On the determination to find blue skies The Fifth Estate – our view News from the front desk, issue 468: The year started as a beast. It’s still a beast but it’s now creating a fury roaring in another direction, ours.
Europe is shooting for Nearly Zero Energy Buildings; leaving Oz behind John Moynihan, Ecolateral The European Union has mandated that all new buildings be NZEBs from the 31st of December 2020. But look at how Aussie’s energy consumption compares. Here’s a hint: not good.
We’re so inclusive… until we get old. The senior living operators paving the way to a better retirement Poppy Johnston | 13 February 2020 The Hogeweyk dementia village in the Netherlands is like The Truman Show. The community is designed to look identical to the outside world, complete with nurses, doctors and carers dressed in plain clothes. Specialist dementia villages are just one way this sector is evolving – The Fifth Estate has taken a closer look at alternatives that turn traditional senior living on its head.
I’m not the only renter struggling to sleep now that heatwaves are the new normal Poppy Johnston | 6 February 2020 It dawned on me one night in January, as I tossed and turned in my room in my inner-city Sydney terrace, that my summers might be sleepless forever.
No smoke, no ash: here’s how one house survived the fires Paul Whitington | 6 February 2020 “When we first entered the house after our return from Canberra, four days after the fire, the air inside was cool and smoke-free in contrast to the outside air.”
Prefab industry to help with quick rebuilds after bushfires Poppy Johnston | 4 February 2020 The prefab industry makes sense if you want to lessen the risk of time and price blowouts of regular construction. Already there is a pick up in demand after the recent bushfires and if California is any guide that’s a trend that will only accelerate.
Wealthy will likely rebuild faster after fires than other communities, if California is any guide Emilie Mazzacurati, Four Twenty Seven | 30 January 2020 Four Twenty Seven, a climate risk rating company acquired by Moody’s last year says wealthy areas in California hit by devastating fires experienced a mini real estate boom. Not so much in poorer areas.
California’s wildfires and what Australia can learn Poppy Johnston | 23 January 2020 In 2018, the US state of California saw its worst-ever bushfire season on record. The Fifth Estate spoke to US architect and sustainable design guru David Hertz about what the region learnt about designing and managing infrastructure in the face of ever-increasing fire risk.
New survey shows sustainability on the rise Tina Perinotto | 21 January 2020 A new survey from Stockland reveals evolving preferences among residential buyers for sustainability, especially environmental and community features.
Australian building codes don’t expect houses to be fire-proof – and that’s by design Raymond William Loveridge, University of Technology Sydney | 14 January 2020 More than 2,000 homes have been destroyed in Australia since the start of the bushfire season. More will certainly be destroyed before the season ends in March. Could these houses have been built to better withstand fire?
Australia’s home wellness revolution just around the corner Poppy Johnston | 19 December 2019 We might think of our homes as sanctuaries from the outside world but many houses actually have poor indoor air and water quality and are throwing our natural sleeping habits out…
New “dating app” for home ownership Georgia Roach | 12 December 2019 Driven by the success of sharing economy-platforms such as Uber and Airbnb, two young Australians have launched a website they claim is the “Tinder of home ownership” in order to help more people break into the property market.
How ageism, ableism and inequity are creating “shelter hell” for older people Willow Aliento | 5 December 2019 OXYGEN FILES: The design, supply and affordability of housing for older Australians isn’t keeping up with our rapidly aging population, say experts. But the solutions aren’t straightforward.
Wodonga builder proves 10 star homes not so hard if you’re a quality builder to start with Willow Aliento | 28 November 2019 If you want to control the energy efficiency of your building, start by eliminating air leakage, says an award-winning home builder who has been experimenting and innovating for more than a generation.
UK parties campaign to decarbonise buildings – even the builders David Thorpe | 12 November 2019 In the midst of a general election, and following declarations of a climate emergency by many parts of the country including by the UK Parliament, UK political parties are competing on building efficiency.
Wales adopts super-insulated, timber design for social housing David Thorpe | 24 October 2019 HOUSING INNOVATION: New housing designs in Wales use locally grown timber frames and cladding, together with high levels of insulation made from recycled newspaper – a combination that locks up atmospheric carbon in the building form.
