Technical Series In-depth Case Studies Archives - Sustainable Engineering Ltd.

Hear what homeowners have to say about living in a Passive House home

Here you can find details on every Passive House project in New Zealand (and a few in Australia) certified by Sustainable Engineering. Briefer profiles include key metrics and the details of the team that created them. In-depth case studies include drawings, images of the construction process and the perspective of people involved in the project: variously homeowners, architects, Passive House designers, builders or certifiers.

Case Study

Creek View Passive House

Passive House Classic

The Creek View Passive House is a bit of a TARDIS. From the outside, it presents a clean, simple barn-like form, but the clever use of its “warm roof” space...

2025

261m²

Case Study

Ruapuke Passive House

Passive House Premium

This new home outside Raglan accomplishes a lot of things. It’s a supremely comfortable, healthy and resilient home for its owner-builder and his family. It’s an effective showcase of the...

2025

186m²

Case Study

Bull Ridge

A brand new Wanaka house targeting Passive House Classic certification is on the market but this was no spec build. It was intended to be a forever home for a...

141m²

Case Study

Ethos Abode

Passive House Premium

Only a small minority of New Zealand’s hardworking and skilful certified Passive House tradespeople and designers are themselves living in one of these supremely healthy, comfortable homes, which is a...

2025

178m²

Case Study

Courtyard House

Passive House Classic

The Courtyard house is a silent retreat from its busy Auckland arterial road location. The clients’ initial interest in sustainable goals and the efficiency of off-site construction led them naturally...

2025

162m²

Case Study

Kahika Tōtara

Passive House Premium

A third Passive House home has been certified at Bushland Park in Christchurch, delivered on time and under budget to very happy homeowners. This project has achieved Passive House Premium...

2024

175m²

Case Study

Midway House

An experienced architecture/designer and construction team have produced another outstanding Passive House project in Dunedin. It’s a warm and comfortable home for Canadian immigrants who were predictably shocked at the...

2024

158m²

Case Study

Froggy Bottom

Passive House Plus

Another strawbale home has achieved Passive House certification, but this is not like the others. Froggy Bottom is a low maintenance, modern home and the only clue to the use...

2024

165m²

Case Study

Prefab builder scores 6 Homestar rating for affordable high-performance homes

Fast, cheap, good: pick two. Everyone in construction has heard that saying. But it’s challenged by the prefab building manufacturer Manor Build’s achievement of a volumetric 6 Homestar version 5...

Technical Series

Case Study

Slashing total carbon emissions driving goal of LowCO pilot project

Carefully evaluating both operational and embodied carbon emissions distinguishes Fletcher Living’s innovative LowCO homes. The Fletcher Living LowCO project establishes a new high-water mark for high-performance homes from a volume...

Technical Series

104m²

Case Study

Maria’s Passive House

Passive House Premium

This appealing minor dwelling in the Coromandel bush has achieved Passive House Premium certification—only the third to do so in Aotearoa/New Zealand—and is believed to be this country’s first off-grid...

2024

52m²

Case Study

Blenheim Low Energy Home

“A poster child for no drama,” is how building scientist Sara Wareing describes this appealing Blenheim home. It could have all gone very differently. The architect had not designed a...

2024

170m²

Case Study

Āhuru

Passive House Plus

Āhuru nestles into the land above Raglan harbour, a sublime spot for an exquisitely detailed home. It is a product of a seemingly perfect match of values between the architect...

2024

143m²

Case Study

Finch Residence

Passive House Classic

The Finch Residence will be very familiar to many readers as, under the Waikuku Beach Passive House moniker, its progress was meticulously documented on social media. Paul Finch is both...

2024

137m²

Case Study

Carman Residence

Passive House Classic

Queenstown has some of the largest temperature ranges in Aotearoa so its buildings need to keep humans warm when it’s below zero outside and cool when it’s over 30 degrees....

2023

328m²

Case Study

Martins Farmhouse

Passive House Classic

This rural home outside of Whanganui is a complex blend of traditional building and hi-tech performance, proof of the adage that Passive House is agnostic with regard to materials. It...

2023

119m²

Case Study

The Heights Whare

A clear vision and a great team produced a beautiful Low Energy Building (LEB) home in one of New Zealand’s most challenging climates. The Heights Whare superbly illustrates that it’s...

2023

86m²

Case Study

Muriwai Valley Passive House

Passive House Classic

This stunning family home on Auckland’s west coast had a point to prove to those who criticise the Passive House performance standard for “requiring square boxes”. Passive House can be...

2023

164m²