German School Buildings Top The Class
The German International School Sydney (GISS) has a stated philosophy that demands measurable outcomes for its students. It should come as no surprise therefore that the school sought measurable outcomes from its latest round of infrastructure expansion too.
The Perfect Pod
Passive Prefab Pod – Prefabricated 25-square-metre cabin is designed and built to offer the design, comfort, health and sustainability of a passive house on a smaller scale.
This is Australia
Mark ‘Cal’ Callaghan recalled that it started as a poem in his notebook, reflecting on the time that his family moved from England to Bundaberg in Queensland, a major culture shock for him. “To lie in sweat, on familiar sheets, In brick veneer on financed…
A Bridge Over Troubled Moisture
Previous article on metal back pans investigated the likelihood of creating condensation behind metal back pans on the outside of insulated apartment walls. The intent of the article was to highlight the failure of vapour impermeable sheathing materials in managing moisture in the building envelope….
Hunting for Air Leaks
The Blower Door test is a tried-and-true technique of measuring the air leakage rate of a building with confidence. It is so reliable, repeatable and universally comparable that building codes around the world require them by law. They offer the ability to sum up the…
Achieving Airtightness
Often when you see a job well done, you want to point to it as an example. At the Green Building Council of Australia’s recent workshop Tackling Air Tightness, there were several examples of projects that we could point to and say, “this is how…