Accommodation is being sought in the Gatton, Forest Hill and Laidley areas for about 500 students attending UQ Gatton from February, 2000.
UQ Gatton is accepting listings for accommodation from about a 20km radius of the UQ Gatton campus. Types of accommodation requested by students include homestays (from full-board to room only), to houses, vacant units, and granny flats.
The listings will be held by UQ Student Support Services for 30 days, However, it remains the responsibility of lessors and students to determine the suitability of properties and arrangements.
People wishing to list accommodation can contact Student Support Services telephone 54 60 1046, email: laura.chandler@mailbox.uq.edu.au.
is a lot of reflection from adjacent buildings and the breeze gets blocked very easily," he said. Dr Hyde said these challenges were overcome using extensive analysis of the site's micro-climate and thorough design testing - and on the day it was officially launched, wind speeds within the house matched those outside.
"We were fortunate to be able to channel the flow of air by designing and orientating the building to the micro-climate. We made a model of the building and simulated the site in a water flume tank. The evidence from the water flume testing helped us form the design and check whether it worked."
Built on for sports chiropractor Chris Prosser and his family, the prototype house is being used to develop and test leading-edge environmental technology. "We've integrated in this building a number of innovative technologies that help to minimise environmental impact. We have used climate-responsive design, energy-wise strategies and environmentally-friendly construction," Dr Hyde said.
He said the design used north orientation and shading to maximise summer breezes and winter sunshine (the house needs no fans or heaters). It achieved natural cooling using atrium space, a central breezeway, and a pavilion plan form. Open section design and louvres allowed air to move vertically through the house, while blue-tinted glass reduced glare and heat load.
For environmentally-friendly construction, the house was built with a prefabricated frame, small pad footings, all-timber construction, recycled building materials and low-production energy materials such as fibre cement. Energy consumption was slashed with a solar hot water system, photovoltaic cells for electricity supply, and energy-efficient appliances. To reduce mains water usage, the house includes storage and hydraulic systems for rain water and water-efficient appliances. It also has a wastewater recycling system for site irrigation, although current legislation does not allow on-site wastewater recycling in urban areas.
Dr Hyde said architecture students would assess the lifecycle costing of the design and the performance of the technology to provide feedback for manufacturers and potential users.
Project partners whose products are being tested in the home include: BHP Colour-bond; BP Solar Australia; Caroma; Electrolux; Finlaysons Timber and Hardware; Gardner Vaughan Group; G. James Glass; Homestead Collections; James Hardie; Jemflo Qld; Organoil; Philips Lighting; Plywood Association of Australia; Porters Original Paints; Smartflo; Solahart Australia; Tasbeam; Whirlpool Australia; Wren Industries; Beavis & Cochrane; the Department of Natural Resources; and the Timber Research and Development Advisory Council of Queensland.
For more information, contact Dr Richard Hyde (telephone 07 3365 3878 or email r.hyde@mailbox.uq.edu.au).
ence Awards to seven researchers. They mirror the University's own awards for Teaching Excellence, the first introduced at any Australian university.
o In community activities, the University attracting more than 40,000 people to its open house, UQ Expo, in May; more than 30,000 people to courses and careers, open house and postgraduate events at St Lucia, Ipswich and Gatton campuses; and inaugural UQ Health Week activities. The University also attracting heavy community use of its Library, art galleries, museums, Brisbane Customs House, health and veterinary clinics, music concerts and public lectures, sporting facilities, cafes, picnic areas and other facilities. The University extended its community education programs and its outreach programs to schools and UQ academics provided their expertise to wider community audiences.
