Repeat buyers are one of the strongest measures of confidence in any apartment development.

At <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/era-newcastle-west-124-126-bull-street-newcastle-west-nsw-2302">ERA</a> in Newcastle West, some purchasers are returning to <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/gwh">GWH</a> after living at the developer's One Apartments. Their decision to purchase again was driven by the quality of life they found after moving into their first GWH home.

Keith Wilton had spent years living in a house in East Maitland before deciding it was time for a change. Apartment living had always been on his radar, but he was selective about what he wanted.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FH_1EzB-1vs?si=XScVlP1ERsTDJoME" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

"I had some boxes I wanted to tick," he says.

Keith points to the open-plan design, generous outdoor areas and considered inclusions as key reasons One Apartments worked for him.

“One of those things was a nice indoor open plan area, but also I wanted a nice outdoor open area that I could entertain on in summer or Christmases or birthdays,” he says.

He also found value in the smaller details, from integrated appliances to shared resident spaces including the pool, cinema and rooftop areas.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356818]

After comparing several developments, he chose One Apartments because of GWH's longstanding local reputation and his own experience working with the developer on a commercial project more than a decade earlier.

"I knew that they were local, that the quality of the build was going to be up there. I'd looked at other apartment complexes around and close by, and I just knew that here was a better decision location wise."

Today, Keith says the move has completely changed how he experiences Newcastle.

"I enjoy living in this location because it's more of a lifestyle change. That Newcastle city living where you can walk to restaurants and bars and even beaches and parks and even shopping across the road."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356828]

Beyond the location, he says it's the sense of community that has surprised him most.

"Everyone loves living here because they chose to live here, but everyone looks out for each other. It's a real great community feel here."

For Aimee and Lyle Goodman, the journey started almost by chance.

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The couple happened to be having coffee in Newcastle when they noticed the site where One Apartments was about to begin construction.

"We were aware GWH was planning a development," Aimee says. "We made one phone call and things moved pretty quickly after that."

As busy business owners, they initially thought apartment living would simply reduce the maintenance that came with larger homes. Instead, it fundamentally changed how they spent time together.

"We actually catch up more as a family now," Aimee says.

"We've had homes with big yards and lots of space, but everyone ended up in different rooms. Here we'll have dinner together, the kids can play, and we spend far more quality time together."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356829]

Lyle says their confidence came from GWH's reputation within Newcastle's building industry.

"I know people who've worked across different apartment projects, and whenever GWH came up the feedback was always the same. They're rock solid. They're quality."

That confidence only grew throughout the buying process.

"One of the things that really impressed us with GWH was the whole process, was the communication," Lyle says. "It was consistent, it was regular, there was no problem if we had some weird questions, there was no problems in getting answers."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=351104]

Aimee says one moment stood out.

"The project actually finished on time. We realised we needed to hurry up and sell our house because everything was happening exactly when they said it would."

The positive experience at One Apartments ultimately gave all three buyers the confidence to purchase again with GWH, this time at ERA.

Their confidence reflects what many buyers are seeking in today's apartment market. Location remains important, but so too does certainty around delivery, quality and long-term liveability.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356822]

ERA builds on those foundations with 280 one, two and three-bedroom apartments across two landmark towers in <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/newcastle-west-nsw-2302">Newcastle West</a>.&nbsp;

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/fk-australia">Fender Katsalidis</a>, the project will include more than 2,000 square metres of resident amenities, including a resort-style pool, gym, sauna, private cinema and rooftop entertaining spaces overlooking the harbour and coastline.&nbsp;

The development is also within walking distance of the Newcastle Interchange, Honeysuckle, Darby Street, the harbour foreshore, restaurants, retail and the city’s beaches, continuing the walkable lifestyle that existing GWH buyers say has transformed how they live.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356826]

For Keith, the appeal remains straightforward.

"You feel at home even before you've moved into your home."

For Aimee, the change is measured in time.

“I just felt like I had more time,” she says.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=351102]

Construction at ERA is now underway, with more than half of the residences already sold and limited two and three-bedroom apartments remaining in the East Tower release. Priced from $980,000 for two-bedroom residences and $1.46 million for three-bedroom residences, buyers can secure an apartment with a 10 per cent deposit, with premium homes offering ocean views from Level 8 and harbour views from Level 10.

ERA is also backed by Resilience Insurance's 10-year Latent Defects Insurance policy, providing protection against structural or waterproofing defects for 10 years after completion. The project is anticipated to be completed in early 2028.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=135096]

Joel Robinson

From ONE to ERA: Why buyers are choosing GWH again in Newcastle West

Virgate Property Group is preparing to commence construction of Verdé, its new apartment development in Melbourne's Arts Precinct at Southbank, following a strong run of sales that has seen more than half of the project's 173 apartments secured.

Verdé has attracted a broad mix of first home buyers, owner-occupiers upgrading from nearby inner-city suburbs and investors, with younger owner-occupier couples aged between 28 and 45 accounting for the strongest enquiry. Many are already living in Southbank, South Melbourne, Albert Park, Port Melbourne, South Yarra and the CBD.

"Verdé is located in one of the most desirable pockets of southern Melbourne," Blair Property Group Director Darren Blair, who is managing sales at Verdé, said.

"It's within walking distance of the Arts Centre, Royal Botanic Gardens, Albert Park Lake, and Southbank's restaurants and retail. It's a great lifestyle location with strong amenity and liveability, which made it a very attractive choice for the project."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=4661 project_image_fid=372549]

Virgate was already familiar with the precinct, having previously delivered the successful Domain House development in neighbouring South Melbourne. That experience gave the developer confidence to acquire the Coventry Street site and continue expanding its presence in Melbourne's inner south.

"We had been keeping an eye on the site and the broader precinct for a few months before deciding to move forward with the acquisition," Virgate said.

The project was ultimately secured in 2020 following feasibility studies, planning assessments and due diligence, with the brief centred on delivering "a high-quality, considered design that feels both refined and fit for purpose."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=4661 project_image_fid=314259]

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/bruce-henderson-architects">Bruce Henderson Architects</a>, Verdé comprises 173 one, two and three-bedroom apartments priced from $599,000. The architecture is distinguished by a faceted glass façade that responds to both the site's outlook and Melbourne's changing light conditions.

According to Bruce Henderson Architects, the coloured glazing gives the building a distinctive identity while also providing privacy and solar shading, with residences oriented to capture views across the bay, city skyline and surrounding parklands.

Inside, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/interior-designers/designoffice">DesignOffice</a> has created interiors focused on natural light, efficient planning and enduring materials. Apartments feature engineered oak flooring, natural stone benchtops, floor-to-ceiling glazing and SMEG appliances, while a restrained material palette aims to complement the expansive outlooks rather than compete with them.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=4661 project_image_fid=372550]

Resident amenity has also been designed around everyday functionality rather than occasional use. Facilities include a concierge-serviced lobby, residents' lounge with fireplace, library and co-working space, gym, terrace garden with barbecue facilities, ground-floor café, and package delivery management.

The project's location continues to be one of its strongest drawcards. Positioned on Coventry Street, Verdé sits within walking distance of the National Gallery of Victoria, Arts Centre Melbourne, Royal Botanic Gardens and Albert Park Lake, while Southbank's dining precinct, Sturt Street trams and the new ANZAC Station are all nearby. The surrounding education catchment also includes Melbourne Grammar, Melbourne Girls Grammar, Mac.Robertson Girls' High School and several major university campuses.

The sales team says buyers have responded particularly well to the combination of location, design quality and long-term liveability.

"They're responding really positively to the quality of the design, premium resident amenities and the uninterrupted views. Many also appreciate the location and how connected it is to everything they need."

The ability to secure stamp duty savings before completion has also been a key factor for purchasers, alongside the opportunity to personalise finishes ahead of settlement.

With construction set to commence soon and more than half the apartments already sold, Verdé enters its next phase as one of the Arts Precinct's more established apartment developments, offering remaining buyers an opportunity to secure a residence before construction advances further. Expected completion is scheduled for late 2027.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=4661]

Virgate's Verdé Southbank moves toward construction as sales fly past halfway stage

Downsizer-focused apartment development Kooyongkoot in Hawthorn has been recognised at the 2026 Better Future Melbourne Design Awards, taking home Gold and Silver awards in two categories.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kooyongkoot-hawthorn-1-kooyongkoot-road-hawthorn-vic-3122">Kooyongkoot</a>, currently being delivered by developer PQD and designed by Cera Stribley, received Gold in the Interior Design – Proposed category and Silver in the Architecture – Proposed category.

The dual recognition reflects the design approach behind the boutique development on prestigious Kooyongkoot Road, where the focus has been on creating homes for downsizers seeking the space, quality and functionality of a detached house within a low-rise apartment building.

Rather than maximising apartment numbers, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/pqd">PQD</a> and <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cera-stribley-architects">Cera Stribley</a> limited the development to just 18 residences, allowing for larger floorplans, greater privacy, generous landscaping and expansive communal spaces.&nbsp;The majority of the apartments also benefit from corner aspects, allowing for dual sources of natural light.

Now around 70 per cent complete and on track for completion in November 2026, Kooyongkoot will comprise a mix of garden residences, ter​race apartments, sub-penthouses, and is crowned by two half-floor penthouses with direct lift access and private rooftop terraces.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=102717 project_image_fid=355297]

The Silver Award for Architecture recognised the way the building responds to its prominent corner position at the ent​rance to Hawthorn's Scotch Hill precinct, one of Melbourne's most established residential neighbourhoods.

Rather than competing with the grand homes that line Kooyongkoot Road, the architectural approach focused on restraint and longevity, using curved brickwork, generous landscaping and carefully considered proportions to integrate with the existing streetscape.

"The form feels fluid and timeless, as though shaped by the landscape itself – architecture that belongs, rather than competes," said Chris Stribley, Co-Founder and Managing Principal of Cera Stribley.

The judging submission also highlighted practical innovations throughout the building, including lift cores servicing only nine homes each, a central landscaped lightcourt designed to bring daylight and ventilation into the building, and fully enclosed private storage rooms with lighting, power and shelving to better accommodate residents transitioning from larger family homes.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=102717 project_image_fid=355293]

The Gold Award for Interior Design recognised the project's focus on long-term liveability rather than display-home aesthetics.

According to the awards submission, the interiors were designed from the inside out, prioritising how homes would function over decades of daily use through generous proportions, practical storage, durable natural materials and flexible layouts.

The specification includes natural stone throughout, upgraded acoustic glazing, V-ZUG appliances and fully enclosed storage rooms, alongside an amenity offering focused on wellness, entertainment and everyday convenience.&nbsp;

Residents will have access to a gym and yoga studio, a wellness centre featuring traditional and infrared saunas, a cold therapy shower and treatment room, as well as a residents' lounge and golf simulator/cinema room for entertainment.&nbsp;Kooyongkoot has also considered the everyday convenience of its residents by offering a private carwash and pet wash facilities on site as well as dedicated parcel lockers and oversized fully enclosed storage rooms.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=102717 project_image_fid=355303]

The project's attention to detail has already resonated with buyers. Earlier this year, Kooyongkoot recorded one of Boroondara's highest apartment sales when an $8 million penthouse was purchased by a Melbourne CEO downsizing from a nearby family home.

"Every detail feels deliberate, from the overall design down to the smallest touches," the purchaser said.

"The level of quality and refinement is exceptional, but what really sold it was how liveable it felt... It felt like a place where everything had been considered, not just a luxury building."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=102717 project_image_fid=355304]

Sustainability also formed a key part of both award submissions. Kooyongkoot is targeting a minimum 7.5-star NatHERS rating across all residences, supported by passive design principles, high-performance glazing, EV charging infrastructure, water reuse systems and a wellness model focused on lower-energy dry facilities rather than pools and large wet areas.

Located within walking distance of Scotch College, Methodist Ladies' College, Koo​yong Lawn Tennis Club, Aubur​n Village and Camberwell Junction, Kooyongkoot continues to target owner-occupiers looking to remain in Melbourne's inner east without compromising on space or quality. A limited selection of two, three and four-bedroom residences remains available, with prices starting from $1.9 million.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=102717]

Kooyongkoot wins Gold and Silver at Better Future Melbourne Design Awards

New apartment supply has become increasingly constrained across <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/parramatta-nsw-2150">Parramatta</a> in recent years, with fewer projects progressing through to completion as development conditions have become more challenging.

It makes <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/novm">NOVM</a>'s 2021-completed <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/the-lennox-parramatta-12-phillip-street-parramatta-nsw-2150">The Lennox</a> one of the most recently completed residential towers on the Parramatta River, and among the newest apartment developments in Sydney's second CBD.

With the project largely completed before the sharp escalation in construction costs and inflation following the pandemic, The Lennox is now offering pricing that would be difficult to replicate in a comparable new development in Parramatta today, or across much of Western Sydney.

The majority of the 413 apartments at The Lennox sold before and shortly after completion. A limited release of the remaining apartments has recently been brought to market by capital partner <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/project-marketer/equitifund-group">Equitifund</a>, with entry-level pricing from $700,000 and two-bedroom apartments available from under $1 million.

Rising above the Parramatta River at 12 Phillip Street, The Lennox comprises one, two, three and four-bedroom apartments, appealing to first home buyers, young professionals, families, downsizers and interstate investors seeking a completed apartment in one of Australia's fastest-growing economic centres.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=5743 project_image_fid=372394]

Rather than positioning Parramatta as an alternative to Sydney's CBD, Equitifund believes the city has reached a point where it stands on its own merits.

"Parramatta is no longer simply an alternative to Sydney CBD, it's becoming a destination in its own right," Equitifund Executive Chairman Greg Huxley said.

"The Lennox captures that evolution with a level of quality and amenity that's difficult to match at its price point."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=5743 project_image_fid=953]

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/marchese-partners">Marchese Partners</a>, the tower responds directly to its riverfront setting through expansive glazing and open-plan layouts that maximise views across the Parramatta River and city skyline. Interiors feature engineered timber flooring, stone benchtops, stainless steel appliances and floor-to-ceiling glazing, while generous balconies extend the living spaces outdoors.

Marchese Partners says the project was conceived to balance high-quality apartment living with practical, long-term functionality, pairing larger, efficient floorplans with amenities more commonly associated with five-star hotels.

That emphasis continues through the resident facilities, which include a 20-metre rooftop swimming pool, fully equipped gym and wellness spaces, full-time concierge, a residents' lounge, function room, private lifts, secure basement parking and rooftop communal areas overlooking the Parramatta River. Ground-floor boardwalk retail and dining further activate the riverfront and integrate the building into the surrounding public realm.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=5743 project_image_fid=925]

Australian housing and finance group Equitifund has secured the remaining apartments, believing there are few completed apartment opportunities in Parramatta that offer the same combination of location, amenity and pricing.

Equitifund National Sales Director Ben Hamblett says buyers are increasingly recognising that premium apartment living no longer needs to come with Sydney CBD pricing.

"The Lennox is where aspirational living becomes attainable," Hamblett said.

"Wake to river and mountain views, step into Sydney's Second CBD, and arrive home to resort-calibre amenities, all without the harbour price tag."

Hamblett says owner-occupiers are also attracted by the convenience of having Westfield Parramatta, Church Street's dining precinct, Parramatta Park, Riverside Theatres, Western Sydney University and major transport connections all within walking distance.

"At The Lennox, lifestyle is not an afterthought, it is the foundation."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=5743 project_image_fid=5374]

The Lennox places residents within walking distance of Parramatta Square, Westfield Parramatta, Church Street Eat Street, Parramatta Station, the ferry wharf, Light Rail, the future Sydney Metro West, Parramatta Park and CommBank Stadium, reinforcing Parramatta's position as one of Australia's most connected metropolitan centres outside Sydney's CBD.

Equitifund says buyers visiting the display suite consistently comment on the quality of the finishes, generous floorplans, river and skyline views, and the walkability of the location. The project has attracted a broad mix of local professionals, upsizers, downsizers, buyers relocating from Sydney's inner suburbs and interstate investors seeking long-term growth opportunities.

That demand aligns with Parramatta's continued evolution as an economic powerhouse. Equitifund Research and Market Insights specialist John Bekiaris says sustained population growth, infrastructure investment and expanding employment opportunities continue to support long-term housing demand across the city.

"Parramatta has evolved from a satellite city into one of Australia's most important economic centres. Population growth, infrastructure investment and employment are all supporting sustained long-term housing demand."

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=5743]

The apartment price gap drawing Sydney buyers west

A luxury beachfront apartment at Rainbow Bay has more than doubled in value since it sold off the plan six years ago, setting a new local apartment record in the process.

The three-bedroom apartment in the Flow development on Petrie Street, the first of four new projects locally by Paul Gedoun's S&amp;S Projects, has sold for $7.4 million, after originally selling for $3.27 million when the project launched in 2020.

The seventh-floor apartment, comprising 187 sqm of internal living space and a 54 sqm balcony overlooking Froggies Beach and Snapper Rocks, was purchased by a local family.

The transaction was negotiated by Pezet Matheson director Kerry Pezet and equates to more than $30,000 per sqm.

Pezet said the sale reflected the limited opportunities to buy into the boutique beachfront development.

"The sale highlights the rarity of opportunities within the boutique beachfront development, where residences seldom become available," Pezet said.

"Flow is one of the Gold Coast's most tightly held buildings. Buyers from our database move quickly when residences become available, and achieving an off-market sale at $7.4 million demonstrates the depth of demand for property of this calibre."

<img alt="Flow" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c585b206-2130-4eee-a50c-3f27c51a7c70" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-06%20at%208.33.25%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=m3pHRDV62Y3fvN.XQuQHq.52ilTWpRLf" />

Flow was the first of four luxury apartment developments delivered by Paul Gedoun's S&amp;S Projects at Rainbow Bay and was completed in 2023.

Positioned on the beachfront overlooking Snapper Rocks, the residence includes three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a powder room and views stretching north along the coastline towards Surfers Paradise.

Pezet Matheson Residential principal Mitchell Lambert said buyers continued to prioritise quality beachfront apartments in tightly held locations.

"Flow Residences offers a rare combination of elevated beachfront positioning, architectural excellence, comprehensive resident amenity and premium finishes, which is exactly what discerning purchasers are seeking," Lambert said.

"The transaction further reinforces Rainbow Bay's reputation as one of Australia's premier coastal lifestyle destinations, where limited supply and growing demand continue to support strong market performance."

Pezet Matheson originally marketed and sold out Flow off the plan, making the latest transaction a return to one of the project's original buyers.

Paul Gedoun is selling his third project, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/radia-rainbow-bay-271-boundary-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Radia Rainbow Bay</a>, after recently completing, and selling out, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/esprit-217-227-boundary-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Esprit</a>. He has plans for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/qld/first-look-s-s-projects-proposes-88-apartment-wellness-tower-at-coolangattas-boundary-street">fourth building</a>, 88 apartments on <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/209-213-boundary-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Boundary Street</a>.

Rainbow Bay apartment doubles in price since off the plan sale during pandemic

Design

<html><body>
One of Cronulla’s most admired homes, which topped out on a $4.2 million unsuccessful bid at its early 2014 auction, has been sold for $4.3 million to Shane Noble, the boss at Green's Foods.
The vendor builder Tony Bittar wanted $4.5 million for the ever futuristic Apollo Gate, an icon of the Sutherland Shire's waterfronts since the 1970s.
Nicknamed the <a href="/news">Cronulla</a> spaceship house, or the White House, it has a reputation that dates back to its completion, with its Reuben Lane design motivated by spiritual and architectural links to Mediterranean villages and with whitewashed buildings clinging to the coastlines.
It first changed hands for $185,000 in 1978 when sold by the Breen family who owned the Metropolitan Sand Company at Cronulla.
It featured in NSW Builder magazine, the official journal of the Master Builders' Association, in May 1975 (pictured below). It was built by CH &amp; CR Ellis with spiralling western red cedar ceiling.
<img src="/images/stories/2013/05/cronullamay3one.jpg" alt="cronullamay3one" width="470" height="391">
<img src="/images/stories/2013/05/cronullamay3two.jpg" alt="cronullamay3two" width="470" height="323">
<img src="/images/stories/2013/05/cronullamay3three.jpg" alt="cronullamay3three" width="470" height="343">
Source: NSW Builder, May 1975. 
Reuben Lane, who died in 2012, was inspired by the work of his mentor Oscar Niemeyer, the architect of the capital city of Brazil, Brasilia.
The property was marketed as a "one-off". 
The Cowra Place, Cronulla property had been renovated extensively since sold at $3.2 million in May 2013. 
It offers five bedrooms plus study, a double garage and two car spaces and guest quarters. There's an atrium lounge, an internal spa, and landscaped gardens. Its four bathrooms’ original tiles are sourced from the same suppliers as the Sydney Opera House.
The house, on a double block at the end of a cul-de-sac that overlooks Salmon Haul Bay, just inside the mouth of Port Hacking, sold through new agents, Highland Property Agents.
Shane Healy sold elsewhere in Cronulla for $2.45 million late last year.
</body></html>

jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Oscar Niemeyer-inspired Apollo Gate, Cronulla sells

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Guest observation
Dozens of homes and outbuildings have been destroyed in bushfires that have <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-06/adelaide-hills-bushfire-temperatures-rise-crews-flight-blaze/6001568">ravaged parts of South Australia</a> reminding us again how poorly adapted we are to bushfire prone landscapes.
With 15 years experience in design and planning to mitigate bushfire risk I have found that the two main barrier to affordable bushfire-responsive housing are:
<ol>
<li>misinformation on the cost of building in bushfire prone areas</li>
<li>difficulties delivering an holistic design approach that integrates buildings and their landscapes in one risk mitigation/dwelling environment.</li>
</ol>
Misinformation on cost
There is a growing public perception that building to the Australian Standard for construction in a bushfire-prone area – <a href="https://infostore.saiglobal.com/store/Details.aspx?ProductID=1101539">AS 3959:2009</a> – is unaffordable.
This can be attributed to published construction cost premiums applied to each of the six bushfire attack levels (BAL) outlined in AS 3959, from BAL-Low, BAL-12.5, BAL-19, BAL-29, BAL-40 to BAL-FZ (Flame Zone). The source of these costings is the Australian Building Codes Board’s <a href="https://www.abcb.gov.au/~/media/Files/Download%20Documents/Archived/Consultation/Bushfire%20Construction%20Final%20Decision%20RIS.ashx">Regulatory Impact Statement</a> for AS 3959:2009.
This costing matrix, which has been represented on various state and local government websites around Australia such as <a href="https://www.swan.wa.gov.au/Our_City/Have_Your_Say/Bushfire_Amendment_Amendment_No_99/Bushfire_Amendment_FAQs">City of Swan</a>, in Western Australia, puts the extra cost of complying to the standards as up to A$20,885 for a “base home”.
These premiums have been derived from simplistic calculations where, for example, fibreglass fly screen mesh is upgraded to stainless steel ember mesh, or float glass is replaced with toughened safety glass.
The problem with this costing approach is that it assumes as a given, generic base house styles such as weatherboard construction and elevated lightweight construction. Elements are then substituted or added, such as the addition of bushfire shutters over conventional windows.
It is a very rudimentary costing exercise to take a generic home type and then substitute elements and ignores factors that contribute significantly to costs when building in bushfire prone areas.
Often the greatest contributor to cost is not the bushfire standards but the national energy rating requirements. This is because bushfire prone areas are both quite cold in winter and very hot in summer.
In these climate zones you need a building with mass – such as masonry – but also an open building with sufficient glazing to capture the winter sun and openings for natural cross ventilation.
The constraint against integrated design
Good design is about cross purposing – achieving more with less. So what designers should be looking for here are opportunities to integrate the otherwise disparate aspects of topography, thermal mass, radiant heat protection, insect control, flame contact, thermal comfort, sun shading, site access and escape into one holistic design.
One very practical example of this design approach is to eliminate veranda overhangs and eaves – which are proven weak links in bushfires – and replace these with perforated metal retractable shutters over windows.
<a href="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/68323/area14mp/image-20150106-18604-1xxtduw.jpg"><img src="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/68323/width668/image-20150106-18604-1xxtduw.jpg" alt=""></a> A house the author designed with the perforated shutters to protect against bushfires, built to BAL-29. Andrew Halsall, Author provided
These shutters then control the sun, insects, glare and wind as well as embers and radiant heat. Our research has found that this delivers a significant cost saving, but importantly, the bushfire risk mitigation device is used on a daily basis rather than once in an emergency. That is, it is integrated into the daily life of the home – it is not a rarely used add-on.
Standards and planning
What further impedes the integrated design approach is a disconnect between AS 3959 and the bushfire-specific site planning regulations of our state and local governments.
For example, there is no provision in AS 3959 for the design of escape routes from dwellings.
More concerning is that there is usually no requirement to apply this building standard at all unless the site has first been formally declared as a Designated Bushfire Prone Area. WA is about to declare all areas within 100 metres of bushland that is greater than 1 ha in area as bushfire prone.
Once declared, it is virtually impossible to mandate the application of the standard to existing dwellings via retrofitting. So we can have the now not uncommon situation where a well designed bushfire responsive house has a neighbouring property with a fire prone timber bungalow.
The False-Sense-of-Security myth
Perhaps the greatest constraint to the integrated design approach is the reticence of fire authorities and local governments across the country, to support the two highest levels of bushfire design BAL-40 and BAL-FZ.
The perception here is that for home owners to build to these levels would create a false sense of security, placing them in unexpectedly high levels of danger.
The reality is that every level of BAL represents the same level of risk – the lower the BAL the greater the distance between a dwelling and the bushfire prone vegetation. The higher the BAL the closer that vegetation can be to that dwelling.
But agencies encourage the building of conventional houses with low to mid-range BAL level features – no higher than BAL-29 – and then expect the homeowner to actively manage the vegetation hazard.
The problem that we see every fire season is that these active measures are frequently not carried out despite the many annual warnings for home owners to be prepared for bushfires.
For the fire authorities to promote this approach is somewhat paradoxical because the first principle of risk mitigation is to prioritise passive protection (such as building better bushfire protection) over active measures (keeping hazard vegetation cleared). Compared to permanent building features, landscapes are highly dynamic and far less dependable.
The reticence within agencies to promote better design reflects misconceptions about costs of implementing the building standard and the underlying risk mitigation principle.
An integrated approach places emphasis on active vegetation management where this can be practically achieved and building design solutions that deal with the many aspects associated with living in bushfire prone areas.
Only then will we start to see a reduction in the number of homes and properties destroyed when bushfires strike again.
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/35899/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ian-weir-130364">Ian Weir</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/queensland-university-of-technology">Queensland University of Technology</a>
This article was originally published on <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-can-build-homes-to-survive-bushfires-so-why-dont-we-35899">original article</a>.
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We can build homes to survive bushfires, so why don't we?

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Several Australian cities, such as <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-01/south-australia-to-swelter-as-heat-spell-looms/5995690" target="_blank" style="font-family: Tahoma, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.3em;">Adelaide</a> and <a href="https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/heat-warning-as-temperatures-in-perth-forecast-to-soar-to-41c/story-fnhocxo3-1227174069845?nk=c20318fc5326e96c7db65d276cba3cb3" target="_blank" style="font-family: Tahoma, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.3em;">Perth</a>, have greeted 2015 with scorching weather as summer hits its stride – the kind of conditions that leave us crying out for an air conditioner, rather than dreaming of barbeques and beach trips.
Yet new research shows that Australians could end up feeling even hotter than expected over the next few decades, as changing weather conditions make climate change feel even more severe than it is. That’s bad news for Sydney and Brisbane, where sweltering humidity is set to rise.
In contrast, freshening summer winds in Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne could grant residents some relief by mitigating the apparent effects of rising temperatures. The mercury will still rise, but perhaps it won’t feel quite as sweltering as we would expect.
Feeling the heat
Days upon days of extreme heat make us feel irritable, uncomfortable and, in the worst cases, unable to cool down at all. Stifling conditions during the day, with no relief at night, place <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-heat-can-make-your-body-melt-down-from-the-inside-out-22042" target="_blank">physical stress on our bodies</a>. During heatwaves, vulnerable citizens such as the elderly, young children and the physically ill have a higher risk of adverse health effects. In some cases the stress can become too much, resulting in death.
In January 2009, a week before the devastating Black Saturday bushfires, <a href="https://docs.health.vic.gov.au/docs/doc/F7EEA4050981101ACA257AD80074AE8B/%24FILE/heat_health_impact_rpt_Vic2009.pdf" target="_blank">374 people</a> lost their lives as a result of heat-related stress during a three-day record heatwave in Melbourne. This was more than twice the number that died during the fires. Despite the implementation of <a href="https://docs.health.vic.gov.au/docs/doc/479050E85C879831CA257D8C0015FD87/%24FILE/Heat%20health%20alert%20system_guidance%202014%20-%202015.pdf" target="_blank">heatwave alert systems</a> in some Australian cities, many people are still vulnerable. An estimated <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-10-13/january-victorian-heatwave-deaths-up-24-per-cent/5810176" target="_blank">167 people</a> lost their lives during Melbourne’s heatwave in January 2014.
Keep your cool
The human body’s ability to withstand heat stress depends on being able to shed excess heat, often through sweating, to keep our core temperature at an optimal 37C. Very warm outdoor temperatures, or excessive exposure to the sun, heat our bodies. However, shedding that heat depends not only on the surrounding air temperature, but also on factors such as humidity and wind speed, both of which affect our ability to sweat effectively.
This can mean that the heat we think we feel is not necessarily the same as the air temperature we measure. That’s why a 35C day in Brisbane can feel so much worse than a 35C day in Melbourne!
Taking account of these factors allows meteorologists to predict what the weather conditions will “feel like” to an average person. For example, the Bureau of Meteorology uses a measure called the <a href="https://www.bom.gov.au/info/thermal_stress/" target="_blank">apparent temperature</a>. Measuring weather conditions in this way provides a better idea of when conditions are dangerous to health, so that appropriate warnings can be issued.
This article continues on the next page. Please click below.
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Which cities will fare the best?
Many recent studies show that <a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-council-heatwaves-are-getting-hotter-and-more-frequent-23253" target="_blank">extreme heat is increasing</a> around Australia, <a href="https://theconversation.com/human-hands-are-all-over-australias-hottest-ever-year-32267" target="_blank">mostly as a result of human-induced climate change</a>. But are we actually feeling any hotter? <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921818113001343">Recent work</a> by one of us (S.J.) showed that alongside the increase in air temperature, the apparent temperature (how we feel), has also changed across Australia.
In Sydney and Brisbane, the apparent temperature has increased by 1C since the 1950s, but the actual temperature has only increased by 0.5C. This means that what felt like 29C in the 1950s now feels like over 30C, on average. This is because the humidity has increased and it is slightly less windy on average in both locations. These muggier conditions make the weather feel hotter, as the body is unable to shed excess heat as effectively.
Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne fared better. Although, on average, it is nearly 1C warmer now than in the 1950s, people in these cities may not actually feel warmer. This is because it is also typically windier, so sweat can evaporate more effectively when it is hot, making us feel cooler than the real temperature suggests.
The largest trends in apparent temperature were found in Western Australia, with the Pilbara and the Wheatbelt hit hardest. In these regions, what felt like 38C in the late 1970s now feels like 41C, on average, potentially increasing the risk of heat stress to miners and farmers alike.
It’s getting hot in here
In the future, Australian heatwaves will likely become <a href="https://theconversation.com/more-angry-more-often-march-heatwave-signals-a-new-normal-13068" target="_blank">hotter, longer and more frequent</a> as the climate changes. But what are the consequences for the risk of heat stress?
Future changes in apparent temperature are somewhat uncertain. While we are confident of the forthcoming increases in temperature, we are less certain about how humidity and wind will change. Regardless, the data suggest that apparent temperatures will increase in most Australian regions – so wherever you are, it’s likely you’ll feel the rise in temperatures.
But the speed of the perceived warming is also important if humans are to adapt. If things get too hot to handle too quickly, communities will have little time to adjust, resulting in a dangerous situation for health.
The largest changes will be in Australia’s southeast, where climate models suggest that for the millions of people in Melbourne and Sydney, future summers will feel like they are warming even faster than the real temperature suggests, because of an increase in humid days. Residents in these cities will therefore be at a higher risk of heat stress when a heatwave strikes.
Meanwhile, in the southwest, Perth’s drying climate will act to slow the rate of perceived warming, enabling residents to adapt more easily to the new conditions.
Human-induced climate change is happening and we are already starting to feel the effects. Coping with the infamous Australian summer is already difficult, but in the future it might become even more stressful for some.
Stephanie Jacobs is a PhD candidate at Monash University.
Ailie Gallant is a ARC DECRA Fellow, School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment at Monash University.
This article was originally published on <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" style="line-height: 1.3em;">The Conversation</a>.
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Bad luck, Brisbane: muggy cities will feel future heat even more

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Some of the world's best urban planners, academics and policy makers are in Sydney to discuss the future of Sydney's Bays Precinct with community representatives.
The public land on Sydney's inner harbour is four times as large as Barangaroo.
Among the experts in attendance is Dutch urban planner Riek Bakker, who told the summit today that trust was central to the development of any city.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://twitter.com/emfarrelly/status/535220408841437187" target="_blank"><img src="/images/2014/11/20/tweet-nov-20-one.jpg" alt=""></a>
Her comments, noted by writer and architecture critic Elizabeth Farrelly, were made two days after State Treasurer Andrew Constance said 16,000 dwellings were expected for the site.
The government has since backed away Constance's statement, with Planning Minister Pru Goward saying the government never set a 16,000-residence target.
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jrichardson-uRX5hFdKfN

Tweet of the day: Riek Bakker at the Bays Precinct International Summit

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Heatwaves — Australia’s <a href="https://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/natural-disasters" target="_blank">biggest natural killers</a> — are getting <a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-council-heatwaves-are-getting-hotter-and-more-frequent-23253" target="_blank">more frequent and hotter</a> thanks to climate change. One day cities such as Melbourne may see unprecedented heat, perhaps 48C or higher.
But our research shows that smart urban design can create refuges in cities that could feel more than 10C cooler, and without increasing energy use.
Recently the Victorian Auditor-General released a report that found Victoria is not adequately prepared to deal with <a href="https://www.audit.vic.gov.au/reports_and_publications/latest_reports/2014-15/20141014-heatwave-management.aspx" target="_blank">heat disasters</a>.
While this report focused on the ability of our services to respond to and communicate about extreme heat events, it also raises an important question: how do we better prepare our cities for <a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-council-heatwaves-are-getting-hotter-and-more-frequent-23253" target="_blank">more frequent and hotter</a> heat waves?
<h3>Record-breaking heat</h3>
In Australia, 2013 was the <a href="https://theconversation.com/human-hands-are-all-over-australias-hottest-ever-year-32267">hottest year on record</a>. Globally, 2014 is on course to <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/2014-on-track-to-be-hottest-year-on-record/" target="_blank">break records again</a>.
With increasing predicted temperatures and the impact of the urban heat island effect (where urban space is much hotter than surrounding areas) to consider, there is increasing pressure on Australian cities to support the health of their populations during extreme heat events.
In Victoria, statistics show that the last two heat waves, in 2009 and 2014, caused as many as <a href="https://www.audit.vic.gov.au/publications/20141014-Heatwave-Management/20141014-Heatwave-Management.pdf" target="_blank">500 deaths</a>. (see also <a href="https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/uploads/9901f6614a2cac7b2b888f55b4dff9cc.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>). This figure is set to <a href="https://www.climatechange.gov.au/climate-change/climate-science/climate-change-impacts/victoria">quadruple between now and 2050</a> (see also <a href="https://www.bom.gov.au/state-of-the-climate/" target="_blank">here</a>)
Whilst it’s important to make sure our emergency services are able to cope in the best way possible, this is a reactive response that will help manage crisis situations. Reinforcing the electricity grid to make sure that outages are minimised is also valuable.
However, proactively dealing with mitigation of extreme heat can take the pressure off services, minimise expense and most importantly, reduce heat stress.
<h3>How do we mitigate extreme heat?</h3>
There is an important body of work on reducing the urban heat island effect, particularly through urban greening infrastructure and building performance. A notable example of green infrastructure is the <a href="https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/Sustainability/UrbanForest/Documents/Urban_Forest_Strategy.pdf" target="_blank">Melbourne Urban Forest Strategy</a>.
Urban forests have been found to be very effective methods for city heat mitigation. However, vegetation takes a long time to grow and may not be as appropriate in every part of a city, so we need a greater diversity of solutions.
It is important to design at the street level scale: particularly in those places used the most. The spaces between buildings are necessary to urban functionality and where people spend most outdoor time.
A recent study in Sydney found that streetscapes have <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/jsd/article/viewFile/35128/20347" target="_blank">higher minimum temperatures than rooftops</a> indicating the importance of cooling this highly used part of the city. Streets, train stations, even car parks can be designed to contribute towards much cooler experiences.
<h3>Keeping cool on the streets</h3>
Research on urban microclimates from around the world has shown that we can control the thermal comfort of smaller spaces, <a href="https://www.vcccar.org.au/sites/default/files/publications/VCCCAR%20Green%20Infrastructure%20Guide%20Final.pdf" target="_blank">without using more energy</a> (see also <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S096014811400336X">here</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169204613002399">here</a>). This is not just about reducing the absolute temperature, it’s also about making people feel comfortable.
The experience of temperature is controlled by both personal and environmental factors. Combinations of air temperature, wind, humidity and radiated heat will change the feeling, or <a href="https://www.bom.gov.au/info/thermal_stress/index.shtml" target="_blank">apparent temperature</a>, of the weather.
We can create spaces with optimum comfort levels through a combination of shading, reduced heat build up in materials, humidity and wind management. Rather than trying to change the temperature of the whole city, we can provide heat refuges at street level to make the city more functional on hot days.
We know that a comprehensive toolkit is needed to understand how we can cool the city in different places. Trees and greening are important but aren’t practical everywhere, and certainly not when they are used in isolation.
Designs that also include redirecting wind, controlling humidity and water and that consider thermal qualities of materials are necessary. There are also further opportunities for enhanced cooling that use virtually no energy.
For example, geothermal cooling (where wind is tunnelled underground and cooled by the earth) and misting are two tools that can actively reinforce cool space within cities.
This article continues on the next page. Please click below.
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<h3>A winning design</h3>
In a recent <a href="https://moorabbinjunction.com.au/tag/street-14-2/">Street14 ideas competition</a> run by the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects and Kingston City council we tested these design ideas on a site in the Melbourne suburb of Moorabbin. Our entry won Best Urban Tactic.
Our research using on site temperature and humidity sensors revealed temperature differences of up to 10C across a small urban block. In addition, whilst exposed sites were the hottest, they were also often the quickest to cool off.
This gives us big clues into designing urban spaces for use across a whole day, where it’s important to minimise heat build-up but also to encourage rapid heat loss.
Key to this idea of designing microclimates is designing responses to the local conditions.
In Moorabbin, having the sensors on site was important because it meant we weren’t designing using generalised ideas, but instead able to work with the specific events on site.
<h3>Global movement</h3>
This kind of work on design with atmospheric conditions is beginning to be explored in cities around the world.
Examples include climate engineers <a href="https://www.transsolar.com/" target="_blank">Transsolar</a>, who were instrumental in demonstrating that Qatar’s 2022 World Cup bid was viable, showing how well designed stadia could mitigate the extreme temperatures of a <a href="https://www.transsolar.com/blog/design-for-outdoor-comfort/index" target="_blank">Qatar summer</a> (see also <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/wolfgang_kessling_how_to_air_condition_outdoor_spaces" target="_blank">here</a>).
In Taiwan construction is underway on the <a href="/news">Jade Eco Park</a>, a climatically controlled park that works to vary temperature, humidity and to provide clean air within microclimates to counter or enhance <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDr-6UtlUu8" target="_blank">local climactic conditions</a>.
Australian cities, with very particular weather conditions, need responsive design solutions that work with those kinds of factors.
For example, Melbourne’s very dry summers are more suited to cooling tactics that involve evaporation than other more humid capital cities.
Urban design can create spaces of heat refuge at street level within cities. Tram stops, train stations and streets that need to be used even during the most extreme heatwave are places that can be cooled.
If we can drop the temperature of these spaces by even a few degrees, we can <a href="https://wiki.csiro.au/download/attachments/442597561/Thursday%20Chen_1140Th.pdf?version=1&amp;modificationDate=1334212028180&amp;api=v2" target="_blank">save lives</a>.
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/33246/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">Joseph Barrins is senior tutor in environments at University of Melbourne.
Wendy Walls is a PhD candidate at University of Melbourne.
Wendy Walls received prize money from the Street14 ideas competition. She is the recipient of the David Yencken scholarship in Landscape Architecture.
This article was originally published on <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.
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Smart urban design could save lives in future heatwaves

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While many are now familiar with the crumpled paper bag façade of the University of Technology Sydney's new Frank Gehry-designed building, the glass-clad side has been widely ignored.
UTS academic and journalist Jenna Price has tweeted a picture of the Dr Chau Chak Wing building, presumably taken from one of the upper floors of the UTS Tower.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://twitter.com/JennaPrice/status/534142290336309248" target="_blank"><img src="/images/2014/11/17/tweet-nov-17-one.jpg" alt=""></a>
The university revealed the recently completed building's interiors <a href="/news/nsw/uts-opens-frank-gehrys-paper-bag">last week</a>, and are set to officially open up the brown paper bag with Gehry next year.
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Tweet of the day: Gehry from above

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Australia’s policies to cut greenhouse emissions have been shrouded in uncertainty over the past few months. The contentious <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/renewable-energy-target-review" target="_blank">Renewable Energy Target review</a> and the swapping of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/search?q=carbon+tax+repeal" target="_blank">carbon price</a> for <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/direct-action-plan" target="_blank">Direct Action</a> have garnered most of the headlines. But another policy, which has quietly been cutting emissions for the past four years, is now also under scrutiny.
The <a href="https://www.cbd.gov.au">Commercial Building Disclosure</a> (CBD) program is the latest federal environmental policy to be placed under review. The scheme encourages energy efficiency by requiring owners to detail whether their buildings are high or low energy users. It has strong support in both industry and <a href="https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22chamber%2Fhansardr%2Fa275472e-b699-46e7-ac29-bcf2fb8ee942%2F0165%22" target="_blank">politics</a>.
The review creates uncertainty about the future of a proven program which has been effective in improving energy efficiency.
The introduction of the CBD program in 2010 radically improved the visibility of building energy consumption and operating costs to prospective owners and tenants. This has created an effective market-based incentive to improve energy efficiency, without significant regulatory involvement or administrative overheads.
Improving the energy efficiency of existing buildings is one of the quickest, easiest and cheapest ways to cut greenhouse emissions. Some 85% of Australia’s buildings were built before energy-efficiency regulations were introduced, and turnover is slow: just 1-3% of buildings are replaced each year. Commercial buildings account for about 10% of Australia’s greenhouse emissions.
Cutting emissions saves money as well. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change <a href="https://report.mitigation2014.org/drafts/final-draft-postplenary/ipcc_wg3_ar5_final-draft_postplenary_chapter9.pdf" target="_blank">reports that</a> cutting emissions in the building sector by 30% would have net economic benefits. In Australia, commercial building retrofitting is among the most economically attractive ways to reduce emissions.
How does the CBD program work?
The CBD program, also known as “mandatory disclosure”, encourages commercial building managers to drive emissions down. The scheme requires the disclosure of energy efficiency information on a building whenever a commercial office space larger than 2,000 square metres is offered for sale or lease. This includes giving the building a star rating (under a scheme called <a href="https://www.nabers.gov.au/public/WebPages/ContentStandard.aspx?module=10&amp;template=3&amp;id=5&amp;include=HowNabersWorks.htm&amp;side=factsheets.htm" target="_blank">NABERS</a>), detailing the efficiency of its lighting, and making recommendations for further improvements.
<img src="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/64431/width668/vpfdgmzy-1415838189.jpg" alt="">
Example of the signage required for compliance with CBD obligations Australian Government Department of Industry
This empowers potential tenants or buyers to choose more efficient buildings, and thus creates market pressure for owners to improve their energy efficiency. Since the announcement of the program, the average star rating <a href="https://cbd.gov.au/files/files//IPD-Department%20Of%20Industry%20NABERS%20Energy%20Office%20Market%20Analysis%20Q4%202013.pdf" target="_blank">has jumped</a> from 3.3 to 4.1, while the amount of floor area covered by the NABERS rating scheme has almost doubled.
Individual buildings rated more than once whilst CBD has been in operation have <a href="https://www.nabers.gov.au/AnnualReport/2010-14-cbd-statistics" target="_blank">reduced their energy</a> use by an average of 8.6%. This would deliver an almost 1% reduction in Australia’s total greenhouse emissions if implemented across the entire commercial building stock.
The program has been particularly effective at targeting smaller, poorer-performing buildings, in contrast to flagship office buildings where being green is already a key consideration. Compared with <a href="https://www.nabers.gov.au/AnnualReport/index" target="_blank">other schemes</a> targeting this sector the market-based CBD program has been a huge success.
This article continues on the next page. Please click below.
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So why review the scheme?
The CBD program has <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.thefifthestate.com.au/politics/government/cbd-program-up-for-review-and-axing/67608" target="_blank">strong support</a> from both the property and sustainability industries, including the companies that work to retrofit old buildings. The Green Building Council of Australia has <a href="https://www.gbca.org.au/uploads/180/35252/GBCA%20Pre-Budget%20submission%20to%202014-15%20Federal%20Budget%20FINAL%20310114.pdf" target="_blank">singled out the scheme</a> as playing an important role in raising awareness and setting minimum standards for energy efficiency.
The <a href="https://cbd.gov.au/overview-of-the-program/cbd-review-201415/terms-of-reference" target="_blank">review</a> will be carried out by ACIL Allen, the company that also provided modelling for the controversia<a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/renewable-energy-target" target="_blank">l Renewable Energy Target Review</a>. It will advise on whether the scheme should continue or be scrapped, but will also be free to make broader recommendations that it be broadened out to include smaller buildings or non-commercial properties. This wide remit has <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.thefifthestate.com.au/business/trends/behind-the-lines-in-energy-efficiency-land/68141" target="_blank">already been blamed</a> for creating damaging uncertainty in the energy-efficiency industry.
Meanwhile, the federal government has outlined a method for <a href="https://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/pages/a6d1ee7d-2e4d-42b2-b9c8-43a5564c2302/files/commercial-buildings-determination.pdf" target="_blank">including commercial building emissions reductions in the Carbon Farming Initiative</a>, as part of the newly approved Direct Action plan. The proposed method uses the NABERS star rating of a building as a measure of energy consumption.
In some ways the CBD program would be a natural fit with the proposed method. A building owner required to get a star rating under mandatory disclosure could potentially then bid for Direct Action funding to improve it. But Direct Action, which is focused primarily on large projects, requires bidders to achieve minimum emissions reductions of 2,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year – 10 times larger than the level <a href="https://www.environment.gov.au/submissions/emissions-reduction/green-paper/263-property-council-of-australia.pdf" target="_blank">advocated for</a> by the Property Council of Australia.
This means that an average commercial building attempting to cut its energy use by a very ambitious 30% would need to have a floor area of at least 18,000 sq m to be eligible for Direct Action. This would exclude almost 80% of office buildings, unless the savings from various different buildings were lumped together to form a bigger project.
It seems unlikely that the CBD program will be entirely scrapped, particularly as it has proved to be effective in cutting emissions without direct government subsidies. Its alignment with Direct Action plan also further strengthens the case for the CBD to be retained in its current form.
But there’s a danger that the large minimum emissions reductions required for Direct Action funding and ongoing policy uncertainty will act as barriers to efficiency improvements being made in much of the commercial building sector.
Daniel Daly is a PhD candidate at the Sustainable Buildings Research Centre at University of Wollongong. He is a current member of The Greens.
Paul Cooper is professor and director of the Sustainable Buildings Research Centre (SBRC) at University of Wollongong.
This article was originally published on <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.
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Green building scheme review adds yet more policy uncertainty

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The University of Technology Tower now has some competition for the most talked about building on campus.
But while brutalist tower usually illicits complaints, the university is hoping the reception for the new Frank Gehry designed Dr Chau Chak Wing building is more positive.
Construction of the building has now finished ahead of its official launch in February next year, with media touring the building yesterday.
The building's undulating brick façade, punctuated by protruding rectangular windows, was made with 320,000 custom, <a href="/news/frank-gehrys-sydney-uts-building-bricks-exposed-buff-brown-or-crushed-paper-bag">hand laid bricks</a> from Bowral. While a bricklayer might usually lay up to 600 bricks a day, one brickie working on the project told the ABC the unique façade slowed progress down to as few as 70 bricks a day. Construction took four years.
Professor Shirley Alexander, deputy vice-chancellor, Education and Students, at UTS, said the building reflected Australia's future.
"Australia can no longer compete on the cost of labour; we have to compete on the quality of labour and that's what these buildings are all about," said Alexander.
The interiors, designed before the building's distinctive crumpled exterior, comprise a number  learning, work and social spaces, including a café. The lower floors are each divided into six areas, with the folding façade designed to allow the maximum amount of natural sunlight to penetrate the interiors.
{qtube vid:=MF8QdHIjFKs}
Video: University of Technology, Sydney/The Timelapse Company
Rather than typical sprawling lecture theatres, the business school building comprises smaller collaborative workspaces, conference rooms and lounges as online learning shrinks class sizes.
Spread over 11 floors, the new building has 16,030 square metres of internal floor space. It cost a total of $180 million dollars, $20 million of which was donated by Chinese-Australian businessman Dr Chau Chak Wing, who also contributed $5 million in scholarships to UTS.
The property developer is no stranger to donations, being one of Australia's biggest political donors. He has contributed over $2 million to various Australian political parties, and has entertained John Howard, Kevin Rudd, Bob Hawke and Wayne Swan at his estate in China.
Chau is the owner of Kingold Group, a Chinese property developer with 6,000 employees. His son Eric studied architecture at UTS.
Photos: Andrew Worssam
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UTS opens Frank Gehry's paper bag 

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Sydney’s One Central Park has beaten nominees from every continent to be dubbed the ‘Best Tall Building in the World’ by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH).
One Central Park was designed by French architecture practice Ateliers Jean Nouvel and Australian firm PTW.
In June, One Central Park was awarded the ‘Best Tall Building in Asia and Australasia’ which put it in the running for the world’s best tall building. It was up against regional winners; Edith Green-Wendell Wyatt Federal Building, Portland, USA (Americas); De Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands (Europe); and Cayan Tower, Dubai, UAE (Middle East &amp; Africa).
The building has foliage covering some exteriors and is designed to manoeuvre sunlight into fixed positions. It also has a suspended sky garden on the 29th floor.
Juror and executive director of the CTBUH, Antony Wood, said: “Seeing this project for the first time stopped me dead. There have been major advances in the incorporation of greenery in highrise buildings over the past few years – but nothing on the scale of this building has been attempted or achieved.”
The CTBUH received 88 entries for the award, with most coming from Asia and Europe.
Central Park’s development director, Mick Caddey, said: “Sydney can now claim to have the best tall building in the world, which by anyone’s standards is an impressive claim to make.”
Properties within this development have sold for in excess of $1.3 million. Most of the apartments have been sold, but there are still two-storey penthouse apartments available with a price guide of $2.65 million.
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One Central Park named best tall building in the world

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Last month, Canadian-American architect <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Gehry" target="_blank">Frank Gehry</a> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/oct/24/frank-gehry-journalist-finger-architecture-shit" target="_blank">delivered</a> a defiant middle finger to a Spanish journalist who asked if his designs were “just about spectacle”.
It’s a criticism that has dogged Gehry and his iconic buildings – that they are more sculpture than architecture, that they are “logotecture” perfect for branding purposes.
In Spain, Gehry was adamant: "In this world we are living in, 98% of everything that is built and designed today is pure shit."
So will the new $180 million <a href="https://www.uts.edu.au/partners-and-community/initiatives/city-campus-master-plan/projects-progress/dr-chau-chak-wing" target="_blank">Dr Chau Chak Wing Building</a> at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), become a cultural icon putting UTS on the world map of tertiary institutions? Or will it instead foist another eyesore on Sydney to rival its brutalist <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UTS_Tower" target="_blank">UTS Tower</a>?
<a href="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/63926/area14mp/bbv8dtmd-1415333229.jpg"><img src="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/63926/width668/bbv8dtmd-1415333229.jpg" alt=""></a>
A model of architect Frank Gehry’s Dr Chau Chak Wing Building at the University of Technology building in Sydney. AAP/Gehry Partners, LLP
Iconic buildings are <a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-has-more-soft-power-than-ever-but-can-we-keep-it-20698" target="_blank">recognised</a> cultural indicators of <a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-has-more-soft-power-than-ever-but-can-we-keep-it-20698" target="_blank">soft power</a>. Every one of his clients is after the Gehry-icon effect. But with any Gehry building that’s pushed the limits comes controversy.
Back in 2012, columnist Mike Carlton dubbed it “a rain-sodden clump of cardboard cartons left out for a council clean-up”. Germaine Greer basically <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2011/jan/09/germaine-greer-frank-gehry-uts" target="_blank">called it</a> an insult to the colonial buildings which apparently inspired it.
Only recently Fairfax critic Elizabeth Farrelly <a href="https://www.canberratimes.com.au/comment/frank-gehrys-uts-building-is-no-opera-house-20140709-zt144" target="_blank">said</a> it was “bad Gaudi”.
But the “brown paper bag” is the Pritzker prize-winning Gehry’s first building in Australia and with the “starchitect” status come great expectations.
Professor <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/roy-green-3866" target="_blank">Roy Green</a>, Dean of the UTS Business School, set the bar high when he told the Sydney Morning Herald it would be “the second most iconic" building in Australia.
The then UTS Vice Chancellor Ross Milbourne went <a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/australia/gehry-building-to-rival-opera-house-37494" target="_blank">even further</a>: "We’ve got the Opera House, and it’s hard to say we are going to beat that, but from what I’ve seen we’ll have an equally outstanding icon at this end of Sydney."
Only weeks before Gehry’s appearance in Spain, he launched <a href="https://www.fondationlouisvuitton.fr/" target="_blank">Fondation Louis Vuitton</a>, a new art museum in Paris commissioned by the billionaire head of the luxury brand LVMH, Bernard Arnault.
It sits in a park of the Bois de Boulogne, its twisting, gigantic glass sails eliciting mixed reviews: from “<a href="https://www.architecturaldigest.com/architecture/2014-10/frank-gehry-fondation-louis-vuitton-arts-center-article" target="_blank">masterful</a>” and a “radiant tour de force” to “<a href="http:/mg.co.za/print2014-10-24-frank-gehrys-architecture-of-over-indulgence" target="_blank">architecture of over-indulgence</a>” and “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/oct/21/frank-gehry-fondation-louis-vuitton-shows-he-doesn%E2%80%99t-know-when-to-stop" target="_blank">he doesn’t know when to stop</a>”.
The 85-year-old Gehry has no intention of stopping.
<a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2010/08/architecture-survey-201008" target="_blank">Anointed</a> “the greatest architect we have today” by the late godfather of modern architecture Philip Johnson, he is busier than ever, with his first London project – the futuristic <a href="https://www.archdaily.com/554700/new-images-released-of-foster-and-gehry-s-battersea-power-station-designs" target="_blank">Battersea power station apartments</a> to Germany’s tallest residential tower in Berlin, the new Facebook headquarters and other projects from Abu Dhabi to Venezuela.
Article continues on the next page. Please click below.
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It all began back in the 80s when the obscure industrial town of Bilbao proposed building a <a href="https://www.guggenheim.org/bilbao" target="_blank">Guggenheim museum</a> and giving Frank Gehry free reign.
As Frank Gehry <a href="https://newsroom.uts.edu.au/news/2011/02/frank-gehry-in-conversation">told</a> a public meeting at UTS in 2011, what they really wanted was an architectural icon that would pay dividends.
"They asked for the Sydney Opera House, they said they wanted it and the Minister of Commerce and the President of the Basque region said it was a business decision and they wanted to achieve what the Sydney Opera House achieved."
He delivered a titanium surrealist structure that shocked the locals:
"In Bilbao they wanted to kill me – in the paper they said kill the American. I was worried. I thought they meant it."
According to Johnson, Guggenheim Bilbao “is the greatest building of our time”.
<a href="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/63928/area14mp/hqn5dsmc-1415333822.jpg"><img src="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/63928/width668/hqn5dsmc-1415333822.jpg" alt=""></a>
Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. Wikimedia Commons
In the lead up to its official launch with Frank Gehry in February, UTS has been hosting VIP tours showcasing its jewel in the crown.
I was on the same tour as Don Bianchino of <a href="https://bianchinoassociates.com.au/" target="_blank">Bianchino &amp; Associates</a>, a Sydney-based architectural and design firm. The building, he told me, was “better in the flesh”:
"I think at the end it will be a breath of fresh air. I don’t think I could personally describe this building as a refined elegant building; it’s quite crude in some ways, but that’s what makes it iconic or will be iconic I think."
At a cost of $180 million it averages at about $9,780 a square metre. Bianchino says you can build a good quality commercial building for around $6,000 and a residential one for about $3,000 per square metre. He thinks this is the sort of building only an academic institution can afford.
<a href="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/63930/area14mp/pcd7w6mf-1415334198.png"><img src="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/63930/width668/pcd7w6mf-1415334198.png" alt=""></a>
Gehry’s Dr Chau Chak Wing Building in Sydney, under construction. Author
In an interview commissioned three years ago by UTS for their archives, Gehry said most of the buildings that business occupies are counterproductive to the results they demand.
"The building is a straight-jacket. Most commercial buildings are pro forma; in my experience there has been a fear of exploring the unknown and risk … but (this) leads to banal buildings you see all over the world since the war and can pick them out, the same version ad nausem."
The link between the built environment and performance is a growing area of research by architects and neuroscientists.
This year’s <a href="https://www.anfarch.org/news/nobel-prize-research-previewed-at-anfa-2014/" target="_blank">Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine</a> was shared by researchers who discovered cells that constitute a positioning system in the brain, an important bridge between the two disciplines.
Perhaps Frank Gehry knows something the rest of us don’t.
At one point in the VIP tour “Frank’s fingerprint” is pointed out, a Dr Seuss-like sharp curve in the brickwork where Gehry pinched the model to get it just right.
Whatever future generations might think of the building, Don Bianchino says:
"I think the engineering and the build-ability of the design is something that we marvel at – how the hell did they do this?"
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/30364/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">Helen Vatsikopoulos is a lecturer in journalism at <a href="https://www.uts.edu.au/" target="_blank">University of Technology, Sydney</a>.
Helen worked at both SBS and ABC 1 and the Australia Network for 26 years as a reporter, producer, presenter and won the Walkley Award for Best International Report 1992.  
She is currently making a documentary on the Dr Chau Chak Wing building for the ABC and BBC with Essential Media.
This article was originally published on <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.
Feature photo: Andrew Worssam
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