Building and Planning

Sciences & Technology
Australia’s construction industry must help build a sustainable future
Financial viability alone is no longer enough, the building sector must look at its carbon budget

Business & Economics
Three ways to avoid mega projects going way over budget
Big projects are almost always over budget, but in Australia they too often have massive cost blowouts. There are ways to fix this.

Sciences & Technology
How Australia’s prefab industry can help the housing crisis
Prefabrication is a practical solution to meet Victoria’s urgent housing needs by providing speedy and cost-efficient dwellings

Environment
Design for (all) life
Humans create most designs for themselves, but can and should use opportunities to make spaces that benefit all forms of life

Sciences & Technology
What Victoria’s earthquake tells us about the safety of our structures
Australia has earthquake safety regulations for buildings, but Wednesday’s earthquake reminds us to be informed about the safety of our structures

Environment
Protecting Melbourne’s Green Wedges while we still can
The natural areas of Melbourne are under threat at the same time as there’s growing evidence of their importance for humans

Sciences & Technology
A solution to engineering energy-saving smart materials
Smart materials block harmful radiation and heat, combatting energy wastage. A new way to engineer smart materials at lower temperatures could make more buildings energy-saving

Environment
Curving concrete’s carbon footprint
In a bid to reduce waste while achieving great design, researchers have developed an adjustable frame for casting curved concrete panels

Arts & Culture
Reframing the ‘Australian Ugliness’
This year celebrates the 100 year anniversary of architect Robin Boyd’s birth. He was well-known for his scathing assessment of Australian popular architecture and design, but did Boyd eventually change his mind?

Environment
Reconciliation at scale
Indigenous placemaking in design is gaining greater currency in Australia. And Melbourne projects are helping to lead the way