New Aus Defence buildings to meet airtightness targets

Tip of the hat to Sean Maxwell for his LinkedIn post alerting me to some welcome developments in Australia. The Australian Department of Defence has revised its Building Energy Performance...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Nov 2022

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It’s not just about the money

Here’s a nice round up from Stuff, who talked to people living in Dunedin’s Toiora High Street co-housing development, which is certified Passive House. Stuff has covered this project well...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Nov 2022

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New video focuses on Fletcher’s LowCO project

It’s not often our work features in video format so it was fun to see Newsroom cover the LowCO (low-carbon) homes by Fletcher Living. Sustainable Engineering has been involved with...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Nov 2022

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Toxic mould condemns $17m mansion

It’s rare to hear about building failures as owners of properties that require remediation often want it kept very quiet. As the new owner is the local council, which claims...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Mar 2026

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New airtight resource available from ProClima

ProClima has released an in-depth look at lightweight timber framing construction for walls and roof (and including warm roofs and their hybrids) across the climate zones of Australia. The report,...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Oct 2022

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BIM models are accurate enough

Engineers use lots of computer modelling tools. It’s our professional responsibility to understand those tools well enough to understand their limitations and determine when they are sufficiently accurate. This accuracy...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Mar 2026

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Thermal bypassing publication a must-read

If you design building assemblies you need to make the time to read this new publication. Thermal bypass—the air movement through and around insulation—has a very big impact on building...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Oct 2022

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Energy modelling at heart of Passive House

Often when people talk about Passive House, they’ll focus on those things they can see and touch, like triple-pane windows or mechanical ventilation. But the core of the Passive House...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Oct 2022

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Leaky building crisis spreads to Australia

Here’s a detailed but accessible write up about leaky homes that takes an international perspective. Written by Australian lawyers who specialise in construction law, it considers the risks emerging for...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Oct 2022

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PHPP accuracy proven by comparison to other tools

PHPP matches quite well for monthly heating and cooling energy demand when compared to lots of dynamic energy modelling software tools. And it should, as the equations/methods in PHPP have...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Mar 2026

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Calculating building system shutdowns in PHPP

It’s common for some non-residential buildings to be unoccupied for periods of time, during which the ventilation and conditioning is turned off. Schools and office buildings are common examples; think...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Oct 2022

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World’s biggest Passive House office rises in Boston

Sometimes I take a look to see what’s going on in Massachusetts, just for old times sake. And look at this: the Winthrop Center is a Boston high-rise that will...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Mar 2026

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Remove regulators’ liability and we might see more innovation in the building sector

Writing for The Spinoff recently, NZGBC head Andrew Eagles takes to task the Commerce Commission’s findings into competition in the residential building supplies market. “Not only does our industry suffer...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Sep 2022

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Make comfort a goal of any renovation

“Yeah, our old housing stock is terrible, but modern homes are all good.” It’s disheartening how often I hear this, about newly built homes constructed to only just meet the...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Sep 2022

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(Thermally) break that steel

Graeme Jacobs is the Director at Jacobs & Munro Architects Limited and he recently posted about an elegant solution his firm sourced in order to create a thermal break in...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Sep 2022

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Retrofits for energy efficiency must accelerate to meet zero carbon deadline

Imagine: being able to model an entire city’s energy use—or the whole country!—just like you can a single building in PHPP. This is what districtPH does. Bland name for an...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Aug 2022

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Sea level rise mapping

When we design and construct buildings to perform better—that is, to use much less energy—they become better quality and more durable. If you are building for the long term, think...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Aug 2022

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Energy-efficient homes sell for more in Aus

“Australia’s energy-efficient houses are commanding premium prices, with buyers spending 17 per cent more to get into a sustainable home.” That’s the Sydney Morning Herald leading its article with a...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Aug 2022

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