Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dzt6s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T05:28:59.216Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

12 - Buildings and Precincts

from Cities and Industry

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 October 2021

By
Michael H. Smith ,
Peter Newton ,
Alan Pears ,
Amandine Denis-Ryan  and
Eshan Ahuja
Edited by
Kenneth G. H. Baldwin ,
Mark Howden ,
Michael H. Smith ,
Karen Hussey  and
Peter J. Dawson
Kenneth G. H. Baldwin
Affiliation:
Australian National University, Canberra
Mark Howden
Affiliation:
Australian National University, Canberra
Michael H. Smith
Affiliation:
Australian National University, Canberra
Karen Hussey
Affiliation:
University of Queensland
Peter J. Dawson
Affiliation:
P. J. Dawson & Associates
Get access

Summary

This chapter outlines the case for the global green building movement to embrace integrated ‘climate-smart’ green building design, construction and operation, which optimises new and existing buildings to achieve both mitigation and adaptation goals synergistically and cost-effectively. The climate-smart building agenda is a high priority for this sector because it can help improve the well-being, productivity and health of occupants, and provide other social equity benefits, thus helping, simultaneously, to achieve other UN Sustainable Development Goals. Focus extends to precincts, the building blocks of cities, interfacing Building and Precinct Information Modelling. Overview is provided of leading sustainability assessment and rating tools for design of buildings and precincts. The chapter identifies key stakeholders and decision makers, and how each can best play their part to enable needed changes in this sector to achieve a net zero-carbon resilient future. It examines the role of governments in addressing major market and informational failures and what policies are needed to underpin efforts by all these key actors to achieve decarbonisation of the built environment sector.

Keywords

zero energy buildingssustainable precinctsmitigationadaptationgreen rating toolscity modelling,
Type
Chapter
Information
Transitioning to a Prosperous, Resilient and Carbon-Free Economy
A Guide for Decision-Makers
 , pp. 301 - 337
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

AATSE (Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering) (1997). Urban Air Pollution in Australia. An inquiry by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering for the Commonwealth Minister for the Environment.Google Scholar
ABCB (Australian Building Codes Board) (2014). Resilience of Buildings to Extreme Weather Events. Final paper. Australian Building Codes Board. Available at: www.abcb.gov.au/Resources/Publications/Consultation/Resilience-of-Buildings-to-Extreme-Weather-Events.Google Scholar
ASBEC (Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council) (2010). The Second Plank Update: A Review of the Contribution That Energy Efficiency in the Buildings Sector Can Make to Greenhouse Gas Emissions Abatement. The Allen Consulting Group. Available at: www.asbec.asn.au/research-items/the-second-plank-update-report-2010/.Google Scholar
ASBEC (2012). Preparing for Change: A Climate Change Adaptation Framework for the Built Environment. Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council. Available at: www.asbec.asn.au/files/ASBEC%20Preparing%20for%20Change%20Report%20FINAL.pdf.Google Scholar
ASBEC (2018). The Bottom Line. Building Code Energy Performance Trajectory Project: Interim report. Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council. Available at: www.asbec.asn.au/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/180208-ASBEC-CWA-The-Bottom-Line-household-impacts.pdf.Google Scholar
ASBEC and CWA (ClimateWorks Australia) (2018). Built to Perform: An Industry Led Pathway to a Zero Carbon Ready Building Code. Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council. Available at: www.asbec.asn.au/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/180703-ASBEC-CWA-Built-to-Perform-Zero-Carbon-Ready-Building-Code-web.pdf.Google Scholar
Australian Industry Group (2012). Energy Shock: Pressure Mounts for Efficiency Action. Australian Industry Group.Google Scholar
Brown, M., Sarzynski, A. and Southworth, F. (2008). Shrinking the carbon footprint of metropolitan America. Brookings Institute: 29 May. Available at: www.brookings.edu/research/shrinking-the-carbon-footprint-of-metropolitan-america/. Google Scholar
BuildingSmart Australia (n.d.). BuildingSmart Australia. Available at: https://buildingsmart.org.au/.Google Scholar
Calthorpe Associates (2011). Vision California – Charting Our Future: Statewide Scenarios Report. Berkeley, CA: Farmland Information Center. Available at: https://farmlandinfo.org/publications/vision-california-charting-our-future-statewide-scenerios-report/.Google Scholar
CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project) (2018). Nearly 400 investors with $32 trillion in assets step up action on climate change. CDP.net. 13 September. Available at: www.cdp.net/en/articles/investor/nearly-400-investors-with-32-trillion-in-assets-step-up-action-on-climate-change.Google Scholar
ClimateWorks Australia (2010). Commercial Buildings Opportunities. ClimateWorks Australia and Carbon Trust Australia. Available at: www.climateworksaustralia.org/resource/commercial-buildings-emissions-reduction-opportunities/.Google Scholar
ClimateWorks Australia (2019). Net Zero Momentum Tracker: Property Sector Report. ClimateWorks Australia. Available at: www.climateworksaustralia.org/resource/net-zero-momentum-tracker-property-sector-report/.Google Scholar
COAG (Coalition of Australian Governments) Energy Council (2019). Trajectory for Low Energy Buildings. Coalition of Australian Governments. Available at: www.coagenergycouncil.gov.au/publications/trajectory-low-energy-buildings.Google Scholar
Codoban, N. and Kennedy, C. A. (2008). The metabolism of neighbourhoods. Journal of Urban Planning and Development, 134, 21–31.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cohen, R., Ortez, C. and Pinkstaff, C. (2009). Making Every Drop Work: Increasing Water Efficiency in California’s Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional (CII) Sector. Natural Resources Defense Council. Available at: www.nrdc.org/water/cacii/files/cii.pdf.Google Scholar
Crawford, R. and Fuller, R. (2011). Energy and greenhouse gas emissions implications of alternative housing types for Australia. In State of Australian Cities National Conference 2011 Proceedings. Melbourne: State of Australian Cities.Google Scholar
CRC for Water Sensitive Cities and CRC for Low Carbon Living (2015). Ideas for Fishermans Bend. Discussion Paper. Melbourne: Cooperative Research Centre for Water Sensitive Cities. Available at: https://watersensitivecities.org.au/content/ideas-for-fishermans-bend/.Google Scholar
Deng, G. and Newton, P. (2016). Assessing the Impact of Solar PV on Domestic Electricity Consumption in Sydney: Exploring the Prospect of Rebound Effects. Sydney: CRC for Low Carbon Living.Google Scholar
Dili, A. S., Naseer, M. A. and Varghese, T. Z. (2010). Passive control methods of Kerala traditional architecture for a comfortable indoor environment: Comparative investigation during various periods of rainy season. Building and Environment, 45, 2218–2230.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fuerst, F. and Warren-Myers, G. (2018). Does voluntary disclosure create a green lemon problem? Energy-efficiency ratings and house prices. Energy Economics, 74, 1–12.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Francisco, P. W., Palmiter, L. and Davis, B. (1998). Modeling the thermal distribution efficiency of ducts: Comparisons to measured results. Energy and Buildings, 28, 287–297.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
IEA (International Energy Agency) (2010). Policy Pathways: Energy Performance Certification of Buildings. Paris: International Energy Agency. Available at: www.iea.org/reports/policy-pathway-energy-performance-certification-of-buildings.Google Scholar
IEA (2019). Energy Service Companies. Paris: International Energy Agency. Available at: www.iea.org/topics/energyefficiency/escos/.Google Scholar
IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) (2013). Summary for policymakers. In Stocker, T. F., Quin, D., Pattner, G.-K. et al., eds., Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Available at: www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/02/WG1AR5_SPM_FINAL.pdf.Google Scholar
Kahn, B. (2014). Adapting to sea level rise could save trillions by 2100. Climate Central. 3 February. Available at: www.climatecentral.org/news/adapting-to-sea-level-rise-could-save-trillions-by-2100-17034.Google Scholar
Laitner, J. A. S., Nadel, S., Elliott, R. N., Sachs, H. and Khan, A. S. (2012). The Long-Term Energy Efficiency Potential: What the Evidence Suggests. Report No. E121. Washington, DC: American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. Available at: www.garrisoninstitute.org/downloads/ecology/cmb/Laitner_Long-Term_E_E_Potential.pdf.Google Scholar
Letschert, V. E., Desroches, L.-B., Ke, J. and McNeil, M. A. (2012). Estimate of Technical Potential for Minimum Efficiency Performance Standards in 13 Major World Economies: Energy Savings, Environmental and Financial Impacts. Berkeley, CA: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Available at: https://eta-publications.lbl.gov/sites/default/files/lbnl-5723e_pdf.pdf. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Levine, M., Ürge-Vorsatz, D., Blok, K. et al. (2007). Residential and commercial buildings. In Metz, B., Davidson, O. R., Bosch, P. R. et al., eds., Climate Change 2007: Mitigation. Contribution of Working Group III to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 387–446. Available at: www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/02/ar4-wg3-chapter6-1.pdf. Google Scholar
Loftness, V., Hartkopf, V., Gurtekin, B., Hansen, D. and Hitchcock, R. (2003). Linking energy to health and productivity in the built environment: Evaluating the cost–benefits of high performance building and community design for sustainability, health and productivity. Paper presented at the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo 2003, Pittsburgh, 12–14 November. Available at: http://mail.seedengr.com/documents/LinkingEnergytoHealthandProductivity.pdf.Google Scholar
Lucon, O., Ürge-Vorsatz, D., Zain Ahmed, A. et al. (2014). Buildings. In Edenhofer, O., Pichs-Madruga, R., Sokona, Y. et al., eds., Climate Change 2014: Mitigation of Climate Change. Contribution of Working Group III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 671–738. Available at: www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/02/ipcc_wg3_ar5_chapter9.pdf.Google Scholar
Masson, V., Bonhomme, M., Salagnac, J.-L., Briotett, X. and Lemonsu, A. (2014). Solar panels reduce both global warming and urban heat island. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 4 June. Available at: http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fenvs.2014.00014/abstract.Google Scholar
Menon, S., Akbari, H., Mahanama, S., Sednev, I. and Levinson, R. (2010). Radiative forcing and temperature response to changes in urban albedos and associated CO2 offsets. Environmental Research Letters, 5, 014005.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mills, E. (2003). Climate change, insurance and the buildings sector: Technological synergisms between adaptation and mitigation. Building Research & Information, 31, 257–277. Available at: www.researchgate.net/publication/228596673_Climate_change_insurance_and_the_buildings_sector_Technological_synergisms_between_adaptation_and_mitigation.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Newton, P., ed. (1997). Reshaping Cities for a More Sustainable Future: Exploring the Link between Urban Form, Air Quality, Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Research Monograph No. 6. Melbourne: Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute.Google Scholar
Newton, P. (2012). Liveable and sustainable? Socio-technical challenges for twenty-first-century cities. Journal of Urban Technology, 19, 81–102.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Newton, P. (2015). Framing new retrofit models for regenerating Australia’s fast growing cities. In Eames, M., Dixon, T., Hunt, M. and Lannon, S., eds., Retrofitting Cities for Tomorrow’s World. London: Wiley-Blackwell, pp. 183–206.Google Scholar
Newton, P. (2019). The performance of urban precincts: Towards integrated assessment. In Newton, P., Prasad, D., Sproul, A. and White, S., eds., Decarbonising the Built Environment: Charting the Transition. Singapore: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 357–386. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Newton, P. and Doherty, P. (2014). The challenges to urban sustainability and resilience. In Pearson, L., Newton, P. and Roberts, P., eds., Resilient Sustainable Cities. London: Routledge, ch. 2.Google Scholar
Newton, P. and Manins, P. (1999). Cities and air pollution. In Brotchie, J. F., Newton, P. W., Hall, P. and Dickey, J., eds., East-West Perspectives on 21st Century Urban Development. Aldershot: Ashgate, pp. 277–304.Google Scholar
Newton, P. W. and Taylor, M. A. P., eds. (2019). Precinct Design Assessment: A Guide to Smart Sustainable Low Carbon Urban Development. Sydney: CRC for Low Carbon Living.Google Scholar
Newton, P., Pears, A., Whiteman, J. and Astle, R. (2012). The energy and carbon footprints of urban housing and transport: Current trends and future prospects. In Tomlinson, R., ed., The Unintended City. Melbourne: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Publishing.Google Scholar
Newton, P., Marchant, D., Mitchell, J., Plume, J., Seo, S. and Roggema, R. (2013). Performance Assessment of Urban Precinct Design: A Scoping Study. Sydney: Cooperative Research Centre for Low Carbon Living. Available at: www.lowcarbonlivingcrc.com.au/sites/all/files/publications_file_attachments/rp2001_-_performance_assessment_urban_precinct_design-final_0.pdf.Google Scholar
Newton, P., Bertram, N., Handmer, J., Tapper, N., Thornton, R. and Whetton, P. (2018). Australian cities and the governance of climate change. In Tomlinson, R. and Spiller, M., eds., Australia’s Metropolitan Imperative. An Agenda for Governance Reform. Melbourne: CSIRO Publishing, pp. 193–210.Google Scholar
Pantong, K., Chirarattananon, S. and Chaiwiwatworakul, P. (2011). Development of energy conservation programs for commercial buildings based on assessed energy saving potentials. Energy Procedia: 9th Eco-Energy and Materials Science and Engineering Symposium, 9, 70–83. Available at: www.sciencedirect.com/journal/energy-procedia/vol/9/suppl/C.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Petersen, A. and Lalit, R. (2018). Better Rentals, Better Cities. Boulder, CO: Rocky Mountain Institute. Available at: www.rmi.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Better-Rentals-Better-City_Final3.pdf.Google Scholar
Plume, J., Marchant, D. and Mitchell, J. (2015). PIM: An Open Digital Information Standard throughout the Urban Development Lifecycle. Project Progress Report. Sydney: Cooperative Research Centre for Low Carbon Living.Google Scholar
Prasad, R., Maithal, S. and Mirza, A. (2001). Renewable energy technologies for fuelwood conservation in the Indian Himalayan Region. Sustainable Development, 9, 103–108.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rawat, J. S., Sharma, D., Nimachow, G. and Dai, O. (2010). Energy efficient chulha in rural Arunachal Pradesh. Current Science, 98, 1554–1555.Google Scholar
Rijal, H. B., Tuohy, P., Nicol, F., Humphreys, M. A., Samuel, A. and Clarke, J. (2008). Development of an adaptive window-opening algorithm to predict the thermal comfort, energy use and overheating in buildings. Journal of Building Performance Simulation, 1, 17–30.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Romm, R. and Browning, W. (1994). Greening the Building and the Bottom Line: Increasing Productivity through Energy-Efficient Design. Boulder, CO: Rocky Mountain Institute. Available at: https://rmi.org/insight/greening-the-building-and-the-bottom-line/.Google Scholar
Rosenfeld, A. H., Akbari, H., Bretz, S., Fishman, B. L., Kurn, D. M., Sailor, D. and Taha, H. (1995) Mitigation of urban heat islands: Materials, utility programs, updates. Energy and Buildings, 22, 255–265CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sathaye, N., Phadke, A., Shah, N. and Letschert, V. (2013). Potential Global Benefits of Improved Ceiling Fan Efficiency. Berkeley, CA: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Available at: https://eta.lbl.gov/sites/all/files/publications/lbnl.5980e.pdf.Google Scholar
Sathre, R. and Gustavsson, L. (2009). Using wood products to mitigate climate change: External costs and structural change. Applied Energy, 86, 251–257.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sharifi, A. and Murayama, A. (2013) A critical review of seven selected neighbourhood sustainability assessment tools. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 38, 73–87.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, M. (2013). Assessing Climate Change Risks and Opportunities for Investors: Property and Construction Sector. Canberra: The Investor Group on Climate Change (IGCC) and The Australian National University (ANU). Available at: https://igcc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Property-and-Construction-1.pdf.Google Scholar
Smith, M., Hargroves, K., Desha, C. and Stasinopoulos, P. (2010). Factor 5 in eco-cement: Zeobond Pty Ltd. Ecos Magazine, 21, 149. Available at: www.ecosmagazine.com/?act=view_file&file_id=EC149p21.pdf.Google Scholar
UNDP (UN Development Programme) (2011). Human Development Report 2011. New York: UN Development Programme. Available at: http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/reports/271/hdr_2011_en_complete.pdf.Google Scholar
Ürge-Vorsatz, D., Petrichenko, K., Antal, M. et al. (2012). Best Practice Policies for Low Carbon & Energy Buildings: Based on Scenario Analysis. Research Report. Center for Climate Change and Sustainable Policy (3CSEP) for the Global Buildings Performance Network. Available at: www.gbpn.org/sites/default/files/08.CEU%20Technical%20Report%20copy_0.pdf.Google Scholar
US DoE (Department of Energy) (n.d.). Energy efficient window attachments. Energy.gov. Available at: http://energy.gov/energysaver/energy-efficient-window-treatments.Google Scholar
US Green Building Council (2009). Green Jobs Study. US Green Building Council. Available at: https://s3.amazonaws.com/legacy.usgbc.org/usgbc/docs/Archive/General/Docs6435.pdf.Google Scholar
von Weizsacker, E., Lovins, A. B. and Lovins, L. H. (1997). Factor Four: Doubling Wealth, Halving Resource Use. London: Earthscan.Google Scholar
von Weizsacker, E., Hargroves, K., Smith, M., Desha, C. and Stasinopoulos, P. (2009). Factor Five: Transforming the Global Economy through 80% Increase in Resource Productivity. London: Earthscan.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Waide, P., Klinckenberg, F., Harrington, L. and Scholand, J. (2011). Learning from the best: The potential for energy savings from upward alignment of equipment energy efficiency requirements? In Trenev, G. and Bertoldi, P., eds., Proceedings of the 6th International Conference: EEDAL’11 Energy Efficiency in Domestic Appliances and Lighting. European Commission Joint Research Centre, pp. 485–496. Available at: https://e3p.jrc.ec.europa.eu/publications/proceedings-6th-international-conference-eedal11-energy-efficiency-domestic-appliances. Google Scholar
World Green Building Council (2019). Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment surpasses 50 signatories in latest status report. World Green Building Council. 28 May. Available at: www.worldgbc.org/news-media/net-zero-carbon-buildings-commitment-surpasses-50-signatories-latest-status-report.Google Scholar
Wiedmann, T., Teh, S. H. and Yu, M. (2019). ICM database: Integrated carbon metrics embodied carbon life cycle inventory database [data resource]. Research Data Australia. Available at: https://doi.org/10.26190/5df6aa5d5effd.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wilkinson, R. and Pickett, K. (2009). The Spirit Level: Why More Equal Societies Almost Always Do Better. London: Allen Lane.Google Scholar
Worldwatch Institute (2008). State of the World 2008. Available at: www.slideshare.net/actionforhappiness/wellbeing-and-happiness-an-introduction-8993368/4-But_higher_GDP_doesnt_alwaysmeangreaterlifesatisfaction. Google Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×