Home Style Green: Recent Episodes
Matthew Cutler-Welsh
How do you make a healthy, comfortable home that's sustainable and cost effective?
A ‘green’ home is the foundation of living a green lifestyle. Join me as I interview leading architects from around the world and discuss the how, why and who of eco homes and sustainable design. From simple energy saving tips to insulation upgrades, kitchen remodelling, solar power and insulating concrete slabs. #Feedback to matthew@homestylegreen.com
The government is seeking consultation on insulation standards. Again.
Jason Quinn has waded through the details and provided a handy summary. Check it out, and get your submission in by 28 February 2025.
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 ERP 2 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
I'm joined again by Sharon Robinson and Glenn Harley for a chat about the possibility of builder self-certification and MBIE's updated weather files.
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
I caught up with Glenn Harley and Joseph Lyth to talk about the recent Passive House conference in Wellington, and other building issues in Aotearoa.
Wao is a collective dedicated to a regenerative future.
I caught up with co-founder Monique Kelly to discuss why she does what she does, and their upcoming Summit.
For more information check out https://www.wao.co.nz/summit2024
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 of Build Aotearoa, I explore the concept of building circularity and its impact on the construction industry. Learn about deconstruction vs. demolition and reflect on the reduce-reuse-recycle hierarchy. I also discuss the role of polystyrene pods and alternative fillers in concrete slabs.
Be sure to check out recent episodes of the Passive House Podcast from the Passive House Accelerator for more on building cicularity.
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.
Homestar Headline Benefits • Fresh air • Dry • Comfort • Carbon
Homestar Design Checklist This is a summary of the basic requirements over and above basic building code compliance for achieving 6 Homestar v5. Inclusion of everything here does not guarantee compliance but is a starting point for what should be considered.
- Homestar Designer: This can be someone within the project team or an external consultant. Engage them in the process as early as possible.
- Energy model: Homestar v5 uses predicted performance criteria rather than a schedule of allowable insulation levels. The performance criteria include estimated energy consumption, winter and summer internal temperature and likely carbon emissions and these can be calculated using the Energy and Carbon Calculator for Homes (ECCHO). Energy modelling used to be a highly specialised process and expensive process. ECCHO makes energy modelling accessible to Homestar Designers
- Continuous mechanical ventilation: Internal moisture is a significant problem for New Zealand homes and there is adequate evidence that the building code requirements of openable windows is not reliable for providing enough fresh air and removing dampness. There are simple solutions available for 6 Homestar that are nearly silent, cost very little to run and will provide much more reliable benefits to homeowners.
- Thermally broken windows: Pay attention to the window frames, not just the glass. Slab edge insulation OR above slab insulation: Junctions such as the connection between walls and floors are risk areas for condensation. Some additional insulation detail can help prevent this and can be easily incorporated when considered early.
- Water efficient fittings: These are commonly available. Select the best WELS rated products.
For more, visit https://nzgbc.org.nz/introduction-to-homestar
Scott Fisher is the CEO of Offsite NZ. I caught up with him to discuss the history, current practice and future opportunities of offsite manufacturing in the building industry in Aotearoa.
https://www.offsitenz.com/
While researching a presentation to open the NZGBC 2024 Housing Summit, I looked into the climate initiatives of Europe and the US.
In Europe, over €83b has been recently been committed by the European Parliament as part of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. The ultimate goal is that the building sector will be climate neutral by 2050. Importantly, there are interim goals for 2030 and 2040, which encompass both new buildings and retrofitting existing buildings.
https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/energy-efficiency/energy-efficient-buildings/energy-performance-buildings-directive_en
Over in the US, there is the Inflation Reduction Act which will see a staggering $783b invested into energy security and climate change initiatives.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/cleanenergy/inflation-reduction-act-guidebook/
Back here in Aotearoa, aside from recently updating H1 Energy Efficiency in our building code, MBIE has laid out a programme called Building for Climate Change.
https://www.building.govt.nz/getting-started/building-for-climate-change
The implementation plan for BfCC has reporting requirements suggested for 2025.
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 but have recently made some big changes. With a focus on building performance, Benjy Simmons describes the new direction of Stärke as a 'once-in-fifty-year' change. While the company has a long legacy, they've experienced rapid change over the last few years.
Benjy credits some of the openness to change to him being from outside the industry. He's come in with a different perspective. "We're beginning to see ourselves as a building performance company not just a window and door company", says Benjy.
Check out the full range of Stärke products along with their education pages and other resources.
More is not always better, especially regarding the amount of timber in the frame of a house. The more timber there is, the less space there is for insulation. The way this is measured is called timber fraction.
Most homes in Aotearoa are designed using the assumption that timber will make up around 14% - 18% of the area in a wall. A 2020 BRANZ research study found that in reality, the average timber fraction is closer to 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 all this is that many consumers are effectively getting less insulation than they're paying for, and much more thermal bridging.
PlaceMakers has recently launched a new service providing a detailed report of the actual timber content for any wall frame and roof truss they supply. This accurate figure can then be used to provide true H1 calculations. Alternatively, a designer might choose to adapt their plan to reduce the thermal bridging and increase the amount of insulation.
National Technical Resource Manager, Pete Hammond explains how Framology works. We also discuss the option of using external insulating products like RigidRAP-XT from IBS to eliminate thermal bridges.
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.
I caught up with Denise to chat about how she got into building science in the first place and some of the challenges and opportunities facing the building sector in New Zealand. We also discuss the building code, energy modelling, thermal performance and air tightness.
If you don't already, I highly recommend following Denise on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn.
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
Last week, February 22nd rolled around. This was a significant date in the Cutler-Welsh household thirteen years ago when our house was located close to the Avon River in Christchurch. While it was a life-changing day for us, life has gone on. We ultimately lost our recently renovated home in Richmond as a result of the Canterbury Earthquakes, but many lost so much more.
What would a moratorium on consenting new buildings in known floodplains, tsunami or fire risk areas, look like? How would the resulting plummet in land values impact the economy and further inflate the cost of housing?
But if not now, when? The risks are likely to get higher and ultimately we have to ask ourselves if we're prepared to keep making our stop-banks higher or retreat to higher, less shaky ground.
There are fundamental gaps in what the New Zealand Building Code covers and how well it covers the aspects that are included. These reasons should be enough to justify using standards like Passive House or Homestar to go above and beyond the building code.
In this series, I'll be looking at reasons why it's better to ask about the value and risk minisation resulting from higher performance standards rather than focussing only on perceived upfront cost.
As I draft this episode, there's a chorus of cicadas outside my window. The sun is shining and there's a faint breath of a breeze. It seems calm where I live, here in a relatively leafy part of Tāmaki Makaurau.
But all is not calm everywhere in Aotearoa today, Waitangi Day 2024.
There are not many new ideas in the building industry. The basic concepts have been around for a while. 'High-performance' products and design details that might be described as 'innovative' here in New Zealand are likely to be standard practice somewhere else.
With building his experience in Europe and Scandanavia Richard Eden is well placed to help New Zealand builders do things better. He can often be found teaching builders around the country how to do a good quality install of good quality windows.
There are not many new ideas in the building industry. The basic concepts have been around for a while. 'High-performance' products and design details that might be described as 'innovative' here in New Zealand are likely to be standard practice somewhere else.
With building his experience in Europe and Scandanavia Richard Eden is well placed to help New Zealand builders do things better. He can often be found teaching builders around the country how to do a good quality install of good quality windows.
Brad Wills is Director: Strategic Customers & Programs at Schneider Electric. Based in Tennessee, he has three decades of experience with the organisation. We discuss the diverse range of products and services now offered by Schneider as well as the exciting opportunities for smart metering, microgrids, onsite battery storage and more.
In 2007 when Kim Feldborg arrived in New Zealand he was surprised at how cold and inefficient the houses were, despite growing up in much colder European climates. Originally from Denmark, Kim has built houses in Greenland, Norway, Germany and England. He now enjoys life in a Certifed Passive House he built himself in Taupō.
Growing up in a typical kiwi home, it wasn't until he had lived in the UK for a bit that Damien McGill realised we don't need to be suffering through winter in cold, damp houses. Damien is an engineer and knows how things should be put together so they don't fall apart. But he's interested in more than that. In this chat, Simon Cator and I discuss how Damien got into the Superhome Movement. We also review his experience working on his own 'Super-Reno'.
Richard Houghton now lives in a very good, healthy home. But that wasn't always the case. Along with Simon Cator from Pro Clima NZ, we discuss Richard's journey in designing and building an energy-efficient SIP home just outside Auckland, New Zealand.
Bert Sarkkinen has built a successful timber framing company around a solid philosophy grounded in the style and craftsmanship of a unique and timeless form of building. Bert appeared on the Home Style Green podcast back in episode 176. A couple of years on, Arrow Timber Framing has expanded into a larger facility and Bert has recently released the second edition of his book, The Art of Hybrid Timber Framing.
Zola Rose has a vision for regenerative housing as a solution for improving communities and sustainability. She brings diverse and international experience to Aotearoa New Zealand where she now calls Nelson her home.
Real estate has long been used as an investment and a means of making a profit in New Zealand. Zola explains how this has tended to undermine the values that we should otherwise associate with where we live. Housing should protect, shelter and foster community, but we've tended towards the commoditisation of housing.
There are solutions that can help provide better housing and helping people implement these solutions is the basis for Zola's social enterprise.
https://www.commonground.net.nz
Mariano Croce is an Argentine entrepreneur who relocated into Queenstown with his young family just before the first COVID lockdown in 2020. He has a background in prefabrication, having co-founded a modular building company in Argentina when he was 24. More than 15 years on, Mariano has created Modulo.nz to provide architecturally designed, high-performance, modular homes built in New Zealand.
Darren O'Dea is a self-confessed building physics nerd. Along with co-founder David Carroll, he has helped to create Speckel, a platform for designing low carbon, healthier, durable and energy-efficient buildings. Having proven popular with architects and consultants in Australia, Speckel is now available in New Zealand. Find out more at https://www.speckel.io/
Sabine Schoenberg is co-founder of the Smart Healthy Green Living network, a collection of videos and streaming content on everything from tiny homes and carpentry to interior design and gardening. Through her network, Sabine is promoting the 'Do One Thing' campaign to help everyone take a step towards living a more sustainable life.
My third conversation with Simon Cator in our series on the control layers of a well-performing building envelope. In this episode, we cover the why and how of airtightness.
Hemp is an extremely versatile material. It may have a complicated recent history due to medicinal and other uses, but the benefits of industrial hemp have been known for a long time. Jo Say, co-founder of the Hemp Building Association New Zealand explains why it's a great time to start rediscovering some of the many benefits of building with hemp.
Following my previous chat with Simon Cator we continue our discussion about how to construct a good building envelope. This week we're focussing on keeping the weather out. We cover the benefits of a monolithic membrane instead of a microporous one, the importance of being resistant to water while maintaining permeability to vapour, and how to keep everything connected.
Casey Curtis shares tips on how and why to create airtight buildings, the benefits of mid-build open homes, and using collaborative design to create the right house on any given site.
Michael Rubino is an educator, author and an expert in mould remediation of homes. In this interview he shares his journey and some tips on how we can make our homes a better, healthier place to live.
Simon Cator is passionate about helping people to build better homes. Prior to becoming Regional Sales Manager for the Upper North Island at Pro Clima NZ, he worked for New Zealand's online architectural products library - EBOSS and also HRV before that.
In this introductory episode, I spoke with Simon about the diversity of his role at Pro Clima and how he talks with people throughout the whole building industry to help change the way we do things.
Matariki is a festival that makes sense for New Zealand. It feels good to respect and learn from the wisdom of those who have inhabited this place for generations. It may have taken us 200 years, but we're creating our own vernacular; our own geographically appropriate culture of design.
Germán Molina trained as an engineer in Chile and has recently completed fascinating research posing the question 'what is comfort? at Victoria University in Wellington. Having come from what he describes as the 'warm side of engineering, he's long had an interest in energy efficiency. He didn't expect to be looking so much into human behavior. Germán has made some of the output of his research, freely available - The Atlas of Comfort. Find it at https://buildingsforpeople.org/
Tim Ross featured on Home Style Green back in episode 191 to talk about getting starting on New Zealand's first Passive House co-housing project. I interviewed Tim again a year ago as we were kicking off the Passive House Podcast, and the Dunedin High Street Co-housing project was well underway.
Justine Money describes herself as a British-Maori-Australian Architect. She brings a strong cultural sensibility to her practice. In this discussion, we chat about why Justine decided to take up the challenge of studying architecture as a mature-aged student, and her journey from biophilic design to Passive House.
Georgia Ezra has a lot on the go. Based in Melbourne, she's the Founder and Director of her own interior design practice Studio Ezra. She also sources and supplies artisan tiles through Tiles of Ezra and bespoke homewares via AHW. Georgia calls herself a 'treasure hunter and market maven'. She has a passion for pushing the boundaries of modern design to create truly unique interior spaces for her clients.
Joe Lyth is building his family home on a very tight budget. He's also building to the Passive House standard. In this interview, he shares some of his insights into why we must change the way we've been building 'wooden tents' in New Zealand, and how to go about creating a fit-for-purpose family home with very limited capital.
The Ministry of Innovation Building and Employment (MBIE) has released its consultation document for proposed changes to the New Zealand Building Code. This represents a great opportunity to positively impact the future of building standards. But does it go far enough?
Danielle King moved into the sustainability field about fifteen years ago and has built up her consultancy Green Move Australia with a diverse range of services. We discuss some of the typical advice she provides to clients and Danielle shares some of her own advice for running a viable sustainability business.
Stuart Lee loves what he does, which is mostly building Passive House homes in Victoria, Australia. He was an early adopter of sustainable building and it was during a Master Builder Green Living event that he heard Clare Parry speak about Passive House. It all made a lot of sense and Stuart enrolled himself on a Passive House Tradesperson course. In this interview, he describes what makes a home really perform, and why he loves what he does.
Mike Pickering is building an affordable but high quality, healthy and very energy efficient home for himself and his family on a lifestyle block in Napier. He's taken some learning from his experience building tiny homes and is sharing his project online. Check it out at https://ourlifeblock.co.nz
Scott Stewart used to fly in high performance aircraft with the Royal Australian Air Force. Now he helps architects, designers and builders with the high performance details of Passive House homes.
Hamish White is Director of Sanctum Homes, based in Victoria Australia. He's a registered Domestic Builder with a marketing degree! Since discovering Passive House, Hamish has been inspired to become a Passive House business. Architects, designers and other builders can be encouraged that there's a market out there and willing clients who want healthy, comfortable and energy efficient homes. I discuss with Hamish, how he got into the building industry and any advice he has for others interested in building better.
The Hawea Flat Passive House in the middle of the South Island is a very special home. It boasts a number of 'firsts' for New Zealand and the journey of its creation has arguably changed more than just the way Jonathan Holmes lives.
Michelle Rohrer-Lauer is an interior designer and business owner with nearly four decades of experience. She works with discerning clients out of her studio in Chicago, but her approach to sustainable design is applicable everywhere.
Jason Scheurer has always been a business owner and he's always been motived to learn. Today, he and his wife Penny own and operate Best Techs Contracting where they design, build and remodel homes. But not just any homes. I connected with Jason during an online Passive House event recently. In this interview, we discuss how he's gone from an inquisitive general contractor to a newly elected board member of Passive House California.
Richard Keech lives in a zero-carbon home in Melbourne. After some time in the Royal Australian Air Force and then as a software engineering and consultant in the private sector, Richard now helps people to understand energy. Specifically, renewable energy and energy efficiency. We discuss why it's a good idea to get rid of gas and electrify your home.
Susan Inglis has always been a conscious consumer. In 2007 she helped set up the Sustainable Furnishings Council to promote awareness of all the 'stuff' we bring into our buildings. From curtains to carpets, and fittings and furniture, the products we bring into our homes have a huge impact on the environment. The Sustainable Furnishings Council works with industry to help inspire designers and consumers to make better choices about all the products inside our buildings.
John Stulen is Co-Founder and Communications Director for Innovatek. He's passionate about wood and through the WoodWorks brand, John helps the construction industry by promoting the many benefits of engineered wood.
Dean Hoggart found geology fascinating. He followed this passion hoping for a career in geothermal energy. After becoming a successful geotechnical engineer and drilling holes looking for oil and minerals, Dean realised he wasn't really doing what he'd like to be doing. So he took a leap and changed career. Today, he's a Certified Passive House Designer and is very happy to be applying science to the design of energy efficient homes.
Jennifer Crawford first appeared on Home Style Green when Our New Home Coach was just getting started. Six years on, she's back to discuss her journey and why she still believes strongly in helping people build the right home.
WD Homes (Wayne Dyet Homes Ltd) is a family run residential construction company, established in January 2005, based in Dunedin.
'Certified Passive House' or 'Passivhaus' Construction has quickly become a speciality for WD Homes.
In this episode, we discuss how Wayne got started as a builder and what he enjoys about building Passive Houses.
Steven Glaze is an expert in the exterior home remodelling industry and specialises in siding and gutter protection systems. He started in the business working as an assistant at his father’s roofing company at the age of 16 and was estimating projects and managing crews by the time he was 18 years old. Today, Steve serves as Vice President of Sales for Smart Exteriors LLC, an award-winning home improvement company serving the greater Kansas City metro area. Steven works tirelessly to find the best exterior products and to educate homeowners on the best options for their goals and budgets. In fact, he recently wrote a homeowner’s guide for siding that is now available on Amazon.
Sheryl Owen's purpose is to create a sustainable environment where everyone can thrive. The environment, says Sheryl, should not be a commodity available for a select few. In order for us to elevate, we must be aware of our impact on the environment and marginalised communities. In her day job and her numerous volunteer roles, Sheryl Owen helps companies find opportunities to link their environmental goals with how they can support their communities.
While on tour as a young US Marine, Josh Oqueli was stationed in Spain for 6 months. In Barcelona, he walked into the Basílica de la Sagrada Família. At the time, he didn't know about the architect and master builder, Antoni Gaudi, but the experience of entering this enchanted space inspired Josh to find out. Gaudi's skill as both a designer and a builder resonated with Josh and led him on the path to creating the Bonsai Design + Build.
Robert Sroufe, PhD. is a Professor of Sustainability, Operations and Supply Chain Management at Duquesne University. His practical experience comes from sustainable supply chain management. He was ‘co-opted’ into the green building movement by experts that he invited him to present to their students about the business opportunities associated with building green.
Living Shelter Architects is a design firm led by Terry Phelan in the Northwest of Washington State. The focus of their work is to provide healthy, resilient homes by combining natural materials with the "gifts of the site".
VCA Green provides green building consulting and commissioning. Their mission is to help clients achieve sustainability goals and long-term cost savings. I spoke with Principal Moe Fakih about where buildings sometimes go wrong and how companies like VCA Green can help with energy modelling, building rating, and commissioning.
How is overlighting of our internal environments, and overshading our cities, affecting our wellbeing? Antony DiMase is a thoughtful Architect based in Melbourne, Australia. We discuss the role that architecture can play in making better places for people and the planet.
Enveloped provide all the products and systems you need to take an ordinary house and make it a high-performance home. Murray and his team help with the selection and installation of airtightness systems, insulation, ventilation, high-performance windows, heating and water heating systems for homes throughout New Zealand. "Remember, the Building Code is the minimum level of performance you are legally allowed to build to."
Through his work, Simon Croker is showing that designers can make a difference and be significant wherever they are. From big city firms to small country town practices, everyone can play an important role in creating sustainable, healthy buildings for the benefit of everyone.
Architects shape the places where they work. Good Architects are themselves also shaped by their surrounding environment.
Living and working in Wanaka, Beth Chaney is very aware of being part of a place that most people only get to visit on holiday. This acknowledgment provides motivation for looking after the environment through her work as an architect.
In this episode, we discuss how Chaney and Norman incorporate environmental ratings along with PHPP energy modelling from Passive House to create sustainable architecture.
CarbonLite is a producer of prefabricated Passive House and high-performance buildings, based in Victoria Australia.
Founder Burkhard Hansen explains some of the problems with typical Australian building practices, and how CarbonLite is using building science and experience to produce fit for purpose homes.
Idealings Architecture is based in Fremantle, Western Australia and serves Perth and the Southwest of the state. Run by Timo and Najwa Bleeker, the aim of Idealings is to help future homeowners and organisations to create healthy, comfortable, energy-efficient and sustainable buildings.
After studying Japanese and international business, Daniel Gudsell's plan was to go to Japan and sell New Zealand produced milk, but he ended up selling wood in the South Pacific, an enterprise that led to the creation of Abode Wood.
Murray Robertson took a liking to technical drawing during intermediate school, which he carried on through college. After considering both industrial design and landscape design, he eventually settled on Architecture. He 'did his time' at a few practices and then found himself at McLaren Associates in Edinburgh where he was introduced to the environmental rating processes of BREEAM. Back in New Zealand, Murray spent over a decade at Stephenson & Turner before starting his own practice, Robertson Architecture Design in 2016.
In 2019 Anne Salmond was made a Distinguished Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Architects, a high honour available to a maximum of only ten people at any one time. As a trailblazer throughout her career, Anne is a worthy recipient of this title. At one time Anne was told that she was running the largest architecture firm in the country that was directed by women. In our interview, Anne and I discuss her growing interest in sustainable architecture, passive solar and Passive House, Living Building Challenge and some of the exciting projects she's currently working on.
Simon Wansbrough is the Founder and Director of Third Little Pig, a custom home builder based in Christchurch. We discuss how Simon got into building in the first place, what building better homes means to him, and how he's been able to become more selective about the projects he takes on.
Daniel Wolkenberg is a student of the 90s. He took the fairly typical route out of Architecture School and worked for a couple of different studios as a graduate. During this time Daniel worked on some fairly major projects such as Federation Square in Melbourne. He gained experience in master planning and got exposure to people and practices. With a desire to own more of the complete process and to fully connect with clients, Daniel opened his own practice, Poly Studio at the beginning of 2012.
Before Reece Beresford trained as a builder and started his own company, he did some time working on oil rigs. Now he's aspiring to build Certified Passive House for clients in Perth, Western Australia.
Viktoria Nikitina is Managing Director of Blue Sky Windows, a manufacturer of high quality, high performance uPVC windows based in Melbourne, Victoria.
With so many locally manufactured options now available, there are plenty of reasons why you should consider windows and doors like these for your next project.
Simon Cator of Pro Clima New Zealand recently caught up with Kirstie Brown at a sustainable house that Kirstie has built using ECO-Block Insulation Concrete Forms (ICF) in Tauranga.
Simon finds out about the advantages of using ECO-Blocks and how an airtight construction is already contributing to great performance.
This episode and accompanying article originally appeared on Eboss, https://www.eboss.co.nz/ebossnow/pro-clima-intelligent-air-barrier-tauranga-sustainable-home
Browsing the photo gallery on Jeff Bogard's R.E.A Homes website, 'sustainability' is not likely the first word that comes to mind. Can large, luxury houses actually be sustainable? This is one of the topics I discussed with Jeff who's been providing high performance homes for discerning clients in Saint Louis for over fourteen years.
I'm always interested in the perceptions of architects and builders who have been trained or have experienced living in Europe and then come to the Southern Hemisphere. Their reaction to typical houses in New Zealand and Australia usually involves a level of disbelief. A common sentiment is that they've never been colder, despite this being a milder climate.
Joachim Herrmann developed an interest in building biology while working as a teacher. As a trained biologist, he describes the science of life as "endlessly fascinating". We discuss the 25 principles of Building Biology and how they contribute to creating healthy places to live.
Robert Whitehouse wants to build houses that work the way they should, and he's thinking about how to make them affordable for everyone.
The uPVC window market is relatively small in Australia right now, but it's growing fast. I caught up with Kathrin Sender, Managing Director at Integra Windows recently to find out what's so good about uPVC windows and doors.
Ian Chamberlain learnt his craft as a cabinet maker and joiner in the UK. Nearly 40 years on, he's now crafting beautiful and high performing homes in Taupo, New Zealand.
What are the most important things to ensure you get the comfortable, energy-efficient home you deserve and can afford?
More at https://homestylegreen.com/212
Brought to you by Endurobuilders and LABDesign.
Music attribution: Carefree by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3476-carefree License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Guy Shaw, Energy Architecture Guy Shaw of Energy Architecture originally trained in Wellington, New Zealand. But it was his experience working as an Architect in the UK that introduced him to more sustainable design and lead him to become a Certified Passive House Designer.
Upon returning to New Zealand in 2013 he set up his own practice, Energy Architecture. Since then he has focussed on Passive House design and has become an expert on working with Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs).
https://youtu.be/zrBJBKOSzZE Theory and Practice During his initial training, Guy thought New Zealand was pretty sustainable. He learnt a bit of building science, as required by most architects at the time, but it wasn't what we'd probably call building science today.
During his time working in England, Guy was more or less immersed in BREEAM and was then introduced to Passive House. This experience put New Zealand practice at the time, into perspective.
Designing and Modelling Guy credits having some good mentors in the UK, as well as having some good projects to work on, for his knowledge of Passive House modelling. He was able to learn to model using the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) while on the job.
He explains that designing and modelling go hand-in-hand. It's a smoother process to design with some key concepts right from the start, rather than being given a design and asked to model it.
"Once you've been doing Passive House projects for a while, it becomes intuitive," says Guy, "... you understand the implications of various design decisions...". He still checks all his designs in PHPP, but Guy says that nowadays, he's really just double-checking the performance assumptions that he's made along the way.
[Tweet ""Once you've been doing Passive House projects for a while, it becomes intuitive." Guy Shaw, @EnergyArchNZ"]
Voice your Values I asked Guy about how other designers can attract clients who want to go down the Passive House route, or something similar. With Energy Architecture, he's been very clear from the start about what he stands for. And he wasn't afraid to voice these values. If someone is looking for cheap and 'just-to-code', they're probably not going to seek out a practice like Energy Architecture.
Guy has received positive feedback from being very clear about what he stands for. And it seems his clients tend to self-select. He's only had to turn away one job to date.
While he does acknowledge that it may be more challenging for an existing practice to change tack, Guy says that every client relationship starts by explaining what your values are.
Get Inspired Energy Architecture is based in Wellington and specialises in Passive House design with leading expertise in designing for SIP construction. Check out Guy's stunning work on their website.
Energy Architecture is based in Wellington and specialises in Passive House design with leading expertise in designing for SIP construction. Find out more, and contact Guy Shaw via their website.
Enduro Builders is quickly becoming one of the leading builders of high performance and sustainable homes in Australia. I met up with Jackson while he was nearing completion of another stunning home in the Adelaide Hills during a trip in late 2019.
In this chat, we discussed how Jackson got into building in the first place and how Enduro Builders is helping to lead an important change in the Australian residential building market.
Ben Ingledew has a background in teaching, but following the Canterbury Earthquakes in 2010 and 2011, he took a new path which eventually lead to Livewel Construction.
Livewel Construction focusses on energy-efficient, comfortable homes and renovations. Ben in Certified Passive House Tradesperson and a member of the Superhome Movement.
Aluminium is stable, completely recyclable and relatively abundant, but it's also a great conductor of heat. It's the dominant choice of material for window and door frames in New Zealand, accounting for 90% of the market. But how can you make it a more sustainable choice? OMEGA Windows and Doors offers some good options.
Dyann Stewart learnt computer-aided design (CAD) while working as a receptionist for New Zealand sailor Digby Taylor. With this valuable skill, Dyann soon found herself working as a junior designer for Nulook. From Nulook, she worked briefly with Fletcher Aluminium as a Technical Advisor, and then on to Fairview where she eventually become Group Technical Manager.
She is now the Business Development Manager at OMEGA Windows and Doors where she's already helped the company achieve the significant accreditation of becoming the first Red List Free aluminium joinery supplier in New Zealand.
Design Basics has as unique point of difference. They value and promote the input of women in the design process. I discuss with Executive Vice President Natalie Wendling, and Vice President of Business Development, Paul Foresman; the concept of 'Women-Centric Home Design' and how it can benefit everyone.
Green certification of building projects faces multiple challenges; from sourcing appropriate products, documenting and verifying materials, through to minimising, sorting and recording construction waste. Compiling all this information in a form that's useful for the certifying agency can be yet another big challenge. Through Green Badger, Tommy Linstroth's goals is to make sustainability in the built environment as easy as possible.
Green Badger is a cloud-based software platform that helps builders and contractors streamline and automate green building compliance. Simplifying these compliance processes allows builders and contractors to focus on building their building properly instead of chasing paperwork.
Jo Woods and Shay Brazier have been saving money on power since they moved into their Zero Energy House. At the same time, their home has been drier, healthier and warmer in winter than most New Zealand houses.
Now Shay is continuing to help others achieve similar savings and benefits by looking into the feasibility of solar and energy efficiency technologies for building products via his new company Revolve Energy.
John Dupra is changing the way people select and buy hardwood flooring. His story about the creation of Revel Woods offers some valuable ideas about how others might bring the building industry into the age of e-commerce.
Rather than a product-based sourcing method, Revel Woods now applies a project-based method to come up with viable solutions for their customers to choose from. Revel Woods asks customers about their project first. The customer is then only given options that will match their location, intended use, and style preference.
John's story is a great example of putting the customer and the project first. Revel Woods have developed a user-friendly website and an algorithm-driven selection process to make a technical decision, accessible to anyone. How could the lessons of Revel Woods and Trunk Club before them, be applied further across the building industry?
What does the future look like for your product or service, and why don't you be the one to create that future?
John and Nikki decided to put all their energy and attention in the home they’ve created. John gave up the idea of an office in Auckland and saved substantial city rent in the process. Now, rather than having an empty and sterile show home in a remote location, they have their own comfortable home, that's already drawn some attention. And their home is the base of their new venture - a prefabricated sustainable and architecturally designed house called modhouse.
In 2001, Lindsay Schack and Lindsey Love both started a Masters of Architecture at Montana State University. A decade on, the two friends created Love Schack Architecture together, from their respective home towns in Montana and Idaho. Love Schack Architecture combines Lindsey Love's experience and passion for natural materials, with Lindsay Schack's Certification as a Passive House Institute-US, Consultant.
After working as a Building Surveyor for over thirteen years, Nick Gaites is now turning his attention to the positive work of designing really awesome buildings that shouldn't need to the services a surveyor down the track. Nick has become a Certified Passive House Designer.
In 2003, thermal performance requirements for residential buildings were added to the Building Code of Australia for the first time. The initial performance requirement was 4 Stars in the National House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) as simulated using the benchmark software AccuRate. In 2006, the requirement rose to 5 Stars, then to 10 Stars in 2010. This all sounds great. The increasing rating requirements of NatHERS provides a measurable and predictable target for improving the energy efficiency of Australian homes. But the building products industry wanted to know, how accurate is AccuRate?
There's a new building enclosure consultancy in town. They're called Oculus and they've got a a great philosophy as well as a lot of international experience. I caught up with James Raimondo, a Senior Building Enclosure Engineer at Oculus to learn a bit more about the engineering and science of what they do.
Within the Passive House Institute in Darmstadt, there is a small group of people dedicated to coordinating the efforts of over 20 Passive House Affiliate organisations around the world. This group is the the International Passive House Association (iPHA). Giorgia Tzar is the head of International Communications for iPHA and I caught up with her following the Passive House Conference in Heidelberg this year.
"A lifetime of healthiness achieved through housing" is the mission statement of Phoenix Haus. What would it take to get an operation like this up and running in New Zealand?
SIPs - Structural Insulated Panels are pretty much what they say they are. Why aren't more designers and builders using this way of building energy efficient, warm, dry houses?
Jessica Grove-Smith has a Masters degree in Physics from the University of Sussex, UK. She's studied in Australia and Spain, done volunteer work in Africa and India and completed an internship in Denmark. She wanted to do something meaningful with her knowledge of physics, and in 2008 Jessica began another internship, this time at the Passive House Institute in Darmstadt. Now she's a Senior Scientist and Director at the Institute.
Camilla Novotna always knew she wanted to build her own timber house. It was just a question of when and where. Despite not having a formal architecture or building background, Camilla has now done a lot more than design her future home. Along with her sister Pavla, she has created Ecokit - a prefabricated building system offering energy homes that can be put together by anyone.
International attention on Gaobeidian is set to increase up to October 2019 when Windoor City along with Passive House Institute China will host the 23rd International Passive House Conference. I spoke to the Head of International Cooperation at Windoor City, Peter Lee recently. Among other topics, I asked Peter about the perception we have in the West of 'Made in China'. My discussion with Peter confirms my belief that Passive House coming to Asia is going to make an impact in Australia and New Zealand.
After he won the Inaugural Passive House Slam during the Heidelberg Passive House Conference in March this year, I sat down with Marius Şoflete to talk about how he's inspiring people to build better places to live. Marius has a contagious enthusiasm which he's using to make Passive House fun!
The first New Zealand Passive House was completed in 2012. Since then, about 20 more individual private houses have been Certified using the internationally recognised standard. Now, New Zealand is about to get its first Certified Passive House Cohousing project and Tim Ross has been involved almost right from the start.
Paul Jennings needed a project for his dissertation on fuel poverty in the UK when he came across some charity work funded by the then 'Greater London Council'. This was back in the 1980s. Not many people had heard of Blower Doors, but a team from the suppliers in Canada were willing to travel to the UK to train people on how Blower Doors could be used to help diagnose energy and health issues in buildings. At the 2019 Passive House Conference in Heidelberg, Paul shared some of his learning from over 30 years of airtightness testing. https://homestylegreen.com/190
Everett Norris always wanted to build his own house. As a boy, he also assumed that he’d own his own house. This sounds simple enough, but the reality is that home ownership is becoming more like Everett’s naive childhood dream for many New Zealanders. Everett now helps people achieve the dream of home ownership by teaching them how to build their own Tiny House.
Paul and Pascale have created Park Homes for people like themselves. They were first time home buyers in the New Zealand market and they wanted something that would be worthy of living in for several years. Houses built to the current code are not up to this standard and so they created the change they'd like to see.
I wanted to have Dolores Davis on the show because she's running a company that values the art, the privilege and the responsibility of building. Here in New Zealand, the evidence that a building boom doesn't guarantee success in the industry, is all too common.
Just as we can learn building methodologies from around the world, we can also learn successful business practices so we can continue to enjoy not what we have to do, but what we get to do.
Where do you go to get beautiful, high performance doors and windows, made in New Zealand?
The term 'airtight' conjures up fears of hermetically sealed boxes. In this episode, I discuss what exactly airtightness is, and why we need it.
Jason Quinn used to be a NASA rocket scientist. Now he's New Zealand's one and only Passive House Certifier. He's just published a book summarising the first 24 Certified Passive Houses in New Zealand.
http://warmhealthyhomes.co.nz
In 2012 Ben Adam-Smith founded House Planning Help to collect and share all the information he started to learn on the way to designing and building his own home. His mission is to encourage people towards the "...houses we should be building in the 21st Century."
Six years on, Ben and his family are enjoying their very own Passive House.
Sam Rogers thinks we've reached a tipping point where more people are seeking high performance homes and are willing to invest a little extra for a much better result. Sam and his team at Land Homes are on a mission to make high performance homes mainstream.
Felicity and Marc Bernstein met at architecture school in Germany and have been working together since. During the last twenty years they've worked in Germany, Arabia and Australia. They now want to use modular design to bring high performance, zero-carbon homes to the masses. Felicity and Marc have recently launched Hütt - Tomorrow's House Today to achieve their vision. Through the crowd equity funding platform Birchal, they're inviting everyone to join the movement.
When Prof. Dr. Hartwig Künzel was studying Chemical Engineering, his father was a scientist at the Fraunhofer Institute. Hartwig followed in his father's footsteps after becoming interested in the preservation of heritage buildings. He soon discovered that he could apply his engineering training to diagnosing the moisture problems that occurred after buildings were insulated.
When Prof. Dr. Hartwig Künzel was studying Chemical Engineering, his father was a scientist at the Fraunhofer Institute. Hartwig followed in his father's footsteps after becoming interested in the preservation of heritage buildings. He soon discovered that he could apply his engineering training to diagnosing the moisture problems that occurred after buildings were insulated.
Terry Brennan literally wrote the book on managing moisture for improved indoor air quality. He is a lead author of a landmark 2013 Environmental Protection Agency book titled “Moisture Control for Building Design, Construction and Maintenance” which has since become a standard reference document in the industry in the US.
In November 2018, Terry visited Australia as a keynote speaker for The Building Designers Association of Australia (BDAA) and Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating (AIRAH). We took this opportunity to bring Terry to New Zealand for a short visit and workshop at the pro clima HUB, where I caught up with him for a chat about building science, mould and how to build better.
Tedd Benson refers to stick framing as pretty basic shelter. It went up almost overnight, but the legacy continues as a 'worse form of building that then become a standard'. Today, Tedd runs Bensonwood, Unity Homes and Tektonik. He is a passionate about combing the skills and values of traditional craftsmanship with cutting edge technology to make better places to live.
In Episode 145 I spoke with Dennis Dowling of DCD Construction. On the episode, I talk with Annabelle Numaguchi who has a PR and marketing background. Why has Annabelle recently become a Homestar Assessor and what is her vision for DCC Construction? Find out in this episode of Home Style Green. http://homestylegreen.com/177
Bert Sarkinnen has been building homes since he was 16, firstly alongside his Father who was also his teacher and mentor. Along the way Bert fell in love with the craft and beauty of timber framed buildings, so much so that he created Arrow Time Framing to specialise in this type of construction. As creators of beautiful, high quality buildings, Arrow Timber Framing is now 'the enemy of ugly'. In this conversation, we discuss the importance and value of a craft, how being encouraged to makes mistakes helped Bert to learn, and the challenges of building a business.
The Headwaters in Glenorchy, just 45 minutes drive from Queenstown is a magical place and now home to another Living Building Challenge project.
I caught up with lead consultant, Tricia Love recently to discuss how she got involved and what the Headwaters is all about.
The Headwaters doesn't aim to re-invent the wheel. It is however a leading example of how we can learn from what's being done overseas and contribute our own expertise towards a positive effort of creating better places to live, work and play.
Karen Manson likes thinking about and designing housing, not just houses. With over 15 years of international experience, Karen now has her own practice in Christchurch. She focuses on high performance houses, including Passive House. I had the opportunity to chat with Karen at the pro clima HUB about her journey. In this episode we discuss the urban design, keeping it simple and what can be learnt from the process of designing standard, code compliant buildings.
Nearly all building elements (roofs, walls, floors, window and door joints etc.) will leak at some point. Problems only occur when moisture gets in, and stays in. If moisture is allowed to accumulate for extended periods, then mould grows, timber rots and metal corrodes. Ultimately, people get sick and our buildings start to fail. This can be incredibly disruptive, stressful and expensive!
WUFI® was created to allow designers to check their designs before those designs become real buildings. By running scenarios with different combinations of products we can fail in the virtual world until we optimise the design. Then we can build with confidence that our real structure will stay dry, healthy and strong for decades.
How do you make eco, affordable?
As project manager for the proposed Lotus Eco Village in Paraparaumu near Wellington, Simon Wallace has some good ideas.
In 1971, Eric Doornekamp led a group of yoga enthusiasts to establish the Lotus Yoga Centre and Retreat in Aro Street, Wellington. Almost half a century on, the Lotus Yoga Centre Charitable Trust is branching out and developing an Eco-Village.
The Lotus Eco Village will be built in on a 3 hectare site purchased by the Trust back in 1985. Project Manager Simon Wallace shared with me how he plans to create affordable, healthy houses alongside a yoga and community centre in a great location.
http://homestylegreen.com/172
Russell Baillie describes the Baillie Eco-Home as a modern, contemporary house that's green under the skin. It's a two storey, three bedroom home in Mt Eden completed in 2016. The house is a showcase of efficiency, sustainability and universal design.
http://homestylegreen.com/171
Harpal Kler comes from an accounting background, but during the last four years he's learnt a lot about building and living in a Passive House. Now, he's a big advocate.
Their multi-generational family home was completed in December 2015 by ehaus and is one of a growing number of Certified Passive House homes in New Zealand.
I asked Harpal how he came across Passive House in the first place, and what he's learnt from building and living in one.
What can we learn down here in the Southern Hemisphere, about the growth and success of Passive House in Canada? CEO of Passive House Canada, Rob Bernhardt shares his inspiration.
This week I'm discussing skylights and roof windows. They're great for both light and ventilation, but what should you look out for?
A building surveyor is trained to investigate potential issues and provide a prioritised list of maintenance for a building. When looking to buy a property, don't take the real estate agent's word for it. Find your own, reputable building surveyor to get an honest assessment of the building. You'll still need to make the decision yourself whether or not to buy, but at least you'll be more informed when you make that decision.
The building code is the worst house you're legally allowed to build, yet it's often treated as the target.
In this episode, I walk through some building envelope basics and discuss where I think you should invest the most to improve the health and comfort of your new home.
http://homestylegreen.com/166
I usually interview designers and builders about what's going on overseas, with a focus on what the New Zealand industry could learn. In this episode, I speak with Damon Gray and Andrew Chapman of NZ Builders. They've turned this idea on it's head and have taken some NZ techniques to British Columbia, with some stunning results.
http://nzbuilders.com
http://homestylegreen.com/165
I love it when I find new companies that are looking at the design and building process a bit differently and who want to provide healthy, energy efficient homes. That's what Nook is all about. I caught up with their designer, Warren Clarke recently and asked him why he does what he does.
http://nook.nz
http://homestylegreen.com/164
Walls (and roofs and floors) of buildings have become complicated. As we’ve increased the level of insulation, we’ve created some new problems, like condensation. This has been aggravated by the addition of layers into the wall that reduce air movement. So how do you create a wall that keeps you warm but will also stay dry? I spoke to Jon Davies from Pro Clima to get some facts about airtightness.
http://proclima.com
http://proclima.co.nz
http://proclima.com.au
http://homestylegreen.com/163
When I first saw the LUNOS is didn't really believe it was a true heat recovery ventilation system, so I sought out some answers.
Wayne Delport is Sales and Technical Manager at The Heating Company International.
http://bit.ly/HSGLunos
http://homestylegreen.com/162
Imagine having a Fitbit for your home and being able to see, in real time, how it's performing. You could also be notified of any hazards like high levels of CO2 and VOCs as they occur - before you start to get a headache or start having respiratory problems.
This week I speak with Dustin Jefferson Onghanseng, a cofounder of uHoo, an exciting new product that could be the Fitbit for your home.
http://uhooair.com/
http://homestylegreen.com/161
A first step in making a home healthier is to understand and quantify what might be making it unhealthy. Through her website, Caroline Blazovsky has made it very easy for homeowners to test indoor air quality and test for mould.
http://www.healthyhomeexpert.com/
http://homestylegreen.com/160
Darryl Sang is one of only a few Certified Passive House Designers in Auckland. We discuss why he went through this gruelling training and why more of his clients are demanding Passive House standards.
http://homestylegreen.com159
http://sangarchitects.com/
Why should we be watching China and what does the growth in uptake of Passive House there mean for the rest of us? We also discuss near zero energy regulations in Europe, developments in the US and Passive House examples from Spain.
Passive House expert and architect Elrond Burrell give us his highlights from the 20th International Passive House Conference.
http://elrondburrell.com/
http://homestylegreen.com/158
I originally contacted Hitesh Mehta to talk about sustainable landscape architecture, but he offers a lot more than that. Hitesh has travelled the world advising and helping designers of ecolodges. He enjoys all aspects of architecture as well as photography, environmental planning and writing.
To find out more about his recent work, visit Hitesh Mehta Design.
http://homestylegreen.com/157
Wolfgang Feist is attributed as the co-founder of Passive House along with Bo Adamson. Feist, a German physicist collaborated with Adamson from Sweden in 1988 to developed a number of ultra-low energy research buildings.
Passive House is now 25 years strong and at the time of recording, Wolfgang was preparing to attend the 20th International Passive House Conference back where it all began in Darmstadt, Germany.
http://homestylegreen.com/156
It’s tempting to say that Prefab’s time has come, but I don’t think this does justice to prefabricated building. As Pamela Bell has explained previously on the Home Style Green Podcast, Prefab is not new. But the enthusiasm shown during this week’s PrefabNZ CoLab event here in Auckland suggest that prefab will play an increasingly important role in the delivery of buildings.
Some would even go so far as to say, there’s a revolution about to happen!
Here are some of my highlights from a well attended and inspiring conference.
http://homestylegreen.com/155
Adaptive architecture and innovative insights from California, with Matthew Baran of Baran Studio Architecture.
http://www.baranstudio.com/
http://homestylegreen.com/154
Paul Dowsett and his team at Sustainable.To are dedicate to creating affordable, healthy and energy efficient homes, because that's what Paul believes is 'the right thing to do'.
And as for the extra cost? Listen in to find out...
http://www.sustainable.to/
http://homesteylgreen.com/153
Remember when the main choice you had for light bulbs was 60 Watts or 100 Watts? Things have progressed a long way since then, and mostly for the better, especially when you consider that the average incandescent light bulb is only about 10% efficient. Most of the energy ends up as heat rather than light.
Now we've transitioned through compact fluorescents (CFLs) to light emitting diodes (LEDs), there's a lot more to understand about what makes a good light.
In this episode, I speak with David Maunsell from Switch Lighting to uncover the details about why some LEDs are much higher quality than others. Unfortunately it's still the Wild West out there in lighting retail land. Hopefully this can help you figure out what's important for lighting.
http://www.switch-lighting.co.nz/
http://homestylegreen.com/152
There's so much that could be said about two days of great Passive House presentations in Melbourne, but I've challenged myself to boil it down to one point per presentation. If there was one takeaway from the second South Pacific Passive House Conference, it was that Passive House has arrived in the Southern Hemisphere and it's going to grow, because it works!
http://homestylegreen.com/151
Glenn Harley is a builder of energy efficient homes in Canterbury. After being attracted to the natural, healthy feel of strawbale construction, Glenn now produces high performance homes with lots of insulation and airtight envelopes.
http://harleybuilders.co.nz/
http://homestylegreen.com/150
In the town of Invermere, about 3 hours west of Calgary in British Columbia, there's a workshop where high performance, energy efficient homes are constructed all year round, regardless of the weather.
http://collectivecarpentry.com
http://homestylegreen.com/149
Graham Hunt goes into a lot of detail when researching the local climate that will impact the comfort of a home. Designing for your climate includes an analysis of both the macro - the temperature, rainfall and humidity of the region, but also the micro - the local wind, shading and exposure of a particular site.
We discuss why this is important and how to do some of the basics.
http://homestylegreen.com/148
http://gehunt.com.au
Who's the most influential person in a real estate development, the architect, the owner, the builder...? What about the developer?
Real estate developers are often seen as the bad guys, out to make a bunch of money without really caring about the quality of homes of lifestyles resulting from their work. Steve Glenn's philosophy however is that developers have a huge potential to control what gets created in real estate and he's passionate about creating a good product. The mission of Living Homes LLC is "...to create homes and communities that inspire people, foster family and community interaction, and make modern life easier, healthier and more comfortable..."
http://livinghomes.net
http://homestylegreen.com/147
Angus Crowe believes that you definitely can afford an architect. In fact, you can't afford not to have one.
Learning from design homes in the tropics, Angus now uses a combination of orientation, cross flow ventilation, thermal mass and above all - 3D modelling to produce healthy, comfortable homes.
http://homestylegreen.com/146
http://truenortharchitects.com.au/
Dennis Dowling creates finely crafted, passive energy homes that you’ll love. From energy efficiency and budgeting advice, through to high quality, Passive House standard construction, DCD offers a turn-key approach to building.
I initially contacted Dennis for a comment about why he choses to use pro clima products, but when he started to describe his approach to building homes, I had to turn on the microphone!
http://homestylegreen.com/145
http://dcd.co.nz/
Beattie Passive is a complete system for a high performance home. I love the idea of thinking of a house as a system. I also love the idea of making it simple and easy to get right, and that's exactly what Ron Beattie has done.
http://homestylegreen.com/144
Foam is an incredible thermal insulator. For the price and size, it's about the best insulation material you can get. But many people are concerned about the chemicals and process used to manufacture polystyrene.
I spoke with Curtis VanDyke from RL Adams Plastics about what they're doing to make foam 'green' and therefore make it an even greater building material.
http://homestylegreen.com/143
http://www.goadams.com/
Bamboo Technologies, LLC (Bamboo Living) design and manufacture structurally certified bamboo homes. Founded in 1995, Bamboo Technologies has produced over 350 homes in Hawaii and around the world. I spoke with founder David Sands about why bamboo is sustainable as a building material.
http://homestylegreen.com/142
http://www.bambooliving.com/
I love Rich Williams' enthusiasm for what he does. Even if you don't live in the temperate climate of San Diego, you can learn a lot about the relevance (or not) of concepts like Passive House for a better performing home.
Alliance Green Builders are dedicated to 'building tomorrow's homes for today'. As well as being Passive House designers, they also offer LEED, GreenPoint and Zero Energy Ready homes.
http://homestylegreen.com/141
http://alliancegreenbuilders.com/
In episode 10 of Home Style Green, I interview Carlin Archer, the creator of Ecobob. Now Ecobob has a completely fresh new look, and is still going strong as New Zealand's leading eco home forum. In this episode, I talk with new owner Kristy Hoare.
http://homestylegreen.com/140
http://ecobob.co.nz
The terms 'sustainability' and 'eco' are not obvious on Adam Taylor's website. They are there (see if you can find them). But perhaps the future of green design is embedded in good design. Not something separate.
http://homestylegreen.com/139
http://adamtaylor.co.nz
Dr Allison Bailes III has used his PhD in physics and background in teaching to educate the world about better buildings. Through his company Energy Vanguard, Dr Bailes has been recognised as a great communicator, turning complex ideas like relative humidity and psychrometrics, into understandable fundamentals for better home performance.
Jeffrey Dinkle brings over two decades of experience in sustainable construction and renovation to his board service at the National Passive House Alliance. Founder and owner of Eco Custom Homes and its parent company ICON Development Corporation, Jeff has become a recognized leader in Atlanta’s green building scene. He holds degrees in economics and sociology from Emory University and has trained in EarthCraft principles at Southface. Through Eco Custom Homes, he builds and renovates incredibly efficient high performance structures that embrace comfortable and healthy living and function.
http://homestylegreen.com/137
http://ecocustomhomes.com/
Passive House vs Passive Solar with Lloyd Alter
Much of this comes down to two design principles which are similar in name and have some overlap in their detail, but are fundamentally quite different. As Lloyd Alter points out, the 'Superinsulated' house was really the origin and (along with airtightness) is the basis of Passive House design.
'Passive solar' design is what's in question here, in particular the reliance on thermal mass and sun angles.
http://homestylegreen.com/136
http://www.treehugger.com/author/lloyd-alter/
PIDCOCK - Architecture and Sustainability is focused on desirable, sustainable architecture.
http://homestylegreen.com/135
http://www.pidcock.com.au/
Sue co-founded Bioregional in 1994 because she wanted to develop and implement more sustainable ways of producing the products we need and of living our lives to reduce our human impact on the natural world.
http://www.bioregional.com/
http://homestylegreen.com/134
Polly Bart loves to get muddy. Despite having an undergraduate degree in architecture and a doctorate in city planning, Poly is not an architect. She's a builder and founder of Greenbuilders, Inc. She loves creating, lifting rock and building things.
http://homestylegreen.com/133
http://greenbuilders.com/
Smart, Green and Beautiful Homes with Ronn Lepage.
If these can be built in one of the harshest inhabited climates on Earth, then what would it take to build one where you live?
http://homestylegreen.com/132
https://verecohomesinc.wildapricot.org/
Davie Philip feels and lives like a rich man. He's an educator and facilitator at Cloughjordan (pronounced 'clock-jordan'), rated one of the top 10 places to live in Ireland.
Cloughjordan Ecovillage contains 129 energy efficient houses. It features a biomass-fuelled district heating system and the whole village is designed for biodiversity.
http://homestylegreen.com/131
http://www.thevillage.ie/
Beautiful architecture and high performance thermal envelopes. What a great combination.
This week I chat with Christine Alberstsson of Albertsson Hansen Architecture in Minneapolis.
http://homestylegreen.com/130
http://www.aharchitecture.com/
This week I discuss Maharishi Vastu Architecture with Jon Lipman. Where ancient philosophy comes together with modern science to make spectacular and enriching buildings.
http://HomeStyleGreen.com/129
Eric Fisher is making green design less boring. Not that green design is necessarily boring in the fist place, but Eric believes in making buildings that are well suited to their location and are interesting for people.
To find out more about Eric and his Pittsburg practice check out some of the great images on his website.
http://homestylegreen.com/128
Chris Hays likes to think of Architecture as 'the mother art', encompassing sculpture, mathematics, engineering, anthropology, ecology and more. Above all though, Chris likes the fact that architecture can help people create a better life.
http://homestylegreen.com/127
Green design, eco-architecture, passive solar design, energy efficient design, sustainable architecture, sustainability.
Dominique Gettliffe and Alejandra Baltodano believe in the responsibility of architecture to make spaces that are good for people. Architecture shouldn't be about the ego of the artist. The responsibility of architecture is to be a catalyst for people to create amazing spaces.
http://homestylegreen.com/126
If you're at all interested in building a better place to live, you need to start with good foundations. There are other solutions out there, but MAXRaft offers the only complete system here in New Zealand that is fully insulated.
The resulting slab has an impressive R-value of up 4.5, about three times the standard. For an investment of only about 10% above the standard slab price, this is well worth the comfort and energy savings.
This week I have Henry Edney on the show to discuss some recent product developments.
http://homestylegreen.com/125
Dr Johann Bernhardt originally came to New Zealand, expecting to stay for a year. That was about 30 years ago. In that time, Johann has made his mark on the sustainable architecture landscape, producing an impressive portfolio of energy efficient homes, running the Auckland office of the Building Biology and Ecology Institute (BEE), lecturing sustainable design at the University of Auckland and producing the book 'A Deeper Shade of Green: Sustainable Urban Development Building and Architecture in New Zealand'.
http://homestylegreen.com/124
Eric Corey Freed is no stranger to being interviewed. As author of 11 books, an architect, keynote speaker, consultant and sustainability thought leader, he's appeared on numerous stages, screens and in written columns.
In 2005 he was named "Best Green Architect" by San Francisco Magazine and in 2012 was named as one of the "Top 10 Most Influential Green Architects".
I hope you too are inspired and find some useful tips from this conversation about organic architecture with Eric Corey Freed.
- http://HomeStyleGreen.com/123
- http://www.organicarchitect.com/
Elena Michel travelled to England to learn the art of sustainable architecture. Through her practice, Second Eden Studio, Elena now provides an alternative to the 'McMmansion' and is bringing a global perspective of sustainable design to North Carolina.
- http://HomeStyleGreen.com/122
- http://www.secondedenstudio.com
Ever noticed how people always seem to 'turn up' in the kitchen? Chris Larson definitely noticed this and has developed the concept of the sociable kitchen as a principle of his house design philosophy. He's also in to making passive solar homes beautiful, which I love.
- http://homestylegreen.com/121
- http://chrislarsonarchitect.com
Why is a regular developer interested in producing a zero energy house in New York?
http://www.kane-aud.com/
Kelly Hart is an amazing thinker and innovator. He's passionate about the environment and generous with the resources and learning he shares.
http://homestylegreen.com/119
Jae Sabol is a man on a mission involving open source, community based, sustainable building for 'The Highest Good of All'.
http://onecommunityglobal.org/
http://homestylegreen.com/listen
Lindsay Roberts is the show director for Greenbuild, the premier conference and expo for the green building movement.
Organising Greenbuild is a 12 month long process, so running the annual event is pretty much a full time job for Lindsay. I thought I'd catch up with her just prior to registrations opening so you've got plenty of time to secure your early bird tickets and join the buzz.
In 2015, Greenbuild is in Washington D.C. and will take place from November 18 to 20. Mark it in your diary now!
http://www.greenbuildexpo.com/
Concrete slab edge insulation is one my hot topics. It seems to spark debate, firstly about if it's worth doing, then secondly about how to do it. I recently spoke with manufacturer and experienced business owner, Mike Peters of Fort Wayne, Indiana who's come up with an easy solution for builders to cut heat loss at the slab edge by up to 88%.
http://homestylegreen.com/116
http://insulslab.net/
What's the difference between HRV and ERV? Grant Anderson is the National MVHR Manager at Fantech. (What's MVHR? Listen in to find out!)
Please feel free to contact me if you'd any help with choosing a ventilation system, matthew@homestylegreen.com
You can also find Grant and his team at Fantech, http://bit.ly/1FDK1PT
http://homestylegreen.com/115
Peter Olorenshaw has been developing his passion for passive solar design for over 21 in Nelson, one of New Zealand's sunniest spots. While has does practise architecture elsewhere, like his designs, he prefers to keep it local.
http://homestylegreen.com/114
http://www.peteroarchitect.co.nz/
How do you find the right products to build a net zero, LEED certified, Living Building Challenge, or simply a healthier, more sustainable home? Standardising product information and storing it all in one, easy place was the reason why GreenWizard was started. It's a Building product management solution to help you find sustainable products.
http://homestylegreen.com/113
https://www.greenwizard.com/
What's the link between durability and sustainability? Brett Little explains that there's no point in building a zero energy house, if it only lasts a few years.
The Green Home Institute is focussed on empowering people to make healthier and more sustainable places to live. Working closely alongside the the USGBC, the Green Home Institute offers services to help with LEED for Homes Certification and other third party verification provides to help prospective home owners meet their sustainability goals.
http://homestylegreen.com/112
http://greenhomeinstitute.org/
Andrew Stephenson has always seen architecture as a unique opportunity to turn people's dreams into reality.
Living in a luxury bus with a family of five, and studying permaculture, has given Andrew some great inspiration for multi-function spaces and features. He now incorporates this thinking into his designs to make stylish and sustainable homes.
http://homestylegreen.com/111
http://www.bellstephenson.co.nz/
How do you make a power plant in the middle of an urban setting, look interesting and attractive? And what's that got to do with designing sustainable homes?
Peter Hogg and Toby Reed are award winning, Melbourne based architects and I spoke with Peter about why he does what he does.
Be sure to check out there website for more about their recent projects, including the spectacular Precinct Energy Project in Dandenong.
http://homestylegreen.com/110
Marnie Oursler used to sell houses. Now she designs and builds them and runs a successful company doing so.
What I found most inspiring talking to Marnie, was that she knows how to have fun while creating a spectacular home.
http://www.marniehomes.com/
How do you make a house sustainable? Talking to the team at Sustainability House would be a good start.
Sustainability House believe that all buildings should aim to have low embodied energy, use energy efficiently, generate electricity, collect and recycle water, be passively thermally comfortable and provide safe indoor air quality.
Sounds reasonable.
But how do you do it?
I spoke to Business Development Manager, Mark Clayton about their services and the growing demand for sustainable buildings.
Green Tomato Energy, based in Hammersmith London, is another example of a company fulfilling a fantastic need. They help people get set up with renewable energy technologies and they provide advice on low energy and Passivhaus building design.
http://homestylegreen.com/107
http://greentomatoenergy.com/
Wally is a wireless water leak detector, and temperature and humidity sensor for your home. As CEO of SNUPI Technologies, Jeremy Jaech told me, this isn't particularly sexy, but it could be really valuable.
What is a blower door and why would you want to use one?
We've discussed the benefits of airtightness previously. In this episode, we're jumping straight in to look at the blower door and airtightness testing.
Net zero homes, tiny Houses, 'Cargotecture', pocket neighbourhoods and straw bale homes. Matthew Swett likes to experiment with design. He's also an incredibly thoughtful and award winning architect.
Matthew Swett co-founded Taproot Architects, LLC in 2001 with his wife and business partner Sarah Birger. Together they operate an integrated architecture and landscape design firm on Whidbey Island.
Prior to starting his own practice, Matthew researched and developed sustainable design guidelines for Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum; pioneered cluster development and pocket neighbourhoods with Ross Chapin Architects; and served as a founding member and co-director for the Solar Information Center at the University of Oregon.
http://homestylegreen.com/104
Derek Ward's strength is the science that connects good design with good performance. Clioma House specialises in 'airtightness and effective insulation'. They help bridge the gap between the drawing board and the construction site.
Matthew Vande and partner Amy Musser created Vandemussser Design to help with 'the technical side of building green'.
They found a great problem when they moved to North Carolina - builders who wanted to do right thing, but didn't know what the right thing was. Matt, Amy and their team now help builders and their clients to find the most cost effective and easiest way to make energy efficient buildings. They help builders to avoid a costly 'trial and error' approach.
http://homestylegreen.com/102
Paul Testa lives in beautiful Sheffield in the UK. He introduced me to the concept of 'vernacular construction' - designing and building to the local conditions.
Is the Home Style Green Podcast turning into the Passive House Podcast?
http://paultestaarchitecture.co.uk/
Thanks to NUDURA for supporting Home Style Green:
http://energyefficientbuilding.co.nz/
It's episode 100! In this week's special show, I turned the microphone around to hear from past (and future) guests, listeners answering the question "What would you do to make a better place to live?"
As a founding member of PassivHaus Main, I should have guessed that Chris Corson would be pretty passionate about why and how we should build better homes. A quick look at EcoCor's website suggests they are a good place to start for achieving a practical solution to a sustainable home. I caught up with Chris to talk about prefab, Passive House and Passion!
So, you've decided you'd like a really good home. One that's comfortable, healthy and energy efficient. That's great, but unfortunately it's not (yet) standard practice. Hopefully you can find a good designer to help (try this list if you like). But you'll also need some good, non-standard products. This week I spoke with Ken Levenson about how 475 can help you achieve a high performance home.
Three years ago, John Donovan built a demonstration log house on his property in Waitakere. The images in a recent newspaper article caught my attention, as did the mention of 'eco' and 'efficient'. So I tracked John down to get his thoughts on sustainable building with logs. And we talked about pyramids...
Phase change materials and how to add thermal mass to light weight buildings.
After learning to build cob houses, Chris Brookman now supplies some very cool, modern clay and timber material products to building industry.
The Homestar Mandatory minimums are a series of benchmarks that have to be achieved in order to progress up the Homestar scale. They're important because if they are are not achieved, your score will be held back. So what are the Homestar mandatory minimums, and how can you achieve them?
So, you know you want a sustainable (healthy, efficient, affordable and desirable) home, but where do you start? I've covered the fundamentals of what makes a good energy efficient home, but these are details. What's the big picture? Where do you start a sustainable house?
http://homestylegreen.com/93
Group or volume builders get a bad rap sometimes for perpetuating bad building practise. But it is possible to get a good home from a group builder. This week I talk with someone who's doing just that and her explains how.
Glenn Murdoch was a regular house designer until he watched Simon Sinek's TED talk. Then Glenn asked 'why'? In this week's show we talk Passive House and how to architecture can create a better society.
Duncan Firth feels 'compelled' to do what he does - designing environmentally functional homes. How can architecture truly respond to the environment?
Homestar is New Zealand's comprehensive environmental rating tool for homes. It's Green Star for the residential sector and is not some crazy Kiwi start up idea. It's very closely related to successful international precedents such as LEED and Code for Sustainable Homes. But how much does it add to the cost of building a home?
There are some inaccuracies out there that I think need addressing.
Something a little different this week. I’ve had some excellent questions sitting in my inbox for a while and I thought that many could benefit from them. In this Q&A session I cover Homestar, thermal mass, heating and cooling options and small, affordable home design.
Do you need a professional project manager for either the design stage or the construction stage of your building project? I discuss the basics of good project management with podcaster, engineer, business owner and soon-to-be author, Cesar Abeid.
Eaves are the classic case of form following function. In this podcast I lay out my three key reasons for having them, but a key question is, 'how big should eaves be?'
Resilience and sustainability are different. Sustainability feels more long term to me. It's about using resources wisely with future generations in mind. Resilience is more about weathering the storm. There is an overlap and so both are important.
If being resilient encourages people to invest in rainwater harvesting and solar panels with battery backup, thereby also being more sustainable, then surely that's a good thing for everyone.
Is one more important than the other, or can resilience be a really handy way of selling sustainability?
Plus, my top five tips for having a resilient home.
Over the last few years, I've developed this model for good home design: Map, wrap, gaps, taps and apps.
Find out more at: http://homestylegreen.com/84
Most of us are familiar with leaky buildings - the perfect storm of poor design, poor cladding systems and poor workmanship, culminating in allowing rain to get in. Now we've moved on and have cavities, more stringent weather-tightness checks and hopefully we like eaves again.
So what's leaky buildings 2.0? If we've dealt to the risk of moisture coming in from the outside, where else can moisture come from?
http://homestylegreen.com/83
Natalie Cutler-Welsh spends some of her time helping small business owners who are just getting started with social media. This can be a daunting task yet important step for your business. I wanted to get some tips for building professionals on the 'why' and 'how to' of basic social media.
This week, we look at Facebook and LinkedIn
http://homestylegreen.com/82
http://gotogirl.co.nz
Ian McHugh's specialisations include Code for Sustainable Homes Assessor, and 'Eco-Refurbisher'. I want to know how good designers and architects can do more work involving energy efficient, sustainable, eco buildings. As a building professional, how can you get more of this type of work?
Also, we discuss Ian's mass customisation 'IKEA-style' concept for climate adaption, the IDEAhaus.
http://homestylegreen.com/81
What's earth building and why is it just as relevant today as it has been for centuries? Can you get it wet, and can you get a consent for it? These are just a couple of the questions I ask Verena Maeder, chair of the Earth Building Association of New Zealand and owner or Solid Earth.
http://www.homestylegreen.com/80
The BRANZ House Insulation Guide Fifth Edition includes waffle pod slab systems, and a concrete slab edge insulation update. I review the options.
Lesley England knows how to design eco friendly homes and importantly for her, she knows how to attract the right clients who want her to design eco friendly homes. It's all in the name - ecohabitats.
Three key factors for designing eco friendly homes are:
- Size
- Orientation
- Materials
Find out more at http://homestylegreen.com/78
What exactly is uPVC and is it a good option for window frames? I speak with Oleg Tolmachev of www.warmwindows.co.nz to find out if uPVC windows are a good fit for New Zealand conditions.
Mark experienced his own building project as a client in 2004 and recognised the need for better information. He was handed a copy of the Building Guide from the local Council.
The Building Guide was a different publication then and Mark saw potential for how it could help prospective homeowners get better information. So in 2006, Mark Graham bought the magazine.
He explains to me why he hated advertising - the very industry he worked in for 14 years, and how he now relies on it. What's the difference?
What's self-help housing and why is it important?
Canopy Housing Project is a self-help housing organisation based in Leeds, U.K., creating decent homes by renovating derelict ones. Steve Hoey has been running Canopy Housing for the last six years and I asked him why he does what he does.
Also in this episode, the five essentials of self-help housing and Steve's great book recommendation.
http://canopyhousing.org
Would you buy a prefabricated, modular home made in China?
Ecotech Homes are versatile, modular housing solutions. I caught up with their Major Project Director, Craig Nisbet just before he took off to Ghana to talk about prefabricated, affordable, quality homes.
I found out there are some good reasons to consider factory built, modular homes.
'Affordable housing' is a term that's often misused to describe only the purchase price of a house. But to be truly affordable, the total cost of living in that house needs to be considered, including commuting, power bills and other utilities, maintenance and even health.
Daiman Otto understands that affordable housing means more than just supplying houses cheaply.
Daiman's involved in a number of exciting projects and he explains them much better than I could, so click on the links below to find out more:
- CABA: Beautiful, affordable architecture
- ARKit: Advanced prefabricated architecture
- Analogue Structures: prefab Skunk Works combining resource efficiency, open source, micro-buildings, 3D & CNC technology and entrepreneurship
- DKOtto.com
Jessica Eyers is a passionate advocate for sustainable, green design. As I discovered during this interview, Jessica is also really interested in the science of green building and understanding what works and what doesn't work.
For more, go to http://homestylegreen.com/72
Jennifer Crawford used to sell houses, now she helps people to buy the house that they really want. What's the difference? Listen in to find out!
If you're in New Zealand, you can find a Homestar Homecoach here: http://www.homestar.org.nz/the-journey/homecoach
If you want help with your new home, get in touch and I'll see if I can point you in the right direction.
How to do the type of design work you want, from where you want. Duncan Sinclair is the founder of Black Pine Architects. His practice and his home are in Whanganui, but thanks to the internet, his work can be anywhere.
http://www.blackpine.co.nz/
Dan Heyworth is on a mission to improve the range and quality of houses available to New Zealanders.
After returning to New Zealand from UK a few years ago, Dan realised there are really only two main options for getting a house built, either going to a building company for a cheaper, mainstream house; or going to an architect for an expensive one.
Box Living is both an architectural firm and a building company. Dan and his team are passionate about bringing the benefits of architecturally designed homes, to everyone.
www.boxliving.co.nz
An article about a couple of energy efficient homes in New Zealand caught my attention recently. I decided to look up the owners of one and Ron was very generous with his time. I was also grateful to be able to record our conversation so I could share the learning and successes with you.
If you'd like advice or recommendations on your future home, please get in touch. I'd love to help.
Link: http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/features/lifestyle/going-green/9978533/Green-home-design-has-it-all
Get your plans reviewed:
http://homestylegreen.com/house-plan-review/
Nudura is a brand of Insulated Concrete Forms, which as CEO Murray Snider describes, is like giant Lego blocks. When the polystyrene pieces are slotted together and then concrete poured into the central cavity, creating airtight walls, the resulting comfort and thermal performance is impressive.
Murray was recently visiting New Zealand from his home in Canada and I took the opportunity to find out more about ICF and Nudura.
For more, visit
http://homestylegreen.com/67
To get in touch with Nudura directly here in New Zealand, contact Chevy Chisholm
email: chevy.chisholm@me.com
phone: 021 766 117
Sustainability Options is an 'altruistic business'. Find out how they contribute 85% of their profit back to the community, provide free home assessments that save households between 10% and 30% on their power bills, and their recent campaign to help one family in need.
In this weeks show, I discuss the evidence that there is monetary value in getting a rating for your home.
References:
- http://www.usgbc.org/sites/default/files/ValueofGreenHomeLabelsStudy_July2012.pdf
- http://www.nathers.gov.au/about/publications/pubs/eer-house-price-act.pdf
- http://besthome.org.nz/showhome.html
- http://www.homestar.org.nz/newsroom/value-and-affordability-homestar
Related Episode:
Home Style Green Episode 21: https://itunes.apple.com/nz/podcast/21-upcoming-events-red-tape/id513213105?i=134294625&mt=2
What comes to mind when you hear the term ‘cohousing’. For many, there many be some negative connotations. The reality though is that there are so many advantages to sharing some things with your neighbours, while still maintaining a strong sense of privacy and your own space.
Robin Allison trained as an architect in order to help create a more sustainable future. She ended up initiating what was to be become Earthsong Eco-Neigbourhood.
To connect with Robin, go to: http://robinallison.co.nz/
Be sure to check out: http://www.earthsong.org.nz/
Book Recommendation: Pocket Neighborhoods: Creating Small-Scale Community in a Large-Scale World http://amzn.to/1hB3xtL
Related sites:
House Planning Help Episode 28, How Co-Housing Helps Build a Community: http://www.houseplanninghelp.com/hph028-how-cohousing-helps-build-a-community-with-mark-westcombe-from-lancaster-cohousing/
Gilo Holtzman of Synthesis Studio: http://synthesisstudio.org/about/
What other form of heating provides a coefficient of performance, around 5 - 7? That’s the promise, and the reality of ground source heat pump technology.
This week I spoke to Senior Hydrogeologist at Geoscience Consulting NZ, Huw Williams about this amazing technology. We discuss if it’s suitable for houses in New Zealand and why Huw is so interested in ground source heat pumps as a sustainable technology.
Links:
- http://www.nzgeoscience.co.nz/
- http://www.nzgeothermal.org.nz/ghanz.html
- http://www.carbonwarroom.com/
The key characteristics that Jo and Shay were after when they designed and built the Zero Energy House were:
- Comfort and Health
- Affordability - of building AND operating
- Inspiration
We also discuss some of the specific features that have made it possible to bring these characteristics to life.
For more, check out http://zeroenergyhouse.co.nz/
Ben Adam-Smith discusses EcoBuild 2014, what makes an energy efficient house, constraints versus compromise, new versus retrofit, why houses don't use energy, and population growth.
Also, find out why Ben hasn't had a bath for a year!
Links:
- http://www.houseplanninghelp.com/
- https://www.thesnippetapp.com/web/writers/benadam-smith
- http://www.ecobuild.co.uk/
Louisa Chase is the Project Manager for EcoFest 2014. The festival runs from March 15th through to April 13th and has everything from films, to gardening and composting seminars, eco-house tours and even a sustainable fashion show.
We discuss why Kaipatiki exists, the difference one person can make, and ‘Nana Technologies’.
For more, be sure to check out http://kaipatiki.org.nz/ecofest/ and http://www.ecomatters.org.nz/what-s-on/ecowest-festival-2014/
Thanks to DOC for the dawn chorus on this week’s show. To listen to this, and other native New Zealand birds, go to:
http://www.doc.govt.nz/conservation/native-animals/birds/new-zealand-bird-songs-and-calls/
Also mentioned this week:
- Zero Energy House (coming up): http://zeroenergyhouse.co.nz/
- Ecobuild: http://www.ecobuild.co.uk/
Adrian Feasey is a solar consultant, so he knows a thing or two about energy efficiency. Why then would he purchase a 1960s, weatherboard house with no insulation and begin a renovation project to try and make it warm, comfortable and cost effective?
Adrian is showcasing his house as part of an eco-house tour in the upcoming Kaipatiki Ecofest.
Ecofest Website:
http://kaipatiki.org.nz/ecofest/
Ecofest House Tour:
https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/ecofest-2014-good-life-tour-tickets-10444211919
Adrian Feasey on LinkedIn
nz.linkedin.com/in/adrianfeasey
Adrian’s Book Recommendation:
The Transition Handbook: From Oil Dependency to Local Resilience, http://amzn.to/1pwJvIo
James L. Salmon is the President of Collaborative Construction, an organisation created to encourage a better way of building. After spending much of his legal career helping sort out disputes between building owners, contractors and suppliers, James is convinced there's a much better way of organising, communicating and conducting the design, procurement and building processes.
I caught up this week with Lois Easton from Beacon Pathway. Lois is one of the organisers for the 'Building a Better New Zealand' conference coming up in September.
Submissions for abstracts is open until March 9th, so if you're interested, check out their website for more details.
http://www.buildingabetternewzealand.co.nz/
Also in this week's show:
- NZ Tallest building announced: http://www.3news.co.nz/Plans-for-NZs-tallest-skyscraper-unveiled/tabid/423/articleID/331915/Default.aspx
- Ben Adam Smith's new Snippet Book: http://www.thesnippetapp.com/writers/benadam-smith/
- Grand Designs - New Zealand http://architecturenow.co.nz/articles/grand-designs-new-zealand/
What is the IDEAL House, and how will everyone soon be able to see it? I talk with owner, Murray Durbin and he shares his inspiration and discusses some of the features that make this house special. We also talk numbers!
For more, visit: http://idealhouse.org
Dean Buckeridge has been designing energy efficient, passive solar homes in Christchurch for as long as I’ve can remember. Along with Russell Devlin, and Bob Burnett, I hold Dean in high regard for leadership in this field. It’s great to see the rest of the market finally starting to demand more of their knowledge and skills.
In this episode of Home Style Green, we discuss why asthma is the norm in Kiwi kids, how thermal mass can go wrong, the economics of spending a bit more up front, the problem with teenage daughter and having cosy feet.
Dean is also involved with MagRoc. Find out about the benefits of this exciting new product.
Find out more about Dean at:
http://www.dbarc.co.nz/energy-efficient-architecture/
And MagRoc at:
http://www.magroc.co.nz/
Dean also mentioned the site sorted, for looking at the cost of mortgages:
https://www.sorted.org.nz/
What's a fast, inexpensive way to build that can result in high performance homes?
It is of course, prefab. And this week I talk with Melissa Savage from Metrapanel.
http://www.metrapanel.co.nz/
I'd love to get your questions, comments and feedback:
http://www.homestylegreen.com
https://twitter.com/mcutlerwelsh
https://www.facebook.com/HomeStyleGreen
http://www.pinterest.com/homestylegreen/
https://plus.google.com/101260690494539970922/posts
email: matthew@homestylegreen.com
What could we learn from a creative entrepreneur who's looking at ways to inspire others to live to their highest potential?
No, you haven't tuned into the wrong podcast. It is something a bit different today as I talk with Paul Blais from Doubt the Doubts.
Paul also has some great experience selling and installing efficient lighting.
Links:
- http://www.doubtthedoubts.com
- http://www.gotogirl.com
Book Recommendation
Paul's book recommendation is The Power of Habit.
Where to Find Paul Blais and Doubt the Doubts * Facebook * Twitter * iTunes * LinkedIn
Damien Hochberg is the Operations Manager at Go Green Expo. I caught up with him to find out what the Expo's all about, who's exhibiting and who should attend.
I also wanted to know, why Damien felt the need to create the Go Green Expo.
If you're in Wellington this week, head along to the TSB Area. I'm going to be there, so come and say hello!
http://www.gogreenexpo.co.nz
(Please note, views expressed in this show do not reflect the views of any past or present employer)
Why should all buildings designed for people, be designed by an architect, and how can architects be more influential?
Architects, like all building professionals, need to run a good business to be effective.
Mark R. LePage is an Entrepreneur Architect. He's passionate about the business of architecture, so much so that he writes, podcasts and coaches other architects how to run successful businesses.
I spokes with Mark about his journey, what makes his architectural practice, Fivecat Studio different, and the influence that architecture can have on people.
How much time do you spend finding out what your clients need or want?
Links:
- http://www.entrearchitect.com/
- http://www.fivecat.com/
- http://www.houzz.com/
Mark's book recommendation:
The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It
Upcoming Events
- Go Green Expo - Wellington 12 - 13th October, 2013
- Canterbury Home Show - Christchurch, 18 - 20 October, 2013
- Earth Song Eco-Neighbourhood Public Tour - 2nd November, 2013
Chris McKay has built what looks like a fairly regular home for his family on the outskirts of Christchurch. Like many residents, they were forced to leave their previous home following the Canterbury earthquakes in 2011. Now they have a warm, comfortable, resilient home and Chris hasn't had a power bill since moving. In this episode, I find out how he did it.
Also check out some of Chris' stunning photography:
http://chrismckayphotography.com/
Resources mentioned in the show include:
- http://ecobob.co.nz
- http://www.enasolar.co.nz
How important are curtains when it comes to improving the performance of your home?
As Chad Keven from Heavy Duty Curtains explains, it's not just about the drapes, the curtain track that supports the curtain can also play a big role in improving the insulation properties.
So how much extra does it cost? Tune in to find out. You might be surprised!
For more, visit: http://www.heavydutycurtains.co.nz/
Other links from this episode:
- Chad's book recommendation: Status Anxiety, by Alain De Botton
- http://www.brct.org.nz/our-projects/cosy-homes/
- Cluster NZGBC PrefabNZ NZIA Wellington event
- Green Building Week
- CEN Conference - Achieving Affordable Warmth for All New Zealand Families
Home is where the heart is. It's also where our lungs are, where our eyes and ears are, where our whole bodies, and where our minds are.
In this week's show, I read a short audio essay about why we should dream and why we should ask for, and build better homes.
Links:
- http://homestylegreen.com/greenhomedreamteam/
- http://solarking.co.nz/
- http://www.customconstruction.co.nz/
What's the impact of where all the stuff comes from that you use when creating your dream home, and how do you measure it? That's what LCA (life cycle analysis) is all about, and that's what eTool is all about. This week, I talk to eTool creator, Alex Bruce.
Growing up on a farm helped shape Alex's appreciation for the outdoors. He went on to study Mechanical Engineering and while working in remote north Western Australia, got an opportunity to get into the solar panel business.
One day someone asked Alex if it was true that solar panels consume more energy to make that what they produce in their lifetime. At the time he didn't know the answer, and set out to find out.
eTool is now available to help answer that same question for all types of products and materials that go into building your home.
References:
- http://etool.net.au/
- http://www.homestar.org.nz/
- http://www.bioregional.com/oneplanetliving/what-is-one-planet-living/
- http://www.oneplanetliving.org/index.html
- http://www.usgbc.org/leed/homes
- http://living-future.org/lbc
Book recommendation:
Making Your Home Sustainable, by Derek Wrigley
Other Podcasts:
http://www.entrearchitect.com/category/podcast/
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/geoff-mcdonald-ideas-architect/id673000099
http://www.houseplanninghelp.com/category/podcast/
https://itunes.apple.com/nz/podcast/rnz-nine-to-noon/id174829950
https://itunes.apple.com/nz/podcast/rnz-this-way-up/id207987745
New Zealand Centre for Sustainable Cities are hosting a launch event on 20th August 2013 in Wellington for the book 'Homes People Can Afford"
The book was put together by Sarah Bierre, Philippa Howden-Chapman and Lisa Early from He Kainga Oranga, the Housing and Health Research Programme.
I discussed with Sarah, why they wrote the book, what housing affordability actually means and why it's important.
Reference
The Poetics of Space
Danny Squires and Martin Luff met on Twitter, were inspired by a TEDex video and have since co-founded WikiHouse NZ. With this project, they're setting out to change the world and to 'make things better' by design.
Links:
- WikiHouse NZ Website: http://spacecraft.co.nz/
- TV3 News item: http://www.3news.co.nz/Chch-developers-plan-jigsaw-puzzle-house/tabid/423/articleID/307657/Default.aspx
- http://blog.ted.com/2013/05/23/how-to-print-out-your-own-house/
Supporters:
- http://www.health2000.co.nz/
- http://www.madeonjupiter.com/
- http://www.pfc.co.nz/
- http://www.jnl.co.nz/
- http://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/about-massey/news/article.cfm?mnarticle=fab-lab-wellington-officially-opened-28-08-2012
In this short, sharp episode of Home Style Green, I answer a listener question about insulating the edges of a concrete floor slab, what to do if you can't afford to install solar hot water, thermally broken windows, getting extra insulation in your walls and LED lighting.
Design Navigator is a great, online resource for calculating the thermal performance of your house plan. I spoke with developer, Albrecht Stoecklein about why he created it and a great new feature he's just added.
References
- http://www.designnavigator.co.nz/index.html
- http://www.energywise.govt.nz/resource/design-sun
- http://www.ecotect.co.nz/PDF/eecapsfs.pdf
- http://www.waitakere.govt.nz/abtcit/ec/bldsus/pdf/energy/designsun.pdf
Lisa Madarasz was frustrated by not being able to find good products for her home that were going to be good for her family and good for the planet. (Does that sound familiar?)
With so much 'eco' marketing out there, how can you tell what's truly green?
To help, Lisa created Ecodeals.co.nz
links:
- http://www.ecodeals.co.nz
- https://www.facebook.com/ecodeals
- http://www.environmentalchoice.org.nz/
- http://www.unpackit.org.nz/
- http://greenideas.co.nz/products-page/subscription/new-subscription/
What's a "Building Whisperer"?
David Bartlett leads the IBM’s Smarter Buildings initiative, helping clients create more green, cost-efficient cities, campuses, corporate offices, commercial sites, casinos, hospitals and neighborhoods worldwide. As IBM’s “Building Whisperer,” he is a vocal advocate at industry events and in media for using data analysis to better control buildings’ function and tame wasteful energy practices.
Links mentioned in today's show:
- Find more interesting people on Twitter with Vtricity: https://soapbox.vtricity.com/
- Biomimicry by Janine M. Benyus (Amazon Affiliate link): http://amzn.to/16lXaoY
- Dave's book recommendation, Abundance: The Future is Better Than You Think (Amazon Affiliate link): http://amzn.to/10KjD0d
- Follow David on his own blog at: http://asmarterplanet.com/blog/2012/10/meet-david-bartlett.html
ZETA Design + Build produce modular buildings inside a factory. I spoke with CEO, Howard Koenig this week to talk about why anyone would want a factory built home. Turns out there are some very compelling reasons. Listen in to find out more.
Useful links:
- http://www.zetabuilt.com/
- Michelle Kaufmann PreFab Green: http://amzn.to/12HYjJq
- http://www.ccanz.org.nz/news-ccanz.aspx?id=210
- http://earthship.co.nz/events/
- http://www.buildexpo.com.au/
I've just come back from three days at buildnz designex. This week I report back on some of the highlights from the show and some great new products to look out for.
Plus, a question about reducing VOCs and toxicity in a new home:
- Don't be fooled by the name 'eco..'
- Look for known, third party verification like ISO 14001, Environment Choice or FSC and looked for reporte figures on VOCs
- Use Envirospec
- Ask your designer, supplier and builder, to specify, supply and use low VOC and non-formaldehyde products
Links from the show:
- http://homestylegreen.com/buildnz-designex/
- http://www.gelighting.com/LightingWeb/apac/
- http://buildnz.com/buildnz.htm
- http://homestylegreen.com/insulated-concrete-floor/
- http://www.lifemark.co.nz/home.aspx
- http://www.splashmonitoring.com/
- http://www.fibaro.com/nz
- http://www.resene.co.nz/
Aridon is a brand new product to keep your house warmer, dryer and to help build it quicker. And it's a Kiwi invention.
Sound too good to be true?
I spoke with creators and owners of the company, Christina Gomes and Stephen Pinkney.
For more information check out: www.aridon.co.nz
You can also check out Aridon, and me this weekend at BuildNZ | Designex: http://buildnz.com/
http://buildnz.com/certifiedbuilders.htm
Christina and Stephen's recommendations:
- Grand Designs: http://amzn.to/1as4VPn
- Every%20Bastard%20Says%20No" target="_blank">Every Bastard Says No: The 42 Below Story
Vector is the electricity distribution, or the 'lines' company for Auckland. Vector is not an electricity generator (in the traditional sense). Nor are they a retailer (in the traditional sense). So why are they now selling solar oiwer systems for homes that generate electricity? I spoke with CEO Simon Mackenzie to find out.
For more information about their system, check out http://vector.co.nz/solar
The New Zealand Building Code is implementation of the Building Act 2004. It's a 'performanced-based' code, but don't let the name fool you. In this epside I discuss why the Building Code can't be relied upon to produce a good home for you, and what you can do about it.
Useful Link:
EECA Report Investigatin quality of insulation in new build residential homes:http://www.eeca.govt.nz/node/11719
Home Style Green is here to help people build homes that are good for people and good for the planet.
In episode 30, I spoke with Elrond Burrell and asked if Passive House was really relevant to New Zealand. This sparked some great debate and I subsequently caught up with New Zealand based Passive House designer, Jon Iliffe of eHaus.
eHaus is New Zealand's first building company solely dedicated to building homes to the Passive House Standards.
Among other things, Jon discusses:
- How Germany is managing to decrease energy consumption while growing their GDP.
- What was good about 1920s houses and are they still good?
- How can you justify the cost of building better?
Related Posts:
- Is Passivhaus Relevant to New Zealand
References:
- eHaus: http://www.ehaus.co.nz/
- Jon's book recommendation: Insanely Simple, by Ken Segall (Get the Kindle version for only $9.99)
- IPHA: http://passivehouse-international.org/
- PHINZ: http://phinz.org.nz/
- Homestar Training: NZGBC Education Calendar
What would you do if you had 6 months to go away and study whatever you wanted?
Phil McLean is a secondary school teacher who's passionate about design. He was given the challenge to go and find a topic that would put in the shoes of a beginner learner.
The result is a fresh perspective on solutions for our building industry. Phil's made his outputs freely available, including a Google Map of the most innovative houses in New Zealand, plus a SketchUp model of his 'Stretch and Grow' concept.
Links:
- Phil McLean: smarterhousingforabetterworld@gmail.com
- Innovative Housing Projects NZ: http://bit.ly/Za0AOn
- Phil's Design Process and 'Stretch and Grow' House: http://bit.ly/13E5G1r
Other Resources:
- Tiny Houses on DesignBoom.com: http://www.designboom.com/contemporary/tiny_houses.html
- SIPS manufacturer, KnightBuilt: http://www.knightbuilt.co.nz/
- Tiny House Floor Plans (from Amazon): http://amzn.to/11UgoXd
Prefab, (short for prefabrication), offers significant advantages to buidling. House can be:
- Higher quality, with improved finishing and attention to detail without deterioration from being exposed to the elements
- Produced quickly, being assembled in a matter of days or even hours
- Very resource efficient, producing little construction waste (a big environmental problem for the sector)
- Affordable!
So why are we not doing more of it?
Bell has lead PrefabNZ since it was conceived and then incorporated directly as a result of her research as part of a Masters in Architecture. She's arguably New Zealand's most expert voice in the industry and is motivated to share the many benefits and some of the challenges of prefab.
Links:
- http://www.kiwiprefab.co.nz/
- http://www.prefabnz.com/
- http://www.homeinnovation.co.nz/
Pam's Book recommendations:
- Massive Change, by Bruce Mau: http://amzn.to/1285lEt
- Refabricating Architecture, by Stephen Kieran and James Timberlake: http://amzn.to/ZXlGL0
Jonny Parker is a Homestar Homecoach, a home assessor at Home&Dry, and also runs Attic Island in Wellington.
Listen in to find out what Attic Island is and how it can help ensure insulation stays effective, while providing much more usable space if your attic.
http://www.atticisland.co.nz
In this week's show, I also mention:
- Great comments and discussion happening both on homestylegreen.com:
http://homestylegreen.com/what-is-the-best-form-of-heating/
and also over at Ecobob.co.nz:
http://www.ecobob.co.nz/Forum/ForumPosts/13187/Re-Is-Passivhaus-Relevant-to-New-Zealand.aspx?ShowForumPostId=13207#ForumPost13207
-
Want to buy Ingo's house? Ingo Ratsdorf, who we interview in episode 19 is putting his passive solar house on the market. Let me know if you're interested and I can put you in touch. http://homestylegreen.com/passive-solar-house-riverhead/
-
Big thanks for Thomas van Raamsdonk and Pro Clima for hosting an extremely informative workshop on WUFI and house ventilation this week. I hope to bring you more about this in the coming weeks. In the meantime, check out http://www.wufi-pro.com/
Is it 'Passive House' or 'Passivhaus'? That was one question I put to expat Kiwi, and architect Elrond Burrell. The main question though, is Passivhaus even relevant to New Zealand?
Elrond currently works as an Architect in the Herefordshire branch of Architype: http://www.architype.co.uk/
In this episode, we also cover:
- What is Passive House?
- How can designers and builders of high performance homes compete with the mass market?
- How important is indoor-outdoor flow and can you still achieve Passivhaus with it?
- Can Passivhaus be mass produced?
- What's the role of social media for building professionals?
Resources:
- The Whole House Book: http://amzn.to/16gXqdG (Amazon Affiliate Link)
- Brute Force Collaborative: http://www.bruteforcecollaborative.com/
Hot water is the second largest portion of energy use in New Zealand homes, accounting for around 30% of the average energy bill, that's equivalent to $650 per year. So what's the best system for your home?
My general advice:
- Do you need a new system? Obviously if you're building new, then you've got a great opportunity. Otherwise, if it's not broken, does it need fixing?
- Two main types, storage vs continuous flow. Storage tends to be better for any more than two people in the house
- Four main fuel types
- Wood
- Sun
- Electricity
-
Gas
-
Larger homes or long thin homes may benefit from more than one system
Resource:
http://www.energywise.govt.nz/products-and-appliances/water-heating
At the Prefab HIVE event a couple of weekends ago, I caught up with Jamie Harrington from Ekokit. I've had the pleasure of assessing some of Jamie's Hybrid Homes in Nelson, which are not only very high performing, they're also aesthetically stunning.
WIth Ekokit, Jamie's team have applied the same sustainable philosophies to a modular, cost effective set of house plans.
Their features include:
- Modular design, allows owners to expand the home inline with family needs
- Non toxic materials
- Douglas fir timber
- Water efficient toilets and showers, including the Methven Kiri Satinjet, which boasts an impressive 8.5 L/min, 3 star WELS rating: http://www.methven.com/nz/range/kiri/satinjet-wall-shower-on-upswept-arm/tech-spec/
- Mohawk premium carpet made from recycled PET bottles: http://www.mohawkflooring.com/flooring-products/carpet/everstrand.aspx
- Laminated timber beam flooring system with poured and exposed concrete flooring
- High efficient LED lighting
- Very high levels on insulation, much higher than building code
- High performance, thermally broken, low-E, argon filled double glazing from APL: http://www.aplnz.co.nz/34/our-brands/thermal-heart
- Quality control during construction
For more information and to contact Jamie, go to http://www.ekokit.co.nz
A few weeks ago now, I got up at 5 am to interview Ben, who lives in Hertfordshire in the UK. Ben has a blog and podcast called HousePlanningHelp.com and he shared with me his motivation, vision and plans for learning to build a good home in the UK.
Listen in to find out what we have in common with people building and renovating houses on the other side of the world. What are some of the biggest issues for housing in the UK and how is it similar or different to NZ? And why should we all be following Wolfgang Feist?
Ben's own very good blog site can be found at: http://www.houseplanninghelp.com
You can also find Ben all over the web:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HousePlanningHelp
- Google+: https://plus.google.com/116757818387809474216/posts
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Houseplanhelp
- Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/houseplanhelp/
- YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/houseplanninghelp
Resources that Ben mentioned
The Sustainable Building Association: http://www.aecb.net/
Professor Wolfgang Feist:
- Passive House page on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passive_house
- Wolfgang Feist on GreenSource: http://greensource.construction.com/people/2011/1102_Dr_Wolfgang_Feist.asp
- Wolfgang Feist on GreenBuildAdvisor.com: http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/musings/conversation-wolfgang-feist
Part 2 of my interviews from the Rebuild and Renovate Christchurch Home Show. This week I catch up again with Bob Burnett. Bob is Homestar trained Architectural Designer who I interviewed about thermal modelling in episode 14.
I also speak with Thomas van Raamsdonk from Pro Clima about airtightness, blower doors and how to seal a three dimensional joint in framing around a window sill, using one piece of tape.
Links:
- http://www.bbarc.com
- http://www.eversunhomes.co.nz
- http://www.proclima.co.nz
- http://vector.co.nz/solar
Last week I had the priviledge to attend some of the sessions at the Green Property Summit, jointly hosted by NZGBC and the Property Council.
A highlight for me was Wade Lange, Director of the Lloyd Ecodistrict in Portland, Oregon.
Later in the week, while in Christchurch, I attended a great lecture by Associate Professor Susan Krumdeik. Aside from being fun to go back to my old University at Canterbury, this was an inspiring lecture, with some great similarities to the vision that has now become a reality in Portland.
The main event in Christchurch was of course, the rebuld and renovate show. This week I report on my interview with Lifemark and Metro Glasstech.
Monique Alfris and her team sell solar powered lights to people in India. She does this through an organisation called Pollinate Energy, which Monique co-founded in 2012.
I was inspired by Monique's story after hearing her presentation at the recent Green Cities conference in Sydney, Australia. I really wanted to ask Monique about why Pollinate Energy was created and to see what learning might be applied to housing in Australia and New Zealand.
Also in this week's show:
- http://www.mysolarquotes.co.nz
- Vector Energy solar pilot, http://vector.co.nz/solar/solar-electricity-system
- http://www.plugin.org.nz
- Auckland Unitary Plan, http://homestylegreen.com/auckland-unitary-plan/
- Rain!
- Upcoming interview with Ben Adam-Smith from http://www.houseplanninghelp.com/
- Rebuild and Renovate Christchurch Home Show, http://www.canterburyhomeshow.co.nz/
- Green Property Summit 2013
Big shout out to JMore36. Thanks very much for your iTunes review! Love it.
Matthew Cutler-Welsh
comments@homestylegreen.com
Sian Taylor trained to be an architect in Cardiff, Wales. When she arrived here in New Zealand, like many others who have experienced homes in colder climates, Sian was pretty appalled at the state of New Zealand houses.
Since then Sian has gained experience working in prestigious firms such as Warren and Mahoney Architects and joined Queenstown firm, Green Being in March 2012. Sian has been heavily involved in a number of Passive House projects in and around Queenstown.
Demand for high performing homes has grown rapidly and now Sian and her own team of dedicated architects have formed the specialist practice, Team Green Architects.
At the time of publishing, Team Green is still awaiting their website, but you can find Sian through Green Being. http://greenbeing.co.nz/2013/03/architecture-spreads-its-wings/
In this interview, Sian discusses, among other things, how it's easy to justify spending a bit more up front, on the things that really matter. In some cases, houses they design in Queenstown may require only as little as 10% of the heating cost of a regular (code compliant) house of the same size. This adds up to huge electricity savings right from year 1 of living in the home.
A couple of references from Sian include:
- The Lorax, by Dr Zeuss, Click here for Amazon link.
- Ishmael, by Daniel Quinn, Click here for Amazon link.
Amanda Magnus is the Exhibition Director for Exhibitions & Events New Zealand, and is responsible for organising the inaugural Rebuild and Renovate Christchurch Home Show. http://www.canterburyhomeshow.co.nz/index.htm
The show, which is on from Friday 22nd - Sunday 24th March at CBS Canterbury Arena, is a response to huge demand in Christchurch for information about building a home.
I spoke with Amanda about why there's room in the exhibition calendar for another show in Canterbury and how you, as someone interested in building, can get the most out of the show, including how to get a great discount on the entry!
Also in this week's show:
Check out Ben Adam-Smith's site: http://www.houseplanninghelp.com/
Ben and I compared notes recently about eco-building and also podcasting. I look forward to bring you an interview with him soon. (Thanks also Ben for mentioned Home Style Green on your show!)
James Schramko: http://www.superfastbusiness.com/
Anyone interested in online business and marketing probably knows James already. And if you don't check him out online. He's not hard to find. I tune in to James for tips on podcasting and all things internet and really appreciate the advice on using https://auphonic.com/.
What do you think of the sound quality of this show? Write and let me know: comments@homestylegreen.com
Breathe - The new urban village project
Awesome event with Kevin McCloud as one of the judges. I was privileged to be at the announcement of the four finalists last week with Mayor Bob Parker and Minister for Building and Construction, Hon Maurice Williamson. Check out all the entries here: http://www.futurechristchurch.co.nz/breathe
Green Cities I'm looking forward to reporting back on the latest from Sydney, where I've got a small speaking slot! http://greencities.org.au/
As always, I'd love to get your comments, questions and feedback:
Contact me on, comments@homestylegreen.com
https://www.facebook.com/HomeStyleGreen
I'm a sustainable homes expert and I want to create healthy, efficient homes that don't cost the Earth.
This week, I answer a couple of listener questions about the cost effectiveness and red tape associated with building green.
Following up on last week, I also discuss if concrete slab edge insulation is important in a hot climate for keeping cool.
Upcoming events mentioned in the show:
- HIVE Prefab open day: It's free! http://www.prefabnz.com/Events/Upcoming-Events/HIVE_2013/
- Green Property Summit, from the New Zealand Green Building Council and the Property Council of New Zealand http://www.greenpropertysummit.org.nz/
- Breathe New Urban Village Project, with my hero Kevin McLoud http://www.futurechristchurch.co.nz/breathe
You can find me at:
- http://homestylegreen.com/
- nz.linkedin.com/pub/matthew-cutler-welsh/16/789/6b6/
- http://www.youtube.com/homestylegreen
- https://www.facebook.com/HomeStyleGreen
Thanks to James Schramko over at Superfastbusiness.com for recommending Auphonic. I've tried it out this week with this episode. Can you tell the difference?
Why should you insulate the edges of your concrete slab?
I was amazed when I discovered how much of the heat loss from a concrete floor can occur out the side of the slab, as opposed to down into the ground under the slab.
It's as much as 80%.
That means that most of the heat loss (the energy that you're paying for) goes straight out through the narrow bit of exposed concrete around the edge at the base of the house.
Why is this so? Well there are two main reasons and I go into a bit of detail on the blog. Check out http://homestylegreen.com/insulated-concrete-floor
In this podcast we talk solutions. I interview Craig Lonsdale, a Quantity Surveyor with Maxraft.
Maxraft is a great solution for insulating the whole of a concrete floor, not just underneath.
http://maxr.co.nz/
Other resources include BRANZ: http://www.branz.co.nz/cms_display.php?sn=123&st=1. Check out their Bulletin number 552 'Edge insulation of concrete floor slabs'.
Please take two minutes to give the show a rating over in iTunes. I'd also love it if you could write a quite review: https://itunes.apple.com/nz/podcast/home-style-green/id513213105
For comments and questions, write to me: comments@homestylegreen.com
Cheers,
Matthew Cutler-Welsh
Ingo Ratsdorf is a registered architect with Babbage Consultants based in Auckland.
Having grown up and been trained in Germany, Ingo is very aware of how poorly most New Zealand homes stack up against international standards.
When Ingo and his family were hunting for their dream renovation project, they were continually overwhelmed with the size of the job they saw. It seemed each house they looked at would need far too much work to bring up to a level of quality and comfort that would satisfy them.
And so it was that they ultimately realised they would have to build from scratch.
Listen in to our conversation as Ingo explains the inspiration and challenges of building and completing (almost) their dream in Riverhead.
He shares some sound advice for anyone looking at start a building project.
This podcast is best accompanied by a great slideshow of the build available here on slideshare:
http://www.slideshare.net/IngoRatsdorf/riverhead-passive-solar-design-house
I hope this finished product will be an inspiration for your project!
The inspiring book Ingo referred to and which I also highly recommend for anyone interested in design, 'Cradle to Cradle' can be found here: http://amzn.to/VVbBBr
How do you build a code 4 house for the price of code 3? And how do you get industry to solve the problem themselves?
Richard Buchanan is an Associate Director at BRE and Founder of Green Building Consultancy Ltd. I met Richard recently inside a LinkedIn group during a discussion about housing affordability.
It turns out that while we're all looking around for policy solutions and government intervention here in New Zealand, the UK building industry has already figured out how to build better homes, for less. And they did it by collaborating together.
Richard explains what a Code 3 and a Code 4 home is and describes the aimc4.com project that successfully helped the industry produce more efficient and healthier homes, without any additional upfront cost.
Some links that Richard mentions in this episode include:
- Building Research Establishment: http://www.bre.co.uk
- AimC4: http://www.aimc4.com
- Lean Construction Institute: http://www.leanconstruction.org
- CALIBRE, for construction performance measurement: http://www.bre.co.uk/page.jsp?id=360
One of the most common questions I get asked is "what's the best form of heating?" Much to the frustration of most people, I usually answer "it depends…" The best type of heater for you and your home does depend on many factors, however there are some guiding principles that apply to all cases. 1. The most sustainable form of heating is passive 2. The second most sustainable form of heating is wood 3. Heat pumps (split-system, reverse-cycle air conditioners) are single room heaters 4. Homes with solid fuel burners are generally warmer than those with electric heating 5. Your roof won't heat your home 6. Water is much better at moving heat around then air it 7. Insulation is always the first step 8. Insulation is not heating
Useful links: CCANZ design guide: http://www.ccanz.org.nz/files/documents/37289bcd-8dbb-4ee3-9150-e36b07173791/DCH_Book_WEB.pdf Otago Univserity study on heating potential of home ventilation systems: http://www.energywise.govt.nz/node/12364
Throwing food scraps away is something that most of us do, because it's convenient.
But there are so many reasons why throwing nutrients away is a bad idea. So what are the best ways to make it easy and effective to compost at home?
In this episode I also mention:
- The Auckland Home Show
- Green Architects Lounge
- Bokashi (my favourite supplier of Bokashi is: http://www.zingbokashi.co.nz)
Eion Scott is an Eco Design Advisor with the Auckland Council. Eco Design Advisors around the country offer free, in home, independent advice on how to improve the warmth, health and comfort of your home.
For more information go to the Eco Design Advisor website.
An architectural designer sits somewhere between a draughter and an architect.
Bob Burnett is an experienced architectural designer in Christchurch and he explained to me some of the reasons why it's a good idea to consult with a designer if you're planning a new build or a renovation.
Bob is also an experienced energy modeller using ArchiCAD's Eco Designer and he shares a great story about how he saved a client by redesigning their roof.
Bob's website is at: http://www.bbarc.com
In this show we also mention:
- Architectural Designers New Zealand; http://www.adnz.org.nz
- New Zealand Institute of Architects; http://www.nzia.co.nz
- Homestar; http://homestar.org.nz
Remember, you can contact me at comments@homestylegreen.com
About 10% of New Zealand homes invest in some form of retrofitted ventilation system. But do you really need one, and if so, what for?
In this cast I talk about how to tell if your house is leaky or air-tight depending on it's age, two basic types of ventilation systems and the common symptoms that cause people to want to install a ventilation system.
Steps to take when considering ventilation are:
- What's your problem?
- What's your house type?
- Insulation
- Draughts
- Adequate heating
- Extraction of moisture at the source
- Whole-house ventilation
To get independent advice, talk to a Homestar Practitioner: http://homestar.org.nz/services
Also, check out two of my other favourite podcasts:
- Tim Reid at Small Business Big Marketing
-
http://smallbusinessbigmarketing.com/
-
Natalie Cutler-Welsh and Jacqui Lockington at If Only They'd Told Me
- http://www.ifonlytheytoldme.com/
Would you like to be part of Home Style Green?
Contact me: comments@homestylegreen.com
Part 2 of our wrap of the NZGBC event in June.
This week, Verney and I discuss LED lighting, ventilation, 3D thermal modelling in CAD, construction waste management and other highlights from the Master Class day that followed on from the NZGBC Sustainable Housing Summit.
Selected pdfs of some presentations are available on the NZGBC website.
The inaugural Sustainable Housing Summit, hosted by the New Zealand Green Building Council, took place at the Auckland Viaduct Events Centre on June 27th 2012.
It was a great event with over 120 attendees, a very promising sign for similar events in the future.
I caught up with Verney Ryan via Skype to discuss the highlights.
For more information, check out NZGBC where you can now find pdf downloads of most of the presentations.
Some of the people and organisations we discussed during this cast include:
- Homestar
- NZGBC
- Warwick Quinn, CEO of Registered Master Builders
- Bill Dunster, Zedfactory
- Arup
- Nick Collins, Beacon Pathway
- Hobsonville Point
- Adam Beck, Green Building Council of Australia
- Tim Horton, South Australian Integrated Design Commission and www.5000plus.net.au
- Alistair Helm, realestate.co.nz
- Stonewood Homes
- Zero Energy House
I was lucky enough to first meet Carlin Archer in Chrstchurch a few years ago.
Carlin was interested in building an 'ecohome', but didn't know the first thing about building houses. He did know a lot about building websites thought. So he and his brother sat down and reated Ecobob.co.nz
Barb Cooper is a real estate agent with a difference.
In this interview, Barb shares some of the strategies she uses to build her network and how she's involved in the local community. It's refreshing to hear from someone who loves what they do. Barb shares her passion and her belief in the role that the real estate industry can play in improving the environment.
Barb can be found at: http://www.downtoearthre.co.nz/
Barb also mentions:
- Homecoaches: http://homestar.org.nz/assessment-types/homecoach-assessed
- Ecobrokers: http://www.downtoearthre.co.nz/contact/what-is-ecobroker/
- Johann Bernhardt: http://www.ecoprojects.co.nz/Site/About/Default.aspx
It was my pleasure to interview Verney Ryan this week. Verney has been influential in the field of sustainable building and design bother here in New Zealand and overseas. Listen in to see how Verney describes his 'job'.
Links mentioned in this cast include:
BRE: http://www.bre.co.uk/
Beacon NOW homes
http://www.beaconpathway.co.nz/new-homes
Homestar
http://homestar.org.nz
Last week, an evaluation report on the Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart Programme, was released. It makes for some interesting reading, including a cost benefit analysis of the programme.
Check out http://www.healthyhousing.org.nz for more details
Other news to check out:
News real now online at http://www.homestylegreen.com
NZGBC Sustainable Housing Summit. Be there!
http://www.nzgbc.org.nz
Keynote speaker is Bill Dunster from ZEDfactory
Also, check out the most exciting roof in New Zealand and the flash new website of the Zero Energy House: http://www.zeroenergyhouse.co.nz
This week I caught up with Alex Reiche for the very first Home Style Green expert interview.
Alex Reiche is the Founder and Managing Director of EnviroSpec, an online register of 'Eco-Preferred' products.
Check out EnviroSpec's interacitve house to find the best products for your building project.
Alex is also an accredited Homestar and Green Star professional and offers design and certification advice for residential and commercial buildings.
In today's cast, I complete our introduction to heating systems with a look at central heating.
Common to all central heating systems are three main components:
-
The fuel
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The engine or heater
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The distribution system - pipes, ducts and outlets
There are two main mediums for transfering heat. Air is common with gas-fired heaters and large ducts but is not as effective as water based systems.
Air ducts can lose up to 1 degree per m of duct.
Heating that is not true central heating includes inslab or undertile electric element heating, heat transfer and ventilation system.
After insulation, heating is the next thing most people look at when improving the comfort and warmth of their home.
In this episode of Home Style Green, I discuss room heaters:
- Standared electric heating: electric fan heaters, bar radiators, oil column, wall panel etc
- Gas unflued heating: And why you should never use it!
- Flued gas heating
- Heat pumps or reverse cycle air conditioning
In the episode I refer to the 'carnot cycle'. This is the awesome thermodynamic principle behind air conditioning and refrigeration. Refer again to our trusty Wikipedia for a good article about the detailed physics:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnot_cycle
Of course the best form of heating is free from the sun. But making the most of passive solar heating is a design challenge and there's usually not a lot that can be done to improve this once a house is built.
So if you're trying to heat an existing, cold home, what's the best option?
In part 2 of this insulation introduction, I discuss the main types of insulation used for ceilings, floors and wall.
For more information about insulation materials, check out Level.org.nz from BRANZ:
http://www.level.org.nz/fileadmin/downloads/Materials/LevelMInsul.pdf
For more on the properties of wool, including great microscopic imagery, check out:
http://www.biotechlearn.org.nz/focus_stories/wool_innovations/wool_fibre_properties
and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wool_insulation
In this episode of Home Style Green, I discuss the basic physics of insualation. I give an overview of the three main types of heat transfer, that is conduction, convection and radiation. Most bulk insulation products on the market rely almost entirely on reducing conduction.
I discuss what 'R-Value' means and the common materials of household insulation products.
For more information, visit our site at:
http://www.homestylegreen.com
Also, for a more indepth discussion on insulation and 'R-Values', its hard to go past Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R-value_(insulation)
Welcome to Episode 1 of Home Style Green, the podcast about how to live a healthy and happy lifestyle without it costing the Earth.
I'm Matthew Cutler-Welsh: Engineer, Dad, Homeowner and someone who's passionate about making urban environments more sustainable.
This is my first podcast and my objective is to share ideas about building green homes, with style.
Links in today's cast include:
- The Home Style Green website: http://homestylegreen.com
- EECA Energywise: http://www.energywise.govt.nz/