http://www.tastimber.tas.gov.au

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The ESD Imperative
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Energy and consumption

• Australians relish a high energy and consumption
  lifestyle.
• Our global footprint is 7.7 hectares per person.
• The world average is 2.2 hectares per person.

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Demonstrable impacts

• Enhanced greenhouse effect
• Salination
• Unsustainable water management and
• Other broad impacts such as
• Depletion of resources
• Loss of bio-diversity.

Agricultural monoculture potatoes
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Greenhouse gas emission

• Excluding land use land use change, Australias
  emissions increased by 23 between 1990 2001.
• Forestry was the only industry sector that had a
  net carbon store.

Source Australian Greenhouse Office 2001
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Greenhouse temperature change
Source CSIRO
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Salination

• between 3 5 million hectares of land in... the
  (Murray-Darling) Basin will be salt affected
  within 50100 years
• (Its) impact on loss of remnant vegetation,
  habitat and biodiversity could well be the most
  significant of all.
• (Australian Greenhouse Office 2001)

Deforestation salination sheep country
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Unsustainable water management

• Australia is fairly profligate with water,
  especially in our cities.
• There is little water recycling or urban water
  collection.
• Disposal of storm water is arbitrary.

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Environmentally sustainable development

• The Brundtland Report (1987) defines Sustainable
  Development as development that meets the needs
  of the present without compromising the ability
  of future generations to meet their own needs.
• It has three major aspects
• environmental
• social and
• economic.

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ESD, building building materials

• Buildings consume great quantities of materials,
  energy and other resources in their design,
  operation and demolition.
• This has significant environmental impacts at the
  global, regional and local level.

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Principle of ESD for buildings

• The RAIAs ESD aims are to
• maintain and restore biodiversity
• minimise the consumption of resources
• minimise pollution of air, soil and water and
• maintain health, safety and comfort of building
  users.

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Keys to ecological construction practice

• Low construction cost
• Easy maintenance
• Healthy natural environment
• Healthy living environment and
• Low operation cost.
• Adapted from Ecological Construction Practice,
  2001. H. Preisig, W. Dubach, U. Kasser K.
  ViridenZurich University of Applied Sciences

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Timber in ESD design

• Timber is a natural building product, drawn from
  the wood in the trunks of trees.
• Light, strong and versatile, it is renewable and
  can be produced sustainably.

Regrowth in native forest
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Timber in ESD design

• In the following discussion, this icon will show
  you where timber can help in sustainable design.

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Low construction cost Need-related provision

• Sufficient but compact provision of main,
  ancillary and circulation spaces
• A plan with a rational layout and possibilities
  for future conversion
• Inclusion of comfortable but realistic control of
  temperature, noise, light and sunshade
• Recognition of changing needs and
• Provision of multifunctional spaces.

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Low construction cost Compact shape

• Buildings compact in plan and form use less
  building materials. They generally contain the
  same usable area as less compact buildings with
  smaller areas of external wall and less
  circulation space.

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Low construction cost Simple building
configuration

• Spaces should be zoned for rational use and
  service requirements.
• A consistent structural approach with clear and
  linear load paths should be used.

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Low construction cost Rational construction

• Use efficient construction arrangements and
  materials. This reduces waste.
• Minimise environmental impact from the
  construction.

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Easy maintenance Weather-protected facades

• The life span of materials can be extended by
  100
• if they are protected from the weather.

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Easy maintenance Replaceable building elements

• Use mechanically assembled replaceable building
  elements.
• Detail for ready replacement of elements that are
  regularly upgraded or have relatively short life
  spans.

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Easy maintenance Accessible service installations

• Provide clear access to vertical pipes, ducts,
  and cables and
• Allow ready maintenance access to key building
  elements such as glass roofs, gutters, downpipes
  and mastic seals.

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Easy maintenance Maintenance-friendly interiors

• Choose materials and finishes suitable for the
  traffic and the use of spaces.
• Consider the amount of cleaning required and the
  cost (environmental and financial) involved with
  renovation or replacement of finishes.
• Easy to clean surfaces and floors should be
  provided.

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Healthy natural environment Renewable energy

• Reduction in the use of non-renewable fossil
  fuels and the sustainable production and use of
  renewable materials can avoid the reliance on
  chemicals, generated toxins and pollutants.

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Healthy natural environment Conserve natural
resources

• To help conserve resources, use building
  materials that are
• Renewable
• Have low embodied energy
• Produce little pollution or
• Are recycled.

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Healthy natural environment Natural landscaping

• Designers should
• Provide environments for biodiversity.
• Incorporate native landscaping.
• Manage rainwater to provide useful water
  retention features.
• Design for low local environmental impact.

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Healthy living environment Comfortable interiors

• Thermal comfort
• Acoustic / noise control
• Especially in multi-residential building
• Natural light
• Ventilation
• Humidity regulating materials

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Healthy living environment Sufficient air changes

• Natural ventilations
• For living areas and bedrooms
• Controlled ventilation systems for larger
  buildings
• Extraction systems for specialist areas
• Bathrooms, toilets, kitchens

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Healthy living environment Low pollutant
materials

• Basic principles include
• The use of water based paints.
• Minimise the use of vapour generating finishes.
• Mechanical fixings are preferable.
• Use of materials that do not give off gases
  (boards with low formaldehyde content quality
  carpets natural materials).

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Low operation cost Low energy consumption

• Compact shape
• Use of passive solar energy
• To limit heat load or enhance gain
• Insulate surfaces well limit window sizes
• Make an airtight building in cool climates
• Provide adequate natural ventilation and
• Use heat recovery for ventilation in larger
  buildings or in cold climates.

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Low operation cost Water saving strategies

• Ideally, most rainwater should be allowed to
  infiltrate the soil. This reduces user and
  environmental costs.
• Rainwater collected from roofs may be used for
  purposes such as flushing the toilet and watering
  gardens.

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Low operation cost Low electricity bills

• Use energy saving appliances and light fittings
• Use efficient electrical controls
• Include features that reduce energy consumption
• Provide areas for natural clothes drying
• Maximise natural light
• Use non-electrical appliances
• Use non-electric energy sources (e.g. wood,
  gas)

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Conclusions

• In ESD design, timber can offer
• Versatile design options
• Low construction costs
• Ease of maintenance
• A healthy natural living environment
• Low operating costs

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