This building is pretty incredible. Most Passive House buildings can change the form (the external shape) and use less glass to meet the performance standard, but that wasn’t an option for this building: it has to look a certain way to meet the car franchise requirements. It’s also built in a cold climate, with winters dropping down to -11C. The …
Great to see Rafe Maclean recognised for this clever certified Passive House which is also his home. Case study and more information on the home here. “This project shows a “difficult hillside site transformed by a simple yet compact layout and economical architecture”.” Content by Stuff. The awards in detail at Architecture Now.
Living in this country has been a shocking experience for me. I’ve discovered that some Kiwis don’t think anything of wearing a winter jacket inside when it’s cold. As a building scientist and Passive House Institute NZ certifier, I’ve seen some pretty horrific examples of homes and buildings, even brand new builds that are not designed to stay dry and …
Does anyone know how to participate in these reviews? Seems like a good way to try and fix the new ‘code compliant’ builds going up that are moulding and not performing well. “BIE and Standards NZ have been working collaboratively to agree on the prioritisation of Standards to be reviewed in the year July 2019 to June 2020. Priority has …
“The Government’s existing home insulation programme and the new healthy homes standards have been warmly welcomed, but they’re not enough. Hundreds of thousands of New Zealand owner occupied homes will remain cold and damp because they will never be reached by these schemes.” “If all New Zealand homes were warm, dry, and energy efficient, New Zealanders would save hundreds of …
It is interesting to me that the feature rated most essential is ‘Warm and dry’ which actually was higher rated than ‘Within budget’. A bit sad that folks buying homes have almost no tools to know if will actually be warm and dry. “The survey found most Kiwis prioritise safety and security over luxury features when it comes to choosing …
For those of us designing Passive House we can all rejoice in the release of the official PHI guidance on kitchen extractor hoods and how to consider the heat losses in their use. To my knowledge there is reason to believe that a good recirculating hood can be better than a poorly performing extractor hood in removing fine particles. I’m …
Monday 13th May 2019 NZ Parliament signed into law the Healthy Homes Standard. This effectively requires bringing the ceiling and underfloor insulation up to current standards, install fixed heating in the living room and extractor fans in the kitchen/bath except where these upgrades are not practical. Several good articles including: Healthy Homes standards legislation signed off into law …
“As cold weather starts to bite, it’s also the time of year when people are most at risk from poor air quality. Environment Southland air quality scientist Owen West said winter is the time when poor air quality is an issue in Southland, particularly in the urban areas of Invercargill and Gore, with home burners identified as the key cause.” …
