Good Houses: Environmental Design and Evaluation

Good Houses brings together the design process, building science and the environmental systems that can be used by both teachers and students in teaching and learning about designing good, ‘responsible’ houses. The book approaches housing design holistically by taking its environment as the starting point, integrating design processes more closely with architectural science and environmental systems.

Any building design can only be successful if these two aspects, among others, are considered as early as possible in the design process and inform the designer throughout the design process. The book does not provide prescriptions or definitive answers on what is the ‘best’ way to design a house. Instead, it aims to provide a structured way of what to consider at the different stages of the design process and the potential implications of the decisions made throughout this process. It aligns sustainable design principles with the stages in the design process and provides guidance on how these can be connected.

Using international examples to illustrate the concepts from a wide range of climatic conditions, the book is illustrated in full colour with over 200 plans, sections, diagrams and photographs. It is essential reading for those designing residential projects.

David Kroll is an Associate Professor in Architecture at the University of Adelaide with over 20 years of academic teaching experience in architecture in Australia and the UK. He is a qualified architect (UK) with significant experience in practice and holds a PhD from the University of London. His research focuses on sustainable design, housing and architectural heritage, drawing on his background in practice, applied design research and architectural history and theory.

Veronica Soebarto is an internationally recognised leading expert in building performance and post-occupancy evaluation. Veronica is a Professor of Architecture at the University of Adelaide. Her research interests span from age-friendly built environments, environmental performance assessments of buildings, building performance simulation, building monitoring, and human thermal comfort, to the social dimension of sustainable design.

Arianna Brambilla is an Associate Professor at the University of Sydney and holds a PhD from the Politecnico di Milano (IT). Her background in both architecture and engineering allowed her to establish her research field at the merging borders of architecture, construction, building physics, and engineering. Her research interests relate to human-centred design, building performance assessment, low-carbon living, construction and innovative technologies, and healthy built environments.

Ehsan Sharifi is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Adelaide and holds a PhD from the University of South Australia. He has a background in architectural practice, architectural science, landscape design, and placemaking. Ehsan’s research interests include urban microclimates, urban heat island effect, public space and public life, outdoor thermal and wind comfort, environmental assessment of buildings and landscapes, low carbon urban living and passive design, as well as urban greening and climate change adaptation.