The 2011 Shonky Awards outs dodgy products and services – CHOICE

http://p.castfire.com/Rkboj/video/768241/ca-ctv_2011-10-27-020441.mobile.m4v

via choice.com.au

The Escapist : News : Quantum Levitation: The Coolest Science You’ll See Today

via escapistmagazine.com

Sydney Architecture Festival 2011

via sydneyarchitecturefestival.org

Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous get a Little Greener

via designbuildsource.com.au

Review: On Beauty edited by Umberto Eco | Books | The Guardian

via guardian.co.uk

Stop CSG! Illawarra – Stop coal seam gas mining in the Illawarra

via stop-csg-illawarra.org

Australian Building Codes Board: Handbook on Renewable Energy Now Available

Handbook on Renewable Energy Now Available

The ABCB has produced an Information Handbook to raise awareness of the opportunities to use on-site renewable energy sources and reclaimed energy sources as part of complying with Volume One and Volume Two of the Building Code of Australia (BCA)

The Handbook identifies a range of on-site renewable and reclaimed energy sources and discusses how they can be used for services such as domestic hot water, space heating and cooling, and swimming and spa pool heating. Some of these energy sources are specified in the Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions, while others could be considered as part of an Alternative Solution.

While the BCA enables the incorporation of on-site renewable and reclaimed energy sources into buildings, these energy sources have been considered to be a companion to, and not a replacement for, good levels of building fabric performance.

The Handbook has been peer-reviewed by the Clean Energy Council to ensure the technical accuracy of the information and the feasibility of finding products that use on-site renewable and reclaimed energy sources.

 

The Handbook can be downloaded here

Date Published 15 Aug 11

via abcb.gov.au

So how much will your new house really cost? Get A Realize Advisory.

You’ve found the perfect piece of land. You recognize a once in a life time opportunity.
You’re filled with excitement over the thought of building your own house. Your chance to make a statement on life, beauty and where you fit within it.

Yet you also need to be sure that you are not being emotionally distracted. That your heart is not ruling your head. That your land and your dreams are compatible. ‘How do I know if  I can do what I want to?’, ‘ how do I get from here to there?’, ‘ how long will it take me, and how much will it cost?’.

If you are invigorated by the dream yet daunted by the process ahead, then you’re in need of a helping hand in the form of our Realize Advisory.

Developed to provide you with the answers you need, your Realize Advisory will be the light that adds colour to your vision and maps the pathway to your dream.

In a written report that includes a description of your project and its wish-list, the Realize Advisory will analyse your building site’s orientational, environmental and developmental constraints together with all of the relevant controls set by the statutory bodies, and then advise on the best pathway through approvals and construction.

The Realize Advisory will also set out a time-line for this pathway, provide an indication of all cost items likely to be encountered on the way, and even assess and provide an opinion of these likely costs.

You now no longer need be daunted by that black hole that you see as the road ahead. Click here to arrange for your Realize Advisory, and to ensure you are prepared for all of the colour of this, the most important – and exciting – undertaking of your life.

Wollongong City Council advances draft Planning Proposal for lands in Helensburgh, Otford, Stanwell Tops

Wollongong City Council has voted to begin the rezoning process of 7(d) land in 16 precincts around Helensburgh, Otford & Stanwell Tops. For council’s media release go to http://www.wollongong.nsw.gov.au/council/news/Pages/mediareleases.aspx

Fees for Basix Certification of New Dwellings begins this week

The NSW Department of Planning and Infrastructure will commence charging a fee for issuing a BASIX certificate for New Dwellings as of Friday 01 July 2011. Alterations and additions valued at more than $50,000 and swimming pools of 40,000 litres or more will also attract a BASIX certification fee as of 01 August 2011.

The fee will vary for development types, and will range from $25 for residential alterations and additions to $50 for a new single dwelling when the online service is used.

Payment is required before the certificate can generated, although access to the BASIX website (https://www.basix.nsw.gov.au), the online assessment tool tool and the help notes will remain free.

If the certificate needs to be generated manually by the Department ie the online tool cannot be utilised,  then a higher fee will be levied, although the maximum a certificate will cost is $250