Case Studies

Waikato expoHaus

Jon Iliffe and Baden and Glenda Brown formed eHaus in 2010 and from its base in Whanganui, the firm has been instrumental in establishing the Passive House concept in New Zealand. eHaus is designing houses around the country and to date the firm has licensed 15 partner construction companies who are trained to build them. Ross Brown has headed his …

Hamilton

2017 188 m2
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Shotover Passive House

              Queenstown is one of New Zealand’s more challenging climates yet Passive House methodology can deliver a warm, dry, healthy home. This home is a family residence in one of the city’s newest suburbs, nestled below the Remarkables. The interest in making this build a Passive House came from the owners. The original brief …

Queenstown

2016 175 m2
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Lake Tarawera House

This two-storey bach overlooks the spectacular Lake Tarawera. It is a low-maintenance, durable house, with carefully chosen materials and facade textures that help the building meld into the landscape. The building takes advantage of the solar aspect and view. The walls are constructed with Ecoblock insulated concrete forms (ICF); the reinforced concrete layer provides both structural strength and the air …

Rotorua

2016 122 m2
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Waikanae Passive House

This project was a melding of like minds. The clients told their architectural designer that they wanted a Passive House. They had already chosen their builder, who had experience in building to the Passive House standard. This beautiful house stunningly illustrates how Passive House standards can be met without constraining architectural creativity. It features curved ply ceilings and a subtle …

Waikanae

2016 255 m2
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Bishop Street Passive House

The owners previously lived in a pristine 1930s-built character home, which was damaged beyond repair in the Canterbury earthquakes. A protracted settlement with their insurers gave the couple years to consider the type of house they wanted to live in. They chose a design that echoed the era of the previous home and suited the vernacular of their neighbourhood. The …

Christchurch

2016 223 m2
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Kapiti expoHaus

This eHaus design provides a contemporary 3 bedroom home with excellent use of space. Designed as the Kapiti expoHaus in 2015 it featured on Breakfast TV as the first certified project in the Wellington Region. It has been a catalyst for many others to choose Passive House homes. Fitted with a hydronic underfloor heating system and split hot water heat …

Kapiti

2016 145 m2
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Passive House Taupo

Passive House Taupo is notable because its owner also designed and built it himself. Kim Feldborg is an experienced NZCB-certified builder who apprenticed in Denmark and has built timber homes around Europe, as far north as Greenland. This four bedrooms plus office, 260 m² family home blends into a new sub-division and offers majestic mountain views to the south across …

Taupo

High Performance Building 257 m2
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Coatesville eHaus

This imposing residence in a French style was built for three generations, with two homes connected by a very large kitchen and pantry. It also includes office space for the young couple who work from home. It is testament to the flexibility of the Passive House standard, which can accommodate different aesthetics. This is a very high quality build that …

Auckland

2015 370 m2
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George House

This stunning new build on a quarter acre section with views of the hills and lake in Wanaka was the first Passive House for its architect and builder and the first certified Passive House in the South Island. It won a 2016 NZIA New Zealand Architecture Award and thrilled its owners, who say it’s even more comfortable than they expected. …

Queenstown

2015 141 m2
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