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Afogreen Build Highlights Growing Adoption of Building Performance Modelling in Australia’s Sustainability-Driven Construction Sector

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SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 29 June 2026 – As sustainability requirements and operational performance expectations evolve, building performance modelling is becoming increasingly important across Australia’s construction sector. Afogreen Build, an Environmentally Sustainable Development (ESD) consultancy, has observed growing demand for integrated modelling approaches that help architects and building owners evaluate factors like energy efficiency, occupant comfort, and sustainability outcomes.

Building Performance Modelling as a Strategic Tool
Integrated modelling uses computer-based simulations to predict how a building will perform even before it is constructed. By analysing factors such as energy consumption, indoor comfort, daylight access, airflow, and operational efficiency, it helps project teams understand how design decisions may affect a building’s long-term performance.

Traditionally, this approach has been used to support compliance with building regulations and sustainability certification frameworks. However, its role is expanding as project teams increasingly seek data-driven insights during the design process.

One factor contributing to this trend is the growing focus on measurable operational outcomes. Frameworks such as NABERS Commitment Agreements and Section J Performance Solutions require project teams to demonstrate expected building performance before construction begins. As a result, modelling is becoming an increasingly valuable tool for evaluating whether design targets can realistically be achieved.

The approach is already widely adopted across Australia’s construction sector. Research indicates that approximately 90% of new residential developments and 85% of non-office commercial projects now incorporate building performance modelling. At the same time, around 53% of standard projects and 49% of premium projects are using modelling primarily for compliance-based assessments.

“Modelling is increasingly viewed not just as a compliance requirement, but as a practical tool for evaluating whether design targets can realistically be achieved,” shared Erika Yuniarti, Managing Director of Afogreen Build.

Integrated Modelling Provides a Broader View of Building Performance
Many project teams are also moving beyond assessments that focus on a single performance metric.

Integrated modelling evaluates multiple aspects of building performance together, including:

  • Energy use
  • Thermal comfort
  • Daylight access
  • Ventilation
  • Occupant experience

This approach allows stakeholders to better understand how different building systems and design decisions interact with one another.

By identifying potential issues earlier in the design process, project teams can make more informed decisions before significant design resources are committed. This can help reduce design revisions, improve overall efficiency, and provide greater confidence that performance objectives can be achieved once the building is operational.

Applications Across Multiple Sectors
The growing adoption of building performance modelling can be seen across a variety of project types. Recent projects undertaken by Afogreen Build highlight how simulation-based assessments are helping project teams evaluate performance, improve design outcomes, and support sustainability objectives.

a. Large-Scale Hotel Development
One project involved the transformation of a former police station site into a two-tower hotel complex with a gross floor area of approximately 25,000 sqm. The development combines a 131-room boutique luxury lifestyle hotel with a 451-room budget-friendly hotel, creating a diverse hospitality offering designed to serve different traveller segments.

To support both guest comfort and sustainability objectives, Afogreen Build conducted integrated daylight, glare, and energy modelling throughout the project. Daylight simulations showed that approximately 94% of guest rooms met daylight performance requirements, while glare assessments helped optimise visual comfort within occupied spaces.

Energy modelling indicated an overall reduction in energy consumption of 30.2% compared to baseline building performance. The analysis also identified key areas of energy use, providing valuable insights that can support future operational and system optimisation efforts.

b. Train Station Project
For a train station project, Afogreen Build adopted an integrated modelling approach to evaluate factors such as daylight access, thermal comfort, glare, and natural ventilation across key passenger areas, including the concourse and platforms.

The simulations helped project stakeholders better understand how environmental conditions would affect the passenger experience throughout the day. Findings from the study informed façade design strategies, balancing natural daylight with measures to reduce excessive glare and solar heat gain in occupied spaces.

The assessments also identified opportunities to improve thermal comfort and air movement within the station, supporting a more comfortable environment for commuters while maintaining energy-efficient design principles.

c. High-Performance Data Centre
Afogreen Build also applied building performance modelling to a 50 MW data centre project, where energy efficiency was a key design consideration.

The study evaluated the interaction between IT equipment, cooling systems, power distribution infrastructure, and other supporting building systems. By analysing how these components work together under operational conditions, the project team was able to gain a clearer understanding of the facility’s overall energy performance and identify opportunities for optimisation.

The modelling contributed to an optimised Category 2 Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) range of 1.19 to 1.31, reflecting a highly efficient approach to managing energy consumption within a large-scale, energy-intensive facility.

Together, these projects demonstrate how building performance modelling can be applied across diverse sectors, each with its own operational requirements and performance priorities.

The Future of Performance-Driven Design
As sustainability frameworks and performance expectations continue to evolve, Afogreen Build expects modelling to become an increasingly important part of project planning and design across a wide range of sectors.

“There is increasing emphasis on understanding how buildings are likely to perform before they are built, rather than waiting until they are operational to identify challenges,” said Ms. Erika. “The ability to evaluate performance early in the design process is becoming increasingly valuable as projects face more complex sustainability and operational requirements. The team should work closely with project stakeholders to establish realistic assumptions and evaluate likely performance outcomes from the outset. This process helps reduce unnecessary design iterations, improve modelling efficiency, and increase the likelihood of achieving targeted performance objectives. By integrating performance considerations earlier in the design process, project teams are better positioned to deliver buildings that meet both compliance requirements and long-term operational goals.”

For more information about building performance modelling and sustainability consulting services, visit Afogreen Build’s website.
Hashtag: #AfogreenBuild

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Afogreen Build

Afogreen Build is a in Australia specialising in sustainability advisory, environmental simulations, and performance modelling. Its services include , daylight analysis, thermal comfort assessments, CFD modelling, and green building certification consulting for projects across the Asia-Pacific region. The company supports project teams in designing buildings that prioritise energy efficiency, occupant comfort, and long-term.

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CyCraft Named a Sample Provider in the Gartner® Latest AI Reasoning Models Report—The Only Taiwan-Based Cybersecurity Provider Listed

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TAIPEI, TAIWAN – Media OutReach Newswire – 16 July 2026 – CyCraft (Stock Code: 7823) has been recognized by the global business and technology insights organization Gartner in its latest report, “Emerging Tech: AI Vendor Race: Reasoning Models Reshape Providers’ Approaches to AI Pricing.” In this report focusing on AI Reasoning Models, CyCraft is named as a Sample Provider, making it the only Taiwan-based cybersecurity company included in the full list.

CyCraft’s XCockpit platform integrates comprehensive, quantified metrics for external exposure, internal attack surface management, and endpoint protection within a single unified interface.

Dr. Benson Wu, CEO and Co-Founder of CyCraft, stated: “We believe, being listed as a Sample Providerin the Gartner report demonstrates that the global market now views AI security as the next battlefield for AI commercialization. From day one, CyCraft has developed proprietary models, simultaneously deploying AI reasoning capabilities across three core pillars: cybersecurity defense, AI governance, and unmanned vehicle reconnaissance. Technical leadership is our starting point, not the destination. Our goal is to translate this leadership into rapid growth driven by strategic deployment and disciplined execution. Launched this year, our AI Red Teaming and AI Guardrail solutions have already been productized and commercially shipped, seeing active deployment in sectors like semiconductors and sovereign AI.”

AI Reasoning Models Drive Up Operating Costs, Restructuring Profit Logic

As AI transitions from “training models” to “reasoning models,” the industry officially moves from the research and development phase into commercial application. Reasoning models possess logical deduction, self-reflection, and complex problem-solving capabilities. However, these advanced capabilities have caused AI operational costs to skyrocket, forcing the tech industry to redefine its expectations of AI as a tool for massive cost reduction and profit maximization.

CyCraft’s XCockpit Threat Exposure Management Platform features built-in AI reasoning models that triage thousands of alerts in real time, automatically providing mitigation recommendations and effectively eliminating alert fatigue. From overall security posture scoring to specific actionable tickets for individual alerts, XCockpit transforms defensive benefits—which were historically difficult to define—into concrete, quantifiable technical metrics. This embodies CyCraft’s pragmatic philosophy: the value of defense must be visible, and it must be measurable.

Standing at the Frontier of AI Security, CyCraft Advances Commercial Implementation with Profound R&D Momentum

Deeply integrating AI with cybersecurity, CyCraft has launched XecGuard and XecART—two major AI security products deployable across both cloud and on-premises environments, both featured on the OWASP AI Security Map. These solutions directly address the core pain points of Agentic AI, LLM, and GenAI applications. XecART utilizes Agentic Red Teaming to run multi-round stress tests on models, identifying risks and generating compliance reports that adhere to international standards. Meanwhile, XecGuard acts as a real-time Guardrail for LLMs and AI Agents, intercepting anomalous inputs and outputs. One solves “how to stress-test AI,” while the other solves “how to protect AI,” providing the fundamental AI governance for enterprises.

CyCraft’s research achievements are equally outstanding. The CyCraft research team recently presented at the International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML), one of the world’s top three prestigious academic conferences for AI and machine learning. The research focused on Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) Data Poisoning. Utilizing their self-developed “Eyes-on-Me” attack framework, the team proved that attacks can simultaneously breach both the retrieval and generation phases. The end-to-end average attack success rate surged from 21.9% to 57.8%. This breakthrough exposed a long-neglected vulnerable attack surface existing between “attention focus” and “model output.”

In 2025, the CyCraft research team was also selected for NeurIPS, one of the most iconic academic sanctuaries in the AI field. The team proposed an innovative “unified supervision framework” that embeds verifiable checkers into synthesized instruction-conflict instances, enabling self-supervised learning without requiring oracle labels or reasoning traces. This framework not only applies to different models but also significantly enhances both safety robustness and instruction adherence.

CyCraft demonstrates outstanding R&D achievements, presenting at ICML—one of the world's top three elite conferences in AI and machine learning.
CyCraft demonstrates outstanding R&D achievements, presenting at ICML—one of the world’s top three elite conferences in AI and machine learning.

CyCraft believes that as AI moves from R&D to commercial deployment, the barrier for enterprises is no longer “whether they can use AI,” but “whether they can use AI responsibly.” Once Agentic AI enters financial transactions, government services, or critical infrastructure, every autonomous decision must leave a traceable path, accept auditing, and allow for real-time human intervention when necessary. This is true AI governance. It is not a compliance document, but a complete control chain stretching from pre-launch to runtime, and onto post-incident traceability.

CyCraft deconstructs this control chain into three actionable phases: XecART stress-tests model risks before deployment; XecGuard safeguards inputs and outputs during runtime; XCockpit quantifies the overall risk posture into traceable metrics. Interlocking these three components ensures that every step AI takes is visible, manageable, and auditable. CyCraft’s objective is clear: make AI behavior measurable before its value can be priced. Ultimate technical leadership must be converted into commercial resilience that is governable, auditable, and open to investor scrutiny.

The technological revolution of AI Reasoning Models and Agentic AI is an undeniable reality. The ultimate challenge lies in whether enterprises can implement “controllable, auditable, and highly transparent” AI governance within real-world commercial environments. From being recognized in international research reports to taking the stage at top-tier academic conferences, CyCraft continues to prove that from visionary R&D to product commercialization, Taiwan’s AI cybersecurity prowess helps herald the future of a secure, trusted, and prosperous AI era.

Reports
Gartner, Emerging Tech: AI Vendor Race: Reasoning Models Reshape Providers’ Approaches to AI Pricing, 5 June 2026.

Disclaimer
Gartner does not endorse any company, vendor, product or service depicted in its publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s business and technology insights organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this publication, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. GARTNER is a trademark of Gartner, Inc. and its affiliates.

Hashtag: #CyCraftTechnology

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About CyCraft

CyCraft Technology (7823.TW) is a Taiwan-listed cybersecurity company, dedicated to automating cybersecurity with AI technology and safeguarding AI models. CyCraft’s product suite encompasses XecART, the AI Red Teaming, and XecGuard, the Guardrail API for LLMs and AI Agents. The XCockpit AI platform integrates EASM, IASM, and Endpoint protection, providing preemptive and real-time defense-in-depth. With a proven track record in the government, finance, and semiconductor sectors, and recognition from international institutions, CyCraft continues to safeguard enterprise digital resilience.

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Enshi Suobuya Stone Forest in China Launches Rich Cultural Experiences to Welcome Southeast Asian Tourists

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ENSHI, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 15 July 2026 – With China’s inbound visa-free policies continuing to be optimized, the Suobuya Stone Forest Scenic Area, located in Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Hubei Province, is welcoming Southeast Asian tourists with a refreshed experience. Known as the “World’s First Ordovician Stone Forest,” this 460-million-year-old geological wonder has introduced a series of diverse cultural experiences and interactive programs in 2026, offering Southeast Asian visitors a journey through natural and cultural wonders spanning hundreds of millions of years.

Geological Wonder: Exploring an Ancient Underwater World from 460 Million Years Ago

Located in Taiyanghe Township in the northwest of Enshi City, Suobuya Stone Forest is approximately a one-hour drive from the city center. The scenic area was formed during the Ordovician Period 460 million years ago. Originally covered by an ancient ocean, it gradually evolved through geological transformations over hundreds of millions of years into the extraordinary stone forest landscape seen today. Covering a total area of 21 square kilometers, the area features towering stone peaks surrounded by lush greenery, resembling a vast “underwater labyrinth.” As a “crowned stone forest” with one of the highest vegetation coverage rates in China, the scenic area enjoys a cool and pleasant average summer temperature, making it an ideal destination for summer retreats and nature-based relaxation.

The four major scenic areas currently open to visitors each have their own unique appeal. Qinglongtai serves as the highest point of the scenic area, offering panoramic views of the entire stone forest from above. Lianhuazhai features the breathtaking “Xiniugou” secret landscape, where towering cliffs on both sides and changing light and shadows create a dreamlike atmosphere. Mozigou is rich in ancient biological fossils, allowing visitors to touch traces of life from the Ordovician Period with their own hands. Jiulonghui features circular rock walls and groups of waterfalls, with stone peaks rising dramatically from the ground to create a magnificent landscape. The scenic area also features the 5D theater “Shanhaijing,” where visitors can enjoy an immersive experience of the evolution of the Ordovician ocean world. With gentle walking trails and an easy travel route, the area is suitable for families and nature exploration enthusiasts.

Cultural Feast: Immersive Experiences of Tujia Folk Traditions

Suobuya Stone Forest is not only a treasure trove of geological wonders but also an important carrier of Tujia culture. The Tujia ethnic group is one of the major ethnic minorities in the Enshi region, with a long history and distinctive cultural traditions. The “Baishou Dance” is one of the most representative folk dances of the Tujia people and has been listed as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage. The dance movements often imitate scenes such as hunting, farming, and warfare, featuring a lively rhythm. Visitors can personally participate in this cultural experience at the Tiejiazhai Square and Duigetai Stage.

The Tujia Girls’ Festival is one of Enshi’s most distinctive traditional folk festivals and has been held at Suobuya Stone Forest during the seventh month of the lunar calendar for many consecutive years. The festival is a traditional social activity where young Tujia men and women use songs as a medium for communication and dances to express emotions. It carries the unique marriage customs and collective memories of the Tujia people and has been recognized as a provincial-level intangible cultural heritage of Hubei Province and one of the “Top Ten Most Charming Festivals in China.” During the festival, the scenic area hosts a variety of activities, including matchmaking through folk songs, traditional cultural parades, and traditional handicraft exhibitions, allowing visitors to experience the rich ethnic culture amid the stone forests and mountain scenery. Suobuya Stone Forest has therefore also been recognized as the “Hometown of Chinese Folk Art” and the “Hometown of Mountain Folk Songs.”

Since 2026, the scenic area has continued to enhance its tourism products and cultural experiences. During the May Day holiday, it launched the “Exploring Wonders on Horseback · Fun in the Million-Year Stone Sea” folk culture series, featuring interactive programs such as folk song and dance flash mobs, the “Nature Guardians” activity where visitors exchange collected litter for cultural souvenirs, the immersive intangible cultural heritage experience “Stone Workers’ Chant,” and the outdoor role-playing game “Stone Forest Secret Order · Pursuing the Shadow of Rocks.” These activities allow visitors to explore the ancient stone sea while deeply engaging with Tujia cultural traditions.

Improved Transportation: Easier Access to Enshi for Southeast Asian Tourists

Since the opening of Enshi Xujiaping International Airport’s aviation port, the international flight network has continued to improve. In 2026, the Enshi–Hong Kong route achieved year-round regular operation, while flights between Enshi and Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi have resumed successively, creating a dual-route network connecting Vietnam’s two major cities in the north and south. According to the development plan of the Enshi aviation port, new routes to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, and other destinations will be steadily promoted in the future, further strengthening the Southeast Asian aviation network. Tourists from major Southeast Asian cities can fly directly to Enshi and reach this 460-million-year-old underwater world after only a one-hour drive. Hidden deep within the Wuling Mountains, this ancient stone forest wonderland is welcoming visitors from around the world with a more open and international approach.
Hashtag: #SuobuyaCulturalTourism

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

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When a Stay Goes Beyond Check-out: Amari Unveils “Ari Service” to Deepen Guest Connections with Every Destination

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BANGKOK, THAILAND – Media OutReach Newswire – 15 July 2026 – Amari, the upper-upscale hotel brand under ONYX Hospitality Group, invites travellers to discover stays that go beyond the beauty of a destination, creating meaningful moments that become lasting memories through authentic local experiences, genuine connections with people and culture, and the warmth of Thai hospitality.

Amari Bangkok

As ONYX Hospitality Group celebrates its 60th anniversary, the company is entering a new chapter of growth through the continued evolution of its brand portfolio. As part of this journey, Amari has been revitalised with a refreshed brand positioning centred on authentic local connections and warm Thai hospitality. Bringing this vision to life is the introduction of “Ari Service”, a new signature brand touchpoint designed to deepen the relationship between guests and the destinations they visit. Through thoughtful, locally inspired interactions and personalised service, Ari Service encourages guests to discover the character, culture and people of each location, creating meaningful experiences that extend well beyond check-out and reinforcing Amari’s promise of creating lasting memories.

As travel today is no longer simply about changing places, but about taking time for oneself, being with loved ones and creating meaningful moments, Amari believes that the best journeys continue long after check-out. Every stay is designed to leave guests with feelings and experiences they can carry home, from the first warm welcome upon arrival and a local dish that brings back memories of a destination, to moments shared with loved ones and thoughtful details that make guests feel truly understood and cared for.

Beyond thoughtful service, Amari connects guests with the unique character of each destination through locally inspired design, food and ingredients that reflect the identity of each place, and experiences that connect guests with local communities, culture and ways of life. From beachfront escapes surrounded by nature to vibrant city stays, every Amari destination reflects its own sense of place, offering experiences that are warm, lively and memorable.

At Amari Phuket, guests can experience a relaxing seaside escape along the Andaman coast, where the island’s natural beauty, local culture, cuisine and heritage come together. From unwinding at Breeze Spa, an open-air spa experience complemented by the sound of the waves, to discovering Phuket’s local flavours, historic Old Town and coastal lifestyle, every moment offers a deeper connection with the rhythm of the island.

Amari Vogue Krabi offers a tranquil retreat at Tubkaek Beach, one of Krabi’s most scenic coastal destinations. Surrounded by nature and overlooking the Andaman Sea, guests can enjoy peaceful moments by the beach, breathtaking sunsets and the simplicity of coastal life, making it an ideal destination to reconnect with themselves and loved ones away from the pace of everyday life.

For travellers seeking a more vibrant seaside escape, Amari Pattaya combines relaxation with the energy of one of Thailand’s most dynamic coastal cities. Guests can begin their day with moments of relaxation and holistic well-being at maai spa before exploring Pattaya’s cafés, restaurants, seaside activities and lifestyle experiences. With its balance of comfort and liveliness, Amari Pattaya offers a welcoming destination for families, couples and leisure travellers.

In the heart of Bangkok, Amari Bangkok combines the convenience of a city location with a warm and relaxing atmosphere where guests can unwind amidst the energy of the capital. With easy access to shopping, lifestyle destinations, cultural attractions, restaurants and key city landmarks, the hotel serves as both a gateway to discovering Bangkok from a new perspective and a welcoming place to return to for comfort and thoughtful care.

For Amari, a memorable journey does not end when guests leave the hotel. It continues through the feelings, connections and experiences they take home. By bringing each destination’s unique character to life through Ari Service, authentic local experiences and genuine Thai hospitality, Amari creates meaningful moments that become lasting memories. These are the “Endless Memories” that Amari strives to create at every destination, making every journey even more meaningful.

For more information on Amari please visit: www.amari.com

Hashtag: #ONYXHospitalityGroup

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About ONYX Hospitality Group

ONYX Hospitality Group, a reputable force in the Asia-Pacific hospitality industry, operates a collection of comprehensive yet complementary brands – Amari, OZO, Shama and Oriental Residence – catering to the distinctive needs of discerning business and leisure travellers across the region where it has deep expertise. In addition to its brand portfolio, ONYX Hospitality Group also operates additional hospitality services across spa and food & beverage. With six decades of management experience, the company extends its innovative solutions throughout the region, upholding internationally recognised standards and ensuring optimal operational manoeuvrability. By fostering enduring relationships with like-minded business partners, ONYX Hospitality Group delivers unparalleled experiences in a dynamic and competitive market, meeting the ever-evolving demands of travellers.

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