Peak heavy construction materials industry body, Cement Concrete and Aggregates Australia (CCAA), has won a prestigious award for its landmark publication on climate-responsive housing design.
CCAA was awarded the Sustainability Medal for advances in sustainable use of concrete at the 2009 Awards for Excellence in Concrete, hosted by the Concrete Institute of Australia (CIA) in Sydney last month.
The award was given for CCAA’s work in developing and publishing Climate-Responsive House Design with Concrete, a comprehensive guide that examines the role of concrete in sustainable house design.
The award recognises the significant long-term environmental benefits that can arise from exploiting the properties of concrete in house design.
The guide itself provides housing designers and architects with a reference tool to maximise the benefits of using concrete - from a climate-responsive design perspective - across Australia’s different climatic regions.
A broad range of issues are discussed, including the choice of materials and effective design for thermal storage and ventilation. Most importantly, through detailed analysis it allows a strategic approach to sustainable design by identifying the biggest impacts and outlining the appropriate design responses.
The guide reduces the complexity inherent in designing climate-responsive houses, and highlights issues that must be addressed in moving towards more sustainable residential buildings.
In accepting the award, CCAA CEO, Ken Slattery, acknowledged the expertise of CCAA staff in developing this important document.