The philosophy of “Green Architecture” is gaining ground. Simple adaptions to suit our climate are all that is needed to achieve a satisfactory internal environment without excess energy input. The energy costs associated with constructing and running a building are significant, yet there is often little consideration of this at the design stage.

We need to:-

- look at energy life cycle costing,
- give more consideration to the environmental credentials of our building services and materials
- Make better use of passive heating and cooling techniques
- Minimise and effectively deal with waste..

• Beerwah Field Study Centre
  

• Sea & Sky Units

We are fortunate that our climate is so benign that protection from the elements is not an issue of survival. But there is a downside. There is not the incentive for improvement. We see energy efficiency as being a marginal issue, and we are affluent enough to simply waste energy on additional heating or cooling.

The Queenslanders show us a tradition of light weight construction, timber detailing, cross ventilation and concern for shading. Beach houses reflect a relaxed lifestyle, make use of new and efficient materials, and strive for simple, effective building techniques. Engineering for cyclone resistance has improved markedly in recent decades. Our climate gives us the ability to utilise external areas as extended living space. Many Sunshine Coast architects are learning from the past and striving for better solutions. It has been suggested that a regional style is developing.