Housing Design

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Australians need better solutions for coping with the warmer climate of the future (and present). 
Australian houses use <a href="http://www.lowcarbonlivingcrc.com.au/resources/crc-publications/crclcl-project-reports/rp1017e-validating-and-improving-basix-energy" target="_blank">significantly more electricity</a> to stay warm or cool than estimated during the design stage.
To design a new house in Australia, the building needs to meet the national construction code. One way to do this is by using software to simulate the building’s thermal efficiency, to see if it meets the minimum requirements of the national house energy scheme. The scheme divides Australia geographically into 69 different climate zones and requires new houses to be thermally appropriate for their environment.
Unfortunately, this software does not properly take into account our warming weather. Our <a href="http://www.lowcarbonlivingcrc.com.au/resources/crc-publications/rp1041-improving-thermal-performance-dwellings-carbon-positive-and" target="_blank">recent report</a> found the climate assumptions used by the government drastically underestimate the length and heat of summers in the near future.
In fact, buildings that perform best for heat waves predicted by 2030 are actually banned by the government’s building code. We urgently need to update our building codes to cope with our changing climate.
Understand the future local climate
We took Richmond in New South Wales as an example to understand the effect a changing climate might have on building performance. By taking predictions from <a href="http://www.exemplary.com.au/download/CSIRO%20Future%20climate%20data%20100%20solar%20sites%20-%20Exemplary%20-%20Final.pdf" target="_blank">CSIRO’s medium greenhouse gas emissions scenario</a>, we analysed Richmond’s likely weather for every week of 2030.
The future outlook, shown below, is strikingly different from the <a href="http://www.nathers.gov.au/nathers-accredited-software/nathers-climate-zones-and-weather-files" target="_blank">weather files</a> used to determine whether houses meet the minimum thermal performance requirement of the National Construction Code. In 2030, Richmond will experience a warm period almost four times longer than predicted by the official weather file.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/283169/original/file-20190708-51312-1i18f0d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/283169/original/file-20190708-51312-1i18f0d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
Author provided
Design for the future
Based on the future climate scenario, the design strategy for buildings in Richmond should focus on well shaded and insulated buildings to avoid any heat gain in the warm period, but should also harness sunlight to warm up the indoors in the cool period.
The warm period will last from December to March, when keeping the house cool is the priority. Passive solar heating, such as northern windows and well-insulated walls, floor and ceilings, are important during the May to September cool months, while direct ventilation is largely all that’s needed during the mostly comfortable April and October to November.
To test how houses will perform in a hotter future, we modelled a house in Richmond using AccuRate software. We found a design and construction solution that performed well (achieving 7.6 stars out of 10) for the 2030 scenario failed to meet a <a href="https://www.basix.nsw.gov.au/iframe/images/BASIX_Thermal_Comfort_Protocol_July17_rev1_Nov2017.pdf" target="_blank">heating threshold</a> that is legally required in NSW. In effect, the house that makes the most sense for the immediate future, could not be built.
These thresholds for heating and cooling are based on assumptions that are out of step with current conditions, let alone the future. Between 2016 and 2018 Richmond’s annual average temperature was 17.8℃, whereas the <a href="http://www.lowcarbonlivingcrc.com.au/resources/crc-publications/rp1041-improving-thermal-performance-dwellings-carbon-positive-and" target="_blank">NatHERS weather file</a> assumes it to be 16.7℃. This difference is set to increase.
In a 2019 amendment, the National Construction Code adopted NSW’s approach to heating and cooling thresholds to <a href="https://www.abcb.gov.au/Resources/Publications/Education-Training/NatHERS-heating-and-cooling-load-limits" target="_blank">other climate zones</a> in other states. The heating threshold puts a restraint on designing buildings that are optimised to mitigate extreme heat events.
This highlights the limitation of out-of-date climate files, and the current regulation that acts as a barrier to developing energy efficient designs for a future warmer climate.
Build to perform
A 2013 <a href="https://www.energy.gov.au/publications/evaluation-5-star-energy-efficiency-standard-residential-buildings" target="_blank">CSIRO study</a> found that houses with higher star ratings using more energy in summer.
One of the reasons is the trade-offs on the thermal performance of one building component against another in the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) software. For example, a window without shading on the western façade is acceptable in a NatHERS simulation, whereas the same window would not be allowed if a <a href="https://www.abcb.gov.au/Resources/Tools-Calculators/Glazing-Calculator-NCC-2014-Volume-Two" target="_blank">glazing calculator</a> developed by the National Construction Code were used to demonstrate the thermal performance of a house.
Other issues are trade workmanship, such whether a building is airtight. Airtightness in residential buildings is ignored in the national construction code. However, considerable energy savings can be achieved if a house can be made airtight.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/283170/original/file-20190708-51262-8pfb7c.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/283170/original/file-20190708-51262-8pfb7c.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
 (Author provided)
Similarly, missing or displaced insulation in the ceiling, as shown above, can cause significant discomfort and additional heating and cooling costs. We all, from builders to homeowners, need to understand insulation must be carefully installed and cannot be moved later, or even well designed buildings will become inefficient.
Windows are the main option for ventilating most houses. However, if you live in a high-pollution or noisy area, or in a place with very little wind, open windows might not be desirable or practical. Consequently, households may not be getting enough fresh air to maintain a healthy indoor environment. A mechanical ventilation system, which uses little energy, is an ideal alternative.
The current weather files and heating thresholds used to develop minimum building standards are inadequate for our warming climate. Our report presents a framework for designing and building houses that consider climate change. We hope to see further research on other Australian population centres, so we can develop a comprehensive overview to help us build energy efficient and healthy houses for the future.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/120072/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;">
Anir Kumar Upadhyay, Lecturer in Built Environment, UNSW
Chris Lockhart Smith, Director - ecodweller, UNSW
Krishna Munsami, PhD student, UNSW
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/houses-for-a-warmer-future-are-currently-restricted-by-australias-building-code-120072" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Houses for a warmer future are currently restricted by Australia's building code

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A Broadbeach Waters home named Australia's best small house in 2016 has been listed for sale by through Sophie Carter agent Sophie Carter.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-broadbeach+waters-127469086" target="_blank">The award-winning home in Florida Gardens</a> was completed two years ago to a designed by architect James Russell for vendor Lauren Davidson.
It won the New House under 200 sqm category at the Houses Australian Awards in 2016.
Paying homage to the breezeblocks and the style of the 1960s, Naranga Avenue House uses an extruded Miro brick from Austral's La Paloma range.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2018/2/7/tiny2.jpg" alt="">
Vast walls of glass connect the home, made up of a series of patio-like pavilions.
The designer home has four bedrooms and two bathrooms with a central treed atrium.
Builder and architect James Davidson and wife Lauren paid $537,000 in 2014 before its complete redesign.
This article was first published in The Weekend Australian.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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jonathanchancellor-7SQnKwU6yx

Australia's 2016 best small house listed at Broadbeach Waters

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GUEST OBSERVER
Australia’s A$22 billion National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) remains a key policy of the Coalition government. One of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s first major tasks was to sign agreements for statewide roll-outs of the NDIS in Victoria and New South Wales by 2019.
The agreements provide some insights into the interface of housing and the NDIS. They also document that the scheme will complement, but cannot replace, efforts of the housing sector, governments and families. A framework for funding NDIS participants and specialist disability housing providers is due to be released later this year.
NDIS still leaves a housing gap
The NDIS will provide “reasonable and necessary” equipment and supports for Australians with disability. However, the National Disability Insurance Agency has previously identified a significant housing gap for an anticipated <a href="https://chfa.com.au/sites/default/files/sites/default/files/docs/bonyhady_bruce_-_presentation_-_chfa_ndis_forum_-_27_march_2014.pdf">8</a>3,000 to 122,000 scheme participants.
The 2015 report from the Senate inquiry into affordable housing described this as an economic issue of national importance. Access to affordable housing, the report said, needs to be a “central and cross-cutting theme” within a whole-of-government approach.
One group that needs lifetime housing and support are people with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) and spinal cord injury (SCI). Australia has an estimated 1000 new cases of severe TBI and 136 new cases of high-level SCI or quadriplegia every year. Lifetime costs per case are estimated at $4.8 million to $9.5 million.
The Transport Accident Commission (TAC), Victoria’s no-fault road accident insurance scheme, has also identified a significant housing gap for its clients. Many live with TBI or SCI resulting from road accidents.
Opening doors to more independent living
The TAC has been developing new models of housing and support through Residential Independence Pty Ltd (RIPL). The aim is to provide options for more independent living.
RIPL Project One was a collaboration between the TAC and the Summer Foundation, a non-profit organisation focused on the issue of young people in nursing homes. The project delivered six smart-technology-enabled one-bedroom apartments within a 59-apartment private and social housing development in inner-city Melbourne. An on-site support staff hub provides outreach to tenants of the six apartments.
Tenants of RIPL Project One moved from living with family or friends, or traditional disability group home models. This was an exciting step on a pathway back to community living.
Continuously refining supported housing
In the past, investment in new supported housing (such as the $60 million federal Supported Accommodation Innovation Fund) has not included evaluation of the effectiveness of housing design and location. Investment in “learning from hindsight” can inform new projects if evaluation is carefully developed and effectively delivered.
The TAC has invested in a large-scale post-occupancy evaluation of RIPL Project One, through the Institute for Safety, Compensation and Recovery Research. This evaluation has been coupled with detailed actuarial cost-benefit analysis to guide future investment. This research was awarded an international Certificate of Research Excellence from the Environmental Design Research Association.
The post-occupancy evaluation findings have been documented in an interactive PDF report. This details key evaluation criteria and includes virtual panoramic tours. Viewers can explore the housing and technology design, the support delivered within these environments, and tenants' access to and use of spaces.
The research findings highlight the potential for an NDIS interface with housing provision. This has impacts on the quality of home life and social and economic participation for Australians with disability.
Creating better homes for people with disability
Key considerations include:
<ul>
<li>SITE LOCATION AND PLANNING: well-located housing close to accessible shops, public transport and other services builds community participation and inclusion.</li>
<li>DWELLING LAYOUT AND PLANNING: control of light, temperature and noise improves running costs of a home; layout builds tenant privacy; tailoring of joinery installation increases independence and reduces support needs.</li>
<li>HOUSING TRANSITION: site visits and familiarisation, and building links in the local community, with follow-up monitoring and support for effective routines, foster participation and independence.</li>
<li>SMART HOME TECHNOLOGY: training and consistent use of integrated technologies by tenants and support staff avoid technology abandonment and build autonomy and environmental control.</li>
<li>MODEL OF SUPPORT: exemplary built and technology design must be coupled with targeted disability supports to build skills for independent living.</li>
</ul>
As housing and support models are developed, iterative post-occupancy evaluation will build an evidence base of tenant experiences, outcomes, costs and benefits, and opportunities. This will inform well-designed, well-located housing using smart technology into the future.
Turnbull’s leadership of NDIS roll-outs must now be coupled with a co-ordinated whole-of-government approach to best-practice housing for people with disability. Strengthening NDIS implementation with a national housing strategy will reap both social and economic benefits for Australia.
Libby Callaway is researcher, Occupational Therapy Department, Monash University and can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/libby-callaway-9011">here</a>.
Kate Tregloan is researcher, Design and Education in the Creative Disciplines, Monash University and can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kate-tregloan-191853">here</a>.
Both are authors for The Conversation.
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