[Design and build your project with confidence]

Building Performance

Energy efficiency, building enclosure, renewable energy solutions for high performance, sustainable buildings.

how we work

Trusted by companies
big and small

[here's how we can help you]

Whether you’re working through weathertightness, targeting Green Star or LEED, or designing for real-world occupant comfort—our building performance work is technically sound, regulation-ready, and easy to integrate into your design process.

Energy Efficiency in Buildings

Design support and modelling to help you meet—or exceed—code requirements. We balance compliance with performance, giving you room to design with confidence.

+ NCC 2022 Section J compliance
+ NatHERS energy ratings (residential)
+ J1V3 Performance Solution
+ Building envelope optimisation
+ Glazing and insulation specification reviews

‍Need to meet code without overdesigning?

‍Ask us how →

Operational Energy

Understand and optimise your building’s energy use from the inside out. We help quantify emissions, guide electrification, and support net zero pathways.
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+ Whole-of-building energy modelling
+ Operational carbon forecasting
+ Electrification and all-electric design strategies
+ Load profile analysis and peak demand management
+ Renewable energy integration

‍Planning for low emissions or Green Star targets?

We can help →

Building Enclosure

The enclosure defines how a building performs over time. We advise on detailing and materials to optimise thermal control, prevent moisture issues, and protect long-term durability.

+ Envelope thermal performance modelling
+ Vapour and condensation risk assessments
+ Moisture control and hygrothermal strategy
+ Thermal bridging mitigation
+ Glazing and window-to-wall ratio advice
+ Airtightness detailing and compliance
+ Weathertightness advisory
+ Cladding and building skin review
+ Waterproofing strategy (external)

Want to reduce risk of defects, non-compliance, and costly rework?
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Talk to us about your enclosure →

Commissioning and verification

Design performance is only part of the picture. We support post-design and post-occupancy evaluation to ensure your building delivers on paper and in practice.

+ Thermal comfort modelling (TM52, TM59, or custom)
+ Indoor environment quality analysis
+ Building tuning and seasonal commissioning input
+ Post-occupancy evaluation guidance
+ Reporting for Green Star Performance and NABERS credits

Verifying comfort and performance?

Ask us what's possible →

Design support

We partner early to help you make confident, well-informed design choices—so performance is embedded from the beginning, not retrofitted at the end.

+ Passive design review and optimisation
+ Material selection and thermal property advice
+ Natural lighting simulation (SDA, DF, ASE)
+ Natural ventilation strategy and feasibility
+ Computational design input for massing, shading, and orientation
+ Thermal zoning and layout optimisation
+ Early-phase modelling to inform architectural moves

Want your design to work harder—without compromising intent?

Bring us in early →

Certification support

Whether you’re targeting Green Star, LEED, or other certifications, we provide the modelling, documentation, and strategy to secure credits—without overengineering the solution.
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+ Green Star credits
+ LEED energy modelling and daylight simulations
+ ASHRAE, IES LM-83, NABERS
+ WELL and Fitwel technical input
+ BESS input and local council-aligned ESD reporting
+ NABERS design pathway modelling and guidance
+ Living Building Challenge advisory (energy, water, materials petals)
+ Cross-framework coordination and documentation

Pursuing certification across multiple frameworks?

We’ll help you navigate it →

Indoor Environment Quality

Healthy buildings are better buildings. We assess and advise on design strategies that enhance air quality, daylight, thermal comfort, and occupant wellbeing.

+ Thermal comfort modelling (TM52, PMV/PPD, or NCC-based)
+ Daylight and glare analysis (ASE, SDA, DF, VLT)
+ Natural ventilation and airflow strategy
+ Acoustic and lighting coordination input
+ CFD Simulation
+ WELL, Fitwel, LEED and Green Star credit alignment

[better buildings]

Life is too short for low-performance buildings.

Our cities and urban centres are changing fast—in both size and speed. And achieving sustainable solutions in our urban environment is a growing challenge. Parallel to this, we're increasingly aware of our impact on our surroundings and scarcity of resources.
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To help you help you navigate the complexity of creating sustainable developments, Makao provides a wide range of services. We want to make this simple as you focus on shaping our built environment.

renewable
energy

operational
enegry

building performance

Early design support

Building
Enclosure

indoor
comfort

[markets we work in]

Sustainability challenges look different depending on where you sit. Designing a new building, delivering a city precinct, or guiding an organisation-wide strategy. We bring technical depth and practical solutions that meet your project's unique needs.

See the sectors we help

[Got questions?]

Frequently Asked Questions

We know every project and organisation is different, so you might be wondering how Makao fits with your goals. If you don’t see your question here, we’d love to hear from you directly.

get in touch

What industries does Makao specialise in?

We partner with you across the built environment — education, industrial, residential, retail (large and small format retail), community and religious buildings, precincts, and infrastructure.

If you’re an organisation looking to strengthen your sustainability strategy at a company or portfolio level, we can support you there too.

Can you help us meet regulatory or sustainability targets?

Yes. We help you navigate complex standards like building codes, NatHERS, LEED, Green Star, and NABERS. And we don’t stop at compliance — we work with you to set and deliver on ambitious goals such as energy efficiency, electrification, and net zero.

How is your approach different from traditional consulting firms?

We bring rigorous technical modelling together with a practical, collaborative style. Instead of just handing you a report, we involve you in the process so sustainability becomes part of how your project is designed, approved, and delivered. And because we value trust, we’re always happy to connect you with existing clients who can share their experience of working with us.

Do you offer technical implementation or just strategy?

Both. We can help you in the early stages with concept design and policy development, and we also get hands-on with detailed energy modelling, technical reports, and approvals.

Put simply, we meet you where you are — whether you need consulting only, consulting plus strategy, or full strategy and implementation (including procurement).

Are your solutions scalable?

Absolutely. Whether you’re delivering one high-performance building or rolling out a multi-city program, our methods scale with you. We adapt to your context while still aligning with leading global benchmarks.

How do we start working with Makao?

It usually begins with a discovery email or call where we get to know you and your goals. We’ll clarify your sustainability objectives and outline the pathways we can support you with. From there, we provide you with a tailored scope and next steps.

We are Makao Group Pty Ltd, an Australian-registered firm specialising in ESD engineering, sustainability, and energy performance modelling. The content on this site is shared to give you useful insights and information, but it shouldn’t be taken as tailored professional advice. Every project is unique, so always seek specific guidance before making decisions. We work hard to keep our information accurate and up to date, but we can’t guarantee that everything will be perfect or suitable for every situation. Makao isn’t responsible for any loss or outcomes that come from relying solely on what’s here.