Architects get hands on
I love it when architects are genuinely curious about construction, even more when they get hands on. Auckland architects Sophie Hermann and Julie Chrystall signed up for two days of...
by Rachel Rose
Updated: Jan 2026
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Palmerston North’s first Passive House
Heartland city Palmerston North now has its very first certified Passive House project, Hokowhitu Passivhaus....
by Rachel Rose
Updated: Jul 2025
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Owl Woods: complex form, superb Passive House performance
This Australian Passive House home is such a stunning departure from a simple rectangle and a great example of how complex forms can still be extremely energy efficient. It goes...
by Rachel Rose
Updated: Dec 2024
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Why new H1 requirements impact rammed earth construction
The improvements introduced in 2023 to the H1 Energy Efficiency requirements of the New Zealand Building Code have implications for those wishing to build their homes from some natural building...
by Rachel Rose
Updated: Oct 2024
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Trickle vents cheap but not ideal
Trickle vents are making a comeback in New Zealand because in combination with small extract fans they are the lowest-cost way to meet Homestar v5 requirements for continuous ventilation. However...
by Rachel Rose
Updated: Aug 2024
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PHPP Expert credential on offer in NZ
New Zealand Passive House designers with suitable experience can now prepare for the PHPP Expert exam that grants official PHI-granted Expert status via a learning pathway developed by local experts...
by Rachel Rose
Updated: Mar 2026
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Design and build your own Passive House Premium off-grid home
Maria’s Passive House is in select company whichever way you look at. Few New Zealand Passive projects are rural; only three are certified to Premium performance; it’s believed to...
by Rachel Rose
Updated: Jul 2024
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When must windows be open in your Passive House?
As any Passive House homeowner knows, you can open your windows and doors whenever you want. The mechanical ventilation is delivering fresh, filtered, pre-warmed (or cooled) air 24/7 which means...
by Rachel Rose
Updated: Jun 2024
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There are lots of different reasons why people build Passive House homes
What motivates people and organisations to build better homes? And how do they afford them? It was interesting to chat with Architype principal Tim Ross this week about the Arthur...
by Rachel Rose
Updated: Apr 2024
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DefignTalks podcast talks operational energy
The first episode of a new podcast for architectural designers launched this week, and its first guest is Sustainable Engineering Ltd’s principal Jason Quinn. Hosts Glenn Murdoch and Casey Curtis...
by Rachel Rose
Updated: Mar 2024
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The Heights Whare keeps gathering attention
Newly certified LEB The Heights Whare has been featured in an extensive two-page (broadsheet) story in the Otago Daily Times. It can only be read online by subscribers (the ODT...
by Rachel Rose
Updated: Mar 2024
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Air transfer solution: ventilated doors
Australian Passive House designer Matt Purves posted online some intriguing photos of bespoke doors he built himself from leftover spruce wall panelling. These were for his home in Tasmania, which...
by Rachel Rose
Updated: Mar 2026
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New plans for Passive House training and certification
Dr Kara Rosemeier has personally trained and certified almost every Passive House professional in New Zealand and her influence cannot be overstated. Kara is preparing for a gradual retirement and...
by Rachel Rose
Updated: Nov 2023
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Jason Quinn in Wellington speaking on high-performance glazing
Jason Quinn will be speaking in Wellington on 7 November on the latest developments in high-performance glazing. The industry event, hosted by Metro Performance Glass, is on the waterfront, with...
by Rachel Rose
Updated: Oct 2023
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Leaky buildings ripe for EnerPHit level makeovers
Nick Gaites spent years designing a new home for his family and overseeing its construction, successfully achieving Passive House certification. His family loved the winter they spent living there but...
by Rachel Rose
Updated: Mar 2026
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SEL validates ECCHO tool to international standard
Energy modelling New Zealand homes at design stage is easier and more widely available, thanks to a project by Sustainable Engineering for the New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC). ECCHO...
by Rachel Rose
Updated: Mar 2026
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“The most sustainable house is the one you don’t build”
New Zealanders have a vast job ahead retrofitting existing housing stock. Massively improving the thermal performance and energy efficiency of existing residential buildings is not optional if we are to...
by Rachel Rose
Updated: Apr 2023
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How Luggate Memorial Centre got made
New Zealand’s first Passive House community facility—and it stands in a tiny rural community of a few hundred people. How did this bold project get made by a small council...
by Rachel Rose
Updated: Mar 2023
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