Build Aotearoa 4: Quality and Quantity

I found it confronting listening to Tova O'Brien's guest this past week as she described the experiences of staying in motel emergency accommodation with a young daughter. From my relative privilege (of choosing the right parents and having things turn out ok for me so far), I find it hard to imagine being in this situation. But it's the reality for nearly 6,500 people across Aotearoa, half of whom are children. This is an emergency, and the problem is complex. The solution will require more than simply building more houses because the underlying issues are more complex than that. Related to this is a proposal from the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) to review the building consent process in New Zealand. This is something I'd like to look at in more detail because we must get the balance right. In 2023, MBIE sought public submissions in response to an options paper on a review of the building consent system. This week MBIE published a summary of the 270 submissions received. At the other end of the spectrum, I caught up with Jonathan Holmes about living in a Certified Passive House Premium home and working on assessing the embodied carbon in our buildings. Other links for this week's podcast episode: Jonathan Holmes on LinkedIn Holmes House, Sustainable Engineering Hawea Flat, Home Style Green Be sure to register for Reimagine Buildings '24