The School of Architecture, Design and Planning at the University of Sydney has commenced a project to develop clear guidelines for the design and construction of resilient building envelopes.
The project will be completed at the end of the year with a final report to be released by the Victorian Building Authority.
One in three Australian homes suffer from excessive dampness and mould proliferation, a phenomenon exacerbated by inadequate architectural strategies, poor construction practices and bad maintenance.
It is partly due to a lack of awareness and knowledge on the topic in construction.
The current Australian policy is unable to fully capture the indoor mould growth risk and offer a reliable assessment and design framework, failing to provide an adequate prevention agenda for architects and builders.
In response to mould and condensation issues, the Australian National Construction Code (NCC) introduced mandatory requirements in 2019.
Its deem-to-satisfy provisions aim to minimise the risk of condensation but its performance verification method relies on standard assumptions that do not account for increased internal humidity or construction defects, making the research undertaken here all the more urgent and necessary.
Amidst the context of failure and knowledge gaps, the aim is to develop clear guidelines for the design and construction of resilient building envelopes.
The work will include a catalogue of climate-specific build-ups, with quantified hygrothermal performance and examples of 2D detailing accompanied by a bi-dimensional analysis of moisture transport.