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Publication Review

Title: Sustainable Home Technical Manual - 6: Other
Author: (Third Addition) Commonwealth of Australia, 2005
File: Free Technical Manual, PDF
6.0: Introduction: 170 KB, 2 pages
6.1: Streets and Communities: 173 KB, 3 pages
6.2: Transport: 208 KB, 3 pages
6.3: Health and Safety: 149 KB, 4 page
6.4: The Adaptable House: 172 KB, 3 page

Audience: Written for architects, builders and homeowners interested in sustainable home design and construction.

Review
A technical guide developed by the Government of Australia "developed to show you how to design and build a more comfortable home that has less impact on the environment. The home will also be more economical to run and healthier to live in." Covers a wide variety of sustainable issues. Remember some Australian specific information may be backwards regarding North & South. Some climate information may also be specific to Australia. But much information is relevant to building anywhere.

Issues covered in Introduction include:

• 6.0: Introduction
  • outline of topics discussed below

• 6.1: Streets and Communities
  • community, streetscape and planning
  • what to look for in a street
  • streetscape values
  • good streetscape design
  • be a good neighbor

• 6.2: Transport
  • urban villages
  • problems of car dependency
  • benefits of sustainable transport
  • deciding where to live and work
  • your day-to-day travel behavior
  • working with your neighborhood council - Australia
  • designing a house or apartment building

• 6.3: Health and Safety
  • kitchen design
  • bathroom design
  • hot water
  • doors
  • floors, stairs and ramps
  • windows
  • wiring and electrical
  • heaters
  • ceiling fans
  • designing for the elderly and disabled
  • outdoor area design
  • security
  • fire risk and prevention

• 6.4: The Adaptable House
  • design criteria externally
  • design criteria internally
  • benefits of an adaptable home

Graphics typically include:

• general photos explaining concepts
• graphs and charts explaining concepts
• diagrams, sections and other drawings as needed to explain technical issues

Related Texts
Sustainable Home Technical Manual - 0: Introduction
Sustainable Home Technical Manual - 1: Passive Design
Sustainable Home Technical Manual - 2: Water Use
Sustainable Home Technical Manual - 3: Material Use
Sustainable Home Technical Manual - 4: Energy Use
Sustainable Home Technical Manual - 5: Site Impacts
Sustainable Home Technical Manual - 6: Other Impacts
Sustainable Home Technical Manual - 7: Case Studies

Related Links
www.Greenhouse.gov.au