<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/capital-corporation">Capital Corporation</a> has announced that its <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-townhouses/lovedale-farm-1054-1184-wine-country-drive-lovedale-nsw-2325">Lovedale Farm</a> residential, resort and golf project has secured $24.6 million in sales in just three weeks since the opening of its display home, underscoring the appetite for premium lifestyle property in the Hunter Valley countryside.

The sales milestone has been driven by a diverse mix of buyers, including owner-occupiers and investors from Sydney, Newcastle and the local Hunter region, purchasing both land-only lots and house and land packages across the development.

<img alt="Lovedale" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e173edc9-e60e-4f19-a060-9dc4421a3233" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/LovedaleFarm_20250215-1.jpg?VersionId=1LY6CvOaD.Dzrt8tWpWxXtPyfchixNIo" />

&nbsp;

The result builds on the momentum generated at the display home opening on 22 March, which attracted more than 460 attendees.

With house and land pricing from $1.14 million, Lovedale Farm continues to attract strong interest from buyers seeking a premium lifestyle offering at a compelling price point. The development’s vision, a championship golf course, future epicurean village and access to the Hunter Valley’s celebrated wine country, has resonated with a broad buyer profile, from first-time investors to those looking to make the move and call the Hunter Valley home.

<img alt="Lovedale Farm records $21.4 million in sales in three weeks" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b358e789-e1eb-40ed-8105-ed5c8297136f" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/20260321LovedaleFarmDisplayHomeOpening--6.jpg?VersionId=6GUO8TNnxuELONrsM6n9imDB6oc82Bor" />

Jim Hunter, Managing Director of Capital Corporation said the response since opening the display home has been encouraging.

"To reach $24.6 million in sales in just three weeks speaks to the genuine demand for a lifestyle community of this calibre in the Hunter Valley," Hunter says.

"We’re seeing buyers from across the region and beyond, including investors who recognise the long-term value, and owner-occupiers who simply want to live somewhere truly special.

“Lovedale Farm is two decades in the making, and the market’s response is everything we hoped for. We’re excited to see these first buyers become part of the Lovedale Farm story from the very beginning."

<img alt="Lovedale" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="54d985cf-2ac2-400b-ac02-4401f3421ac7" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/20260321LovedaleFarmDisplayHomeOpening--5.jpg?VersionId=3866bPoqpLZsm.3ACg9EafAr1W3miC_f" />

&nbsp;

Spanning 240 hectares on Wine Country Drive in <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/lovedale-nsw-2325">Lovedale</a>, the $1 billion development is expected to deliver around 1,250 jobs during construction and inject more than $300 million into the local economy. The first 200 homes and championship 18-hole golf course are anticipated for completion in late 2027.

Capital Corporation has also lodged development plans for the Lovedale Farm clubhouse, set to become a vibrant hub for residents and the wider Hunter Valley community. Further releases are planned for later this year.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=14476]

Joel Robinson

Lovedale Farm display home opening triggers $24.6 million in sales in three weeks

Prominent Malaysian developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/osk-property">OSK Property</a> has unveiled <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/aura-at-melbourne-square-7-hoff-boulevard-southbank-vic-3006">Aura</a>, the next stage of its $3.5 billion Melbourne Square precinct in Southbank, continuing its push into wellness-led, amenity-rich apartment living.

The $800 million tower, planned for 7 Hoff Boulevard, will rise 67 storeys and deliver 673 apartments, with COX Architecture drawing on both Japanese design principles and Australia’s natural landscape to shape the building’s identity. A rectangular grid aesthetic defines the building’s exterior, with COX drawing design cues from New York high-rises and Tokyo’s skyline.

Aura builds on a growing trend in high-density living, where wellness is no longer an add-on but central to the product. The development is structured around four key pillars, combining calm, minimalist residences with layered communal spaces, landscaped gardens, and a suite of wellness amenities designed to support both physical and mental wellbeing.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=151921 project_image_fid=367465]

At the core of the project is what OSK describes as a vertical wellness ecosystem, a multi-level approach to amenity that integrates health, lifestyle, and social spaces throughout the building rather than confining them to a single level.

The main resident hub, the Aura Club on level seven, will include a pool, cold plunge, spa, gym, Pilates and yoga studios, alongside more lifestyle-driven inclusions like a golf simulator, music rooms, library, and work-from-home spaces. Above, a series of higher-level amenity zones, including the Meridian Club and Cumulus Club, introduce more refined, social and retreat-style environments, with private dining, lounges, and premium wellness spaces positioned to take advantage of city views.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=151921 project_image_fid=367467]

The residences themselves will largely include balconies, a key design move in a market increasingly focused on natural light, airflow, and connection to the outdoors. Views will extend across the CBD, the Arts Precinct, Royal Botanic Gardens, and beyond.

Aura also introduces approximately 1,600 sqm of retail across the lower levels, further activating the Melbourne Square precinct, which already includes Kennedy Park, a Woolworths, childcare, and a growing mix of hospitality operators.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=151921 project_image_fid=367474]

“Aura stands tall as an exemplar of holistic wellness – its focus on social, physical and mental health culminate in a building that is calming, restorative and relaxing, where residents will have their own sanctuary within the well-connected and sought-after <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/southbank-vic-3006">Southbank</a>," says&nbsp;OSK Property CEO Chong Boon Woon.

“We have been very encouraged by the market’s response to the BLVD offering, and we know there is a strong demand for the level of amenity, service and design that the Melbourne Square precinct is known for.

“Complemented by work-from-home lounges for professionals, family friendly outdoor garden spaces, and state-of-the-art fitness and wellness facilities, Aura will continue our focus on maximising physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing,” he said.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=151921 project_image_fid=367475]

The project follows the strong performance of BLVD, which is now around 80 per cent sold, and reinforces OSK Property’s long-term commitment to Melbourne Square as a fully integrated, mixed-use precinct.

Construction is expected to commence in late 2026.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=151921]

OSK unveils AURA, the latest stage in Southbank's $3.5 billion Melbourne Square precinct

National developer Time &amp; Place appears to have settled on a design for its long-anticipated Potts Point project.

After several years of back and forth with local council and the NSW Government, the developer, which has spent seven years targeting the former The Chimes site on Macleay Street, has now progressed its plans.

Following a concept design submission last year by SJB, Time &amp; Place has lodged a full State Significant Development Application with the NSW Government, this time for a scheme designed by Kerry Hill Architects.

<img alt="Time &amp; Place" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="504d2a27-d65f-4227-8189-1e35e3376e62" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-04-20%20at%209.38.24%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=_XqFKATYHF30KnVByPxhaI9UBzmkmfn7" />

The 16-storey proposal includes 44 apartments, 21 of which will be build-to-sell. These will comprise 19 three-bedroom apartments and two four-bedroom units.

More than 50 per cent of the development will be dedicated to affordable housing, with 23 studio apartments to be delivered in line with the NSW Government’s Housing SEPP.

Kerry Hill Architects said the proposal is driven by a strong response to place.

“Our proposal for a new residential building for Potts Point in Sydney is driven by a deep consideration of place,” the practice said in its submission.

“This operates on multiple levels, including a landscape approach that reinstates endemic flora of the Sydney peninsula and provides a ground-floor garden for residents, reconnecting the site to its pre-European history. A brick podium further strengthens this relationship to context, integrating planting and fine bronze detailing that references the predominant material language of Macleay Street.”

The three-level podium will be topped by a communal resident space, featuring a covered pool designed to receive direct afternoon sun in winter, a neighbouring reflection pool, dining and event areas oriented to maximise sunset views, and an outdoor exercise zone.

<img alt="Time &amp; Place" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="8d3eedc1-babb-44a3-bd96-d8a42f3adf1f" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-04-20%20at%209.37.48%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=Ii7.4dvqNatu5GQi6bhqNjAswrMB998." />

The design also incorporates highly crafted shopfronts and a clearly defined residential entry to activate the street. Juliette balconies to the podium residences will provide passive surveillance and a strong sense of habitation.

Above, the larger apartments are housed within a light-coloured masonry and bronze tower.

“The tower steps back in a series of gently curved volumes that reference the rich Art Deco context of Macleay Street,” the architects said. “Carefully calibrated vertical fins frame the views while providing privacy and a sense of refuge.”

<img alt="Time &amp; Place" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="6fab60f4-3140-4469-b47a-48c781e0a30b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-04-20%20at%209.28.44%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=e5XxrM3kzdASdKlcIACHAHbOSZhSKC9O" />

Time &amp; Place has been one of the most active developers nationally in the last 12 to 24 months. Late last year they completed&nbsp;The Queensbridge in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/southbank-vic-3006">Southbank</a>, a mixed-use tower with 353 apartments and a hotel. They are currently selling Park Modern, 246 apartments near the famous Botanic Gardens in South Melbourne.

The developer has approval for The Burke, a mixed-use project in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/glen-iris-vic-3146">Glen Iris</a>&nbsp;being delivered in partnership with Woolworths. The 60 apartments, positioned above a new Woolworths supermarket, are expected to launch in the coming months. Time &amp; Place is also progressing plans for the redevelopment of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/northcote-vic-3070">Northcote</a>&nbsp;Plaza, and have recently submitted plans for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/vic/time-place-unveils-plans-22-storey-south-melbourne-tower">22-storey tower</a>, another in South Melbourne.

In&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/sydney-nsw">Sydney</a>, the developer has two projects in Manly: Two Tides, which is currently under construction, and an ultra high-end building on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/shoreline-manly-beach-89-90-north-steyne-manly">North Steyne</a>, fronting the beach. It is also continuing to work through the redevelopment of The Chimes building on Macleay Street in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/potts-point-nsw-2011">Potts Point</a>, as well as Marlborough House, the redevelopment of the original David Jones warehouse building in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/surry-hills-nsw-2010">Surry Hills</a>.

First look: Time & Place settles on design for The Chimes, Potts Point redevelopment

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/develotek">Develotek</a> is joining the likes of TOGA, Deicorp, and One Global Capital, betting on a boom in Five Dock ahead of the 2032 mooted opening of the Five Dock Metro Station.

Develotek, which is currently developing Bianca on the Drummoyne waterfront and has plans approved for a tower in Chatswood, has filed a State Significant Development Application for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/79-81-queens-road-five-dock-nsw-2046">two-building project in the evolving Kings Bay precinct</a>.

The buildings, one more boutique just five storeys and the other 26 storeys, will rise from an 3,158 sqm site across&nbsp;79–81 Queens Road and 2–8 Spencer Street, will home 134 one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, above ground-floor retail and five basement levels of parking.

A key component of the proposal is the inclusion of 15 per cent of residential floor space as in-fill affordable housing, unlocking additional height and density under the Housing SEPP.

<img alt="First Look: Develotek lodges State Significant shop top housing project in Five Dock precinct" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3ee31bf7-75ba-4bc5-b190-49885193219f" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/podium_2.png?VersionId=730UbrduuwK3C1sO28RHjiLPUPqXqjkh" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/plus-studio">Plus Studio</a>, the scheme adopts a podium-and-tower configuration, with a five-storey street wall along Queens Road transitioning to a 26-storey tower set deeper into the site. The ground plane prioritises activation and permeability, with retail frontages and a new through-site link connecting Queens Road to Spencer Street.

At the upper levels, the tower façade has been conceived using a modular system to support prefabrication and reduce construction waste, while improving build efficiency. The splayed form draws on the geometry of surrounding industrial rooftops, reinterpreting the area’s heritage in a contemporary expression while also helping to reduce solar heat gain to east and west-facing apartments.

“This project aspires to transform a former industrial site into a connected, resilient and people-focused urban community, grounded in Country, shaped by history, and designed to enrich everyday life within the evolving Kings Bay Precinct,” said John Walsh, Principal at Plus Studio.

The proposal reflects the broader transformation of the Kings Bay Precinct under the Parramatta Road Corridor Urban Transformation Strategy, marking a shift from its industrial past to a higher-density, mixed-use urban neighbourhood.

<img alt="First Look: Develotek lodges State Significant shop top housing project in Five Dock precinct" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="abde734c-1e31-4a97-a1d2-fa9bcf31c380" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/building%20podium.png?VersionId=fNUupP6u146yEytQT31kKVRxwtACgPpP" />

Develotek is emerging as an active participant in the state’s affordable housing-led uplift pathway. The developer recently secured approval for a 34-storey mixed-use tower in Chatswood, where it similarly leveraged the in-fill affordable housing provisions to increase scale and deliver a 101-unit scheme with dedicated affordable apartments.

Their entry into Five Dock places them alongside a growing list of developers targeting the suburb ahead of its anticipated transport uplift, with Sydney Metro set to extend into the area. Major players including TOGA, Deicorp, and One Global Capital are all progressing large-scale precinct-style developments nearby, collectively reshaping the low-rise industrial fabric into a higher-density mixed-use corridor.

The Five Dock site sits within the Kings Bay Precinct, a key renewal area under the Parramatta Road Corridor Urban Transformation Strategy, where planning controls support significant uplift tied to affordable housing delivery. The consolidated 3,158 sqm site is currently occupied by low-rise industrial uses, including warehouses and vehicle workshops, earmarked for transition.

First Look: Develotek joins in Five Dock apartment boom

Ascot’s Racecourse Road continues to be a hive of activity for Brisbane developers.

Following Fortis and GRAYA, which are both preparing new projects along the key strip connecting Kingsford Smith Drive and Eagle Farm Racecourse, local developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/skyhold">Skyhold</a> is the latest to lodge plans for its own development.

The group is proposing One One Two Residences, a boutique project comprising just seven apartments, named after its address at 112 Racecourse Road.

The proposal outlines a five-storey building on an 810 sqm site. The built form slightly exceeds the four-storey expectation under the neighbourhood plan, aligning instead with the emerging character of the strip. As the planning report notes, “the locality is characterised by a transition toward medium-rise residential development, with a number of recent developments… above the stipulated height limits.”

<img alt="First Look: Skyhold lodges plans for boutique Ascot apartments as Racecourse Road revival gathers pace" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ec577631-8c51-4163-960e-e7b3a77d655b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Ascot.png?VersionId=iAzQ46D4Uu1UqiS0mVnlcy9jeFKBpJIj" />

Designed by 111 with landscape architecture by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/landscape-architect/paul-bangay-garden-design">Paul Bangay Studio</a>, the scheme adopts a layered architectural approach with strong articulation and a subtropical response. Deep balconies, integrated planters, and a mix of masonry and textured finishes define the façade, while upper-level setbacks reduce perceived bulk. The architectural statement describes “a series of horizontally expressed layers, defined by deep balconies and a consistent robust material palette,” aimed at delivering a refined streetscape presence.

Apartments are configured as large-format residences, including multiple three-bedroom layouts and a full-floor penthouse, supported by ground-level parking. A rooftop terrace will provide communal amenities including a pool and landscaped recreation areas. The design prioritises privacy, natural ventilation, and greenery, with planting integrated across all levels to soften the building form and contribute to the public realm.

<img alt="First Look: Skyhold lodges plans for boutique Ascot apartments as Racecourse Road revival gathers pace" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1e1219bd-b45a-4d7f-bbc7-7207d7b2fc94" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Ascot%20entry.png?VersionId=JIoUOLMgQ5xWpEF0etEI3ffIoIVjD7gO" />

The proposal sits within the Racecourse Road precinct, a key mixed-use spine in Ascot that continues to attract renewed development interest.

Later this year national developer Fortis will launch its own boutique development, which, pending council approvals, will be 16 apartments designed by Koichi Takada Architects, just down the street.

“Racecourse Road is going through a massive revitalisation and we’re proud to be a part of that transformation,” said Fortis's QLD General Manager, Dan Boman.

Nearby, GRAYA is advancing its larger-scale The Gallery, a mixed-use shop-top housing project designed to act as a “catalytic project for Racecourse Road.”

First Look: Racecourse Road, Hamilton revitalization to continue as Skyhold joins the party

Buildings

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GUEST OBSERVATION 
Worldwide, buildings are responsible for 19% of greenhouse gas emissions and our cities are responsible for up to 70%. 
So, designing buildings that produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions is vital to help limit global warming and the threats it poses. But we also need to ensure buildings are designed and constructed to cope with our changing climate conditions to bolster their longevity.
This means the construction sector has a significant role to play in mitigating and adapting to climate change. 
The urgency of rapidly reducing greenhouse gas emissions was highlighted in the bleak prognosis from the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) <a href="http://www.ipcc.ch/report/sr15/">special report</a>.
The IPCC report, released earlier this year, states that “limiting global warming to 1.5C would require rapid, far reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society”.
This includes changes in the way cities currently function, including land use, energy, industry, buildings, and transport.
<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360132318302191">Our research</a> identifies several barriers inhibiting the construction industry’s response to adapting to climate change. 
The current regulatory framework is a key hurdle that many stakeholders within the Australian construction industry raised in our interviews. The <a href="https://www.abcb.gov.au/ncc-online/NCC">National Construction Code</a> doesn’t explicitly address climate change. 
Updating the regulations is an opportunity to set new benchmarks for the industry. The National Construction Code and its associated standards need to be reviewed and strengthened to ensure climate change adaptation and mitigation are addressed.
In the absence of any updated regulations, another barrier is the lack of client demand for buildings to be designed and constructed to address climate change. This sits alongside the perceived additional cost of building and including these mitigation and adaption measures.
Yet many people we interviewed say better regulation to address climate change would be beneficial. This would create a ‘level playing field’ for the industry and encourage innovation in the sector.
Significant climate change impacts will happen within the lifecycle of buildings that are being constructed now. So it’s important to design for these changes today. 
For example, considerations need to be made now to ensure gutters and drains are built to a size that can cope with bigger rainfall events, and to ensure that our homes stay cooler for longer during increasingly hot summers.
Unless we rapidly reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, we will all face significant and catastrophic impacts including increasing drought periods, a spike in the number of extreme heat days, increasing rainfall intensity, and a rising number of extreme events like floods, cyclones, and bushfires. 
These changes will influence the way our economy and society function.
To limit warming to 1.5 degrees (above pre-industrial levels) by 2100, and to limit climate change impacts, we need to reduce our global greenhouse gas emissions, fast – to 50% by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2050. 
As the IPCC’s special report says, achieving this goal will require a rapid transformation of our urban infrastructure systems including transport, the layout of our cities, and the design and construction of buildings. 
If we construct buildings that are unable to withstand future weather conditions, we’ll need more electricity to heat and cool our homes and work places.
But where we build will also be important; the further out, the more likely we’ll see more transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions, like travel modes for work and leisure. We will need to facilitate city growth on sites that aren’t vulnerable to future risks such as sea level rise. 
In addition, risk to operational capacity and building obsolescence will become key considerations for owners and occupiers alike, requiring forward planning and construction of buildings to withstand and cope with future challenges. 
Australia is going through a significant period of population growth. This translates to a large volume of construction, like dwellings and associated urban infrastructure, which is underway in many parts of the country.
It’s critical the construction code is updated to ensure that new buildings going up now address the changes we know are occurring and will continue to escalate in the future. 
Ignoring future climate change in construction is likely to end with many buildings and infrastructure projects becoming redundant, expensive to run or maintain, or even uninhabitable. This creates a plethora of problems for current and future generations.
Our research found all disciplines involved in creating a built environment have a role to play in addressing climate change – architects, urban designers, planners, engineers, builders and constructors are all integral to making a change.
Understanding how these sectors integrate and influence each other, and how they operate within policy and regulatory frameworks, is crucial to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and so limit the harsh consequences of irreversible climate change.
The research was conducted by Dr Anna Hurlimann, Professor Valerie Francis, Dr Georgia Warren-Myers and Dr Geoff Browne from the University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Architecture Building and Planning. It was funded by The Multiplex Research Program Award.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

We need to modify how we build cities for a changing climate

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Buildings in Australia account for over 50% of electricity use and almost a quarter of our carbon emissions but the failures, frailties and fragmentation of the construction sector have created a major obstacle to long-term reductions. 
Reducing our carbon footprint plays second fiddle to the multibillion-dollar work of replacing flammable cladding, asbestos and other non-compliant materials and ensuring buildings are structurally sound and can be safely occupied.
Buildings – whether residential, commercial or institutional – do not score well under the nation’s main emissions reduction program, the A$3.5 billion <a href="https://www.environment.gov.au/climate-change/climate-solutions-package" target="_blank">Climate Solutions Package</a>. This is intended to help meet Australia’s 2030 Paris Agreement commitment to cut emissions by 26–28% from 2005 levels.
This climate fund has very successfully generated offsets under the vegetation and waste methods – these projects account for <a href="https://www.afr.com/companies/energy/climate-solutions-fund-aims-to-way-exceed-paris-targets-20191107-p5389w" target="_blank">97% of Australian carbon credit units</a> issued. But <a href="https://www.hvacrnews.com.au/news/buildings-to-the-rescue-for-erf/" target="_blank">built environment abatements have been very disappointing</a>.
Australians have <a href="http://climatecollege.unimelb.edu.au/facts4paris-australias-capita-emissions-remain-highest-among-its-key-trading-partners" target="_blank">very high emissions per person</a>. That’s partly due to how we use our buildings.
Our states and territories control building regulations. This year the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) <a href="http://coagenergycouncil.gov.au/publications/trajectory-low-energy-buildings" target="_blank">set ambitious energy-reduction trajectories</a> for buildings out to 2022 and beyond. This was to be achieved through amendments to national codes and implementing energy-efficiency programs.
<h2>Making the best use of our buildings</h2>
Last month, the Green Building Council and Property Council launched a policy toolkit, called <a href="https://new.gbca.org.au/news/gbca-news/making-every-building-count-industrys-practical-plan-lower-emissions-and-deliver-practical-savi/" target="_blank">Making Every Building Count</a>. The councils urged governments to adopt practical plans to reduce emissions in the building sector.
The toolkit contains no fewer than 75 recommendations for all tiers of government. These are the result of work done through industry and university research partnerships in places like the <a href="http://www.lowcarbonlivingcrc.com.au/" target="_blank">Low Carbon Living Collaborative Research Centre</a> – now disbanded after its seven-year funding ended.
Most energy-efficiency studies and programs focus solely on the operational aspect of buildings, such as the energy used to heat and cool them. However, various studies have proved that the energy and emissions required to manufacture building products, even <a href="https://theconversation.com/pink-batts-not-a-scandal-but-not-as-good-as-claimed-10213" target="_blank">energy-saving products such as insulation</a>, can be just as significant.
A more holistic approach is to look at the embodied energy already in our building stock, which then poses a <a href="https://www.adelaidereview.com.au/form/2019/06/25/book-extract-the-impact-of-overbuilding-on-people-and-the-planet/" target="_blank">serious question about our consumption</a>. So, besides aspirational codes for net zero-energy buildings, we should be asking: can we meet our needs with fewer new buildings?
In Melbourne, for example, an estimated <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/the-feed/melbourne-s-60-000-vacant-houses-uncovered" target="_blank">60,000 homes are sitting unused</a>. Commercial property has very high vacancy rates – <a href="https://www.afr.com/property/commercial/retail-woes-blow-through-iconic-melbourne-strips-20190813-p52gi9" target="_blank">up to one in six premises are unoccupied</a> in parts of the city. This points to a less-than-effective market in valuing our embodied carbon emissions in property.
If we are to get serious about reducing emissions, we need to tackle inefficient space use.
<h2>Empowering people to cut emissions</h2>
In occupied commercial buildings, some evidence suggests most building managers are grappling with complexity and challenging tenant behaviours. They also don’t get the clear information they need to continually <a href="https://tfespecialreports.com.au/energy-efficiencys-big-secret-a-major-retrofit-of-performance-can-be-surprisingly-affordable/" target="_blank">improve their building’s performance beyond a selected benchmark</a>.
In residential property, home energy performance is very much in our own hands. So we need to consider the means, motivations and opportunities of households, which I did in my <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://minerva-access.unimelb.edu.au/handle/11343/220478" target="_blank">doctoral study</a>. A major barrier is that most of us don’t even know what we are getting when we buy or rent an ageing stock of more than 9 million homes.
Europe and the United States moved to <a href="https://www.gov.uk/buy-sell-your-home/energy-performance-certificates" target="_blank">mandatory residential energy disclosure</a> at point of sale and lease well over a decade ago. If you rent or buy a home in these countries you get an energy performance certificate. It identifies emissions intensity and gives advice on how to operate the home more efficiently and hence with lower emissions.
In Australia, we have just sat on a commitment made by <a href="https://www.coag.gov.au/sites/default/files/communique/2009-04-30.pdf" target="_blank">COAG back in 2009</a> to introduce a nationwide scheme.
Size matters, too. Residential space per person is <a href="https://www.commsec.com.au/content/dam/EN/ResearchNews/2018Reports/November/ECO_Insights_191118_CommSec-Home-Size.pdf" target="_blank">high by international standards</a>. Although McMansions are on the wane, our <a href="https://www.afr.com/property/residential/mcmansions-no-more-as-house-sizes-shrink-20191108-p538oi" target="_blank">apartments are getting a bit bigger</a>. The average size of freestanding houses built in 2018-19 shrank by 1.3% from 2017-18 to a <a href="https://www.commbank.com.au/guidance/newsroom/commsec-home-size-trends-report-201911" target="_blank">17-year low of 228.8 square metres</a>.
And we are putting more solar on our roofs as a carbon offset. As of September 30 2019, Australia had more than <a href="https://pv-map.apvi.org.au/analyses" target="_blank">2.2 million</a> <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-photovoltaic-solar-energy-12924" target="_blank">solar photovoltaic</a> (PV) installations. Their combined capacity was over 13.9 gigawatts.
However, the trend towards high-rise living is not helpful for emissions. <a href="https://www.solarchoice.net.au/blog/solar-for-strata-apartment-blocks/" target="_blank">Solar for strata apartments is tricky</a>.
I recently worked with colleagues in Australia and overseas in a <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-3-030-04293-6_40" target="_blank">study</a> of the user experience of PV. We found residents face a range of issues that limit emission reductions. These issues include:
<ul>
<li>initial sizing and commissioning with component failures such as faulty inverters</li>
<li>lack of knowledge about solar and expected generation performance</li>
<li>regulatory barriers that limit the opportunity to upgrade system size.</li>
</ul>
Looking to improve regulations and codes and billion-dollar funds may be sensible ways to meet emission targets, but human empowerment is the secret weapon in improving energy performance and lowering emissions. Good low-carbon citizens will help create good low-carbon cities.
A set of clear guides on how to use a building is a good starting point. The <a href="http://builtbetter.org/lowcarbonguides/" target="_blank">low-carbon living knowledge hub</a> provides these.
What will make every building count in lowering emissions is the behaviour of occupants, the commitment of owners to make their buildings low-carbon and building managers’ ability to become more adept at reducing building-related emissions.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/126930/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;">
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/timothy-oleary-685735" target="_blank">Timothy O'Leary</a>, Lecturer in Construction and Property, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-melbourne-722" target="_blank">University of Melbourne</a>
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/making-every-building-count-in-meeting-australias-emission-targets-126930" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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Making every building count in meeting Australia’s emission targets

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We've recently seen adventure retailer Kathmandu open the first Green Star accredited retail store in Australia, which is to be shortly followed by Collins Street Wharf's new development on the waterfront.
But what exactly is the Green Star initiative?
The Green Star rating system comes from the Green Building Council of Australia.
The Green Star rating tools rewards sustainability outcomes and encourage moving beyond standard practice.
Ratings can be achieved at the planning phase for communities, during the design, construction or fitout phase of buildings, or during the ongoing operational phase.
The ratings are broken down in to six star categories.
<a href="/images/2016/03/31/The%20green%20star%20rating%20scale.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge </a>
 <img src="/images/2016/03/31/The%20green%20star%20rating%20scale.jpg" alt="">
The system assesses the buildings, fitouts and communities against a range of environmental impact categories.
It also aims to encourage leadership in environmentally sustainable design and construction, showcase innovation in sustainable building practices and consider occupant health, productivity and operational cost savings.
In June, diversified property group Frasers Property Group (rebranded last year from Australand), who are now controlled by Singapore-listed Frasers Centrepoint, secured the first ever sustainability rating for a portfolio of properties.
Not to be confused with Kathmandu's claim for the first ever retail store, the portfolio applies to a group of 54 commercial and industrial properties.
Australand now has 1.3 million square metres of Green Star-certified space, more than double any other company in Australia.
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jrobinson-rf4aSBido9

What is a Green Star rating?

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The increasing use of Big Data could drastically change facilities management in commercial real estate and the operations of the future workplace, according to JLL.
This will include the emergence of intelligent buildings with the ability to better manage and prevent issues, increase sustainability for owners, and technologies that allow staff to engage with the buildings and influence their surroundings in new ways.
Big Data is the term given to extensive sets of data that are of a size, diversity and complexity that require new techniques and advanced analytics to manage and extract valuable insights from them.
“Ninety percent of all the data we have in the world today was created only in the last two years. Today we create about six exabytes of data every day, whereas all the data produced on the planet up until 2003 only totalled about five exabytes,” said JLL’s director of corporate solutions Rajiv Nagrath.
He said all types of organisations are increasingly relying on analytical tools to generate data-driven insights that enable better decisions and improve operations.
In buildings, a major contributor of Big Data are the Internet of Things (IOT) devices.
IOT is the term given to the vast network of automated pieces of hardware that are individually connected to the internet, enabling them to collect and exchange data all the time. 
"By 2020 there will be an estimated 26 billion internet-connected devices in addition to about seven billion laptops, tablets and smartphones," he said.
“Hundreds of thousands of these IOT devices will be located in commercial buildings, constantly creating huge volumes of data points to make sense of managing the buildings efficiently and effectively.
Various sensors, controllers and other IOT enabled devices will revolutionise how buildings operate and make the truly intelligent building a reality.
“Most modern buildings today are already provisioned with such advanced devices and technologies, having about 5,000 to 10,000 points connected to the Building Management System - already a high number of devices that act together, and a large volume of data that needs to be collected, analysed and acted upon.
"If we have the right analytic tools, Big Data offers us the chance to find the patterns and identify the correlations and causes of malfunction,” he said.
Big Data and IOT will also impact the way facilities management (FM) and the modern workplace could operate.
“Workplace models are shifting towards increasing choice and flexibility, which not only means changes for the staff, but also for the building owners and managers. One key shift the IOT will have on FM will be the integral role Wi-Fi will play in controlling the office environment, and the intimate level of control each individual could have over their immediate space and surroundings.
“Where once we had a simple passive infrared sensor (PIR) detector switching off the lights in a meeting room, we will have situations where all of the lights will have a movement detector and each light fitting will be addressable.
"Individuals will be able to set their own lighting and space temperature preferences all via an app on their smart phone.
"This will add another layer of complexity for facilities management previously not witnessed in the commercial property sector.
Nagrath, who recently presented on the relationship between Big Data and Facilities Management at a conference in Perth, said another effect of Big Data and IOT on FM would be the shift towards a central command centre model for managing a portfolio of buildings, instead of standalone building management systems.
While most modern buildings already incorporate a standalone building management system that controls some of the systems such as heating, ventilation and air conditioning and emergency generators, it was no longer the best solution, he said.
“What we are seeing more often is that due to changes in resourcing and skill levels, it is no longer efficient for someone to be constantly monitoring the performance of the building at an individual site level.
"It is much more efficient to channel all of the information from those systems back to a central 24/7 command centre to monitor, analyse performance and detect failures and anomalies.
"Command centres increase efficiencies because they can monitor many buildings, staff can conduct in-depth analysis, and it can leverage powerful software to run algorithms over a huge amount of data.
"Our experience is that in most buildings you can improve sustainability and save 10-15% in energy costs once you connect it to a command centre too.”
JLL has been implementing such models for a couple of years now.
Nagrath said that while the concept of a command centre was not new, it had taken a while to gain traction in the FM sector.
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