Environment

History of SBEnrc – Summary of Achievements

The achievements outlined in these history of publications reflect the collective effort, expertise and commitment of the Sustainable Built Environment National Research Centre (SBEnrc) Australia...

ARC Delivering Housing Solutions that meet Older Peoples Housing Aspirations

Population ageing requires a structural shift in the way policymakers and practitioners think about housing. There is presently a mismatch between Australia’s housing stock and...

1.11.4 Benchmarking and Scaling-up Australia’s Circular Economy Practices

The built environment is a cornerstone of Australia’s economy, yet it is also a major contributor to material consumption, waste generation, and carbon emissions. Building...

1.11.3 Scalable Retrofit Pathways for Government Housing Portfolios

Government agencies and community housing providers collectively manage more than 400,000 social and staff housing dwellings. The majority of these homes will still be occupied...

1.11.1 Business Model Innovation for Unlocking Modern Methods of Construction in Social and Affordable Housing Supply

Australia’s social and affordable housing crisis demands faster, more sustainable delivery solutions. Modern Methods of Construction (MMC)—which shift construction activities off‑site and integrate advanced technologies—offer...

1.10.3 Climate Resilient Regional Communities: Decarbonisation and Wellbeing in Homes and Energy Systems

This project will identify and evaluate innovative design strategies and technology-agnostic solutions to enhance energy security, decarbonisation and climate resilience in regional communities. The project...

1.10.4 Bringing Consistency and Enhancing Circular Economy Practices in the Built Environment

The project will make a significant contribution by establishing a consistent circular economy framework for the built environment. This clarity will enable businesses and industries...

1.10.1 Delivering Social and Affordable Housing at Scale: Turning Challenges into Opportunities

This project will investigate the challenges and opportunities in scaling social and affordable housing delivery. By identifying the potentials for improving construction practices, overcoming supply...

P1.87 Green Hydrogen for Road Transport in Western Australia (21.RP2.0094)

This project aims at designing and implementing a pilot program which will contribute to the development of the entire industry supply chain for hydrogen fuelled...

1.91 Build-to-Rent to Increase Supply of Social and Affordable Housing in Australia

To address current critical challenges facing the social and affordable (SAH) sector, this research will investigate the potential of Build-to-Rent (BtR) to increase the supply...

1.95 Using Recycled and Recyclable Products: Influencing Stakeholders through Circular Economy Practices

This project will identify strategies to enhance the economic and environmental performance of projects using products with recycled and recyclable content; explore how Australian construction...

1.94 Net Zero Corridors : Integrating Transit with Urban Development

To develop a governance and procurement model that integrates public and private interests into the delivery of mid-tier transit corridors and station precincts along main...

1.93 Green Energy and Decarbonisation Transition of the Built Environment

This project aims to address industry challenges with a focus on sustainable energy solutions. It will study two key areas; the design of efficient and...

1.84 Net Zero Corridors – The Business Case and an Engagement Process

This project will build on previous projects related to mid-tier transit solutions, activated transit corridors and housing diversity. It will illustrate how ‘net zero city’...

1.85 Enhancing the Use of Products with Recycled Contents in the Australian Construction Industry

The project will make a significant contribution to the construction industry by enhancing the use of products with recycled content. This will ensure increased business...

1.81 Developing a Social and Affordable Housing Investment Tool

The current social and affordable housing (SAH) market is facing several challenges relating to persistent issues around long waiting lists and homelessness. Developing government /investment...

1.24b Greening the Built Environment – Zero Carbon Airport Precincts

Background It is clear that through advances in small scale renewable energy generation and storage, the energy sector has changed forever, and more specifically that...

1.71 Liveable Social and Affordable Higher Density Housing

Ensuring liveability and accessibility in medium to high density urban housing and precincts in our cities is critical to maximise investment and minimise future risks...

1.74 Delivering Transit Activated Corridors

This project aims to help deliver the new concept of Transit Activated Corridors (TAC’s) which are main road corridors refurbished to provide higher capacity new...

1.75 Creation and Stimulation of End Markets for Construction and Demolition Waste

This project seeks to develop a national understanding of the operation and capacity of existing end markets for C&D waste in Australian jurisdictions. A gap...

1.65 A National Economic Approach to Improved Management of Construction and Demolition Waste

A holistic national approach is required to handle the growing issue of construction and demolition (C&D) waste management in Australia. Through this project, the discrepancies...

1.62 Sustainable Centres of Tomorrow: People and Place

Australian cities are going through a transition, with a clear priority to make more productive, sustainable, liveable centres. This project follows on from previous SBEnrc...

1.63 Exploring the Potential for Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain to Enhance Transport

This project will explore a range of digitally-driven opportunities and challenges in seeking to get cities moving and functioning better; with a focus on the...

1.61 Mapping the Social and Affordable Housing Network

This research will map the social and affordable housing sector in Australia, to help improve the productivity, effectiveness and efficiency of the system and thus...

1.43ARC-H Closing the gap between Design and Reality of Energy Retrofitted Buildings (IH150100006)

Australian Research Council (ARC)Linkage Project This project is funded partially by the Australian Government through the Australian Research Council ARC NetZero HUB. SBEnrc’s research Project 1.43 Retrofitting...

1.52 Tech-Enabled Transport: Informing the Transition to Technology Enabled Transport Vehicles and Infrastructure

Objectives This aim of this project is to assist Australian transport related agencies and infrastructure consultants navigate the transition to technology enabled vehicles and transport...

1.53 Resilient Buildings: Informing Maintenance for Long-term Sustainability

Resilience of buildings is a national objective in disaster mitigation. Maintenance is the missing link to improving the resilience of buildings in extreme events. The...

1.55 Integrated Cities: Procuring Transport Infrastructure through Integrating Transport, Land Use and Finance

Cities in Australia and globally find it difficult to integrate transport infrastructure with land development. This project will seek a new model for how private...

1.54 Procuring Social and Affordable Housing: Improving Access and Delivery

Improving the suitability, supply and provision of housing infrastructure is needed to address current issues of affordability and access. In particular, the current severe shortage...

1.42 Innovative Industrialised Buildings: Accelerating the Mainstreaming of Building Manufacture in Australia

Accelerating the growth of building manufacturing in Australia presents significant opportunities for the building sector. Not only will it create highly coveted jobs, increase profits...

1.44 Scenario Planning Transport Futures: Improved Road and Transport Planning using Digital Scenario Planning Tools

New data suggests Perth and Brisbane are likely to reach a population of 5 million, whilst Sydney and Melbourne will be 8 million by 2050. These...

1.45 Big Data, Technologies and Transportation

A key focus for the management of main roads is to consistently deliver users decent travel times, safe higher speed travel and reduced interruptions, while...

1.29 Strategies and Solutions for Housing Sustainability

Housing is more than human shelter – it is a significant national and family asset, requires considerable upfront and ongoing capital, contributes to national carbon...

1.43 Retrofitting Public Buildings for Energy and Water Efficiency

Governments occupy over 25% of Australia’s commercial building stock and collectively spend over $1 billion annually on energy and water utilities associated with their buildings,...

1.41 Valuing Social Housing

A critical challenge for those delivering social housing infrastructure is how to effectively demonstrate the value of investing: from a whole-of-government perspective, for the community...

1.22 Strategies and Solutions for the Future of Roads

The coming decades will see a great deal of innovation and creativity in the way that our road networks are designed, constructed, and maintained. This...

1.24 A Roadmap for Carbon Structural Adjustment in the Built Environment Sector

Governments around the world are recognising that a ‘carbon-constrained future’ lies ahead, and that leadership is needed to transition economies to low carbon operation, especially...

1.31 Rethinking Social Housing: Effective, Efficient & Equitable (e3)

This project will work closely with both public sector housing authorities and private sector organisations to inform the on-going delivery of social housing to further...

1.35 Transport Network Resilience: Disaster Logistics and Infrastructure Vulnerability

A number of geographic areas within Australia are subject to frequent and significant natural disasters such as cyclones, bushfires and floods. Such events impact individuals...

1.37 Transformative Products and Processes: A Value Chain Assessment of the Australian Manufactured Housing Industry

This research project aims to improve the understanding of how to leverage greater value from the manufactured buildings industry and increase the robustness of the...

1.8 Sustainable Infrastructure Procurement

The community’s concern with environmental cost of the built environment is growing, so there is a pressing need for industry to identify and reduce the...

1.1 Understanding the Performance of Existing Office Buildings to inform Energy Reduction Initiatives

The purpose of this project was to provide a low cost, low complexity tool that can be used across the building sector and around the...

1.3 The Future of Roads: Environmental Pressures, Sustainability Reporting, and Considering Future Scenarios

In the coming decades the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of roads and transport infrastructure will face a range of new challenges and as such...

1.5 Harnessing the Potential of Biophilic Urbanism In Australia, an Economic and Policy Investigation

The concept of ‘Biophilic Urbanism’, championed by Tim Beatley and Peter Newman for decades, has been used widely to create more liveable and vibrant cities....

1.1b Housing Sustainability Performance

Climate variation, resource depletion and increasing urbanisation are converging global issues that are challenging the way we design, construct and operate buildings. The residential construction...

[PSG Page] 1.11.1 Business Model Innovation for Unlocking Modern Methods of Construction in Social and Affordable Housing Supply

[PSG Page] 1.11.3 Scalable Retrofit Pathways for Government Housing Portfolios

Government agencies and community housing providers collectively manage more than 400,000 social and staff housing dwellings. The majority of these homes will still be occupied...

[PSG Page] 1.11.4 Benchmarking and Scaling-up Australia’s Circular Economy Practices

The built environment is a cornerstone of Australia’s economy, yet it is also a major contributor to material consumption, waste generation, and carbon emissions. Building...