Uploaded on 2017-04-05 by Eric Svanberg

Melbourne City has a number of parklands surrounding the city and some wider streets contain significant street tree plantings such as the street trees in this picture. There is also a very large estuary adjacent which further aids the temperate climate of this city. However the city itself has mainly hard and dark facade & paved surfaces. Building design for energy efficiency is covered under current National Building codes. Federation square (part of which is on the left of this picture) has an interesting but accidental approach to solving heat island and canyon effects. The articulated facade has a dual skin that shades the window glazing with a combination of light and transparent panels that variously reflect and admit solar radiation. By angling these walls away from due north, heat reflection is diffused across different parts of the paved area and heat load is not as concentrated at the hottest part of the day.