Archived Enviroblog | Envirotecture

BASIX upgrade around the corner – are we ready?

The design and construction industry was given a preview of proposed upgrades to the BASIX sustainability regulations this week. The changes look good on the whole, and are long overdue, bringing something like a 6 star equivalent to bear on new houses.

This entry was posted on Friday, February 10th, 2012 at 5:32 pm

Of fish stocks and urban sprawl

This week’s news contains two seemingly unrelated stories – urban planning and fish stock management – which together actually point to where things go wrong. But that also means we know where to change things, so they go right. That’d be nice.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 31st, 2012 at 4:45 pm

Welcome to another bushfire season – demons of our own making

Australia used to be one big farm. Before the days of when our wealth grew like sheaves of wheat, before the days of our wealth riding the sheep’s back, the country grew enough to create a varied diet of various vegetables, and a variety of sweet and savoury meats. Large destructive bushfires were unknown. These emerging facts must pique our interest, demand a closer look. It has major implications for the way we design buildings, and manage the whole land. In fact, it challenges all common notions of what is ‘natural’, ‘wilderness’, and ‘landscape’. And, how we plan city edges and design buildings.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 15th, 2011 at 5:02 pm

DESIGN AWARD WIN FOR SUSTAINABLE DUNNIES

Envirotecture – and our building designer Tracy Graham in particular – picked up a BDA NSW Design Award last Friday evening, for a growing fleet of public facilities across Fairfield City Council’s jurisdiction.

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 27th, 2011 at 3:07 pm

The Solar Football Game – Is it Time to Pick Up Your Ball and Go Home?

The best option for consumers wanting to solar power their homes may be to totally thumb their noses at the grid, and go it alone, even in the city.

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 20th, 2011 at 11:10am

What value Nature?

A recent study has attempted to put a $ value on our non-commercial natural resources.

This entry was posted on Monday, September 12th, 2011 at 6:10 pm

Sustainable House Day 2011

We had 3 projects open for display

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 7th, 2011 at 11:15 am

Buildings & Carbon Tax – It Takes More Than 4 Lines to Explain…

How will the C-tax affect buildings, and why bother? Here is the full story from our point of view, with links to the real experts in the economics and science of the thing. Updated 20 october 2011

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 19th, 2011 at 11:55 am

Climate Science Links

Sick of the shock-jocks and deniers being the source of your ‘information’ on climate change? Want to get your information on climate change first hand? Try these links…

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 30th, 2011 at 10:09 am

Pain avoidance and the dying art of learning

…is humanity capable of change before it feels pain?

This entry was posted on Friday, June 17th, 2011 at 7:16 pm

Solar Football

Once again the solar energy industry has been kicked about the head like a political football. This whole scene is a mess. I have just about lost hope in any of our politicians to get it right, and stable. I am lost for words (almost)…

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 16th, 2011 at 3:51 pm

Downtown Abbey and its lessons for our time

Boddice ripping period dramas are not usually my thing. But I suspect that when Julian Fellowes wrote Downton Abbey he had in mind the old addage about those who fail to learn the lessons of history being bound to repeat its mistakes.

This entry was posted on Monday, June 6th, 2011 at 6:23 pm

‘Moondog’ solar cat proves a success

“Moondog” – a prototype solar powered catamaran, converted from an old A Class sailing catamaran – was launched at the Traditional Boat Festival and Regatta on Lake Burley Griffin, in Canberra, last weekend.

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 5th, 2011 at 6:29 pm

Green houses fail to deliver

A serious problem has finally caught the media’s attention: that so-called sustainable buildings ain’t always what they’re supposed to be.