Sense Without the Expense Workshop: low-cost environmental sensing systems

Join the SHE Lab (Sustainable and Healthy Environments Lab) for a hands-on workshop exploring affordable off-the-shelf building environmental sensing technologies and open-source tools and platforms. Discover the opportunities and challenges of using low-cost systems for data collection, and see how real-world research projects are breaking new ground and unlocking new research dimensions with practical, innovative approaches.

This workshop takes place as part of the 58th International Conference of the Architectural Science Association (ASA2025), hosted at the Melbourne School of Design.

We know that data collection and field work can be expensive, especially for researchers and professionals with a limited budget. Attending this workshop will help get new insights and tools to decide how to set-up your sensing system to get the most out of hardware and platforms available.

This workshop is ideal for researchers, professionals, students, tinkerers and DIY enthusiasts working or with an interest in:

• Architectural sciences and design
• Civil, environmental, electrical, mechanical engineering
• Sustainability consulting and policy-making

No prior experience with indoor environmental quality and monitoring is required.

Participants will walk away with:

• new knowlegde on off-the-shelf and affordable sensors, platforms and systems available today at the market for the monitoring of built environments, with a focus on indoor environmental quality and energy data
• new knowledge on the opportunities and challenges of using off-the-shelf low-cost systems for data collection (e.g., sensor accuracy, future-proofing your system for future use, costs, support available, data privacy)
• examples of current research projects using affordable off-the-shelf building environmental sensing technologies and open-source tools and platforms.
• starter knowledge to install and configure Home Assistant Platform for data logging and visualization.

Also check out other Workshops in Parkville.