A look at how to design tiled showers using penetration seals and water stops to prevent moisture from entering the wall cavity and subfloor.

In 2024 the Minister for Building and Construction, the Hon. Chris Penk, “… instructed MBIE to review the recently implemented H1 energy efficiency standards to ensure that the compliance costs were not unreasonable and were well balanced with the health and efficiency gains.”

Anything that involves humans introduces the chance of errors. Be it from assumptions, inattention, incompetence, misunderstandings, negligence, lack of knowledge, distraction, or just plain brain fade. So how can we eliminate this in our businesses?

There has been a lot of talk about the impact of AI on all sectors including construction. Declaration: I’m classing myself as sceptical advocate. It is easy to get on board and imagine all these wonderful “what if AI could….” scenarios, but what I’m really concerned with is the reality of what AI can deliver.

It has become more recognised and accepted by the public and the building industry that there is a significant and growing problem with passive over-heating of medium-density housing typologies. This is especially so for some forms of terrace and apartment buildings, meaning that more reliance is being placed on mechanical equipment to modify the interior environment of the dwellings.

This month I look at acoustic considerations for intertenancy floors + we have a new round of the Medium Quick-Fire Quiz. 

Beyond the Guesstimate is a new podcast where I speak with interesting people about their roles in the industry and how we can do things better.

This month I look at how we can raise our insulation game when it comes to window and roof design + we have a new round of the Medium Quick-Fire Quiz. 

Recently in the architectural community there was discussion around the need to have a thermal break in the concrete ground floor of a house where the attached garage is within its footprint, but outside of the thermal envelope, and how to achieve this in a buildable and structural manner.

Any design process balances client aspirations against budget constraints. How often have you faced the challenge of aligning a project's cost with its needs and vision?