Designing houses for the Australian climate: the early research

The design of houses to suit the Australian environment has been a preoccupation from the first day that Europeans set foot on the shores of Port Jackson. Following WWII, a scientific approach to researching the relationship between building design and the climate commenced. From then and up to the present three periods of research can be identified. This paper concentrates on the first formative period between 1945 and 1972 when the thermal performance research work in Australia was dominated by two organizations, the Department of Works, Commonwealth Experimental Building Station (CEBS) located in Ryde, Sydney, and CSIRO, Division of Building Research (DBR) situated in Highett, Melbourne. During this period, thermal performance research conducted by these organizations was recognized throughout the world for its innovation. The paper summarizes the major work undertaken and how many of the concepts that informed this work are still with us today.