BPN’s readers ask the magazine’s resident expert, Dick Clarke, to help them out of a design quandary.
Q - How do we know that all these supposedly wonderful green buildings actually use less energy and water in real use?
A - That's a question that needs to be asked often, and answered without waffle. Let me try. Currently we don't really know in many cases, especially residential buildings, and there are three big reasons. Each needs to be addressed urgently.
1. Design ratings: we currently have little or no meaningful validation of the rating software used to provide green ratings, especially of thermal performance in residential buildings.
The commercial sector has better information, with building owners and tenants giving great feedback through the Green Star and ABGR loops.
But with houses and units we have a yawning void of best-guess assumptions. A trickle of validation research has begun, but it needs to be ramped up dramatically to provide the data we need.
2. Construction certification: this is a dog's breakfast. Certification systems vary in structure, veracity and accountability from state to state. NSW for instance, has a deeply flawed system where a certifier's conflict of interest is built into the system.
Here, the builder, developer or home owner can engage the certifier. If it is the builder or developer, there is a clear conflict where the man who writes the cheques can - and too often does - influence the outcome.
I have personally witnessed shocking examples of certificates being issued in clear breach of design documentation. The watchdog has been given too few teeth by government, but even with the best will in the world is unable to overhaul this systemic failure. Certification must be by independent third party, and the best body to guarantee that is government.
3. End user performance: even if points 1 and 2 are addressed, rogue building occupants will always be able to use a good building badly. There is no silver bullet for this, but if they do abuse a good building, increasing energy and water costs will hurt them, and rightly so - they get no sympathy from me.
A well designed well built office block, home unit, townhouse or bungalow will always offer its occupant the best chance of low running costs and high natural comfort and lifestyle. Thankfully most horses will drink when led to water.
Dick Clarke is principal of Envirotecture, which provides design and consulting services. He is an accredited building designer with 35 years experience, focusing exclusively on ecologically sustainable and culturally appropriate buildings.
