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.p...

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 highl...

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-bur...

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.link...

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 Genera...

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...

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 Archi...

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 mea...

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.