed Elizabeth to study in the Netherlands with Pieter Post, the cofounder of the Dutch Baroque style, and to study the buildings of Palladio in Italy. Three and a half centuries later, her place in history is being recognised.

I was asked to say a few words at Design Matters National’s ‘Women in Design’ morning tea in Perth a few months ago, commemorating International Women’s Day. I thought to draw inspiration from notable women Architects from history and from a quick google, I came across Lady

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Elizabeth. The more I read, the more I found her fascinating!

During our morning tea, we discussed issues facing us (and our male counterparts), such as registration for the Building Design profession.

I quietly reflected on the differences in the struggles for women in design at different times in history. What did the Lady Elizabeths of earlier centuries need to do to practice what they undoubtedly loved doing?

How would we feel if we couldn’t openly practice, as we do now?

A strong case has been put forward by American scholar and architectural historian John Millar to show Lady Wilbraham has designed some well-known and famous buildings in England – something which is disputed by other historians, as many of these buildings have been credited to Sir Christopher Wren. There is the claim that more than 400 buildings (some say 800+) have

02 What’s In been attributed to Lady Wilbraham; buildings that show a strong Italian and Dutch influence.

As women in her day were barred from practicing architecture, Elizabeth was no doubt careful not to leave evidence of her work, and it is claimed that, as a leading member of the aristocracy, she managed to collude with some leading architects of the time to supervise construction, and claim authorship of her designs.

Some 28 drawings, which have survived with her handwriting, show details such as the first sash windows used in England and a regular use of pilasters [a rectangular column, especially one projecting from a wall] which, until then, were not very common in England. Lady Elizabeth designed several houses for family members, and details in these designs are also seen in other designs.

Wotton House is one such design and has details that are widely acknowledged to be closely linked to Buckingham House, which forms the core of Buckingham Palace.

While Lady Elizabeth and Christopher Wren were the same age, Millar states that evidence shows her as Wren’s principal tutor. Millar also claims that as Wren did not formally study Architecture until his 30s he could not have designed some of the buildings he was credited for, including St. James’s Church. Some of the details attributed in Wilbraham’s designs do not show in other buildings designed

by Wren.

The layout of Mayfair, St. James and many of its buildings have also been put forward as the work of Lady Wilbraham, and claims she worked closely with the owner of the land, Lady Grosvenor, and

two other female influencers of the time.

It is claimed that she worked closely with several reigning monarchs during this time of designing Mayfair.

While I am still tracking down a copy of John Millar’s book “First Woman Architect”, I believe I’ve become a champion of Lady Elizabeth and will continue the research into this fascinating lady. Imagine the uproar of the establishment to have Millar’s and others’ claims about Lady Elizabeth proven beyond doubt! How many other women across the world and in centuries past have practiced in secret?

I’m not sure (those who know me will agree) I would have been so silent and yet for everything we fight for in recognition for our profession today, I think Lady Elizabeth Wilbraham deserves our, both ladies and gents, utmost respect for both her intellect, talent and what she contributed to the world of architecture.

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02 What’s In

CAD/BIM Boom!

By Handy Kosasih, Managing Director, Interscale

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Need an experienced CAD/BIM expert to assist your team? You may not have some specific skills in your team which prevents you from fully utilising your CAD/BIM solutions, and it may not be practical to hire another staff member. Interscale offers a number of consulting services to assist you in getting more out of your CAD/BIM software solutions:

What’s In - Partner Promotion - Interscale

02 What’s In CAD/BIM Consulting Services

CAD/BIM Training

• CAD/BIM Site Reporting: Do you have a nagging feeling that you are not getting the most out of your CAD/BIM solution? Or that could be using your CAD/BIM solution more efficiently to get a better return on your CAD/BIM investment? In this case, it might be a good idea to get an Interscale CAD/BIM professional to visit your site to take a look how your CAD/BIM setup is working for you. We will look at how your users are using your CAD/BIM software, your team’s CAD/BIM knowledge, and your CAD/BIM setup in regards to Standards, Templates, Libraries, Macros and add-on software. You will be provided with a comprehensive report complete with suggestions and next steps to implement improvements and investment involved.

• CAD/BIM Standards: Having a fully documented CAD/BIM Standards Manual for your system that is linked in with templates is essential to ensure your CAD/BIM system runs smoothly. Businesses often need to manage multiple different CAD/ BIM Standards with different projects and clients which poses its own challenges. Our professional CAD/BIM experts can assist you in managing your CAD/BIM Standards according to your budgets and timelines.

• CAD/BIM Libraries & Macros: Let us do the heavy lifting for you with time-consuming tasks like setting up your AutoCAD Block Libraries and your Revit Family Libraries. Again, professional CAD/BIM staff are here to help and will work according to your budgets and timelines. We can also assist our clients with more advanced customisation solutions in the area of Scripts, Menu Macros, AutoLISP, and are moving into C# Programming for more advanced and specific CAD/BIM Customisation.

• CAD/BIM Software Install & Updates: Interscale’s professional CAD/BIM staff are also available for any new software installs and setups, and the equally important software updates where current customisation needs to be carried across to the new software.

Your technology solutions are only as good as the humans using them! Here at Interscale, we ensure you get the best return on your software investment by offering a large range of CAD/BIM training courses for your team in the Architect, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry.

We understand that every company has different project commitments, clients, budget requirements and collaboration needs. Course delivery can be self-paced, or in classroom. Let us design a training delivery solution best suited for you and your team.

• Standard CAD/BIM Foundation Training Courses: At Interscale we offer a number of Software Foundation courses to AEC clients. These courses give your team a solid foundation in the CAD/BIM software that will be implemented into your business. All courses can be offered at our premises or on-site at your offices.

• Customised CAD/BIM Training Courses: Interscale can customise training to your team’s specific requirements. These customised training courses can cover topics of your choice and can be developed around your budget, time commitments and delivered at our premises or on-site at your office space. We will meet with your staff and decision makers when designing the course content to ensure your staff receives the course that is perfectly suited to their needs, whether it be Self-paced Online Training; Live Interactive Online CAD/BIM Training; On-site Classroom CAD/BIM Training; or Customised Workshops.

CAD/BIM software licensing Another arm of Interscale’s CAD/BIM Services is CAD/BIM software licensing and Interscale provides: • Autodesk, the market-leading software for the Design, Construction, Building Information Management, Manufacturing, Media and Entertainment industries; • Bluebeam, an intuitive application, purpose built for the Design and Construction industries; and • Enscape, a powerful real-time rendering and virtual reality tool for architecture, engineering and construction fields.

For more information, head to www.interscale.com.au or, to discuss your specific needs with Handy, call 1300 205 999, or 0419 200 965, or email handy@interscale.com.au.

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02 What’s In

Be part of the Climate Solution – go Carbon Neutral

By Danielle King, Founder, Green Moves Australia

If we are to solve the problem of climate change, we need to reduce our carbon emissions by 50 per cent by 2030.

To achieve that, we all need to act, and we need to act now.

It starts by taking responsibility for your emissions and making efforts to reduce them. This is what makes you part of the solution Businesses and organisations have realised that acting on climate is critical to their success. Consumers and businesses are now showing a preference to work with companies that are carbon neutral. And being carbon neutral brings rewards in terms of market differentiation, increased revenue, reduced costs, reduced risk , stakeholder engagement, and demonstrates you ‘walk the talk’ on taking climate action.

But what does ‘going carbon neutral’ really mean?

In short, it’s about having a balance between what carbon your business emits (through doing business), and what you absorb form the atmosphere (through reduction and offset strategies). To achieve that balance, you need to measure your emissions, reduce what you can and offset what is left.

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The result is a carbon neutral business. There are standards that any legitimate claim should be made against. They are the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and the Australian Climate Active Carbon Neutral Standard.

Both are freely available online. Measuring the business emissions takes time, but you can’t manage what you don’t measure and this is the first step. This involves looking at what it takes for your business to operate and puts a different lens on its efficiency. It will include what’s called an ‘inventory’ or ‘footprint’ and should include all relevant emissions. Once measured, the next steps include defining reduction strategies to reduce those emissions, purchasing offsets to ‘neutralise’ what you can’t reduce, and being transparent about your emissions and the offsets used.

Carbon emissions should be treated like financial accounts – done every year.

If you’d like to know more, Danielle is presenting a webinar on this topic for Design Matters National Members, on 16 November.

Register here: https://bit.ly/3lKITnz

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Businesses and organisations have realised that acting on climate is critical to their success. Consumers and businesses are now showing a preference to work with companies that are carbon neutral.

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03 What’s On

Presenters

Peter Newman AO

Nick Bishop

Curtin University Curtin.edu.au

HERO hero-software.com.au

Peter is the Professor of Sustainability at Curtin University. He has written 22 books and more than 360 papers on sustainable cities and has worked to deliver his ideas in all levels of government having been an elected councilor, seconded to advise three Premiers, and a member of the Board of Infrastructure Australia from 2008-14. He is the Coordinating Lead Author for the UN’s IPCC on Transport.

In 2014, he was awarded an Order of Australia for his contributions to urban design and sustainable transport. In 2018/19, he was the WA Scientist of the Year.

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 the quality of work that we all want to produce; and to help drive the Australian construction industry towards a low-carbon future. Forming his first ESD consultancy company in 2011 in Melbourne, Nick worked across all typologies of the building industry, from commercial to public to residential. His focus was on cost-benefit optimisation and in-depth, detailed service; from cost-effective volume-builds to high performance projects such as Passivhaus and Net-Zero Emission homes. Hero is a NatHERS Accredited Software providing the modelling capabilities and accuracy required to meet the NatHERS Software Accreditation Protocol. Used to model Class 1a Single Residential buildings as well as Class 2 Apartment projects, Hero is for both new and existing renovation projects.

Peter’s event Net Zero is Next: What does it mean for cities?

Purchase webinar: https://bit.ly/dmnnetzero

Nick’s event TPA Monthly Meet Up & HERO Updates Purchase webinar: https://bit.ly/dmnsepttpa

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03 What’s On

Sean Maxwell

Philip Dolan

Air Tightness Testing and Measurement Association bcta.group/attma/

Dolan Design dolandesign.com.au

Sean is a consultant in Sydney, focussed on building performance through building airtightness and mechanical ventilation assessment. He is scheme manager for the Australia and New Zealand parts of the Air Tightness Testing and Measurement Association (ATTMA). After working for Pro Clima Australia for nearly five years, Sean is seeking new opportunities with other likeminded experts in the field of building science.

Sean’s event Indoor air quality: Not as simple as you think Purchase webinar: https://bit.ly/dmnindoorair

Philip developed, and was a trainer in, the Household Sustainability Assessor Course for the Federal Government. He is a trainer in Green Living/Green Smart for architects, building designers and builders; as well as trainer and assessor for the NSW Building and Sustainability Index (BASIX) program. He has also been a Household Thermal Performance (NatHERS) assessor for 12 years. He developed and trained in sustainability subjects in Certificate IV in Building for the Master Builders Association; co-designed a number of 10 Star houses; and established and coordinated the Sustainable House Day in Wagga Wagga, NSW. Dolan Design is an Australia-wide, online, family business providing: Nationwide House Energy Ratings (NatHERS); household sustainability assessments; passive solar design and biophilic design advice; and training and presentations. Dolan Design believes sustainable house design is the key to lowering energy bills by enabling customers to use less energy for heating and cooling, use less water, and generate fewer greenhouse gas emissions.

Philip’s event Biophilic Design Purchase webinar: https://bit.ly/dmnbiophilic

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03 What’s On

Dimitris Karampatakis Klara Marosszeky K-Studio k-studio.gr Co-founder and director of Greek architecture and design firm K-Studio, Dimitris began his career while completing his studies at the Bartlett School of Architecture. These early works brought him back to Athens and over the following years, in partnership with his brother Konstantinos, the studio took shape and began to build a reputation for a totally context-based approach to design. K-Studio is now an award-winning practice with projects across the globe, an international staff of architects, designers and administrators, and a halo of collaborators and consultants. As creative director, Dimitris believes that growth, especially in the current European climate, relies on flexibility, open-mindedness and above all, team spirit.

Dimitris’s event Behind the Scenes with K-STUDIO Purchase webinar: https://bit.ly/dmnKstudio

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Klara Marosszeky Australian Hemp Masonry hempmasonry.com.au Klara is the managing director of the Australian Hemp Masonry Company (AHMC), Australia’s leading hemp building materials research company. Klara delivers training in hemp design and construction for building designers, architects, certifiers, builders and owner builders. She has been involved with hemp construction since 2000, and with industrial hemp farming since 1999. AHMC sources and supplies hemp from Australian farmers, manufactures BCA-compliant Australian hemp building materials in Sydney, and has supplied hemp building materials to more than 180 construction projects across all states, including two commercial projects.

Klara’s event Hempcrete Purchase webinar: https://bit.ly/dmnhempcrete

03 What’s On

Russell Harris

Kristy Eulenstein

Australian Glass & Window Association agwa.com.au

Consult Australia consultaustralia.com.au

Russell has held the post of technical manager of the Australian Glass and Window Association (AGWA) since 2016. A competent professional, he has a thorough understanding of fenestration, including compliance, product design, development and testing. He has extensive project management experience and a thorough understanding of the regulatory framework affecting the window industry.

Russell’s experience in R&D means he is familiar with many of the emerging technologies, innovations and market influences that are likely to impact the industry in the future.

Kristy joined Consult Australia, the industry association proudly representing small, medium and large businesses in design, advisory and engineering, in July 2019. As Head of Policy and Government Relations, she has, with the CEO, responsibility for developing the strategic policy and advocacy priorities, as well as leading a team of policy and stakeholder engagement professionals to deliver these priorities nationwide. With more than 15 years in the public service, Kristy knows how to get government moving. She has delivered high-profile policy and regulatory initiatives involving significant stakeholder engagement on a topics such as gambling, online content, and broadcasting. Kristy is legally trained and enjoys delving into complex legal problems.

Russell’s event NCC2022 Update for Windows and Glazing Purchase webinar: https://bit.ly/dmnglazing

Kristy’s event Sustainable Housing Strategies for Our Housing Future Purchase webinar: https://bit.ly/dmnNSWschemeI

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03 What’s On

M Mahmudul Hasan

Jeremy Spencer

ADP Consulting adpconsulting.com.au

Positive Footprints positivefootprints.com.au

M Mahmudul is a sustainability consultant with ADP Consulting, an Australian-owned company with 150+ employees across offices in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.

M Mahmudul’s role is to assess the energy performance of buildings, and perform sustainable building consultation for the building industry across Australia. M Mahmudul is a mechanical and ESD engineer, chartered professional engineer (CPEng, NER), and registered professional engineer of Queensland (RPEQ). M Mahmudul has more than 16 years’ experience in the energy of buildings, sustainability and project management; has a Master of Engineering from QUT; and is a member of Engineers Australia, AIRAH and Design Matters National.

His conference papers and journal articles (13) exemplify his contribution toward improving the energy efficiency of buildings.

For almost 20 years, Jeremy has been a registered builder, energy rater and director at design and build company Positive Footprints.

Positive Footprints has won multiple awards for sustainability from Design Matters National, MBAV, HIA and the National Sustainability Awards for which he is now a judge. His company has worked to show that energy-efficient sustainable design and Net-Zero homes are a cost-effective option and can be a mainstream reality. Jeremy is founding member of Builders Declare, a group dedicated to raising the standard of building practice, and currently sits on the Design Matters National Board, the Sustainability TASC, and the NatHERS Stakeholder Consultative Group.

M Mahmudul’s event Inside thermal comfort: Predictive Mean Vote Purchase webinar: https://bit.ly/dmnPMV

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Jeremy’s events How to detail plans so the builder builds it to perform Pt. 1 Purchase webinar: https://bit.ly/dmnplanspart1 How to detail plans so the builder builds it to perform Pt. 2 Purchase webinar: https://bit.ly/dmnplanspart2

03 What’s On

John Walker

Lan Ding

Weathertex Australia weathertex.com.au

University of New South Wales unsw.edu.au

John is the architecture and design business development manager at Australian-owned Weathertex. Manufactured with a better-thanzero-carbon footprint, Weathertex‘s timber cladding is the ideal solution for any builder, designer or architect in search of an environmentally-conscious and high-quality material. Sustainability and durability being at the forefront of all products ensures Weathertex delivers natural, long lasting, eco-friendly timber products to customers in Australia and around the world. Weathertex is the only product of its kind in the world, containing absolutely no glues, resins, formaldehydes and silica. Timber is the ultimate renewable resource and all Weathertex weatherboards and architectural panels are made from 97 percent hardwood and 3 per cent paraffin wax, without any chemical additives. All Weathertex boards are manufactured using waste timber sourced from Australian, PEFC-certified harvesters.

No old-growth hardwood is ever used, so there’s minimal environmental impact, avoiding depletion of natural resources.

Weathertex, a better choice, naturally!

Associate professor Lan Ding is the convenor of High-Performance Architecture Research Cluster at the UNSW Built Environment, and a member of STANDARDS Australia Committee (IT-268) and ISO Committee ((ISO/TC 268/TG 1).

Lan has more than 20 years’ research experience in sustainable building design, regulation, energy efficiency, sustainable urban development, intelligent building systems, smart cities and communities, urban heat mitigation and adaptation, building information modelling (BIM), building life cycle assessment, as well as the application of artificial intelligence (AI) to built and urban environments. Lan has led more than 18 large research projects in Australia and secured more than $6 million in funding.

Lan’s event Case Studies: Impact Analysis of Cooling Interventions Purchase webinar: https://bit.ly/dmncooling

John’s event Building Sustainably with Timber Purchase webinar: https://bit.ly/dmntimber

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03 What’s On

Rebecca Robins

Geoff Hoare

Energy Inspection Energyinspection.com.au

Graaph Design graaph.com.au

Rebecca Robins is a foundation NatHERS Assessor with extensive experience across all parts of the NatHERS industry. Since 1996, she has worked with a focus on both the success of her TPA business, Efficiency Assessments, as well as the growth, development and professional recognition of all assessors through behind-the-scenes work to improve the systems, information and regulatory environment. Over the years, she has coupled working in the private sector with providing services to all levels of government and AAOs. She is accredited in three NatHERS software and has worked with ABSA, BASIX and NatHERS on various projects. She has recently joined the DMN TASC and is looking forward to further contributing to NatHERS and the TPAs within the scheme. Her aim is to encourage assessor autonomy and ability to make professional judgements based on a sound understanding of building efficiency principles and the underlying processes of the NatHERS software and Chenath engine.

Geoff 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 DMN have always been highly acclaimed. This is a great opportunity to learn from this very experienced and highly-respected professional.

Rebecca’s event BERS Pro TECH Talk Purchase webinar: https://bit.ly/dmnBERS

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Geoff’s events Improving Building Permit Documentation Thursday 21 October 2021,10AM ADST Register: https://bit.ly/2U2p4MY

03 What’s On

Adam Jones

Marie Carrel

XLam Australia woodsolutions.com.au

Planet Architecture planetarchitecture.com.au

Adam is the technical manager at XLam Australia which manufactures Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) structural building panels for use as floors, roofs and walls in commercial and residential buildings. Australasia’s only manufacturer of CLT, XLam provides design, manufacturing and off-site solutions for CLT projects. XLam can supply all engineering requirements for the entire project. XLam will also supply all structural elements for the project including steelwork, glulam and LVL.

Marie holds a Bachelor of Civil Engineering, a Bachelor of Planning and Design, and a Bachelor of Architecture (Melbourne Hons.).

She is a Member of Design Matters National and a registered building professional. She is a highly pragmatic professional who pays special attention to integrating Environmentally Sustainable Development (ESD) with high functionality and stylish aesthetics. Marie has designed numerous private residences in Melbourne and country Victoria and has a thorough knowledge of the environmental value of building materials, which she gained through working with building biologists and carrying out extensive research on this topic for architect Greg Burgess.

Adam’s event Cross-laminated Timber Construction for Residential Tuesday 12 October 2021, 11AM ADST Register: https://bit.ly/3lzNfxE

Marie’s event Behind the Scenes with Planet Architecture Thursday 4 November 2021, 12PM ADST Register: https://bit.ly/3fGXJHH

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03 What’s On

Danielle King

David Craven

Green Moves Australia Greenmoves.com.au

Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) delwp.vic.gov.au

Danielle is highly respected in the sustainable built environment, energy efficiency and organisational sustainability sector. Her qualifications include a MBA (International Business), Diploma of Management, Sustainability and Carbon Accounting. She is a fully qualified and accredited Sustainability Assessor, Climate Active Registered Consultant and Educator in the field. Danielle sits on several advisory boards and works with state government programs and other sectors to assist in creating efficient sustainable outcomes for both residential and commercial sectors. Danielle has presented many seminars on sustainable building and business topics and has had numerous journal articles published in a variety of media.

Danielle’s event Pathways to achieving carbon neutrality Tuesday 16 November 2021, 11AM ADST Register: https://bit.ly/3lKITnz

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David is a senior policy officer with the Victorian Government’s Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) where he is a member of the Residential Efficiency Scorecard team, with responsibility for market development nationally.

A registered architect, David has worked with energy efficiency and sustainable buildings rating systems for the last two decades, in a range a roles spanning the public, private and not - for - profit sector, including positions with Sustainability Victoria and the Green Building Councils of Australia and New Zealand.

David’s event An introduction to National Residential Scorecard Purchase webinar: https://bit.ly/dmnscorecard

03 What’s On

Griff Morris

Nicola Stairmand

Solar Dwellings solardwellings.com.au

Heritage Victoria heritage.vic.gov.au

A strong believer in thinking globally and acting locally, Griff’s interest in the health and wellbeing of the planet and its inhabitants is expressed through his leading - edge design principles and makes him one of the industry’s leading authorities on sustainable passive solar design. Griff has been designing smarter sustainable homes to suit every budget since 1991.

Nicola Stairmand worked as a commercial interior designer before completing a Master of Heritage Conservation. Since the mid 1990s, she has worked as a heritage consultant for private, government and not-for-profit organisations. Nicola is currently manager of Statutory Approvals.

Griff’s event

The Permit Process for Places in the Victorian Heritage Register Purchase webinar: https://bit.ly/dmnsolar

Using Passive Solar Design (PSD) Principles Now and in the Future Purchase webinar: https://bit.ly/dmnsolar

Nicola’s event

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03 What’s On

Richard Armstrong

Janine Strachan

ProCalc procalc.com.au

Tiny House Solutions tinyhousesolutions.com.au

With more than 15 years’ design and construct experience, Richard is a former registered builder who possesses post-graduate property qualifications. He is the founder of ProCalc – Professional Construction Estimator. Richard recently undertook construction pricing research, interviewing more than 200 architects and designers about how they work with build budgets. An expert in residential construction pricing, Richard conducted research focussed on the best-practices of ‘mature’ firms. Specifically, he explored how these firms’ work methods drive more costeffective builder engagement and save time on design development.

Janine is president of the Australian Tiny House Association (ATHA), an expert in sustainable house design and environmental planning, founder of Tiny House Solutions, and host of “Tips from the Tiny House Guru” podcast.

Richard’s events: Reduce Construction Costs (with these Non-Design Techniques) Wednesday 13 October 2021, 11AM ADST Register: https://bit.ly/3mb2Y4V How to Unearth the Best Builders for Successful Projects Wednesday 24 November 2021, 11AM ADST Register: https://bit.ly/dmnArmstrong2411

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Janine’s event: How Moveable Tiny Houses Can Provide an Alternative Housing Wednesday 17 November 2021, 11AM ADST Register: https://bit.ly/3onlNog

01 Project Matters

Andrew Laing

Sky Tiong

Harris Carlson Lawyers harriscarlson.com.au

Sky Architect Studio skyarchitectstudio.com.au

Drew is a Senior Associate with over 16 years’ experience in a range of private practice areas, predominantly in the Estate Planning & Succession and Corporate/Commercial areas (including merger and acquisition transactions). His specific experience includes: complex wills and powers of attorney, trust advice and structuring, personal and business asset protection; general commercial advice and preparing tailored commercial agreements including manufacturing agreements, distribution/supply agreements, licence agreements, service agreements, terms and conditions of trade; franchising, intellectual property licensing, maintenance and support agreements; sports law, including sponsorship, competition licensing and player endorsement agreements; trusts, joint ventures and business structuring arrangements; shareholder, unitholder and partnership agreements and disputes; financial services compliance and general ASIC regulatory compliance; corporate mergers and acquisitions, structuring and advice (involving asset sales, share sales and unit sales), including several major transactions involving international parties; capital raisings for private and ASX listed entities, including ASIC and ASX compliance and disclosure requirements. Drew holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Canterbury University in New Zealand and was admitted to practice in Victoria in 2005 (admitted to practise in New Zealand in 2000).

Sky Tiong is an architect known for his modern architecture design. Sky began his studies at Curtin University in Perth where he received his Bachelor of Architectural Science, and furthered his studies with a Master of Architecture from Deakin University in Melbourne. Sky founded Sky Architect Studio in 2011 and moved to Melbourne as the business expanded. Sky has gained valuable architecture experience through beach-house design projects along Victoria’s Great Ocean Road. His architectural designs are characterised by simplicity of forms and continuous flow of spaces. Sky completed a thesis on Passive Solar principles and he applies this principle to all his works to ensure great design comes with excellent functionality. Sky is also a pioneer in newlybuilt Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) design under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) which provides specialist housing solutions for people with extreme functional impairment, or very high support needs.

Andrew’s event: Protecting Your IP & Using Deeds of Release Monday 22 November 2021, 12PM ADST Register: https://bit.ly/dmnlaing2211

Sky’s event: Behind the Scenes with Sky Architect Studio Tuesday 23 November 2021, 2PM ADST Register: https://bit.ly/dmnsky2311

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Diary

03 What’s On

A packed calendar of events lies in store for Members in October and November.

Webinar topics cover: cross-laminated timber; reducing construction costs; a Building Practitioner Pre-Registration Course for VBA; improving building permit documentation work; going behind the scenes with some of our Award-winning Members; and more!

01.09.21 Title: Net Zero is Next: What does it mean for cities?

Date: Wednesday 1 September 2021 Time: 12PM AEST Location: Webinar Cost: $44.00 Purchase webinar: https://bit.ly/dmnnetzero Duration: 1 hour CPD Points: 1 Presenter: Peter Newman AO, Curtin University Content: Net Zero is sweeping the world as the postCOVID-19 economy creates a new set of outcomes that can create a 1.5C world. This is driven by the world of finance as much as by governments and communities. What does it mean for cities? The combination of solar, batteries, EVs and smart technologies is clearly happening and some Australian cities are developing new models for how to deliver them in urban development, especially in local/ distributed rather than centralised approaches. In this webinar, Peter Newman AO will show how a transition strategy can be enabled for Net Zero Corridors that can spread into a Net Zero City.

02.09.21 Title: TPA Monthly Meet Up & HERO Updates FREE Date: Thursday 2 September 2021 Time: 12PM AEST Location: Webinar Download webinar: https://bit.ly/dmnsepttpa ​ Duration: 1 hour CPD Points: 1 Presenter: Nick Bishop, Hero Content: Join fellow DMN TPAs along with TASC Members and featured guests – this month, the founder of Hero, Nick Bishop – to ‘talk shop’ in our monthly TPA Meet Ups. EVERY month comes an opportunity to share ideas, ask questions and hear from key industry players, all in a lunch break! It’s free. It’s virtual. It’s a must!

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10.09.21

Title: Indoor Air Quality: Not As Simple As You Think Date: Friday 3 September 2021 Time: 11AM Location: Webinar Cost: $44.00 Purchase webinar: https://bit.ly/dmnindoorair Duration: 1 hour CPD Points: 1 NatHERS Technical Presenter: Sean Maxwell, Air Tightness Testing and Measurement Association

Title: Hempcrete Date: Friday 10 September 2021 Time: 11AM AEST Location: Webinar Cost: $44.00 Purchase webinar: https://bit.ly/dmnhempcrete Duration: 1 CPD Points: 1 NatHERS Technical Presenter: Klara Marosszeky, Australian Hemp Masonry Company

Content: Indoor air quality (AIQ) is getting more of the attention it deserves lately. Importantly, its links to other aspects of building performance are being highlighted.

Addressing two seemingly unrelated Australian crises – bushfire smoke and COVID-19 – will depend on a core of Australian expertise in building science and its integration of disciplines. Building science is the holistic study of buildings as systems, their links and effects both intended and unforeseen. In this webinar, Sean Maxwell will promote an understanding of the complex interactions between the building envelope, building services, and occupant wellbeing. successfully completed this course to produce a certificate and various work examples to satisfy the contract administration experience criteria required for registration as a Building Design - Architectural.

Content: Hempcrete, aka hemp masonry, is primarily known for the exceptional thermal comfort it creates and its potential for carbon storage in buildings. A durable, renewable, bio-based material, it has been used for centuries. In the mid-1980s, when designers and builders in France were looking for compatible materials for restoring historically significant buildings post WWII, hempcrete underwent a resurgence and evolution.

The material has modern appeal and is popular in Australia because it is energy-efficient and breathable, creating healthier indoor air quality; it manages moisture well in buildings; it’s fire- and termite-resistant; and it’s acoustically effective and user friendly.

07.09.21 Title: Behind the Scenes with K-STUDIO Date: Tuesday 7 September 2021 Time: 12PM AEST Location: Webinar Cost: $10.00 Purchase webinar: https://bit.ly/dmnKstudio Duration: 1 hour CPD Points: 1 Presenter: Dimitris Karampatakis, K-STUDIO Content: Developed by Athens architecture practice K-STUDIO, Dexamenes was named Ultimate Winner of the 2021 AHEAD Global awards. Located on Greece’s western Peloponnese coastline, the Dexamenes Seaside Hotel is a 40-suite luxury resort housed within a 100-year-old abandoned wine-storage and factory facility. The original structure was built on the sea so ships could be loaded with wine made from currants, directly from the tanks, before setting sail for the major overseas markets.

The derelict, industrial structures that characterise the site were left relatively untouched since the 1920s, sitting quietly on one of the most unspoiled and beautiful stretches of coastline. Original features such as the manholes and pipes in the façade of each tank and the patina of the internal wall surfaces have been preserved.

The project has been described as a place “where every design gesture has a purpose, there is no embellishment, just a celebration of the truth”.

03 What’s On

03.09.21

13.09.21 Title: NCC2022 update for windows and glazing – Australian Glass & Window Association Date: Monday 13 September 2021 Time: 12PM AEST Location: Webinar Cost: $44.00 Purchase webinar: https://bit.ly/dmnglazing Duration: 1 hour CPD Points: 1 NatHERS Technical Presenter: Russell Harris, Australian Glass & Window Association Content: Russell Harris, the Technical Manager of the Australian Glass & Window Association (AGWA), will discuss recent proposed changes in the window and glazing industry outlined in the NCC2022 Public Comment Draft.

The proposed changes include: quantification of Performance Requirements for glazing, subject to human impact; new provisions for window and door flashings and fixing requirements in the Housing Provisions; new considerations for door opening widths and thresholds introduced in the ABCB Standard for Livable Housing Design; an overview of the new Energy Efficiency provisions and impact analysis, and updates to Australian Standard (AS) 1288 Glass in Buildings.

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03 What’s On

14.09.21

20.09.21

Title: Inside Thermal Comfort: Predictive Mean Vote Date: Tuesday 14 September 2021 Time: 12PM AEST Location: Webinar Cost: $44.00 Purchase webinar: https://bit.ly/dmnPMV Duration: 1 hour CPD Points: 1 NatHERS Technical Presenter: M Mahmudul Hasan, ADP Consulting

Title: How to Detail Plans to Make Sure the Builder Builds it to Perform Pt. 1 Date: Monday 20 September 2021 Time: 11AM AEST Location: Webinar Cost: $44.00 Purchase webinar: https://bit.ly/dmnplanspart1 Duration: 1 hour CPD Points: 1 NatHERS Technical Presenter: Jeremy Spencer, Positive Footprints

Content: DMN Member and ADP Consulting sustainability consultant M Mahmudul Hasan assesses building energy performance, and performs sustainability consulting for the building industry across Australia. In this webinar, Hasan will explore Predictive Mean Vote (PMV) which is the thermal perception of the building occupants. PMV is determined in accordance with ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 55.

Australian National Construction Code (NCC) 2019 Section J has a requirement under performance solutions JV3 with PMV level -1 to +1 to achieve the performance requirement JP1. Hasan will use a case study of a childcare building, conducted under Section J 2019 JV3 and PMV Assessment, to identify the ins and outs of the PMV. His presentation will highlight how PMV would be: modelled in a commercial space; considered in design; and monitored in postoccupancy stage.

17.09.21 Title: Sustainable Housing Strategies for Our Housing Future Date: Friday 17 September 2021 Time: 11AM AEST Location: Webinar Cost: Free for Members; $15 for non-Members Download webinar: https://bit.ly/dmnNSWschemeI Duration: 1 hour CPD points: 1 Presenter: Kristy Eulenstein, Consult Australia Content: Consult Australia recently jointly published the “Guide for Design Practitioners and Engineers”, with Engineers Australia and the Australian Institute of Architects. The guide is a practical resource on the key issues related to contracts, insurance and obligations under the Design and Building Practitioner Act 2020 (NSW).

This guide is supported by the NSW Government, with copies available from the Construct NSW website. Join Kristy Eulenstein, from Consult Australia, as she presents the Guide for Design Practitioners and Engineers about contracts, insurance and the Design and Building Practitioners Scheme (NSW)

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Content: It doesn’t matter how well you design a home to perform - six stars to 10; everybody knows, if it is not built to a standard to meet that performance, the energy efficiency potential will not be a reality on the ground. But don’t blame the builder: they only build what’s on the plans, and nobody has taught them what the construction assumptions of the NatHERS system are, nor how to build tight with standard construction. Do you know? This is the first webinar in a two-part series by builder, energy rater and director of Positive Footprints sustainable design and construction, Jeremy Spencer, looking at what you need to put on your plans to achieve a performance outcome. This webinar goes over the construction assumptions inherent in the NatHERS system, and looks at the details you need to put on your plans to communicate clearly to the builder what needs done, so they can meet the thermal requirements of the House Energy Rating report, and your building can perform on the ground as it should. In this webinar, Jeremy will cover: detailing for building tight with standard construction; using plaster as the tightness membrane; junction detailing; wraps, breathability, and condensation control; and insulation detailing to avoid weak points.

21.09.21 Title: Building Sustainably with Timber Date: Tuesday 21 September 2021 Time: 11AM AEST Location: Webinar Cost: $44.00 Purchase webinar: https://bit.ly/dmntimber Duration: 1 hour CPD Points: 1 NatHERS Technical Sponsor: Weathertex Presenter: John Walker, Weathertex Content: Being a natural carbon sink and renewable, timber – if sustainably sourced – is undoubtedly one of the most environmentally-friendly building materials currently available. With a global shift towards environmentallyfocused sustainable designs, more and more specifiers are turning towards timber as a building material for its sustainability, aesthetic qualities, ease of transport and speed of construction.

29.09.21

Title: How to Detail Plans to Make Sure the Builder Builds it to Perform Pt. 2 Date: Wednesday 22 September 2021 Time: 11AM AEST Location: Webinar Cost: $44.00 Purchase webinar: https://bit.ly/dmnplanspart2 Duration: 1 hour CPD Points: 1 NatHERS Technical Presenter: Jeremy Spencer, Positive Footprints

Title: Case Studies: Impact Analysis of Cooling Interventions Date: Wednesday 29 September 2021 Time: 11AM AEST Location: Webinar Cost: $44.00 Purchase webinar: https://bit.ly/dmncooling Duration: 1 hour CPD Points: 1 Presenter: Associate Professor Lan Ding, University of New South Wales

Content: It doesn’t matter how well you design a home to perform… Six stars to 10. Everybody knows, if it is not built to a standard to meet that performance, the energy efficiency potential will not be a reality on the ground.

But don’t blame the builder; they only build what’s on the plans, and nobody has taught them the construction assumptions of the NatHERS system, or how to build tight with standard construction. Do you know? This is the second part of a two-part series, by builder, energy rater and director of Positive Footprints Sustainable Design and Construction Jeremy Spencer, looking at what to put on plans to achieve a performance outcome. This webinar goes over the construction assumptions inherent in the NatHERS system. It also looks at the details to put on plans clearly communicating to the builder what needs to be done so the building meets House Energy Rating report thermal requirements, and performs on the ground as it should. In particular, we will cover: Thermal bridging hot-spots and how to break them; common problem spots for thermal performance in the home; setting thermography and blower-door-testing criteria for the builder to achieve; going beyond the star rating Technology specification for a net-zero outcome; and how to choose a builder you can trust.

03 What’s On

22.09.21

Content: In this webinar, Associate Professor Lan Ding from the University of New South Wales will introduce case studies on cooling intervention options for both public and private realms. These options include: street trees, pavements, building roofs, façade materials, etc..

Associate Professor Lan Ding will present an impact analysis of these cooling interventions under the current and future climate conditions to inform design considerations and planning controls. The Urban Heat Island (UHI) Mitigation Performance Index and UHI Mitigation Decision-Support Tool, developed by the University of New South Wales and CRC for Low Carbon Living, will also be covered within the presentation.

30.09.21 Title: BERS Pro TECH Talk FREE Date: Thursday 30 September 2021 Time: 11AM AEST Location: Webinar Purchase webinar: https://bit.ly/dmnBERS Duration: 1 hour CPD Points: 1 NatHERS Technical Presenter: Rebecca Robins Content: A live, online, open-mic session, in which Rebecca Robins will answer all your BERS technical questions, from elementary modelling questions, to guidance on the more complex modelling elements, and anything BERS-specific in between

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03 What’s On

01.10.21

13.10.21

Title: Contract Administration Date: Friday 1 October 2021 Time: 10AM AEST Location: Webinar Cost: $500.00 Duration: 3 hours CPD Points: 4 Presenter: Geoff Hoare, Graaph Design

Title: Reduce Construction Costs (with these NonDesign Techniques) Date: Wednesday 13 October 2021 Time: 11AM ADST Location: Webinar Cost: $44.00 Register: https://bit.ly/3mb2Y4V Duration: 1 hour CPD Points: 1 Presenter: Richard Armstrong, ProCalc

Content: The Contract Administration workshop assists building designers to develop the knowledge and skills to: manage and administer standard form building contracts; and develop administrative and reporting systems to manage a building contract on behalf of a client; and enable participants to confidently offer Contract Administration as another service within their practice.

The workshop also introduces participants to: the principles of selecting, advising and administering a standard for a building contract for residential and commercial building projects; examine those contracts and identify the benefits and/or disadvantages of the various contract suites; examine the Design Matters National standard form contracts, the appendixes and various forms and instructions that are referenced within the contract to gain an understanding of each component. The workshop also assists those building designers seeking registration as a building practitioner in Victoria and enables applicants who have successfully completed this course to produce a certificate and various work examples to satisfy the contract administration experience criteria required for registration as a Building Design Architectural by the VBA.

12.10.21 Title: Cross-laminated Timber Construction for Residential Date: 12 October 2021 Time: 11AM ADST Location: Webinar Cost: $44.00 Register: https://bit.ly/3lzNfxE Duration: 1 CPD Points: 1 Presenter: Adam Jones, XLam Australia

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Content: There is massive interest at present among building professionals in a new, state-of-the-art engineered-timber product called Cross-laminated Timber (CLT). While its recent take-up has predominantly been in mid-rise commercial office buildings and apartments, it is also a highly versatile, sustainable, renewable and thermally-efficient building product for residential applications. Adam Jones, XLam Technical Manager, will discuss the opportunities for utilising CLT in residential projects, particularly and importantly, the key design and specification requirements. He will feature and discuss a number of recent exemplary residential projects constructed using CLT.

Content: Learn non-design techniques which can be used to minimise builders’ costs on every project you design.

Based on research conducted with some of Australia’s most savvy building designers and architects, this one-hour session teaches you how to: Professionally generate the best build value for your clients using competitive, dynamic and best-practice work methods; Expertly assess the builders’ market so you can precisely match the right builders with your clients’ projects (and budgets); Source lower cost estimates from builders with a little-known technique that’s entirely counter-intuitive – and even have the builder thank you!; Dramatically reduce the number of re-designs you undertake and better manage client budget expectations; Drive great value for your clients by avoiding particular tender types that needlessly push up build prices; and access little-used, but freely available, market trend tools so you can reliably advise clients of builders pricing dynamics before you go to market.

15.10.21 Title: Annual BD Awards WA & NT Date: Friday 15 October 2021 Time: 7PM AWST Location: WA Museum Boola Bardip Register: https://bit.ly/Awards15OctWANT Duration: 4 hours Presenter: Holly McSweeney Sponsors: James Hardie, Webber Insurance, CSR Bradford, Weathertex, Bluescope Colorbond, Metroll, and HomeBase.

26.10.21

Title: Bendigo Networking FREE Date: Wednesday 20 October 2021 Time: 5-6PM ADST Location: Online Register: https://bit.ly/3ysezkT Duration: 1 hour CPD Points: 1 Sponsor: AWS Presenter: Alastair Baldwin, AWS

Title: FirstRate5 Introductory Workshop Date: Friday 26 October 2021 Time: 10AM ADST Location: Webinar Cost: $400.00 Register: https://bit.ly/3fGXyMx Duration: 5 hours CPD Points: 9 NatHERS Technical Presenter: Matthew Graham, Graham Energy

Content: We’re thrilled to invite DMN Members in and around beautiful Bendigo to gather for Happy Hour Networking on Thursday 20 October, 5-6PM online.

It’s been over a year since DMN’s last local get-together so we’re looking forward to bringing old and new Members together for this casual event. This virtual event is being generously sponsored by DMN’s long-time supporter, Architectural Window Systems (AWS). Feel free to bring an industry colleague to this event.

Content: FirstRate5 Introductory Workshop is an opportunity to learn and understand how to use FirstRate5 v5.31 in conjunction with the NatHERS Technical Note (June 2019) - Via Zoom.

21.10.21 Title: Improving Building Permit Documentation Date: Thursday 21 October 2021 Time: 10AM ADST Location: Webinar Cost: $350.00 Register: https://bit.ly/2U2p4MY Duration: 3.5 hours CPD Points: 7 Presenter: Geoff Hoare, Graaph Design Content: This workshop on Improving Building Permit Documentation aims to assist participants to ensure their 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; coordination of relevant documents and the role of consultants; producing documents that are ‘fit for purpose’; and Australian Standards.

03 What’s On

20.10.21

28.10.21 Title: Annual BD Awards Vic., SA, Tas., NSW/ACT & Qld. Date: Thursday 28 October, 2021 Time: 7PM ADST Location: Vimeo & Zoom Cost: $48.40-$82.50 Register: https://bit.ly/Awards28Oct Duration: 2 hours Presenter: Catriona Rowntree Sponsors: James Hardie, Webber Insurance, CSR Bradford, Weathertex, Bluescope Colorbond, Metroll, and HomeBase.

04.11.21 Title: Mornington Networking FREE Date: Thursday 4 November 2021 Time: 5-7PM ADST Location: Casa De Playa, Mornington, VIC. Register: https://bit.ly/3fwJFRc Duration: 2 hours CPD Points: 2 Sponsor: AWS Presenter: Alastair Baldwin, AWS Content: It’s been a long time between networking drinks for DMN Members on Melbourne’s Mornington Peninsula so we’re getting the band back together for networking drinks at a tapas bar on Mornington’s main drag on Thursday 4 November, from 5-7PM, and we’d love to see you there.

Joining us will be Alastair Baldwin from long-time DMN supporter Architectural Window Systems (AWS). We look forward to saying “hola!” to new and old Members later this month at Casa de Playa, the tapas bar in an iconic 1800s building at 39 Main Street, so please pencil this well-deserved fiesta into your calendar right now.

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03 What’s On

04.11.21

17.11.21

Title: Behind the Scenes with Planet Architecture Date: Thursday 4 November 2021 Time: 12PM ADST Location: Webinar Cost: $20.00 Register: https://bit.ly/3fGXJHH Duration: 1 hour CPD Points: 1 Presenter: Marie Carrel, Planet Architecture

Title: How Moveable Tiny Houses Can Provide an Alternative Housing Date: Wednesday 17 November 2021 Time: 11AM ADST Location: Webinar Cost: $44.00 Register: https://bit.ly/3onlNog Duration: 1 hour CPD Points: 1 Presenter: Janine Strachan, Tiny House Solutions

Content: Victorian-based Architect Marie Carrel, from Planet Architecture, embraces a sustainable approach to architecture. Marie’s vision is to deliver sustainable design and information services widely to accelerate the rate of change towards sustainability. In this illuminating ‘Behind the Scenes’, Marie takes us ‘inside’ her new, rammed-earth residence and explains: the site, the brief and how rammed earth came about; how rammed earth is built, and its pros and cons; passive solar design elements and thermal efficiency; design challenges and solutions; and inspirations and influences.

15.11.21 Title: FirstRate5 Intermediate Workshop Date: Monday 15 November 2021 Time: 10AM ADST Location: Webinar Cost: $320.00 Register: https://bit.ly/37nRzb5 Duration: 4 hours CPD Points: 4 NatHERS Technical Presenter: Matthew Graham, Graham Energy Content: This four-hour workshop is tailored for those using FirstRate5 v5.3, following 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

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Content: What are moveable tiny houses? What are the regulatory barriers to the legalisation of living permanently in moveable tiny houses? How can this housing type provide occupiers with a lower environmental impact?

16.11.21 Title: Pathways to achieving carbon neutrality Date: Tuesday 16 November 2021 Time: 11AM ADST Location: Webinar Cost: $44.00 Register: https://bit.ly/3lKITnz Duration: 1 hour CPD Points: 1 Presenter: Danielle King, Green Moves Australia Content: The climate emergency has prompted many to look into their business operations and identify what actions can be taken to reduce carbon emissions. We all feel the need to ‘do our bit’, and going carbon neutral is one of the key actions we can take, but how do you do that? There are several options to achieving carbon neutrality (or going net zero) for your business. The right one for you will depend on the size of your business, what you want to achieve and your budget. This webinar will explore different options, what’s involved and provide some indicative costs so you can gauge what might be the right path for you.

24.11.21

Title: Protecting Your IP & Using Deeds of Release Date: Monday 22 November 2021 Time: 12PM ADST Location: Webinar Cost: $44.00 Register: https://bit.ly/dmnlaing2211 Duration: 1 hour CPD Points: 1 Presenter: Andrew Laing

Title: How to Unearth the Best Builders for Successful Projects Date: Tuesday 23 November 2021 Time: 11AM ADST Location: Webinar Cost: $44.00 Register: https://bit.ly/dmnArmstrong2411 Duration: 1 hour CPD Points: 1 Presenter: Richard Armstrong, ProCalc

Content: Understanding how the Intellectual Property in your designs is protected by law and can be protected by an agreement. Knowing how and when to use Deeds of Release.

23.11.21 Title: Behind the Scenes with Sky Architect Studio Date: Tuesday 23 November 2021 Time: 12PM ADST Location: Webinar Cost: $20.00 Register: https://bit.ly/dmnsky2311 Duration: 1 hour CPD Points: 1 Presenter: Sky Tiong, Sky Architect Studio Content: Sky Tiong, of Sky Architect Studio, has designed many beach houses along Victoria’s Great Ocean Road. Wyndham Beach House, a three-level home, has a small ground-floor footprint, won the 2020 DMN Building Design Award for Best Kitchen Design.

01 Project Matters

22.11.21

Content: ProCalc’s Richard Armstrong shares a builder recruitment roadmap to unearth better builders. See how to professionally control the whole builder engagement process including budgets, timelines, work quality and builder/client relations. Based on the mature practices of over 200 building designers, this session shows how to reduce time & effort finding good builders. Learn to remove project risks, problem builders & cost over-runs using this proven builder recruitment roadmap. Happy clients and successful projects are rarely a fluke.

Professionalism, planning, detail and discipline all play a huge part. This one-hour session reveals a builders recruitment roadmap that will enable you to: Professionally match builders to clients to deliver great outcomes - and happy clients who sing your praises; Drive successful projects to completion by engaging great builders using a professional working method; Save time with a roadmap to find the best builders who can deliver on time, on budget and with minimum fuss; Grow your professional reputation as you build the number of successful projects in your portfolio. The roadmap includes loads of best-practice templates to save you time.

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How -to

04 How-to

By Rebecca Robins, Efficiency Assessments

Why we do what we do Best practice in NatHERS software modelling

The webinar touched on the basics to ensure a solid foundation on which all assessments can be based. It refreshed attendees on the NatHERS basics, key principles of building thermal performance, principles of data entry, key assumptions of the Chenath engine and explored how these parts link together. In addition, the presentation looked at the importance of a systematic approach in all NatHERS assessment to elevate efficiency, including steps outside of data entry that are the fundamental to quality, consistent and accurate results.

Best practice is about being the best you can be, knowing and applying as much as you can, and reframing your thinking to look at barriers as opportunities for development and growth.

This includes thinking of mandatory quality assurance and mentoring as opportunities, and seeking other opportunities to develop your skills.

The creation of systems around everything you do throughout your career and within an individual assessment is critical. Repetition of well-established systems is the key to producing accurate and repeatable results.

These systems should be built around the expanded assessment process that includes preparation, data entry, self-quality assurance, professional development and certification.

The presentation uses the building of a house as an analogy to illustrate the process of becoming a quality assessor and producing quality assessments. The process starts with building a solid foundation of mandatory

training and then building on that base. In the ‘building’ stage, you are aiming for something that performs at its most basic level. Building a house to lock-up, where it provides shelter, represents the base, systematic process of commencing as a practicing assessor and building a NatHERS model. This part of the process will also produce learning opportunities that you can use to add to your overall knowledge. Ongoing improvements, maintenance and replacement throughout the building life cycle symbolise the extras that will elevate you from just entering data to being a quality assessor producing quality assessments.

This presentation provides an overview of concepts that aim to influence your approach to NatHERS. As there is so much to this topic, it is anticipated that it will facilitate future sessions that examine each concept in more detail.

Following this presentation, participants will start to be able to: • Understand the basic principles underlying the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) • Acknowledge and create robust systems • Identify the key parts of the assessment process • Recognise the assumptions of the Chenath engine and how they influence data entry and policy • Apply strategies for ongoing learning, and • Understand the importance of true professional development.

To view a free recording of Rebecca’s webinar, go to https://bit.ly/BERSPro

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04 How-to

The goal of my webinar presentation, on 30 September, was to assist in ensuring assessors have the knowledge, skills and tools to inform decision making in NatHERS assessment and promote autonomy and professional judgement.

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04 How-to

Student Advice:

How to succeed as a Built-Environment Professional Members offer their advice to students

“ At times, it can be challenging, but keep believing in yourself and go the extra mile for yourself. No-one will believe in you as much as you! Take courses where you feel you are lacking. Ask questions. Questions are never stupid!”

Gracinda Gomes-Franklin, Managing Director & Owner, Speedy Gomez Design, Cairns, QLD.

“ There is always someone who will do it cheaper, so let them do it cheaper. Your own personal integrity is the diamond that you must keep for yourself.”

Wayne Gorman, CEO & Founder, Energyman, Launceston, Tas.

“ You really should have passion and enjoy design, construction and documentation. It’s a long journey to develop your knowledge and skills. Don’t expect to just complete your studies and believe you have learnt all you will ever need to know about the profession.”

Nicole McBain, Building Designer, McBain Design, Kyneton, Vic.

“ Design is a marriage of art and technicality so starting up with an environment that has a good foundation will help you develop your own standards and consistency throughout the projects.

It is important then to follow this up with a creativity and strong storytelling.”

Izabela Katafoni, Creative Director, Studio Origami Architects, Darlington, WA.

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Informative, interactive and free, DMN’s building design trade show will once again blow building designers away with the latest innovations, when it comes to screens for the second time, in October 2021.

AUSTRALIA’S BUILDING DESIGN TRADE SHOW 4–7 October 2021

InspoExpo aims to keep building designers abreast of emerging trends, up-to-date regarding new products, and in the know about exciting innovations from major building-product suppliers.

InspoExpo is 100% free for DMN Members all over Australia, and their colleagues are also welcome to attend and soak up the knowledge.

In 2021, DMN is inviting trusted industry partners to inspire and inform Members every day, with a new presentation starting every hour, on the hour, between 10AM and 3PM, from Monday 4 October to Friday 8 October 2021.

Members will be privy to the very latest news about what’s in store for the rest of the year, and in 2022, across a range of building materials, including insulation, windows, pavers, cladding, interior lining, flooring and eaves products, for both house and commercial use.

Presenting partners will deliver succinct, 45-minute presentations, followed by 15-minute Q&A time, allowing Members to connect with industry experts and ask follow-up questions drilling down into the all-important finer details.

Already confirmed to present in 2021 are: AWS, Breezway, Island Block & Paving, James Hardie Australia, Kingspan Insulation, ProCalc and Weathertex, with more to come.

To download and view the free recordings of all 14 INSPOEXPO sessions, visit designmatters.org.au/Webinars

designmatters.org.au

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

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04 How-to

BUILDING DESIGN PROCESS EXPLAINED

Client

01 Preliminary Research

02

Pre-Design Services

Client brief - Design objectives - Design inspiration - Functional requirements - Budget

03

Approve Reverse Brief

04

Sketch Design

Review design ideas and

Review revisions required

proposed Site Plan

from Council

Approve Building Designer quote / contract

Approve Fee Proposal and appoint Building Designer

Conceptual Designs

Building Designer

Planning Permit

Client discussions

Design Development

Site Survey & Context Plan

Desk top site review

Detailed site measurements

Site constraints &

Prepare existing floorplan &

opportunities

structure plus condition report

Feasibility study Fee Proposal

Prepare Reverse Brief outlining client needs, design inspiration and functional requirements

Prepare preliminary design ideas,

Pre approval meeting with Council

floorplans, elevations, room sizes and use of space, window types and locations

Send pre approval meeting notes to Council to keep on file Prepare planning application

Liaise with Consultants and implement their plans into designs

including all drawings Submit plans to Council

Apply knowledge of building legislation, regulations and Australian Standards to concepts

Discussions with Council

Initial Energy Rating Report

Revisions based on Council feedback Submit revisions

Consultants including:

Carry out advertising if required

Energy Rater (TPA) Structural Engineer

Other Contractors

Building Surveyor Town Planner/Planning Consultant Fire Engineer Preliminary Planning Consultant Preliminary Quantity Survey Possible discussion with Council

Land Surveyor

Council

Electrical Engineer Water & Sewerage specialist

Building Surveyor

Ventilation and Air Conditioning specialist

Planning Consultant

Accessibility Compliance GeoTechnical Engineer Quantity Surveyor Aborist

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Heritage Consultant

Traffic Engineer

ESD Consultant

Material suppliers

Demolisher

Equipment suppliers

Interior Designer

04 How-to Development 05 Design & Documentation

06 Tender Management

Final approval on all designs, fi nishes and working drawings

07 Building Permits

Review tenders

08 Construction

Client appoints relevant builder surveyor

Select Builder

Review and approve variations and amendments Site visits

Approve construction tender

Regular meetings with Building Designer

Sign construction contract

Handover Post construction review

The Build

Builder Selection & Building Approvals

3D drawings and elevations Liaise with all Consultants to coordinate external specifications and integrate into drawings Prepare detailed drawings with internal details: – amenities / wet areas - Electrical plan - Lighting plan - Drainage design - Fire services - Energy efficiency - Plans for:

Prepare tender requirements for

Lodge application for

the full cost of construction

building permits

Call for tender and identify potential Builders

Receive building permits

Provide all relevant documentation to client

Finalise full construction tender

(up to 40 documents)

Review tenders

Attend site

Help select Builder

Contract administration

Negotiate builder contract

Review shop drawings Issue additional information Issue instructions

permanent bracing, building set out

Administer variations Attend site meetings

- Protection Works Notices if( required)

Issue certificates

Builders and Sub Contractors

Assess time extensions Issue defect notices

Final Energy Rating Report

Issue final certificate

Finalise all drawings and construction methodology Consultants Material suppliers Equipment suppliers

a set of instructions to build the project as designed

Liaises with Builder(s) to provide full construction tender

Slab, footings, framing, sub floor, roofing, overshadowing,

Project specifications and schedule of finishes

Supply all construction documents so approved builder and sub contractors have

Relevant Building Surveyor

Builders & Sub Contractors Building Inspector Build ing Surveyor Quantity Surveyor

Note that not all projects are the same and the level of involvement a Building Desig ner has will vary depending on c lient needs and the Building Desig ner.

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04 How-to

Design Narrative in Hotels: Enhancing Guest Experience

This July, internationally-renowned interior architect Nic Graham took us on a webinar-based journey to discover some of the world’s most incredible hotel designs to see how design enhances guest experience. Here, Nic shares notes about his own hotel-design voyage, including highlights along the way.

W Brisbane, Queensland.

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04 How-to

04 How-to

QT Auckland, New Zealand.

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W Brisbane, Queensland.

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01 Project 04 Matters How-to

04 How-to

We had the privilege, over the last decade, to witness and engage in various changes in hotel design in Australasia. One of which is the fascination of sense of place and storytelling within the parameters of the interior design scope. Owners and operators are realising that each property can be unique to place and purpose while maintaining service and facility standards.

Competing with home stay and Airbnb, the hotel operators look at ways in which they can enhance a guest experience through a heavily laced design sensory experience that can communicate a story, a history, a location.

Design narratives draw from the physical, historical and social aspects of the destination.

As a designer, I hope to bring local culture to life and tell conceptual story through subtle details, planning theories or even striking artworks and graphics. It’s more than purely aesthetics – rather a representation of a deeper meaning and allowing a take-home idea for the guest.

I always start with the narrative first and look at how I can tell a story through design; make it unique and unexpected; convey the meaning of an idea through a form, space, light, colour, texture, or scale; and how it may enhance a guest experience and elicit positive emotions.

I put myself into the role of end-user; walk through the space with the eyes of a guest to try to achieve a WOW-factor or an Instagram moment… a trigger to an emotive response – hence a memory association with the hotel to spread the word. I question the natural light, the architectural volume and, in most instances, see how to expose the raw architectural shell, onto which we can project a polished layering of materials.

QT Auckland, New Zealand.

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01 Project 04 Matters How-to

04 How-to

W Brisbane The W Brisbane was the first W Hotel in Australia. Its interiors are inspired by Aussie vibes and the design narrative, ‘A River Dreaming’, is based on the Aboriginal story of the serpent river and the life the river brings to the city. The W DNA has been woven in with the free and easy Aussie attitude: colour, colonial heritage, modernity, ethnicity, influence of Australia’s indigenous roots, with a BrisVegas theme that adds some humor to the design. From the moment of arrival, the vision is to showcase a hotel that has an Australian slant on it. The feeling is one of positive energy that flows throughout the hotel from the moment the guest enters. Inspired by the beautiful aspects of Queensland’s heritage to form a contemporary interior, W Brisbane celebrates the best of Australia and provides a contemporary interpretation of Brisbane’s indigenous heritage.

W Brisbane, Queensland.

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04 How-to

QT Auckland The theme for a QT Auckland – an oyster shell, rough outside and seductively polished on the inside – was a metaphor for a repurposed inner-city building and hotel conversion; a shell hiding the luxury that lies within. It was onset by my first visit to Auckland and a dozen oysters – the salty sweet is a metaphor for the design, where we have created a cocooning interior that uses interesting local materials and suppliers, adding to the harbour-based neighbourhood narrative of QT Auckland.

Harnessing the idea that beauty lies within, the theme of discovery is a central narrative throughout the guest experience. The oyster narrative is a loose one, but extends to some interior components that we used, such as wall textures, bespoke rugs and carpets, and graphics and artworks that celebrate Auckland’s DNA and the mythical sea surrounding the land of the long white cloud.

To view the webinar in its entirety, visit: https://bit.ly/3sp893Y

QT Auckland, New Zealand.

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04 How-to

04 How-to

Seal it Tight & Ventilate Right

One of the central dichotomies in sustainable design today - The goal: a comfortable, low-energy home, but how do we get there? – was discussed at Australia’s National Science Agency’s July webinar, attended by DMN Members.

The CSIRO webinar explored two different approaches.

Using the Passivhaus approach, the building is sealed, highly insulated and operates using heat recovery ventilation when needed. Passivhaus has proven results over 3 decades in Germany and now 60,000 certified homes globally.

On the other hand, proponents of free-running buildings point out that it is possible to design buildings that need no heating or cooling in most Australian climates. Why live in a mechanically ventilated Esky when you could live in a free-running building, cooled by breezes and heated by the sun?

Passions run hot enough to create an urban heat island on this topic. CSIRO’s moderator, Research Lead Anthony Wright, asked representatives from Passive House Association (Kylie Mills), Earth Building Association of Australia (Peter Hickson), a building scientist (Jesse Clarke) and a tropical free running architect (Phil Harris – Troppo Architecture) to discuss the issues: What is the best approach for Australia?

How should regulators accommodate the two approaches?

How should we be aiming to live in an altered climate?

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Here is a selection of the Q&A following the webinar: Q. Is painting the rear of plasterboard and effective way of preventing moisture laden air entering framing?

• Jesse Clarke, Pro Clima, said: In an ideal world, adding vapour resistance as a paint coating to the internal face of the plasterboard can help to reduce water vapour from entering the structure.

However, this assumes the plasterboard layer is completely sealed and airtight. Considering GPO outlets, light switches, light fixtures, etc., mounted to the gypsum, then it is never going to be an effective air barrier. Vapour control does not work well without air tightness. The more airtight the vapour control layer, the better it works. In addition, adding too much vapour resistance to the internal side can be catastrophic.

Q. What about using alternate materials like Cross Laminated Timber (CLT)? Can a timber surface help with issues like internal moisture?

• Jesse Clarke, Pro Clima, said: CLT is a great technology. There are various ways it is manufactured. The cross laminated pieces of timber may be edge glued or not depending on the manufacturer.

The CLT itself also changes moisture content with the seasons, based on average surrounding humidity and the equilibrium moisture content in the timber. It potentially swells and contracts. This can make the CLT achieve different air-tightness levels in different seasons when the gaps open up or close up.

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04 How-to

04 How-to

The hygric capacity of the CLT, i.e., its ability to store and release moisture from the interior air, make it great for buffering indoor humidity and keeping the indoor conditions comfortable. The CLT itself, due to its moisture buffering capacity and moderate vapour resistance, then negates the necessity for an internal intelligent air barrier.

Air tightness can be achieved using external membranes.

Most importantly, is the type of insulation used over the external side. This should, generally, be as vapourpermeable as possible, such as an external grade rockwool, which also gives fire performance on midrise projects. Otherwise, wood-fibre is also a great option on the external side. Foam-based materials are generally not the best option, but the higher vapour resistance of these foams may be beneficial in tropical regions. Research is under way on this.

Q. What do the presenters think about “trickle vents” vs mechanical ventilation as a design Option?

• Jesse Clarke, Pro Clima, said: Trickle vents do not work. I have been warned personally by international researchers. Building an airtight building then poking holes in it is not the same as airtight with a controlled ventilation strategy. Trickle vents are trying to take advantage of ‘adventitious’ ventilation; i.e., ventilation that occurs when environmental conditions are right (stack effect or wind). The problem is that conditions are rarely right. Trickle vents will be the go-to position because it’s cheap to implement. But, if it doesn’t work on mass scale, it becomes very expensive. UK tried it already. Let’s not copy. So, what we need is at least one continuous driving force. A high-efficiency fan then forces a continuous, low-flow ventilation rate. This ensures goldilocks can get what she wants. Not too much air (energy inefficient), not too little (poor IAQ & moisture issues). Just the right amount all the time for optimum IAQ & Energy...

Q. Given that our climatic conditions are heading into extremes that are far beyond the performance range of solar passive systems, how do we keep cool/safe in those extreme conditions? Can solar passive still deliver a viable solution in extreme conditions and how does it translate to high density urban settings (e.g., high rise/lmr)?

• Peter Hickson, Earth Building Solutions, said: PLEEA works through mass-linked ventilation and conditioning. It balances the best of night and day, and day to day, up to several days. Extremes and wild fluctuations are where PLEEA excels. Modelling of PLEEA with 2020 to 2090 predictions shows improved overall performance.

Modelling and lived experience show safety in extreme conditions without power because we are reliant on air conditioning - if you manage your PLEEA building simply and effectively. The projected 4.5 billion ac units in use by 2050 will alone add 0.5C to global temps. Avoiding their use is a great place to start though it is mass and not insulation that achieves this best.

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Q. Is it possible to usefully include thermal mass (such as a rammed earth wall) inside the thermal envelope of a well-sealed passive house building?

• Peter Hickson, Earth Building Solutions, said: Of course, I imagine it would help dramatically with temperature stability and humidity control. You may be able to add more windows without overheating. It would help summer performance and perhaps you could naturally ventilate more often and for longer even when external temperatures weren’t perfect.

Q. Kylie, would you mind making comment on how passive house works in the deep tropics?

• Kylie Mills, APHA, said: This question is popular, as Passivhaus is newer to the warmer climates and its application. The Passivehaus Institut recommends the following: “Recommendations and guidelines for Passive House design in hot & humid climates can be summarised in five basic steps: 1 Optimisation of orientation, North-South being ideal, and a compact shape; 2 Very airtight (Passive House value of 0.6 h-1) and insulated thermal envelope; 3 Solar protective double glazing; 4 External shading devices; 5 Efficient building services. The measures applied are: Ventilation unit with energy and humidity recovery, double glazing with solar protection, wall insulation, solar DHW heater, roof insulation, efficient household appliances, external shading elements, floor slab insulation, insulation of DHW pipes within the thermal envelope, insulation of partition wall to neighbour, tankless boiler, airtight building envelope and thermal bridge reduced design. To achieve cost-efficient solutions, the resulting insulation thicknesses call for optimised compactness of the building shape.

Windows should meet the comfort and energy requirements, and the designer should be aware of the influence of their optimal orientation.” More in following link, including peer-reviewed paper and other studies: https://passivehouse.com/02_informations/05_ phmediterranean/05_ph-mediterranean.htm Q. Given that most people live in cities, are passive houses plausible and sustainable at scale in dense urban settings? And what changes would be necessary in the construction sector, materials manufacturing, mining, forestry, etc.?

A. Kylie Mills, APHA, said: Totally applicable. New York has been applying passive house now for some time with terrific outcomes.

Some links here for reference: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/29/business/newyorkpassive-house-retrofit.html https://www.nypassivehouse.org/resources/step-bystepretrofits-with-passive-house-components/ Canada has been making terrific advances also. https://energyrates.ca/passive-houses-in-canada-yourcomplete-guide/

04 How-to What would be required to change - primarily upskilling of designers and tradespeople to continually improve what they do best. Would it have an impact on materials manufacturing, forestry? In my opinion, if technology can assist in improving methods of recycling/providing materials that are used regularly by the construction industry, then everything benefits, including climate and future generations, by becoming more efficient in all things, humans need to continue to advance the way they currently use resources and treat the natural environment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVi3vMgLMXM To watch the full CSIRO webinar or read the audience Q&A, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVi3vMgLMXM

Images on these pages are of Earth House, winner of the Building Design of the Year 2020, by Maxa Design.

Photographer: Chris Neylon Photographer.

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Five by Five

05 Who’s Who

Five minutes with….

Wayne Gorman, CEO & Founder, Energyman, Launceston, Tas. energyman.com.au

Why he joined Design Matters National…

In the early days, when there were no organisations covering the energy efficiency sector, I started an association in Tasmania called EERA, (Energy & Environmental Rating Association). I was later approached by the Australian Building Sustainability Association (ABSA) to become the representative for Tasmania. I decided that to have two associations duplicating the same processes was not needed and moved EERA into the ABSA family. I sat on the board of ABSA and became a trainer for many years and I am still a member. Joining DMN (back when it was the BDAV) was an opportunity to make use of the accreditation and CPD system as well as enjoy the networking of the group.

Biggest business challenge…

The initial start-up. A dribble of work, lots of bills and not much money. The continual outflow to let everyone know that I existed and what my business provided eventually got the wheels in motion and it is now an established business in its twenty-first year of operation.

By looking at passive design and materials that can reduce energy use, we can make a real difference in providing affordable housing that benefits our environment.

Why he became a thermal performance assessor (TPA)…

FirstRate4 was the first-generation software for energy-rating dwellings. I enjoyed using this software and bringing awareness to the whole building and construction industry. I was fortunate to be accredited to teach the software in Tasmania, in those pioneering days.

What he’s working on now…

I am working with lots of builders, designers and architects to fine-tune their projects to get the best for what the budget will allow.

His favourite software tool…

Historically, the various software was statebased. BERS was a Queensland software; Accurate was used in NSW; and FirstRate5 was a southern-based software. FirstRate5 is the main tool that I use, simply because I have grown up with this particular software through its evolution.

How has energy rating and energy efficiency have changed over the years…

The whole topic of energy efficiency and energy ratings has become better understood within the building and construction industry and with the general public, over time. The software has become faster, but the amount of data input that is required for a rating has increased greatly.

Award-winning Owl Woods Passive House

by Talina Edwards Architecture.

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05 Who’s Who

05 Who’s Who

Five minutes with…

Izabela Katafoni, Creative Director, Studio Origami Architects, Darlington, WA. studioorigamiarchitects.com

We always work on representing our clients’ stories through our buildings...

What she’s working on now…

Why she joined Design Matters National…

We always work on representing our clients’ stories through our buildings. Working mostly with residential clients becomes a very personal and emotional journey and we are trying to make it easy for them, with a streamlined process from the very beginning.

Starting from intangible elements that are transformed into form and function during the process.

To be part of the design community, learn, exchange information and grow professionally.

Her favourite projects she’s worked on…

Currently, we are working on a very interesting Passive House Project in Glen Forrest which is not only located in a Bushfire Flame zone but also looks at the concept of ‘bodyfulness’ as the main idea for active aging. This project has lots of complexity and challenges but creates an interesting story that we are currently unravelling.

Biggest business challenge…

We believe that company growth can be measured by the development of its own processes and systems. When you have a system that can be measured it means the system can be improved. With the control of our own templates, processes and codings, we believe we can see how this can improve the company efficiency and overall business profits.

Favourite finish or feature…

I personally love materials that provide additional layers of texture to the project.

Timber and material with reference to nature are always great additions.

Favourite architectural style…

Modern with strong connection to the site context and referencing back to the good craftsmanship of details.

Favourite Australian building…

Planchonella House, in Cairns, designed by Jesse Bennett Architect.

Favourite international building…

Cloister House, by Formwerkz Architects, in Johor, Malaysia.

Designers currently inspiring her work…

Herbst Architects, in Auckland, New Zealand.

Photograph: Jody Darcy.

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I personally love materials that provide additional layers of texture to the project. Timber and material with reference to nature are always great additions.

05 Who’s Who

Five by Five

05 Who’s Who

Five minutes with…

Gracinda Gomes-Franklin, Managing Director & Owner, Speedy Gomez Design, Cairns, QLD. speedygomez.com.au

What she’s working on now…

Why she joined Design Matters National…

I am finalising two extensions. One extension includes a master suite, en-suite, living room, including a deck accessible from both living and master suite. The second extension is two additional bedrooms, one master and the other, a nursery for the future. There will be alterations as well, including enclosing the carport and transforming it into additional living, laundry, and storage. Externally, there will be a swimming pool. I’m also working on two new builds. The brief was to include a curved roof, swimming pool, indoor outdoor living, plus three bedrooms, two bathrooms, double garage and European laundry.

The other residence is in the country and the brief is a simple: Colorbond structure with two bedrooms, kitchen and living/dining and two WCs and a bathroom.

To assist me with acquiring the extra knowledge I needed; helping with courses; and assisting me to purchase the NCC and Standards at a reasonable price. It’s tough out there with membership, software, insurance and many other costs and items that you need to get started and to keep going.

Favourite projects…

I have a few favourites. One is a three-bedroom home for a couple looking to retire soon. Their brief was sustainable, sustainable, sustainable.

I was able to deliver that brief with great joy.

Pushing the boundaries and thinking outside the box is challenging and rewarding.

Biggest business challenge…

It would be relocating and starting over, but once you deliver great service, the word gets around, and that definitely helps.

Favourite finish or feature…

I love the natural products and looks, from strawbale, mud brick and timber to the galvanised custom orb look with rustic features that are full of character.

Favourite architectural style…

I have a few: Rustic farmhouse; I really like colonial European architecture; mid-Century; and even modern mixed with colonial.

Favourite Australian building…

I would say the Sydney Opera House and Melbourne’s Federation Square. It isn’t just about the look; it is the amount time it took to get the end result. You have to appreciate the passion and engineering that went into it as well.

Favourite international buildings…

I love Notre-Dame de Paris, and the Louvre Museum, in Paris.

Designers currently inspiring her work…

It changes, depending on the brief, from Harry Seidler to Glenn Murcutt. I like to see the thoughts of the architects; the thoughts behind each project. I also like to add me in the mix.

One of Gracinda’s favourite Australian buildings is Melbourne’s Federation Square.

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Five by Five

05 Who’s Who

Five minutes with…

Marco Zicarelli, Building Design Graduate, Projeto Design Solutions, Melbourne, Vic. mzicarelli.myportfolio.com

Why he joined Design Matters National…

I am originally from Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil, and I’m a recent graduate of Building Design studies at Holmesglen TAFE, so I joined DMN in order to grow my network and secure a job as a Building Designer.

What he found most interesting at design school…

The level of information you can get whilst studying (inside and outside class) is amazing!

Also, being a mature-age student in a classroom full of really young people gave me a fresh perspective on design. This new generation of designers is smart and VERY tech-savvy which inspired me to step up my game!

How he would describe the task of breaking into the BD profession…

Surprisingly hard! Before I was told my overseas education was not enough nor was it reliable. Now that I have studied locally, what I hear the most is that I don’t have enough local work experience, which I am trying very hard to secure, to add to the work experience I gained in Brazil, which was residential (new projects and renovations), commercial and retail (clothing and book stores, restaurants and banks) and also public spaces such as government offices, labs and police stations.

His favourite finish or feature…

It really depends on the project and its needs.

Where he would like to work…

His favourite architectural style…

I am more inclined toward commercial/retail design however, at the moment, I am simply trying to get my first break into the industry so I can add value to a great company and, in return, grow and develop a career here in Australia. I have two degrees (in different languages, I might add!), I love my profession, and I take pride in every role that I undertake.

Brazil is a beautiful country with great people and AMAZING food however, there is a lot of corruption and social inequality which makes life hard sometimes. My partner and I love food and the Arts, and Melbourne offers both in spades. We are very happy to call this wonderful city home!

Modern yet Classic.

His favourite Australian building…

The Sydney Opera House. An ‘Architectural tour’ of that building is a MUST DO! His favourite international building…

Zaha Hadid London Aquatics Centre.

Designers currently inspiring his work…

Zaha Hadid and Ken Wooley.

What he wants to know more about…

Sustainable practices.

This new generation of designers is smart and VERY tech-savvy...

Top right: Napoli Afragola railway station, Naples, Italy. Right: Library and Learning Centre University of Economics, Vienna, Austria. Far right: The Port House, Antwerp, Belgium. All designed by Zaha Hadid.

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Five by Five

05 Who’s Who

Five minutes with…

Nicole McBain, McBain Design, Kyneton, Vic. mcbaindesign.com.au

What she’s working on now…

Why she joined Design Matters National…

A new rural dwelling, with one particular challenge being a very steep acreage site with great views so we are looking to feature an angled steel footing design to elevate the home as a key feature.

To keep informed with up-to-date information and continuing education in a constantly evolving industry. With the recent COVID lockdowns, getting email updates about the restrictions relevant to designers.

Favourite projects…

Favourite finish or feature…

Butterfly House, on a farm bordering a reservoir, with bushland adjacent.

Designed for a multi-generational family so the layout needed to have two separate but fully connected private areas, lots of concealed storage including a wine ‘cellar’ and comms area, PLUS capitalise on views. Each room has custom joinery units incorporated which, although challenging, I enjoyed doing as I’ve had a good deal of retail/food tenancy experience. I also project administered this particular project so it was rewarding to be involved from initial concept to completion.

Sheet metal. It has a long history in Australia since corrugated iron arriving in the 1850s and becoming an important finish in our vernacular language. I love that it can be used in so many different ways, it’s affordability, longevity and ease of installation. The extent of different finishes, from cor-ten to matt colorbond, and profiles now available always keep it as an up-to-date go-to material. I come from a family with a long involvement in the sheet-metal industry, so for me it has always been a familiar finish that I have a good understanding of.

And Campbell Creek: a low, side-sloping site, in a new residential subdivision. The challenge was to create a contemporary split-level design while maintaining the client’s desire for a ‘traditional’ façade, while at the same time meeting the challenges of an unusually proportioned site with creek views.

The solution was to have a number of transitional steps through the dwelling down the site and provide a large overhang skillion roof supported with steel posts, while also providing decking on different levels.

Biggest challenge…

My biggest design challenge would have to be to open clients up about use of multi-faceted space, rather than lots of single-use rooms.

Flexibility with multi-use spaces that are well thought-out in relation to locality and future use leads to a home that can be future-proofed and therefore more sustainable.

Favourite architectural style…

Mid-Century modern and contemporary Australian rural.

Favourite Australian building…

Simpson-Lee House, in Mt Wilson by Glenn Murcutt. It was completed while I was studying and it just captured the elements that I was interested in as a student.

Favourite international building…

Fallingwater, by Frank Lloyd Wright. When I first saw it when I was young, it blew my mind as to what residential architecture can be!

A big inspiration which led to me wanting to be a designer when I grew up.

Designers currently inspiring her…

There are just so many amazing Australian designers now, it’s just too hard to choose.

Fallingwater blew Nicole’s mind and inspired her to become a building designer.

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06 Nuts & Bolts

Nuts&Bolts

Public Comment version of NCC 2022

By Tony Isaacs and Matthew Graham, TASC Members

A summary of changes for NCC 2022 energy efficiency provisions.

Summary of changes for NCC 2022 energy efficiency provisions:

The public comment version of NCC 2022 was released on 30 August, including a significant upgrade to the energy efficiency provisions. The Regulatory Impact Statement was due to be released in late September 2021.

Comments on the new regulations close on 17 October.

The changes are extensive.

• Increase building fabric to 7 star in general for Class 1, with an average of 7, minimum 6 star in Class 2.

There is no trade-off between the building fabric and the appliance measures (called Whole of Home).

• The ‘Whole of Home’ measures require you to meet an annual energy usage budget requirement using a holistic assessment for heating, cooling hot water, pool pumps, and on-site renewable (PV). It proposes a target of 30 per cent below the energy budget with benchmark appliances in Class 1. Note that GEMS sets the minimum efficiency of appliances. The NCC simply uses the star rating/efficiency of the appliances to calculate the target energy use.

To help TPAs understand the new regulation, here is a quick summary from Tony Isaacs who has been working with the ABCB to help develop the energy efficiency upgrades over the last 18 months with assistance from TASC Member Matthew Graham.

The brief for the energy efficiency upgrades arose from the federal government’s Trajectory for Low Energy Buildings, developed and endorsed by the former Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Energy Council.

See: https://energyministers.gov.au/publications/trajectorylow-energy-buildings.

Note that issues regarding compliance are a state government responsibility and, while obviously important, are therefore not a part of the current consultation.

Requirements for reducing air leakage, such as those in Passive House which require a heat recovery ventilator, were not part of the brief.

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In Class 2, a less stringent Whole of Home option is used (100 per cent of the energy use with benchmark appliances, as opposed to 70 per cent for Class 1) due to the practical limitations around the use of PV in this Class. e.g., Restricted roof area and the relative difficulty in getting the PV fed in ‘behind the meter’ on a unit-by-unit basis. PV will still count towards the calculation of the target where it is possible to install it. Note that common areas of Class 2 are considered as part of commercial buildings, which is out of the scope for discussion for the NCC 2022 residential energy efficiency changes, but is covered by other parts of the NCC, as per NCC 2019.

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06 Nuts & Bolts

A Whole of Home elemental provisions calculator is provided so you can see whether you need PV, given your appliance types and efficiencies and, if so, how much.

Note that PV is not mandatory, but if you choose to install it, as many Australians are doing, its benefits are counted.

(NatHERS will model this directly, see below).

• The ‘metric’ for pass/fail is called Societal Cost. It is just the cost of energy using a time of use tariff, plus a little extra for GHG emissions. You’ll see a more detailed description in the supporting reports that can be downloaded from the Consultation Hub NCC Whole of Home component. (https://consultation.abcb.gov.au/ engagement/ncc-2022-public-comment-draft-stage-2/) The current NatHERS occupancy pattern is still used to calculate building fabric stars. A more average occupancy pattern is applied to heating and cooling energy to calculate the Whole of Home score to ensure heating and cooling costs are weighted appropriately against other energy costs. The good news from this is NatHERS assessors can, at last, tell their clients that a better NatHERS Whole of Home rating will mean a lower energy bill (on average) than it otherwise would have been.

Still some disclaimers, but not as much as it has been in the past.

• Thermal bridging requirements for steel-framed buildings improve steel frame performance to close to timber frames. e.g., Add 10-15mm continuous polystyrene (or equivalent R-value) or R0.6 to the frame only. There are minimum Total R-value requirements in the elemental provisions, including thermal bridging, but you don’t need to calculate it (using the NZ4214 method) if you pick one of the options in the NCC tables. For those up to date with thermal bridging building science, there is an ISO standard that might be technically superior to the NZS standard, but it would need to be referenced by the Australian insulation standard to be included in the NCC. NZ4214 is already referenced in Volume 1.

• An updated Verification Method been developed for Class 1, and a new VM, including elemental provisions, has been developed for Class 2. The VM has been developed to ensure that DtS elemental, NatHERS and VM produce approximately equivalent outcomes. Class 2 now has the same three compliance options available to it as Class 1.

• Part of the way the VM keeps a more level playing field is that the elemental provisions more closely match NatHERS 7 stars. It is a closer match to 7 stars than the old elemental matched 6 stars. It does this by: • Specifying insulation levels in tables that take into account a wide variety of conditions. e.g., For roofs: the colour, presence of foil in the roof, the amount of attic ventilation (now calibrated to replicate NatHERS Vented roof conditions), and whether there is bulk insulation under the roof.

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The tables are more complex than previous insulation requirements, but all the clauses for dispensation for wall R-values are deleted, so some of the previous complexity has been removed. You can still use a concrete block wall in hot climates without insulation, but it will need to be a light colour and/or well shaded. Similarly, an uninsulated brick cavity can be OK in Perth with more climateappropriate colour, height, and shading properties.

The insulation values all link back to NatHERS results, so it is no free pass. That is, in part, why they are more complex – it’s the only way to be consistent with NatHERS and not require crazy high R-values.

• The Glazing calculator has been calibrated to give a pass for a 7-star dwelling with the average heating and cooling load in a particular climate. To achieve better alignment with NatHERS required adding more data inputs. e.g., floor covering (tiled floors on slabs do better), window frame colour, whether the window is in a bedroom or utility space, etc.. You no longer need to do two glazing calculators for two-storey houses but do need to specify if the window is on an upper floor.

Class 2 now has a glazing calculator.

• Minimum requirements for ceiling fans in Climate Zones 1, 2 and 3, and in living zones in climate zone 5 in NSW and Qld. • The Whole of Home measures and thermal bridging will be included in the NatHERS tools. Please note that the NatHERS administrator is working on incorporating thermal bridging and whole-of-home into NatHERS. Nothing has been endorsed nor formalised yet but is in development. NatHERS tools with these upgrades will be available early next year.

And NatHERS has upgraded the weather data to better represent the climate conditions in each climate zone.

So what worked at 6 stars is probably +/- 0.2 stars now.

The 10-star level has been recalibrated and demonstrated to be achieved in all 69 climates using a three-bedroom single-storey Design for Place house (https://www. yourhome.gov.au/house-designs). This means that the MJ/m2 for 10 stars has been increased. The 10-star increase flows through to 9, 8 and 7 stars, so 7 stars isn’t quite as challenging as it used to be, particularly in hot, humid climates.

Postscript: CSIRO has also released weather data files for NatHERS tools including the impact of climate change. They are not part of the new regulations or NatHERS itself but allow the impacts of regulation to be evaluated into the future. Files are available for 2030, 50, 70 and 90 under three warming scenarios each. See: https://ahd.csiro. au/other-data/predictive-weather-files-forbuilding-energy-modelling/.

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06 Nuts & Bolts

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06 Nuts & Bolts

To detail or not to detail

By Ashley Thompson, Director, Clause 1 Town Planning Consultants

Regular permit applicants will be familiar with the conundrum of how to describe projects on planning permit application forms. Is the application for: ‘a dual-occupancy’; ‘development of land with two or more dwellings’; ‘a new dwelling behind an existing dwelling’; and the list goes on.

Similarly, another application could be described as: “a fivestorey apartment complex”; “an apartment complex, associated car park dispensation, removal of native vegetation tree, partial demolition and alterations to a heritage building”; “multiple dwellings on a lot”; or anything similar.

Permit applicants have their own individual preferences. So, too, do Municipal Councils. Some prefer accurate but simple descriptions.

Others prefer each individual permit trigger to be listed on the application form.

So, what is the best way to describe your application?

Both the VCAT and Supreme Court have previously provided guidance on this issue. In Nelco Holdings Pty Ltd v Yarra Ranges SC [2006] VCAT 148 the tribunal held that: “To require each relevant permission under the scheme to be identified in the application form in fulfilment of the requirement to state clearly the use, development or other matter for which a permit is required is inconsistent with authority, contrary to the text of the requirement, and contrary to policy.”

Similarly, in Sweetvale Pty Ltd v Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal [2001] VSC 426 the Supreme Court noted: “The application is not to be construed technically or strictly as one might a statute or a deed. As Tadgell J observed in Marock Pty Ltd v Billjoy Pty Ltd [1981] VicRp 41; [1981] VR 413 at p 418: “The question is what it would fairly convey to those for whose information it is required to be prepared.”

With the above considerations in mind, we recommend that you do not seek to list all the permit triggers on your application form or provide a technical description of your proposal. Rather, we recommend applicants use a layman’s description of what is being proposed, with just enough detail to make the proposal clearly understood.

However, we also recommend that ‘all permit triggers’ are identified in the ‘planning report’ accompanying your application, so that it is clear to Council that you have turned your mind to ‘all’ the relevant planning issues.

Avoid a lapse of your planning application

To avoid the possibility of your planning application lapsing, Clause 1 recommends permit applicants include the following (or similar) at the bottom of all RFI responses to Council: We trust the above and attached information, along with that previously supplied, is sufficient for Council to now determine the application.

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Should, for whatever reason, Council conclude that the provided information is not sufficient, we request a 30-day extension to the application lapse date, for any such matters to be resolved.

For more details on Victorian planning issues, visit clause1.com.au.

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