2026 Humidity and Dehumidification Workshop

The Bourne Ultimatum frame is deliberate. Bourne is about a threat created by the system itself, and one that can’t be neutralised until the system is reformed. Moisture problems in Australian buildings aren’t natural disasters; they’re largely the product of codes that mandate ventilation without mandating moisture control. The ‘ultimatum’ also carries a sense of deadline: the evidence is in, the international benchmark exists, and the moment to action is now.

The Framing Tension this Workshop is Built Around:

We are required to ventilate. But we are not required to manage the moisture that comes with it.

The Question Underpinning the Workshop

Should mechanical ventilation standard AS1668.2 (or another element of Australian regulation) adopt a maximum indoor dewpoint for air-conditioned buildings (and if so, what should that number be?)

Scope: What this Workshop is and isn’t 

The workshop is focused specifically on excess moisture and dehumidification. It is not intended to cover the full spectrum of humidity-related issues. This focus is deliberate. Expanding the scope to include low-humidity risks and cold-climate considerations would dilute the discussion at a time when growing attention is being given to moisture-related building failures, health impacts and potential regulatory responses.

The workshop will explore the technical, operational and building science aspects of excess moisture in buildings, while also introducing the standards, regulatory and policy questions that arise from those findings. These broader discussions are expected to continue throughout the main conference program, where a wider range of stakeholders will be present and opportunities exist to further examine potential pathways forward.

The workshop builds the technical foundation; the conference explores the broader implications and future directions.