Build Aotearoa

Welcome to the first episode of Build Aotearoa for 2026. Coming up this year, the NZGBC will be celebrating 20 years of advocating for better buildings in New Zealand. The update of the update of H1 is bedding in, but many builders are turning their attention to roof condensation and overheating. And the market seems to be in a prolonged period of 'cautious optimism'.

In this episode, I continue my coverage of the THRIVE 25 Conference with a series of interviews from the trade show floor. I spoke with leading suppliers whose products and innovations are helping shape the future of Passive House construction in Australasia. From high-performance windows to advanced ventilation systems, each guest shares their unique contribution to better building. https://www.passivhausassociation.com.au/ 1. Scott Hogan – DEHUM Scott discusses DEHUM’s advanced humidity control systems and their role in maintaining optimal indoor environments for Passive House projects. https://dehum.com.au 2. Mark Ristevski – XTour3D Mark introduces XTour3D’s cutting-edge 3D scanning solutions for construction, bringing ‘digital twin’ technology to the residential market. https://xtour.com.au/ 3. Mike Ward – Australian Glass Group Mike shares insights into high-performance glazing solutions and the importance of energy-efficient glass in Passive House design. https://agg.com.au/ 4. Mark Heyman – Rotho Blaas Mark highlights Rotho Blaas’ construction systems, including airtightness and waterproofing. https://www.rothoblaas.com/ 5. Ashley Griffs – BINQ Windows Ashley showcases BINQ’s locally manufactured timber, alu-clad, and uPVC windows that meet Passive House standards for thermal performance and security. https://www.binq.com.au/ 6. Adam Socha – Kinzel Industries & Aluplast Adam talks about Kinzel’s partnership with Aluplast, delivering innovative uPVC window systems with exceptional energy efficiency and design flexibility. https://www.aluplast.net/eng-int/company/ 7. James Hazelwood – Hygge Windows James presents Hygge Windows’ approach to combining aesthetics and performance in window design, tailored for sustainable living. https://hyggewindows.com.au/ 8. Harley Truong – Logikhaus Harley explains Logikhaus’ commitment to Passive House certified windows and doors, and their role in delivering high-performance building envelopes. Plus a summary of Harley’s conference presentation, proposing how we might report and communicate better about Passive House benefits. https://www.logikhaus.com.au/ Once again, a big thank you to Andy Marlow and Taline Edwards at Envirotecture for making this possible. https://www.envirotecture.com.au/

I chatted with the wide range of exhibitors at the 2025 Australian Passivhaus Conference, THRIVE 25 in Melbourne. This year saw a growing contingent of panel suppliers along with a variety of window manufacturers, membrane suppliers and more. Special thanks to Environtecture and the Australian Passivhaus Association for supporting the Passive House Accelerator to be there and bring you these highlights. Featured Guests and Exhibitors Peter Sullivan, Smart SIPs Peter introduces us to his structural insulated panel system designed to simplify construction while delivering high performance for Passive House and other energy-efficient builds. Annettee Braagaard, Nordic Blinds Annettee shares how intelligent Danish blind systems support shading and comfort in Passive House projects across Australia. Ben Mitchell, SIP Solid and Solcraft Ben explains how their Solcraft panels can help deliver stronger, warmer homes in the Australian market. Rohan Madathanapalli, Bondor Metecno As Principal Sponsor of THRIVE 25, Rohan outlines Bondor’s role in advanced panel technology and how one product can serve multiple functions, speeding up products and helping to reduce overall cost. Klaus Herrmann, Alpine Passive House Klaus highlights the benefits of Australian-made prefabricated panels design with European experience. Thomas Paarhammer, Paarhammer Windows & Doors Thomas shares insights from over 30 years of crafting high-quality windows and doors tailored for Australian conditions and Passive House requirements. Villy Yordanov – Technical Manager, Pro Clima Australia Villy explains some of the new products available from long-time Passive House support, pro clima. Rachael Sparnon-Freeman, Pacific Ventilation Rachael discusses mechanical ventilation solutions, indoor air quality, and how Pacific Ventilation can support both commercial and residential projects. Joel Seagren, Fantech Joel speaks about fan technologies and their application in Passive House ventilation systems and energy recovery solutions. Michael Drage, Reimagined Habitat, Net Zero Plus, Efficient Habitat Michael talks about communicating passive house in the language of clients, drawing on his experience from the financial sector.

https://homestylegreen.com/build-aotearoa-december-2024/

The government has released New Zealand's second emission reduction plan and it does mention building and construction. Elrond Burrell shared his thoughts. View the ERP2 at https://environment.govt.nz/publications/second-emissions-reduction-plan-at-a-glance/ Follow Elrond on LinkedIn and read his review of ERP at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/erp2-building-construction-what-impact-have-elrond-burrell-6ztjc/ I'm now on Bluesky @kakarikicastle.bsky.social

Wao Summit 2024 is happening next week, 29th October - 2nd November. Speakers include John Bell, Monique Kelly, Dr Jim Salinger, Alec Tang, Jane Lloyd, Dr Greg Bodeker, Sam Gibson, Paul Spoonley and more! Tickets and information https://www.wao.co.nz/summit2024

Smart Living Spaces Courses https://mailchi.mp/d8da871e6018/freecourse https://www.smartlivingspaces.nz/healthy-homes-for-home-owners-1 Airtightness and Energy Efficiency https://mailchi.mp/55993a8ce34e/guideline-august_2024-328287#mctoc2 Overheating and Carbon https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/middayreport/audio/2018957722/green-building-council-supports Building Consents https://www.linkedin.com/posts/nathanspeir_acts-cameron-luxton-wants-builders-to-be-activity-7246579587780861954-wGPc?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop Oil and Gas - Evidence https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/09/30/anne-salmond-are-they-listening/ Multiproof MultiProof resources | Building Performance Minor variations guidance | Building Performance Wao https://www.linkedin.com/posts/wao-nz_with-just-over-four-weeks-until-wao-summit-activity-7246334252701663232-tLOB?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

For more information see https://passivehouse.nz/events/passive-house-conference-2024/passive-house-conference-2024-trade-suppliers/

I caught up with Glenn Harley and Joseph Lyth to discuss the recent Passive House conference in Wellington and recent events related to building in Aotearoa.

Resilienz is an independent consultancy that engages with scientific and technical thinking on climate change, translates that into formats to suit real-world applications, and offers a range of specialist services, from strategic planning and professional development to research and advocacy. I caught up with founder, Lindsay Wood to find out why he does what he does.

Notes from the Registered Master Builders' Association, Constructive 2024

Monique Kelly a co-founder of Wao, a collective dedicated to a regenerative future.

99 Waiwai Drive, Milldale north of Auckland looks like a regular new house in a regular new subdivision, but around 30 people visited the site mid-build to see why it's different. This showhome will be one of the Platinum Homes high-performance range. It's a SIP (structural insulation panel) construction and achieved a near Passive House level of airtightness. I caught up with Sam Watt, the General Manager of Platinum Homes, Rodney. https://www.platinumhomes.co.nz/our-homes/house-and-land-packages/99-waiwai-drive-milldale/ https://formance.co.nz/

Kirsty Merriman is a property developer who is conscious about the type of homes she delivers. She's interested in sharing her knowledge about profitable and responsible project management. https://kirstymerriman.com/

In this episode, I explore the concept of building circularity and its impact on the construction industry. Learn about deconstruction vs. demolition, the reduce-reuse-recycle hierarchy, and the role of polystyrene pods in sustainable building practices. Discover how thoughtful design can create a more sustainable future.

Links for this week's episode: https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/going-housing-growth-stage-one-unveiled https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-climate-deniers-playbook/id1694759084 https://proclima.co.nz/renovating-and-insulating-masonry-walls/ https://architecturenow.co.nz/articles/a-growing-problem/ https://www.paradoxinteractive.com/games/cities-skylines-ii/about

The New Zealand Building Code does not guarantee performance in all areas that many homeowners might expect. Fortunately, Homestar is available to close the performance gaps.

While researching for a recent presentation at the NZGBC Housing Summit 2024, I looked into what's going on concerning climate change commitments and investment in Europe and the US. Then I compared our progress here in Aotearoa.

This week I attended a BRANZ seminar titled 'Building for our changing climate'. Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland was the last stop on the BRANZ seminar tour of the country and it's encouraging to think that rooms of designers, builders, product suppliers, building officials and others, were interested enough in this topic to take four hours out of their week. A key takeaway is that we're not prepared. We're already handicapped by having insufficient standards in our building code to deal with our current climate. With the forecast being 'warmer and wetter', the situation is set to get worse. https://homestylegreen.com/?p=5936

Steve Penny is the founder and director at Honoris, a building services consultancy in Christchurch, New Zealand. He is also the host of his own podcast, A Penny for Your Thoughts.

Many people might be surprised to know that the New Zealand Building Code does not require any consideration of overheating in homes. The energy efficiency requirements in our code are based only on the ability of buildings to keep warm without excessive heat loss. There is nothing to prevent homes from being designed with large areas of unshaded north or west-facing glass. Siân Taylor is an Architect and Passive House Designer based in Queenstown. She has experience creating homes that are designed to perform well all year round, in some of the most challenging and spectacular locations. Follow Siân on Instagram and check out Team Green Architect's latest work at https://www.teamgreenarchitects.co.nz/.

Stärke has been in the window industry in New Zealand since the 80s. They were at the forefront of supplying aluminium frames to the building industry. With a focus on building performance, Benjy Simmons describes the new direction of Stärke as a 'once in fifty year' change.

More is not always better, especially when it comes to the amount of timber in the frame of a house. The more timber there is, the less space there is for insulation. Most homes in Aotearoa are designed using the assumption that timber will make up around 14% - 18% of the area of a wall. A 2020 BRANZ research study found that in reality, the timber fraction is closer to an average of 40%. This means there is considerably less space available for insulation. Unfortunately, this is not always picked up during the consenting or pre-lining inspection process. H1 Energy Efficiency calculations are checked at the design stage, usually using the much lower default timber fraction assumption. The result of of all this is that many consumers are effectively getting less insulation than they're paying for, and much more thermal bridging. https://www.branz.co.nz/pubs/research-reports/er53/ https://www.placemakers.co.nz/online/framology

Denise Martin has been involved with many of Aotearoa's Passive House projects. As one of the most experienced blower door testers in the country, she's been involved with verifying a range of residential and commercial buildings both in New Zealand and Australia. If you don't already, I highly recommend following Denise on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn.

Kia ora. After a long break from recording an episode on the Home Style Green feed, I've taken some time on Waitangi day to share some of my thoughts about building homes in Aotearoa, New Zealand. There's a lot we need to discuss.