This bespoke Christchurch home is a happy conclusion to another earthquake horror story that involved years of delay in rebuilding. Professional project manager Paul Finch played a key role in getting this project moving again after the first builder went into liquidation. He worked alongside builder Glenn Harley and his team, who are experienced in Passive House construction. The result …

This beautiful cedar-clad family home is delighting its owners, a reward after years of heartbreak and trials. Their former Christchurch home was demolished following the earthquakes and the construction of this Passive House on the same site had its challenges. This three-bedroom home is classy on the outside and high-performing on the inside yet some of its most impressive engineering …

Here is a stunning example of how Passive House efficiency can be delivered on a challenging site with multiple constraints, all without compromising design. The home was built for a family of four accustomed to warm, efficient housing in the UK whose cold, damp house in Queenstown had caused health problems. They tasked Architype with designing a home that would …

Ohoka, 2019 This North Canterbury house demonstrates that Passive House performance is not beyond the reach of first home buyers. One of the owners works for a supplier of high-performance building components and well understood the “massive benefits” such a house would provide his young family. His professional experience with multiple Passive House projects also contributed to a very smooth …

Of late Wanaka is a hotbed of Passive House activity. The presence of several experienced Passive House architects in Otago, plus suppliers and tradespeople committed to high-performance building, doubtless contributes. But so does the climate, which is one of the colder inhabited parts of the country. The Tombling house stands in Hawea Flat, where winter temperatures will drop to -5C …

This modern, compact home on a lifestyle block in the Bay of Plenty is delighting its European owners. After a dozen years in typical cold, damp New Zealand houses, it’s a welcome change to wake up to 18 degree temperatures throughout the house, without any heating. They also appreciate the lower humidity established by continuous mechanical ventilation. This project showcases …

The first Certified Passive House Plus in the Bay of Plenty is delighting its owner/builders with the quiet comfort it offers. They’re also delighted with their power bills, which have dropped from $160+/month to about $20. Heating demand and load performance are well below Passive House maximums and no energy for cooling is expected. Timber windows from Thermadura were chosen …

    Dunedin architect Rafe Maclean had previously designed Passive Houses for clients but this build was for his own family. Several family members suffer from asthma and a warm, dry, healthy living environment was a priority. The simplicity of the three bedroom, two-storey home’s form helped to reduce construction complexity while making the home more thermally efficient. Clever design …

Dunedin firm Architype designed and built this home for a couple relocating to Cambridge who wanted a comfortable, energy-efficient house that would meet their needs as they aged. The layout, structure, services and aesthetics of the building tightly work together to create a simple yet extremely high-performance building. The Browne residence was Architype’s first North Island Passive House project; its …