NewsAurecon sustainable design professional joins push for Passivhaus in Australia

His most notable recent project is Monash University’s Woodside Building for Technology and Design, for which Aurecon provided structural, civil, electrical, mechanical, hydraulics, fire protection, sustainability including Passivhaus design, acoustics, wind and facade engineering.

It is the largest Passivhaus building in the Southern Hemisphere and the largest Passivhaus education building in the world. It was selected to feature at the COP26 UN Climate Conference in Glasgow in November 2021 as one of 17 projects from around the world demonstrating opportunities for sustainability in the built environment. It was also the winner of the Property Council of Australia’s Innovation and Excellence Award for the Best Sustainable Building in 2022.

Passivhaus is a voluntary standard for design and construction that provides a well-established template for ultra–low energy buildings that provide high levels of occupant comfort, low carbon emissions and resilience to future climate changes. Passivhaus buildings can save up to 90 per cent in energy costs for heating and cooling compared with more traditional designs.

Robinson said that the construction industry in Australia had less than 10 years to rapidly decarbonise.

“I believe that Passivhaus certification provides a well-tested way of controlling the quality of design and construction to deliver low carbon, comfortable and healthy buildings,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to helping APHA to continue growing and transforming the property industry over the next two years, as well as continuing to help Aurecon’s clients achieve more sustainable buildings.”

"A high level of building performance
is underpinned by better design."

Tim Spies, Managing Director, Built Environment – Australia, Aurecon

Aurecon’s Managing Director, Built Environment, Australia, Tim Spies, said that the move towards increased governance around sustainable design was essential for the building and construction sector that contributes almost 40 per cent carbon emissions globally.

“Australia has been lagging other countries in our commitment to designing buildings that not only emit less carbon, but are also resilient to future climate change impacts, and are more comfortable and healthier for occupants,” he said. "A high level of building performance is underpinned by better design."

Australian Passivhaus Association CEO, Alexia Lidas, said that APHA had appointed five new board members with global and national sustainability roles to support the association’s strategic goals of expanding across Australia and into the owner-operator market.

“We will tap into both the incoming and existing board members to elevate the Passivhaus standard to become ‘business as usual’ within education, health, residential retrofit, residential multi-storey, social and affordable housing and build-to-rent across Australia,” Lidas said.

Jeff is also a member of the Property Council of Australia’s Victorian Sustainable Development Committee, a Sustainability Expert on the Victorian Design Review panel, a member of the City of Casey Design Excellence Panel, a Green Building Council of Australia Green Star Accredited Professional and a member of the Heritage Council of Victoria.