At Hames Sharley the philosophy of sustainability underpins our goal in enabling communities to flourish. It is one of our key values employed by all staff as we believe it is crucial in safeguarding the future. From the outset, we understand that our clients need to create assets that maintain or increase in value. This must be considered from an ecological, social and economic standpoint. Our design process takes this into account and is outlined by a three-fold approach that combines commercial intelligence, considering future risks and design; to create intergenerational assets that stand the test of time.
Hames Sharley define intergenerational assets as any type of natural or built asset that increases in value over time. To do this, we aim to design places that produce benefits to those that will use the space both in this generation and for generations to come.
To better understand the impact of climate change, we recently investigated how different LGAs are approaching the imminent threats of Rising Sea Levels (RSL) and Rising Flooding, Coastal Erosion and Climate (RFCC) on our coastline morphology and communities.
Australia is an urban coastal nation – we love the water and our well-known fascination with the beach and water is part of our cultural DNA. But despite the strong culture around water, recent figures reveal that drowning deaths are increasing. The infrastructure of public swimming pools is also fast approaching its use-by-date, meaning we’re falling short in meeting the contemporary and anticipated future needs of our communities. However, we believe design can help.
Without immediate action, people, the planet, and infrastructure will suffer the consequences of dying biodiversity, loss of habitat, rising global temperatures, rising sea levels, food shortages, catastrophic natural disasters (droughts, floods, bushfires, etc.), and we will see a new phenomenon in our modern world: climate refugees. Architecture and design firms can play a critical role in adapting our communities to climate change.
The world is currently on the brink of irreversible damage due to climate change. At the 2019 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), it was noted that many vulnerable communities had already started to experience food insecurity and ecosystem crises, with the projected rise in global temperatures set to cause such significant environmental damage that it would displace an estimated 200 million global citizens by 2050. That’s less than thirty years away.
Hailed as one of the most environmentally friendly building materials, timber is versatile, strong, renewable, and beautiful. However, wood is often associated with deforestation, and the frequency of forest fires have increased in recent years. And so, we ask Yaara Plaves: is building with timber really sustainable?
With global temperatures steadily increasing, sustainable design is more important than ever. But beyond constructing energy-efficient buildings, embracing biophilic design and finding clever ways to capture and recycle rainwater, architects must also consider the life cycle of their building materials for minimal impact on the environment.
It’s no big secret that one of the greatest problems facing the world in the 21st century is stemming the decline in the environment. Everyone can – and indeed should – do their part to ensure that future generations need not contend with climate change and a collapsing ecosystem.
While conditions in refugee camps are often insufferable, is it time to start thinking outside these boxes? Hames Sharley Project Assistant and Member of the National Sustainability Forum (NSF) Georgina Spooner looks at how architects and designers can help the displaced to feel like they belong in our communities.
Many building designers have started prioritising LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification in their projects over the past decade, as the industry has caught up with the need for better long-term design solutions. As a result, the reuse of building materials has increased.
Based on his paper titled The Biophilic City: Can it Improve Economic Prosperity, here, Darren Bilsborough summarises his paper into six key areas: biodiversity, climate change, urban farming, cooler cities, bio-sequestration and health and productivity.
Hosting a major world event is in many ways seen as a coming of age for host countries. Seen as a way of putting a city on the map, World Expo organisers attempt to showcase their city to the world in an extravaganza of cutting edge technology, sustainability, design and architecture. But what happens when the fair leaves town?
As Mexico recovers from the devastating effects of its recent earthquake, The Malay Mail has reported on a Japanese innovation that looks to add protective functionality to buildings while introducing an aesthetically pleasing, sleek design motif.
Countless surveys indicate that an engaged workforce is more productive and profitable. Yet maximising employee engagement has become one of the 21st century’s biggest corporate conundrums, with alarming statistics showing far more than 80 percent of staff lack workplace engagement.
The CSIRO and Energy Networks Australia have just released a new plan to secure Australia’s energy supply, reduce our bills and reduce our emissions to zero by the middle of the century. Their roadmap relies upon a coordinated approach by the states in order to potentially save Australians AUD$1 billion by 2050 and cut residential power bills by an average of $414 annually.
Move over driverless cars, Tesla is ready to make an even bigger impact on our lives, our cities and our homes, with their recently announced off-grid solar technology offer. But how will this accessible new solar technology impact our lives, economy, environment and our architecture?
Influential architect Michael Sorkin believes more local food production is vital to stop the world ‘going to hell in a hand basket’. He’s working on an alternative masterplan for New York, and highlighting issues that could profoundly influence the future design of Australian cities.
