The performance of award winning houses

Abstract

This paper investigates the thermal performance of three Royal Australian Institute of Architects (RAIA) award-winning houses. It compares the occupants’ assessment of the thermal environment with thermal comfort defined in ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 55-1992. Actual household energy use is compared with energy use statistical data for standard houses in the location. Compliance with energy efficiency provisions of the Building Code of Australia is also assessed for each house. The results will show that all houses do not conform to the comfort Standard and present Building Code requirements. The energy ratings of the houses predict that unacceptable amounts of heating and cooling energy would be required to achieve thermal comfort. Despite this, the actual energy consumption of these houses was lower than standard houses in the same area. The occupants were largely satisfied with the houses’ thermal performance and indicated they had no plans to modify the building or install air-conditioning or other systems to achieve the prescribed thermal comfort. This paper poses some ethical questions to be discussed, and proposes a number of suggestions. The results suggest that good design rather than regulation is better able to respond to the context, the here-and-now, and the future.