General Notes Archives - Page 16 of 19 - Sustainable Engineering Ltd.

2019 December 16 Construction Canada: B.C. Setting New Standard For Building Energy Performance

BC Step Code Way Out In Front Comparing New Zealand to British Columbia, Canada is an interesting one. Its population is very similar to NZ (5.1 million people compared to...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Aug 2020

2019 November 26 Otago Daily Times: Sustainable Communal Housing Requires Skill

This is a great short video of the co-housing project. If you watch closely you can see lots of construction details and products. My favourite Easter egg is the shot...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Aug 2020

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2019 November 26 Radio New Zealand: Mouldy Home Victims Get New Lease On Life

In our opinion every home needs continuous mechanical ventilation. EVERY HOME. Alice Peacock, who works as a social worker with the healthy housing programme, travels around the Bay helping vulnerable...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Aug 2020

2019 November 22 Newsroom: NZ is still building leaky homes

We are still building leaky homes. “According to journalist Peter Dyer, who has spent the past seven years researching the crisis, we are still making the same mistakes. ‘Everyone I...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Aug 2020

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2019 November 21 Wanaka Sun: Meeting Luggate Community Needs

“QLDC endorsed an ultra‐low energy passive house concept for the new hall in late 2018, which will make it one of the first community facilities built and certified to passive...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Aug 2020

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2019 November 21 Scoop Business: Build a Healthy Home for Asthma Sufferers

“Often the last place considered to improve health, thermal efficiencies, home comforts, and more, is the slab your house is built on. Yet it might surprise you to learn that...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Aug 2020

2019 November 20 “Architects Declare”: NZ Profession Takes a Stand on Combating Climate Change

“Architects Declare”: NZ profession takes a stand on combatting climate change “We have a New Zealand version of Architects Declare, an international set of guidelines that signatories pledge to follow...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Aug 2020

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2019 November 11 Otago Daily Times: Sustainable Architectural Approach Earns Distinguished Award

I had the pleasure of meeting Anne for the first time last week, at her office in Wanaka. She is the architect for Luggate Hall, which is targeting Certified Passive...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Aug 2020

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2019 November 9 Newsroom: Unanimous Support For Landmark Zero Carbon Bill

Very excited to see the New Zealand Zero Carbon Bill passed … unanimously. Didn’t expect that but I’m very pleased. We know that buildings can contribute significantly to reducing carbon...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Aug 2020

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2019 November 5 Passive House Institute: districtPH – Assessing Energy-Saving Potentials at the District Level!

Sustainable Engineering just purchased the first license for new modelling software, districtPH. This was developed in Germany by Passive House International with funding from the EU. Think of it as...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Mar 2026

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2019 November 4 Architecture Now: In Focus: Building Smarter (Part Two)

This is the second in a series of articles put out by Prefab NZ. Good to see the references to performance, as well as off-site construction. I think prefabrication could...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Aug 2020

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2019 November 4 University of Otago Wellington: Improving Housing Standards for Co-Benefits for Energy Efficiency, Carbon Mitigation and Health

The Public Health Summer School symposium on 11 February will be eye-opening and I recommend you attend. This is the team that made the Healthy Home Guidelines a political reality...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Mar 2026

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2019 October 31 Stuff: On the Ladder: Building a Passive House on First-Home Budget

“But how much will it cost?”. Anyone involved with Passive Houses hears that question a lot. Ross Brown of eHaus reckons an extra 20%, according to this article. I’ve also...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Aug 2020

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2019 October 31 Chapman Tripp: Climate Change Risk – Implications For New Zealand Company Directors And Managed Investment Scheme Providers

Chapman Tripp – Legal opinion – October 2019 This is pretty intense when you realise the implications of this legal opinion. Directors of companies and/or investment schemes have a ‘legal...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Mar 2026

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2019 October 29 The Fifth Estate: Every Building Counts – Time To Tackle The Laggards

Profitable carbon savings through better buildings … it’s a strategy we hear about more and more. I love hearing all these policy options: but I hope that the changes proposed...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Aug 2020

2019 October 28: We Need The Building Code Fixed

2019 October 28: We Need The Building Code Fixed

In my opinion, the energy provisions in H1 are not fit for purpose. As Kylie Mills writes, “To make buildings better … the quickest way is for regulations to change.”...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Mar 2026

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2019 October 25 IPHA: 10 Types Of Buildings That Are Certified Passive Houses

Cool list of 10 types of buildings that are certified passive houses that you might not consider as ‘houses’. Remember the standard is an energy performance and quality standard and...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Aug 2020

2019 October 24 Stuff: DIY Rammed-Earth Passive House Involves Plenty Of Sacrifice

It’s great to see the progress Rochelle and Joel have made on their home. I grew up with a DIY-builder father, so I know how disruptive it can be to...

by Jason Quinn

Updated: Aug 2020