This half-day workshop is offered on 30 July 2025, immediately prior to the PHINZ hui in Christchurch. It’s designed for architects, Passive House designers and tradespeople and its practical focus will equip people with the knowledge they need to safely design and build building envelopes—from Building Code-minimum to high-performance.
Condensation and mould are not just problems in tired, old housing stock. They are a risk in brand new, built-to-Code minimum homes too. And builders need to be aware of the properties of high-performance materials and components used in Passive House projects: they don’t always behave like the materials you’re used to and some changes in process and scheduling may be called for.
Condensation and the mould that often follows are bad for buildings and very bad for human health. Know your part, whether as a designer or a tradesperson, in preventing these problems happening in the first place. Quality, durable outcomes mean happy clients, which in turn means less stress and less financial pressure. Everyone wins.
The workshop is led by building scientist and Passive House certifier Jason Quinn, principal of Sustainable Engineering. Expect to hear new terms and concepts but you won’t be buried in maths or formulas. The information will be taught by way of practical examples, using construction details and real-life scenarios.
The focus will be on common failure points in New Zealand construction, such as thermal bridging, interstitial condensation and issues with ventilation. You’ll learn why things go wrong and how to avoid problems. You’ll also gain an understanding of the practical application and limitations of assessment tools, including how to know when more sophisticated hygrothermal modelling is required and how to interpret the results.
This material will form part of the PHI Retrofit Expert training Sustainable Engineering will launch later this year. People attending this workshop will receive discounted entry to the Retrofit Expert course.
If you are an expert WUFI modeller, you do not need to attend this introductory course. Neither is it suitable for people who lack an understanding of building terminology.