Summer is gone — but what has it left behind? Australia’s most recent summer saw unprecedented levels of humidity levels that gifted many buildings with mould as a souvenir. 

Looking to the future, engineers and architects alike are emphasising the importance of relying on climate-responsive design and proactive planning to future-proof buildings.

Lara Bailey, Ashburner Francis mechanical engineer and environmentally sustainable design (ESD) expert, says weather conditions over the summer provided the ingredients ideal for mould growth. This means continuous humidity over a prolonged period coupled with relative humidity levels that did not decrease, allowed for mould to flourish. 

Adverse weather conditions means strategising new methods 
Bailey says that higher than usual operating rates of air conditioning produce cooler inside temperatures, which subsequently collide with warmer outdoor temperatures and result in condensation on cold surfaces that create conditions conducive for mould. To avoid this, buildings should be designed to slash the chance of moisture from creeping indoors – air conditioning and natural ventilation are now only band-aids and unsustainable solutions.

“If the air conditioning is running, the place needs to be entirely sealed up,” says Bailey.

Architect and Architectus-Conrad Gargett principal David Gole shares Bailey’s desire to strategise new ways to remove moisture from the air, particularly in light of conditions forcing even ‘passive’ houses such as Gole’s to opt for air conditioning and ensure user health and wellbeing. 

“We generate our own power, have our own waste treatment and collect our own water,” says Gole. “Up until now, we never envisaged having to draw on energy to cool the entire house.” 

Transparent communication and mixed-mode services 

Bailey says it’s essential to have meaningful communication between engineers and facility managers when designing mechanical engineering services such as air conditioning. 

“We need to understand precisely how a building operates,” she says. “Don’t be aspirational about how your building is going to be used – be realistic.”

Bailey says an example of the significance of clear communication between engineers and occupants is the facility manager of an aged care home who informs engineers when windows and doors are open while an air conditioning is running. 

In instances such as these, well-designed mixed-mode services could be an effective response – air locks that trap air between the two doors at entrances and exits assist in stabilising internal air temperatures. Additionally, air curtains – areas where air gushes down above entranceways – may help prohibit exposure to warmer outdoor air.

Specialist commercial buildings would benefit from thorough moisture-removal systems and restoration practices that work to prevent mould growth.

Built environment rising to the task of future-proofing buildings 

Gole says engineers and architects of the built world must embrace the challenges and rewards of climate-responsive design and practice transparent communication and risk assessment. 

“Buildings must be fit-for-purpose into the future,” says Gole. “We’re dealing with very different climatic conditions now, so we need agile and responsive engineers who can rise to those challenges.”

A version of this story by Helena Morgan was first published in Facility Management. Visit fmmedia.com.au.

Photo by Siarhei Plashchynski on Unsplash.