Design & Planning Intelligence | High Performance Design
Understand how early architectural decisions may influence energy performance, comfort, daylight, ventilation, solar exposure and the assessment pathways that may be required later in a project.
Design stage performance advice helps project teams review these decisions before they become difficult to change. It can identify early risks, opportunities, documentation gaps and questions that may need to be confirmed through more specific modelling, compliance assessment or certification pathways.
Explore Design Stage AdviceIn Brief
Design stage performance advice is an early review of how architectural decisions may influence the later energy performance, comfort, daylight, ventilation and assessment requirements of a building. It may consider building form, massing, orientation, plan depth, glazing, shading, envelope assumptions, services assumptions and the relationship between these decisions. The purpose is not to prescribe a universal design solution, but to help the project team recognise material risks, opportunities and unresolved performance questions before the design becomes difficult to change.
The review can also help clarify which matters may require more detailed assessment later. Depending on the project, this may include residential thermal rating, formal building compliance, thermal comfort analysis, daylight modelling, airflow modelling, planning-related solar analysis or a defined certification pathway. The appropriate next step depends on the building type, location, design stage, project objectives and the questions that remain unresolved.
Design stage performance advice does not replace Climate Responsive Design Support, which focuses more specifically on climate, orientation, sun, shade, ventilation potential and passive design response. It is also distinct from Specialised ESD Design Modelling, which tests defined performance questions through technical modelling, and from Passive House, which is a defined building standard and certification pathway. It can instead help a project team understand which of these more specific forms of advice, assessment or modelling may be appropriate.
It may consider building form, orientation, massing, plan depth, glazing, shading, envelope assumptions, ventilation potential, daylight and comfort risks, services assumptions and likely assessment pathways.
It is most useful during concept design, schematic design and design development, while important architectural decisions can still be reviewed and coordinated.
The review may draw on the site plan, survey, floor plans, elevations, sections, orientation, surrounding context, proposed materials, design assumptions, project objectives and intended assessment pathway where known.
Knowledge Navigation
Follow this guide to understand how early architectural decisions may influence future building performance, identify likely assessment pathways and help determine when more specialised advice or modelling may become appropriate.
Foundation
Understand the role of early performance review before important architectural decisions become fixed.
Early Design
Learn why performance questions are generally easier to address before the design becomes established.
Performance Factors
See which design decisions may influence energy, comfort, daylight, ventilation, compliance and future assessment pathways.
Design Questions
Explore common performance questions that arise during concept and schematic design.
Related Systems
Understand when climate responsive design, modelling, NatHERS, Passive House or compliance pathways become more appropriate.
Project Relevance
Identify the project types and design stages where an early performance review may provide useful direction.
Project Information
Review the drawings, site information and design assumptions that can support an early review.
Process
Follow the project review from the initial design questions through to recommended next steps.
Outputs
See the types of observations, pathway recommendations and review notes that may form part of the agreed scope.
Guidance
Understand where performance issues are commonly overlooked during the early design process.
Practical Guidance
Find concise answers about early performance advice, assessment pathways, modelling and project timing.
Design Performance
Design stage performance advice is a project-specific review of how developing architectural decisions may affect later building performance, documentation requirements and assessment pathways. It helps a project team interpret the performance implications of the design while there is still meaningful opportunity to refine it.
A building begins to establish its likely performance long before a formal rating, compliance assessment or technical model is completed. Decisions about form, orientation, massing, plan depth, glazing, shading, roof geometry and the developing envelope can influence how the building responds to heat, sunlight, daylight, airflow and occupancy. Early review can help identify which of these decisions are likely to be material to the project and which questions should be investigated further.
The advice is usually strategic rather than a substitute for detailed modelling. It may draw attention to possible comfort risks, daylight constraints, ventilation assumptions, compliance sensitivities, certification aspirations or gaps in the available documentation. Where a performance question cannot be resolved through design review alone, the advice can help define the next appropriate assessment or modelling pathway.
The scope depends on the project type, design stage and objectives. A concept design review may focus on broad architectural direction, while a later design development review may consider more resolved glazing, shading, materials, envelope assumptions and coordination issues. The review does not guarantee a rating, approval, certification or performance outcome, and material questions may need to be confirmed through the relevant formal assessment.
Architectural Decisions
The review considers how building form, layout, glazing, shading, envelope assumptions and other developing design decisions may influence performance.
Performance Questions
It can identify potential energy, comfort, daylight, ventilation, solar or documentation questions that deserve attention before the design progresses further.
Assessment Direction
The advice may indicate whether a formal rating, compliance assessment, technical model or certification pathway is likely to be relevant later.
Important Boundary
Design stage performance advice provides broad early guidance. It does not replace Climate Responsive Design Support, detailed Specialised ESD Design Modelling, a NatHERS assessment, formal compliance work or a defined certification pathway. Its role is to help determine which questions matter and what may need to happen next.
Early Design
Performance-related design questions are generally most useful to consider while the building form, layout, glazing, shading and envelope strategy can still be refined. As the design progresses, these decisions become increasingly connected to planning, structure, documentation, procurement and other consultant inputs.
Early review does not mean that every performance outcome can be predicted from concept drawings alone. It means that the project team can identify which design assumptions are likely to matter, which uncertainties remain and which issues may become harder to address later. This can support more informed decisions before the design is substantially fixed.
A highly glazed façade, deep floor plate, constrained orientation or unresolved shading strategy may not automatically create a performance problem. Each may, however, introduce questions about heat gain, comfort, daylight, ventilation or later assessment requirements. Reviewing those questions early can help distinguish between matters that can be addressed through design development and matters that may need to be tested through modelling.
The value of early advice lies in design awareness and coordination rather than guaranteed outcomes. It can help architects, clients and other consultants understand the likely consequences of developing design decisions, establish clearer priorities and prepare the project for the relevant rating, compliance, modelling or certification pathway where required.
Design Flexibility
Early review allows performance questions to be considered while changes to form, layout, glazing, shading and envelope assumptions may still be practical.
Risk Awareness
The review may identify comfort, daylight, ventilation, solar, compliance or documentation questions before they appear during formal assessment.
Consultant Coordination
Early advice can help clarify which matters need input from the architect, ESD consultant, services engineer, planner, certifier or other project specialists.
Assessment Readiness
The review may help identify likely information requirements and unresolved decisions before a rating, compliance assessment, technical model or certification process begins.
Documentation
Missing sections, unresolved glazing assumptions, unclear materials or incomplete envelope information may limit later analysis and can be identified during early review.
Decision Clarity
Some matters can be addressed through design development, while others may need quantified analysis. Early advice can help distinguish between the two.
Design Stage Principle
The purpose of early performance review is not to complete every assessment sooner. It is to understand which design decisions may influence later outcomes, which assumptions should be confirmed and when a more specific assessment becomes appropriate.
Performance Factors
Every project is different, so the focus of a design stage performance review depends on the building type, design maturity, project objectives and available documentation. Rather than following a fixed checklist, the review considers the performance implications of the design as it currently exists.
Performance is rarely influenced by a single design decision. Building form, orientation, glazing, shading, internal planning, envelope continuity and services assumptions interact with one another. A change that improves one aspect of performance may also influence daylight, comfort, construction complexity or compliance elsewhere in the project. Early review helps identify these relationships before they become embedded within the design.
The review does not attempt to produce final performance calculations. Instead, it highlights the areas that appear most significant for the project, identifies assumptions that may require confirmation and helps establish where more detailed modelling or assessment could later provide greater certainty.
Building Form
The scale, proportions, massing and organisation of the building may influence future energy use, daylight availability, ventilation opportunities and envelope performance.
Building Envelope
Wall systems, roof construction, insulation concepts, glazing assumptions and overall envelope continuity may influence later performance outcomes.
Solar Performance
Window size, location, façade composition and shading concepts may affect daylight, solar gain, glare and thermal performance.
Internal Planning
Room arrangement, circulation, occupancy patterns and zoning may influence comfort, daylight access and future servicing strategies.
Building Services
The proposed servicing approach, natural ventilation strategy and anticipated building operation may influence future assessment requirements.
Assessment Strategy
The review may identify where formal compliance, modelling, certification or performance assessment is likely to become necessary as the project progresses.
Important Principle
High-performing buildings are rarely the result of a single design feature. Performance usually emerges from the relationship between orientation, building form, envelope design, glazing, shading, internal planning and building services. Design stage performance advice considers these decisions as an integrated system, helping project teams understand where the design is already working well and where further investigation may be worthwhile before the project advances.
Design Questions
Most projects do not begin with answers. They begin with questions. Design stage performance advice helps determine which of those questions are important, which can be resolved through design development and which may require more detailed assessment later.
Architects, developers and design teams regularly encounter performance questions while a project is evolving. At this stage there is often insufficient information to produce definitive calculations, yet there is enough information to understand where opportunities, uncertainties or potential risks may exist. Reviewing these questions early can improve coordination and help avoid unnecessary redesign later in the project.
The exact questions vary from project to project, but many revolve around how architectural decisions may influence comfort, energy performance, daylight, compliance, occupant experience or future assessment pathways. The purpose of the review is not simply to answer every question immediately, but to determine which questions deserve further attention.
Overall geometry, depth and massing may influence multiple aspects of building performance as the design develops.
Window size, location and façade composition often influence several later performance assessments.
Some questions can be addressed through architectural refinement, while others require technical analysis to provide confidence.
Reviewing performance implications before documentation progresses may reduce unnecessary redesign.
The review may identify whether the project is likely to benefit from thermal modelling, daylight analysis, NatHERS, Passive House, compliance assessment or another specialist pathway.
Incomplete drawings or unresolved design assumptions may limit meaningful assessment until additional information becomes available.
Key Insight
Many building performance challenges are easier to influence while the project is still evolving. Design stage performance advice helps teams recognise which architectural decisions deserve closer attention, where uncertainty remains and when specialist assessment is likely to add meaningful value. Rather than replacing technical analysis, it helps ensure that technical analysis is applied where it will have the greatest benefit.
Related Systems
Design stage performance advice sits between early architectural thinking and more defined technical assessment. It helps identify the questions that matter, but it does not replace the specialist pathways used to test, calculate, document or certify specific aspects of building performance.
A project may require several different forms of sustainability advice as it develops. The appropriate pathway depends on whether the project team is exploring an architectural direction, responding to climate, seeking a quantified answer, demonstrating regulatory compliance or pursuing a defined building standard. These services may inform one another, but they do not answer the same question.
Design stage performance advice is broad and interpretive. It reviews the developing design, identifies likely performance implications and helps determine which matters may require further investigation. More specialised services then provide the defined methodology, calculations or verification needed to answer those questions with greater certainty.
Broad Design Review
Reviews an evolving architectural design to identify performance implications, unresolved questions, design risks, opportunities and likely next assessment pathways.
Best suited to concept, schematic and design development stages before important decisions become substantially fixed.
Climate-Led Guidance
Focuses on how local climate, orientation, seasonal sun, shading, wind, ventilation potential, building form and envelope strategy may shape the architectural response.
Most useful when the central question is how the building should respond to its climate and site conditions.
Technical Analysis
Uses defined simulation methods and project inputs to investigate specific questions involving energy, thermal behaviour, comfort, daylight, airflow or other measurable performance outcomes.
Appropriate when the project requires quantified comparison, technical validation or evidence beyond broad design review.
Residential Rating
Calculates the thermal performance of an applicable residential design using accredited software and produces a formal star rating based on defined modelling conventions.
Required when a project needs a residential thermal rating rather than general early design guidance.
Building Standard
Applies a defined performance standard with specific energy, airtightness, comfort, documentation and verification requirements throughout design and construction.
Appropriate when the project intends to design toward or certify against the Passive House standard.
Regulatory Pathway
Demonstrates whether the project satisfies an applicable statutory or building code requirement through the relevant prescribed or performance-based assessment process.
Required when the project must establish formal compliance rather than explore broader performance opportunities.
Where Design Stage Advice Stops
Design stage performance advice can identify a likely issue, explain why it may matter and recommend a suitable next step. It does not itself produce a formal star rating, compliance result, certification decision or validated modelling outcome.
Identify material questions, interpret likely design implications, highlight unresolved assumptions and recommend further investigation.
Provide final calculations, accredited ratings, statutory approval, certification or technical verification unless separately included in the agreed scope.
May involve design refinement, additional documentation, specialist modelling, a formal rating, compliance assessment or a defined certification process.
Project Relevance
Not every project requires the same level of performance input. Early design advice is generally most valuable where important architectural decisions are still evolving and the project team wants greater confidence before progressing into detailed documentation or formal assessment.
The service is flexible because every project begins with different objectives. Some teams want confidence that the design is moving in an appropriate direction. Others are preparing for a compliance pathway, a sustainability framework or specialist modelling. In many cases the greatest value comes from identifying important questions before they become expensive design changes.
Projects of every scale can benefit from a structured early review. The complexity of the advice will naturally vary depending on the building type, level of documentation, project objectives and stage of design development.
Residential Projects
Useful where building form, glazing, internal planning, envelope assumptions or future NatHERS outcomes are still being influenced by the architectural design.
Multi Residential
Can assist project teams in understanding broader performance considerations before specialist consultants undertake more detailed modelling and compliance work.
Commercial Buildings
Helpful where architectural decisions may influence later Section J, JV3, daylight, thermal comfort or other specialist assessment pathways.
Performance Aspirations
Useful where projects are exploring Passive House, sustainability frameworks or ambitious environmental performance objectives before committing to a specific pathway.
Complex Sites
Projects affected by site limitations, planning controls, neighbouring buildings or competing design objectives may benefit from broader performance review before detailed analysis begins.
Design Teams
Early discussions between architects, developers, engineers and sustainability consultants can establish a clearer performance direction before technical investigations commence.
Not Every Project Needs Everything
Some projects may only require confirmation that the design is progressing appropriately. Others may identify the need for detailed modelling, compliance assessment or a specialist sustainability strategy. Design stage performance advice helps establish that direction without assuming that every project requires every assessment.
Project Information
The quality of a design review depends on the information available at the time. Design stage performance advice can begin from relatively early concept material, with the scope and confidence of the review naturally increasing as the design becomes more developed.
Unlike formal compliance assessments, early design advice does not always require fully resolved documentation. Initial sketches, concept layouts or preliminary architectural drawings may already provide enough information to identify important performance questions. As additional information becomes available, the review can become more detailed and project specific.
The documents reviewed vary between projects. Rather than requesting every available drawing, the objective is to understand the architectural intent, identify key assumptions and determine which aspects of the design may influence future performance or require further investigation.
Architectural Drawings
Floor plans, elevations, sections and other architectural drawings help establish the developing building form, layout and envelope assumptions.
Site Information
Site plans, surveys, neighbouring development and planning constraints may provide context for understanding the opportunities and limitations of the project.
Design Intent
Understanding the architectural vision, client priorities and intended building performance helps place technical observations into the broader design context.
Building Systems
Where available, preliminary information about glazing, construction systems, insulation and building services may assist the review.
Previous Studies
Earlier reports, concept studies or preliminary modelling may help explain design decisions already made and avoid unnecessary duplication.
Project Questions
Often the most valuable information is the list of questions the project team is trying to answer. These help focus the review on the decisions that matter most.
Typical Information Package
For many projects, a combination of architectural drawings, site information and a discussion of the project's objectives is sufficient to begin identifying important performance considerations. As the design matures, the review can evolve alongside the project, providing increasingly detailed guidance where appropriate.
Sketch plans, concept layouts, basic site information and the project's performance aspirations.
More developed architectural drawings together with preliminary envelope and glazing assumptions.
Detailed documentation can support more focused recommendations and determine whether specialist assessment should commence.
Review Process
The review begins with the project team's design questions and available documentation. The process then considers the developing design, identifies material performance implications and establishes whether design refinement, additional information or a more specialised assessment may be appropriate.
Design stage performance advice is usually structured around the decisions the project team is currently making. A concept design may require broad observations about building form, planning and likely performance direction. A more developed design may allow closer review of glazing, shading, envelope assumptions, services coordination and readiness for formal assessment.
The process is not intended to delay design while every technical question is resolved. Its purpose is to provide the right level of advice for the current stage, distinguish strategic design issues from matters requiring calculation and help the team understand what should happen next.
Project Definition
The review begins by confirming the project type, current design stage, available information and the decisions the project team is trying to make. This establishes a focused scope rather than treating every possible performance topic as equally relevant.
Information Review
Relevant plans, elevations, sections, site information, design assumptions and previous studies are reviewed to understand the architectural intent and the level of confidence available at the current stage.
Design Interpretation
The developing design is considered as an integrated system. The review may identify relationships between form, layout, glazing, shading, envelope assumptions, daylight, comfort, ventilation, services and later assessment requirements.
Risk and Opportunity
Some findings may be addressed through architectural refinement or clearer documentation. Others may depend on project-specific calculations, simulation or formal assessment. The review helps separate these different types of issue.
Design Direction
The advice may include design observations, matters to resolve, assumptions to confirm and areas where the project team may wish to compare alternatives. Recommendations remain proportionate to the available information and agreed scope.
Next Steps
The review may recommend continued design refinement, further documentation, Climate Responsive Design Support, Specialised ESD Design Modelling, formal compliance assessment, a rating pathway or another specialist service.
An Iterative Process
A review does not need to be treated as a single isolated checkpoint. Where appropriate, advice can be revisited as the project moves from concept design into schematic design and design development. Each review can respond to the questions, decisions and information available at that stage.
Broadly considers design direction, important assumptions and likely performance questions.
Responds to more resolved drawings, envelope assumptions and emerging coordination issues.
Confirms when broad advice should transition into defined modelling, rating, compliance or certification work.
Review Outputs
The output of a design stage performance review depends on the project, the available information and the questions being considered. It may range from focused design observations to a structured review identifying risks, opportunities, unresolved assumptions and recommended next steps.
The purpose of the output is to help the project team make informed design decisions. It is not intended to overwhelm the design process with unnecessary technical detail or provide certainty beyond the information available. Instead, the advice should make the project’s current performance position easier to understand and act upon.
Depending on the agreed scope, findings may be communicated through marked-up drawings, written comments, a design workshop, an advisory memorandum or a more structured performance review. The format should reflect how the project team works and the level of coordination required.
Design Observations
Project-specific observations may explain how current design decisions could influence future building performance, coordination or assessment outcomes.
Priority Matters
The review may distinguish matters requiring early attention from lower-priority issues that can be resolved during later design development.
Design Refinement
Advice may identify where form, planning, glazing, envelope assumptions, services coordination or documentation would benefit from further consideration.
Assumptions
The output may record missing information, preliminary assumptions or design decisions that should be clarified before more detailed assessment begins.
Assessment Readiness
The review may help determine whether the design and documentation are sufficiently developed for modelling, compliance, rating or certification work.
Next Pathway
Where broad review is no longer sufficient, the advice may recommend a defined specialist service to investigate the issue with greater precision.
Possible Formats
A focused discussion with the architect, developer or broader consultant team to review current questions and possible design responses.
Comments recorded directly against plans, elevations or sections to connect advice with specific areas of the developing design.
A concise record of findings, priorities, assumptions and recommended actions for the project team.
A more comprehensive review where the project has multiple performance objectives, stakeholders or future assessment pathways.
Scope Boundary
A design review may indicate that a particular approach appears promising or that an issue is likely to require attention. Unless technical analysis is separately commissioned, these observations should not be interpreted as a calculated performance result, formal compliance determination or certification outcome.
Where greater certainty is required, the recommended next step may be Specialised ESD Design Modelling, a formal rating, compliance assessment or another defined technical service.
Common Project Risks
Many performance challenges do not begin with a single incorrect decision. They emerge gradually as architectural, technical and project requirements are developed separately or reviewed too late to influence the design efficiently.
Early design development often involves competing objectives. Planning controls, spatial requirements, cost, appearance, structure, services and environmental performance may all influence the project at the same time. Problems can arise where one part of the design progresses without sufficient awareness of how it may affect another.
Design stage performance advice can help reveal these relationships before the project becomes dependent on fixed geometry, detailed documentation or a particular assessment pathway. The aim is not to eliminate every uncertainty, but to identify the uncertainties that may materially affect later decisions.
Mistake 01
Performance input is sometimes introduced only after planning, façade composition, internal layouts and major building systems have already been substantially resolved.
At that point, technically effective changes may be difficult, expensive or inconsistent with the established architectural direction. Earlier review allows the team to understand likely implications while meaningful choices remain available.
Mistake 02
Building performance may be treated as something that can be added after the architectural design is complete through insulation, glazing specifications, equipment or technology.
In practice, performance is influenced by relationships between form, planning, envelope, services and assessment requirements. Reviewing these relationships together can reveal opportunities that isolated specification changes may not address.
Mistake 03
Simulation can test defined options, but it cannot replace the architectural judgement required to decide which options should be investigated.
A strategic review can help clarify the project question before detailed modelling begins. This reduces the risk of producing technically accurate analysis that does not address the decision the design team actually needs to make.
Mistake 04
Glazing, shading, insulation, internal planning and building services may each appear reasonable when considered separately.
The broader performance outcome depends on how these decisions interact. An improvement in one area may create a consequence elsewhere, which is why an integrated review is often more useful than isolated product or specification advice.
Mistake 05
Early designs often rely on preliminary assumptions about construction systems, glazing, services, occupancy or future assessment pathways.
Where these assumptions are not clearly recorded, later consultants may interpret the project differently or base their work on information that has already changed. Identifying assumptions early supports clearer coordination as the design develops.
Mistake 06
A project may commit to a modelling, certification or compliance pathway before the design objectives, evidence requirements and likely value of that pathway are fully understood.
Early advice can help distinguish between what is mandatory, what is strategically useful and what may create unnecessary work. The selected pathway should respond to the project rather than determine the project by default.
A Better Approach
The most useful early performance review begins by understanding what the project team is deciding, why that decision matters and how much certainty is required. This makes it possible to apply design advice, modelling, compliance assessment or certification in a proportionate and deliberate way.
Identify important performance questions while architectural decisions can still be influenced.
Consider design, envelope, services and future assessment requirements as connected parts of the project.
Move into specialist modelling or formal assessment only when the question, scope and required evidence are sufficiently clear.
Frequently Asked Questions
Design stage performance advice is a strategic review of an evolving architectural design.
It considers how current design decisions may influence building performance and helps identify opportunities, potential risks, unresolved assumptions and appropriate next steps before the design becomes substantially fixed.
The service is generally most useful during concept design, schematic design and design development.
At these stages, building form, internal planning, glazing, envelope assumptions and assessment pathways may still be refined before planning, consultant coordination and detailed documentation make substantial changes more difficult.
Design stage performance advice may be used for houses, alterations and additions, apartment developments, mixed use projects, commercial buildings and other architecturally designed projects.
The review scope depends on the project scale, building type, design stage, available documentation and the decisions the project team is trying to make.
No. Climate Responsive Design Support focuses specifically on how climate, orientation, seasonal sun, shading, wind, ventilation potential and site exposure may shape the architectural response.
Design stage performance advice has a broader refinement role. It reviews the developing design as a whole, identifies performance implications and helps clarify which matters may require further design work or specialist assessment.
Not unless modelling is separately included within the agreed project scope.
Design stage performance advice is primarily a strategic review service. Where a project requires calculated comparisons, simulation or technical validation, a separate Specialised ESD Design Modelling assessment may be recommended.
Yes. An early review may identify aspects of a residential design that could influence its later thermal performance assessment.
It does not calculate a star rating or replace an accredited NatHERS assessment, but it may help the design team address relevant issues before formal rating work begins.
Yes. Early performance advice may help identify architectural and envelope decisions that are likely to influence a later commercial building compliance pathway.
The review does not itself demonstrate compliance. A formal Section J assessment or JV3 assessment remains necessary where required for the project.
No. Design stage performance advice may help a project explore higher performance objectives or determine whether a more defined pathway is appropriate.
Passive House is a specific building performance standard with defined criteria for energy demand, airtightness, thermal bridging, comfort, documentation and verification.
The review may consider building form, internal planning, glazing, shading, envelope assumptions, construction systems, preliminary building services and intended assessment pathways.
The matters reviewed depend on the project questions and the level of information available. The service does not automatically include detailed analysis of every performance topic.
Useful information may include the project location, site plan, architectural plans, elevations, sections, concept drawings, preliminary envelope assumptions and any existing studies.
A clear explanation of the project objectives and the decisions currently being considered is also valuable. The exact information required depends on the design stage and agreed review scope.
No. The review can often begin using concept drawings, preliminary plans or schematic design documentation.
The level of detail and confidence in the advice will reflect the information available. As the design becomes more resolved, later reviews may provide more focused and project-specific guidance.
Depending on the agreed scope, the output may include a design review meeting, marked-up drawings, written comments, an advisory memorandum or a structured performance review.
The advice may identify design observations, priority issues, opportunities, assumptions requiring confirmation and recommended next steps.
The review may identify questions that cannot be resolved reliably through strategic design advice alone.
Depending on the project, Certified Energy may recommend Thermal Comfort Modelling, Daylight Modelling, CFD Modelling, a formal rating, a compliance assessment or another project-specific service.
No. Design stage performance advice provides project-specific professional guidance based on the available information and agreed scope.
It does not provide a performance guarantee, formal rating, compliance determination, certification outcome or verified simulation result. These require the relevant technical assessment or certification pathway.
Yes. Performance advice can be revisited as a project moves from concept design through schematic design and design development.
An updated review may be appropriate where building form, planning, glazing, envelope assumptions, services or project objectives change in a way that affects the earlier findings.
The service is commonly used by architects, developers, builders, project managers and multidisciplinary consultant teams.
It is particularly relevant where a team wants greater confidence in the developing design before commencing detailed modelling, formal compliance assessment, certification or construction documentation.
Project Specific Requirements
The appropriate review scope, required information, design questions and possible deliverables depend on the building type, project stage, available documentation, performance objectives and intended assessment pathway. These answers provide general guidance and should not be treated as a formal rating, performance guarantee, compliance assessment, certification decision or substitute for project-specific modelling or specialist advice.
Related Knowledge
Design Stage Performance Advice helps project teams interpret the performance implications of an evolving design. Where a project requires climate-led architectural guidance, quantified analysis, formal assessment or investigation of a defined technical question, a related service may provide the appropriate next pathway.
Climate-Led Architectural Thinking
Review how local climate, orientation, solar exposure, wind, shading and site conditions may inform the architectural direction before major design decisions become fixed.
Explore Climate Responsive Design Support →
Project-Specific Technical Analysis
Define and test a project-specific modelling question where qualitative review alone cannot provide the comparison, evidence or technical confidence required.
Explore Specialised ESD Design Modelling →
Indoor Comfort Performance
Evaluate predicted internal temperatures, overheating risk and comfort conditions under defined weather, occupancy, glazing, shading and envelope assumptions.
Explore Thermal Comfort Modelling →
Natural Light Performance
Investigate how room depth, glazing, façade design and surrounding obstructions influence daylight availability and distribution within the proposed building.
Explore Daylight Modelling →
Airflow and Ventilation
Analyse airflow direction, velocity, pressure and ventilation behaviour where architectural geometry or surrounding conditions create a complex environmental question.
Explore CFD Modelling →
Solar Access and Built Form
Investigate how building height, orientation, siting and massing may affect direct sunlight access to dwellings, open spaces and neighbouring properties.
Explore Solar Access & Overshadowing →
Residential Thermal Assessment
Calculate the heating and cooling performance of a proposed dwelling and determine its NatHERS star rating through an accredited residential thermal assessment.
Explore NatHERS Assessment →
Commercial Building Compliance
Assess the energy efficiency provisions applicable to a commercial building through the relevant National Construction Code Section J compliance pathway.
Explore Section J Assessment →
Defined High Performance Framework
Explore a defined building performance framework based on energy demand, airtightness, thermal bridge control, high performance envelopes and verified comfort outcomes.
Explore Passive House →
Site and Surrounding Context
Review the physical site, adjoining development, landform, orientation and surrounding conditions that may influence the environmental and architectural response.
Explore Site & Contextual Analysis →
Design & Planning Gateway
Explore climate response, building comfort, design refinement, solar access, site intelligence and environmental modelling pathways according to the project stage, design question and evidence required.
Explore the Design & Planning Intelligence gateway →
Design Stage Performance Advice Project Review
Send the available concept plans, elevations, sections, design development drawings, preliminary specifications and any known performance objectives, coordination concerns or unresolved design questions for the project.
Certified Energy can review the evolving architectural design, building form, planning, glazing, shading, envelope assumptions, construction systems, preliminary services and intended assessment pathways to help identify priorities, risks, opportunities and appropriate next actions. Where a question requires quantified evidence or technical validation, supporting Specialised ESD Design Modelling, Thermal Comfort Modelling, Daylight Modelling or another defined assessment pathway may also be relevant.
The appropriate review scope, required design information, level of detail and possible supporting analysis depend on the project stage, building type, available documentation, performance objectives and the architectural decisions currently being considered.
Last reviewed: July 2026. This page is maintained by Certified Energy as part of its High Performance Design Hub; Design & Planning Intelligence.
