Tag: research

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Design sustainable buildings simply and effectively with the Compass Model

It’s not always easy building green

Architects are familiar with the challenges of building sustainably. From affordability to aligning with stakeholders, it’s an unfortunate truth that sustainable construction comes with its own set of complexities.  

Meet the Compass Model. This free tool created by EFFEKT Architects and VELUX offers a simple, holistic framework for the planning, ideation and design of sustainable buildings. Using seven strategic drivers, the Compass Model streamlines collaboration between teams, while ensuring quality and integrity throughout the entire design process. 

You’ll be able to make more informed, sustainable design decisions from the start, with little cost and effort. The earlier these considerations are brought into the process, the greater the impact.  

The model

The Compass model provides the foundation for Living Places and serves as a strategic tool which outlines seven points of relevancy to guide the building and development process.The Compass provides an incremental approach to guide the building and development process and is layered in three steps:

  1. Each new project begins with an evaluation of the ‘Strategic Drivers‘ that are most pertinent and can ensure the greatest positive impact. Strategic drivers: Relevancy drivers are used in the early stages of a project. This enables the team to constantly benchmark ideas and concepts against these drivers.
  2. Project teams then draw on 24 ‘Design Drivers‘ as input for the concept development process, based on the brief and specific needs of the project. Design Drivers: Design drivers are used when the user has developed a concept/strategy for their project. This stage provides a wider range of parameters to be aware of and use in the design development of a project.
  3. An extensive set of ‘Performance Drivers‘ provides targeted solutions and strategies for the more advanced stages of design. Performance drivers: The Compass provides a list of Impact drivers to ensure that the ambitions from stage 1 & 2 are achieved. The list of decisions ensures that the drivers are turned into tangible solutions for the project.

This wonderful project is detailed and freely available at the Compass website.

download the Compass Tool pdf document

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NOBURN Citizen Science

We’re happy to be supporting the University of Southern Cross’ NOBURN Citizen Science project.

NOBURN is the first of its kind citizen science project involving Australian communities in data collection and predictive modelling of bushfires, garnering interest in the science behind bushfires and creating awareness of the fire-susceptibility of our forests.


To find out more about the project and how you can participate — check out Dr. Sam’s video… we hope join us in supporting the project.

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Fishing exclusion zone benefits fishers hundreds of kilometres away, study finds

For many commercial and recreational fishers, marine protected areas (where fishing is excluded) are viewed with scepticism.

Critics have questioned the legitimacy of what is referred to as the spillover effect — where excluding fishing is hypothesised to produce ecological and/or commercial fishing benefits beyond the boundaries of the protected area.

Key points:

  • Researchers compared catch rates outside the world’s largest marine protected area off Hawaii, before and after fishing was excluded
  • Yellowfin tuna catch rates were boosted by 60 per cent within 100 nautical miles of the boundary, and total “other” species were also higher
  • Increased tuna catch rates were seen for 300 nautical miles from the boundary

But research published today in Science suggests fishing exclusion zones can benefit both fishers and the marine environment, and that fish yields for some species can be boosted up to several hundred kilometres away from the protected habitat.

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Regenerative Agriculture author opportunity

The British Ecological Society Policy Team is seeking authors to contribute to a new report on regenerative agriculture. The term “regenerative agriculture” is gaining traction and it is increasingly being used in different contexts with a variety of meanings by academics, policy-makers, NGOs and land managers. The lack of an agreed definition could result in a loss of credibility of the term, which could be used by companies to become more appealing to environmentally-aware consumers, with little scrutiny.

Find out more and apply by Tuesday 1 November

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