Sean McGowan

Recognising the growing role of data and analytics in our buildings, AIRAH has published the Big Data Guideline, a free resource to support building owners, facility managers, consultants and service providers embarking on their big data journey. 

Playing predominantly out of MyState Bank Arena in Hobart, the Tasmania JackJumpers have, in just two seasons, quickly become one of the National Basketball League’s premier teams. Sean McGowan reports on the award-winning redevelopment of the venue, which took place ahead of the team’s debut in late 2021.

An historic Melbourne precinct has experienced a complete reinvigoration that has not only attracted new clients, but returned some of the city’s most spectacular heritage spaces to the public.

On a remote farm in Far North Queensland, a family business overcame adversity to realise a “green dream” in the design of a 8,500m² mushroom production facility. Sean McGowan reports.

An addition to Brindabella Business Park offers tenants a new type of flexible workplace in Canberra, with its design focusing on achieving connectivity.

The adoption of a prefabrication strategy in the design and construction of mechanical services systems at the new Victorian Heart Hospital in Clayton solved numerous challenges associated with the build and project timelines. As Sean McGowan reports, the approach is a precursor to future healthcare projects.

The owners of a Passivhaus residential development in Melbourne’s inner suburbs have adopted a pragmatic approach to design, ensuring the best possible outcome on a site overshadowed by neighbouring buildings. Sean McGowan reports.

A major urban renewal project in South Australia is transforming the former Royal Adelaide Hospital site into a $2.2 billion world-class innovation district. As Sean McGowan reports, Lot Fourteen is bringing curated, collaborative research and business enterprises together to solve complex global challenges.

According to CSIRO, storage of renewable energy is essential to ensure access to secure, reliable and affordable energy as Australia transitions to net zero by 2050. Part of that mix could be thermal energy storage (TES), a concept well established in the HVAC&R industry but often undervalued. Sean McGowan reports.

An impending lease expiry, predicted growth in headcount and a desire to improve the workplace experience of its staff led SEEK to look beyond its existing office space and set out on a path towards its own, custom-designed environment. Sean McGowan reports on that seven-year quest, which led to a high-performing, comfortable and naturally lit space.

Since 1988 the Sydney Football Stadium has been the Harbour City’s premier rectangular field venue, regularly hosting internationals played by the Kangaroos, the Wallabies, Socceroos and Matildas as well as NRL, Super Rugby and A-League games. Find out how the design team had particular sustainability aspirations at heart.

The development of a sophisticated control system for an iconic home in Melbourne’s leafy suburbs has not only provided greater comfort to its occupants but broken new ground in predictive climate control systems. Sean McGowan reports on a house that has been home to four generations of the Featherston extended family, having evolved every step of the way.

For more than 30 years, 101 Collins Street has remained one of Melbourne’s most prestigious office building addresses. Now on a path of decarbonisation, its management team aims to leverage the innovation of the HVAC industry to deliver a fully electrified building.

Canberra Grammar School’s new Snow Concert Hall features a subterranean design boasting an innovative ground‑source heat pump system. 

Located in the heart of the CBD and overlooking the river, Brisbane Quarter is Brisbane’s first truly integrated, world-class mixed-use precinct. Consisting of three buildings, the project presented the ideal scenario for a district-style heating and cooling scheme. Sean McGowan reports on the design and construction of the HVAC systems serving this $1 billion development.

One of three similar facilities to be built in regional Victoria, the Ballarat GovHub is helping to revitalise the CBD of this regional centre and centralise government services in the area by accommodating up to 1,000 workers. Mass timber is at the heart of the building’s superstructure.

Located in South Korea’s capital, the HQ for a luxe fashion brand boasts several sustainability initiatives, including a high-performance façade.

The Australian building industry is on the path to electrification, signalling an end to a reliance on natural gas for hot water, heating and cooking. Sean McGowan explores how this path is being forged with Bruce Precious M.AIRAH, principal consultant at Six Capitals Consulting; Yale Carden, M.AIRAH, founder and managing director at GeoExchange Australia; VA Sciences’ James Moyes and Simon Witts, M.AIRAH; and RMIT industry fellow Alan Pears. 

In becoming the first regional NSW project to achieve 6 star Green Star Design and As-Built rating certification, the University of Newcastle’s Q Building has set a new sustainability benchmark for the Hunter region. Sean McGowan discovers how mass timber construction and a smart glass façade contribute to the achievement.

Students and academics from the University of Melbourne joined forces with selected consultants from industry and CSIRO’s property sustainability team to explore the question of net zero laboratory design. The university’s Brendon McNiven, Dominik Holzer and Lu Aye, F.AIRAH elaborate.

In a quiet street in Sydney’s northern suburbs resides New South Wales’ first Passivhaus Premium certified building. The residential home is the result of more than five years of painstaking research and planning by a family determined to future-proof their investment against climate change.

The redevelopment of the Walsh Bay Arts Precinct on Sydney Harbour is not only preserving the wharf’s heritage but has incorporated renewable thermal energy to deliver energy–efficient cooling to the facility. Sean McGowan reports.

When Ecolibrium last took a deep dive into the state of Australia’s HVAC&R manufacturing base, we discovered that contrary to negative commentary at the time, there was a strong beating heart. As Sean McGowan reports, the challenges may differ today but the same optimism and ingenuity remains.

A multi-award winning, mixed-use development in Melbourne’s prestigious Collins Street has brought building managers, service technicians and energy optimisation specialists together to collaborate on operational performance improvements post-completion. Sean McGowan reports. 

As we learn to live with COVID-19, improving indoor air quality (IAQ) has been touted as a potential solution in our return to the workplace. Sean McGowan explores the issues with VA Sciences national division director Simon Witts, M.AIRAH; Mechanical project engineer, principal and Australian discipline leader at Stantec Patrick Chambers, Affil.AIRAH; Litmas technical and managing director Claire Bird, Affil.AIRAH; and Probuild technical director Sean Treweek, F.AIRAH.