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Publication Review

Title: Sustainable Home Technical Manual - 5: Site
Author: (Third Addition) Commonwealth of Australia, 2005
File: Free Technical Manual, PDF
5.0: Introduction: 84 KB, 2 pages
5.1: Biodiversity: 262 KB, 3 pages
5.2: Sediment Control: 546 KB, 3 pages
5.3: Noise Control: 429 KB, 4 page
5.4: Sustainable Landscape: 103 KB, 2 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:

• 5.0: Introduction
  • outline of topics discussed below

• 5.1: Biodiversity
  • threats to biodiversity
  • strategic approach
  • design for biodiversity benefit
  • avoid sensitive areas
  • identify site values and threats
  • adopt conservation policies
  • minimize damage on site
  • sympathetic landscape
  • compensating the environment

• 5.2: Sediment Control
  • local regulations - Australia
  • minimizing site disturbance
  • how to implement sediment control
  • sediment control devices
  • post construction and erosion control

• 5.3: Noise Control
  • neighborhood noise
  • options to reduce noise
  • noise in buildings
  • types of noise
  • noise and good design
  • noise and specific building systems
  • noise abatement tips
  • outdoor noise sources

• 5.4: Sustainable Landscape
  • growing native and indigenous plants
  • site
  • water
  • air
  • energy

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