PreLoved Buildings Conference kicks off

AIRAH’s PreLoved Buildings Conference explores aspects of retrofitting Australia’s existing building stock. Held on 13 and 14 November, the conference’s program of speakers covers everything from reviews to case studies and indoor environment quality (IEQ) and the preservation of history.

With rising utility costs and a changing regulatory landscape, there is more emphasis than ever on optimising the existing building stock, according to Phil Wilkinson, M.AIRAH, CEO of AIRAH (the Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Airconditioning and Heating).

“I’m really excited about the program that’s been assembled for this year’s PreLoved Buildings Conference,” Wilkinson said.

“Whether it’s information about the new Green Star Performance tool, optimising workplaces, or how improved IEQ can lead to more productive personnel, the 2013 conference is as wide-ranging in scope as it is ambitious in its objectives.

“At the crux of PreLoved is a focus on improving the value of assets, and many of the speakers in the program are there to share their direct experiences of re-lifing existing buildings, sharing the wisdom they gleaned, the data that’s been extracted, and the lessons learned from often challenging projects.”

Alongside keynote speakers Robert Morris-Nunn, of Circa Morris-Nunn Architects, and Jon McCormick, of Brookfield Johnson Controls, a host of leading experts are taking to the stage to share their knowledge of preloved buildings.

Exergy senior consultant Matthew Hoogland, Affil.AIRAH, will discuss the energy performance of Melbourne’s Council House 2 (CH2), one of Australia’s first 6 star Green Star buildings, and which Exergy recently reviewed.

“The review focused on the systems operation, including passive chilled beams, trigeneration, thermal storage phase-change material, shower towers and more,” said Hoogland. “The main issues identified in the review involved the HVAC commissioning and control strategies applied to these systems, not only in isolation, but also interdependently.”

Ronald Wood, App.AIRAH, from Innovative Plant Technology, is discussing the role of botanical air filtration in delivering high-quality indoor air in the workplace.

“Active botanical air filtration, a natural process, delivers clean, pollutant-free, high-quality indoor air directly in the workplace,” said Wood. “Case studies show up to 20% energy savings in HVAC operations can be achieved from lower ventilation rates in existing buildings.”

For each of the two days of conference proceedings, a panel discussion is being held, opening the floor to lively discussions about retrofit case studies and IEQ.

The full conference program is available here.