Build Aotearoa 7: Changing the Window Industry
Home Style Green | Sustainable Design and Building
by Matthew Cutler-Welsh
5d ago
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 […] The post Build Aotearoa 7: Changing the Window Industry appeared first on Home Style Green ..read more
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Build Aotearoa 6: Framology
Home Style Green | Sustainable Design and Building
by Matthew Cutler-Welsh
1w ago
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% – […] The post Build Aotearoa 6: Framology appeared first on Home Style Green ..read more
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Build Aotearoa: Physics
Home Style Green | Sustainable Design and Building
by Matthew Cutler-Welsh
2w ago
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 […] The post Build Aotearoa: Physics appeared first on Home Style Green ..read more
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Build Aotearoa: Quality and Quantity
Home Style Green | Sustainable Design and Building
by Matthew Cutler-Welsh
1M ago
One of the biggest local news stories this week was the news itself. I listened to Tova O’Brien’s take on the announcement of the proposed shutdown of NewHub and what it could mean for journalism in New Zealand. As someone familiar with the relatively close-knit journalism community in this country and as someone who went […] The post Build Aotearoa: Quality and Quantity appeared first on Home Style Green ..read more
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Build Aotearoa: On Safe(ish) Ground
Home Style Green | Sustainable Design and Building
by Matthew Cutler-Welsh
1M ago
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 post Build Aotearoa: On Safe(ish) Ground appeared first on Home Style Green ..read more
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Build Aotearoa 2: Principles and Performance
Home Style Green | Sustainable Design and Building
by Matthew Cutler-Welsh
1M ago
In March 2023, Homestar trainer, Passive House Designer and Certified Passive House owner, Joseph Lyth published a comparison of Homestar v5, Passive House and MBIE’s proposed Building for Climate Change framework. It’s a useful summary of these main three standards. There are other standards and brands out there, but these are the most relevant for […] The post Build Aotearoa 2: Principles and Performance appeared first on Home Style Green ..read more
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274: Doing Windows Well
Home Style Green | Sustainable Design and Building
by Matthew Cutler-Welsh
11M ago
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 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. The post 274: Doing Windows Well appeared first on Home Style Green ..read more
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273: Our Homes Are Getting Smart
Home Style Green | Sustainable Design and Building
by Matthew Cutler-Welsh
11M ago
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, home automation and more. The post 273: Our Homes Are Getting Smart appeared first on Home Style Green ..read more
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272: A Passive House in Taupō
Home Style Green | Sustainable Design and Building
by Matthew Cutler-Welsh
11M ago
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. Kim would like more homes to be fully Passive House, particularly around the central North Island which experiences cold winters. He’s pragmatic about his work though, recognising that many people are only just finding out about Passive House. If he can help educate other ..read more
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271: Renovating to Super Comfort and Health
Home Style Green | Sustainable Design and Building
by Matthew Cutler-Welsh
11M ago
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 suffer 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’. Damien McGill is the Director of Healthy Home Cooperation. The post 271: Renovating to Super Comfort and Health appeared first on Home Style Green ..read more
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