It’s great to finally pin a bow on this project and call it done. The final version of the HPCD (the High Performance Construction Details Handbook) has now been fully reviewed and accepted by BRANZ and published as External Research Report ER70 [2022]. It’s been a long journey—it began before we’d even heard of Covid-19.
There were over 6300 downloads of the version released by PHINZ in June last year! I’m glad we decided not to print it.
The main revisions are to the slab-on-ground elements section, as this needed to synchronize with the new H1 standard announced after the handbook was prepared. Lots of useful feedback from reviewers at PHINZ, BRANZ and industry also prompted small changes that improve the text and notations.
Please note the previous draft edition slab-on-ground elements R-value plots are no longer acceptable for use with the current H1 requirements in the New Zealand Building Code. I’d greatly appreciate it if folks downloaded the new edition without delay and archived or deleted last year’s version.
There is a long list of people across the industry who helped make this publication possible, unfortunately too many to name. But thank you! I would like to particularly thank the project collaborators:
Lindsay Wood, Director Resilienz Ltd
David Dowdell, Principal Scientist Sustainability BRANZ
Aleksandar Kotevski, High Performance Building Specialist Sustainable Engineering Ltd, Architect, Spec. MA
Elrond Burrell, [former] Chair of the Board Passive House Institute NZ, Registered Architect (UK), Passive House Designer
Gleb Speranski, Industry Advisor BRANZ
Toby Brooke, Building Science Analyst Sustainable Engineering Ltd, Passive House Consultant and PHI Accredited Certifier
Sara Wareing, Building Science Analyst Sustainable Engineering Ltd, Passive House Designer and PHI Accredited Certifier
Mike Craig, Project Manager and Director Mike Craig Builders
Tim Wernham-Doo, Director Constructive Architecture
Ian Cox-Smith, Building Physicist BRANZ
Stephen McNeil, Senior Building Physicist BRANZ