Think twice about that wood burner
I still surprise Passive House folk when I point out it’s better to use a heat pump than a wood burning fireplace for heating. It’s better for their clients’ health,...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Apr 2022
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Cold bedrooms make people sick
I know folks who still argue for not heating bedrooms. They love kids but just refuse to believe the research. Cold bedrooms make kids more likely to be sick with...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Mar 2026
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Passive House for my mom
Awesome to see Architecture New Zealand linking to this great video primer on Passive House from Dave Borlace, who publishes a channel on climate and sustainable energy on You Tube....
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Jul 2022
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First Bushland Park homes certified, go up for auction
The certification of 8 and 10 Bushland Place is a milestone the entire Passive House community in New Zealand should celebrate. These are the first certified Passive House homes to...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Mar 2026
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Passive House social housing transformative for NYC tenants
Passive House social housing in New York City is taking off, according to this Guardian feature story. Two things stand out: the extent of the uptake (dozens of affordable Passive...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Mar 2022
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Evaluating embodied carbon of solar panels
Elementa Consulting has released a very easy to follow report on a very complex topic: how good are PV panels and what matters when you consider their embodied carbon? The...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Mar 2022
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Carbon budget modelled for NZ new builds and existing stock
This is an excellent paper on modelling the carbon emitted by New Zealand homes during construction and use against the IPCC 1.5 degree emission targets. The authors follow population weighting...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Mar 2026
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Time for deep retrofits
MBIE’s Building for Climate Change programme is going to drive greater energy efficiency in new buildings. Among other things, it will introduce actual performance modeling for New Zealand buildings. This...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Feb 2022
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Luggate Hall delayed
It’s a shame to hear about delays in construction to Luggate Hall but supply chain issues are a huge issue across the industry. Delays in shipping the Passive House certified...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Feb 2022
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Zero-energy building sector vital to addressing climate change
Buildings have a big role in addressing climate change. This nice and short technical paper shows how reducing consumption is the only way to address climate change that does not...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Mar 2026
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Finally, NZ new homes are shrinking
Happy news in this thoughtful article from Stuff about why the average new dwelling is getting smaller in New Zealand. (How it’s getting smaller is obvious: smaller stand-alone homes but...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Feb 2022
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Fuel poverty harms mental health too
Living in a cold house you can’t afford to heat causes physical health problems, up to and including premature death. There’s plenty of evidence supporting this and I’m grateful to...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Mar 2026
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Why Passive House costs more
If you’ve met Christchurch Passive House builder Peter Bielski, you’ll know he’s a man of few and well-chosen words, not minced. His company is involved in an ambitious project to...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Mar 2026
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What’s it like? Passive House homeowners tell
Another in-depth article from the Stuff network about Passive House, that talks to people about their experience living in a (mostly certified) Passive House. It gets into the thorny cost...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Jan 2022
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Healthy Homes Standard tweaked
A December 3 announcement on changes to the Healthy Homes Standard solves one of the issues caused by this well intentioned legislation. We were designing absolutely best practice apartments, which...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Mar 2026
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Better school buildings get closer
Architect—and newly graduated PH designer—Murray Robertson wrote a really insightful piece about his experience designing a mass timber school building to the Passive House standard. Things were looking good: “We...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Dec 2021
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Loopholes in H1 changes?
To be clear folks: H1/AS1 housing changes apply to all housing, even apartment buildings of any size**. BPI (Building Performance Index) is no longer a permitted compliance method. Curtain walls...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: May 2022
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NZ “outsulation” guide now available
Now available: the Outsulation Guide for High Performance Walls, brought to you by Outright, suppliers of continuous insulation. Sustainable Engineering provided the thermal modelling calculations and I enjoyed the discussions...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Mar 2026
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