Features

December 2010 – Grocon’s new Pixel building in Melbourne, which has just attained a flawless 6 Green Star score, is the world’s first ‘carbon neutral’ office building. But does a world-class green rating necessarily produce the world’s best offices? JOHN POWER investigates.

December 2010 – Too many buildings are constructed and decorated in a time warp, with scant consideration for the realities of weathering, ageing or wear and tear. DR HILARY DAVIES presents some tips for improving building longevity.

December 2010 – A staggering number of commercial buildings and extensions suffer from premature ageing – the fault of inappropriate, poor-quality or incompatible building materials, or just bad design, writes JEFF SALTON.

November 2010 – How do you provide security and safety to the community using video surveillance solutions over wireless networks? Motorola’s RONALD VAN KLEUNEN explains how new technologies are broadening the scope and functionality of wireless security solutions.

November 2010 – All levels of Australian government are trying to find a solution to the spiralling cost of health services, writes ALAN TIMMINS from O’Donnell Griffin Data, but there is an emerging technological approach that could provide great savings through efficiency – the digital hospital.

October 2010 – SAXON MITCHELL from Venue Management Services (VMS) discusses how a Queensland council changed its civic centre into a commercially viable community hub.

October 2010 – Programmed auditing of cleaning services has been a key factor in maintaining and improving cleaning standards in recent years, writes BRIAN CLARK from Janitech Australasia.

October 2010 – Security camera technologies and their operating systems are progressing at a staggering rate. In this article JEFF SALTON speaks to representatives from two leading surveillance companies – Axis Communications and Bosch Security Systems – to learn about innovations in camera quality and flexibility.

October 2010 – Progressive facility managers are now stipulating green, measurable, sustainable outcomes in their cleaning contracts. Fresh Green Cleans’ director BRIDGET GARDNER offers a practical, step-by-step guide to adopting ‘green cleaning’ practices.

October 2010 – Recent attempts to increase the energy efficiency of Australian buildings have resulted in tighter sealing and greater thermal insulation of external building envelopes, resulting in unprecedented risk of condensation build-up. DR RICHARD AYNSLEY explains the dangers of this rising threat.