I’ve been describing the features and benefits of Passive House buildings for years but even my best words can’t convey as much as directly experiencing it with all your senses. The international Passive House Open Days are a great chance to have a first look but an overnight stay would be a far more complete experience. What vast majority of …
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 to show what energy modelling at design stage can achieve. Congratulations to all our Australian Passive House colleagues who brought this project to fruition back in 2019. The design didn’t …
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 materials, in particular rammed earth. Rammed earth has featured in some high-profile architectural builds in recent years, like the NZIA 2023 award winner in Otago pictured above. Rammed earth has …
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 trickle vents are not ideal. It’s possible to specify additional small components to improve how this combination functions and it will succeed in reducing relative humidity and introducing fresh air. …
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 at Sustainable Engineering Ltd. The PHI-issued PHPP Expert seal signifies an advanced level of expertise. It is aimed at professionals who specialise in Passive House modelling, frequently model projects for …
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 be the country’s only off-grid Passive House; and it was designed and built by its owner, Steve Hughes of Build Good Architecture. This minor dwelling is a vital stage in …
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 opening windows is not required for indoor air quality (IAQ). Not that New Zealanders are very good at that anyway. But there are two specific circumstances in which it’s important …
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 Street townhouse project (see the case study here). This home stands out for being built-to-rent. It’s in Dunedin, a climate badly in need of warm, dry housing. It also features …
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 kick off by considering operational energy (really, operational carbon) and ask, how big is the problem? As we design more durable buildings, does the balance between operational and embodied energy …