Toxic mould condemns $17m mansion
It’s rare to hear about building failures as owners of properties that require remediation often want it kept very quiet. As the new owner is the local council, which claims...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Mar 2026
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BIM models are accurate enough
Engineers use lots of computer modelling tools. It’s our professional responsibility to understand those tools well enough to understand their limitations and determine when they are sufficiently accurate. This accuracy...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Mar 2026
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Energy modelling at heart of Passive House
Often when people talk about Passive House, they’ll focus on those things they can see and touch, like triple-pane windows or mechanical ventilation. But the core of the Passive House...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Oct 2022
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Leaky building crisis spreads to Australia
Here’s a detailed but accessible write up about leaky homes that takes an international perspective. Written by Australian lawyers who specialise in construction law, it considers the risks emerging for...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Oct 2022
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NZ’s first EnerPHit wins architecture awards
Congratulations to Terry Bryers and the construction team for winning a fistful of awards: the Auckland/Northland/Coromandel Supreme Renovation of the Year award, the Renovation Over $1.5 million category, and a...
by Rachel Rose
Updated: Oct 2022
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Coromandel Passive House: small, off-grid and tracking for Premium designation
The North Island is finally on track to have its first Passive House Premium home. Steven Hughes’ small but perfectly formed house in the Coromandel Peninsula has passed pre-construction review....
by Rachel Rose
Updated: Sep 2022
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PHPP accuracy proven by comparison to other tools
PHPP matches quite well for monthly heating and cooling energy demand when compared to lots of dynamic energy modelling software tools. And it should, as the equations/methods in PHPP have...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Mar 2026
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Calculating building system shutdowns in PHPP
It’s common for some non-residential buildings to be unoccupied for periods of time, during which the ventilation and conditioning is turned off. Schools and office buildings are common examples; think...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Oct 2022
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World’s biggest Passive House office rises in Boston
Sometimes I take a look to see what’s going on in Massachusetts, just for old times sake. And look at this: the Winthrop Center is a Boston high-rise that will...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Mar 2026
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Remove regulators’ liability and we might see more innovation in the building sector
Writing for The Spinoff recently, NZGBC head Andrew Eagles takes to task the Commerce Commission’s findings into competition in the residential building supplies market. “Not only does our industry suffer...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Sep 2022
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Make comfort a goal of any renovation
“Yeah, our old housing stock is terrible, but modern homes are all good.” It’s disheartening how often I hear this, about newly built homes constructed to only just meet the...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Sep 2022
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(Thermally) break that steel
Graeme Jacobs is the Director at Jacobs & Munro Architects Limited and he recently posted about an elegant solution his firm sourced in order to create a thermal break in...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Sep 2022
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New option for PH design training launching
New Zealand needs more Passive Houses—and other buildings heading in that high-performance direction. That requires more confident and skilled Passive House designers. Sustainable Engineering is launching a totally new training...
by Rachel Rose
Updated: Mar 2026
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Retrofits for energy efficiency must accelerate to meet zero carbon deadline
Imagine: being able to model an entire city’s energy use—or the whole country!—just like you can a single building in PHPP. This is what districtPH does. Bland name for an...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Aug 2022
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Sea level rise mapping
When we design and construct buildings to perform better—that is, to use much less energy—they become better quality and more durable. If you are building for the long term, think...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Aug 2022
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Energy-efficient homes sell for more in Aus
“Australia’s energy-efficient houses are commanding premium prices, with buyers spending 17 per cent more to get into a sustainable home.” That’s the Sydney Morning Herald leading its article with a...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Aug 2022
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Top 10 Climate Risks
New Zealand’s first national adaptation plan is out for discussion. I have to say it reads like a plan to have a plan. Now the real work begins: what we...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Aug 2022
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A compelling case for component-based housing solutions
Adam Cohen has a bold and creative vision: carbon-negative, decentralised building systems that will take Passive House performance to provincial New Zealand. He outlines it eloquently in this opinion piece...
by Jason Quinn
Updated: Mar 2026
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