Superhomes
Sustainable home building
where to start
It would be very difficult if not impossible to find a home to purchase that is already designed and built with your health and sustainability in mind, due to the fact that almost all new homes are built to outdated code minimum standards.
The steps towards your sustainable home can be a bit of a minefield. That’s why the Superhome Movement has outlined how best to plan for your sustainable home.
Bob Burnett Architecture 0800 002 674 bob@bbarc.com www.bbarc.co.nz
Four steps to planning your Superhome •
1 2
Plan early and do your research. Think about site location and the home’s design and orientation to the sun. Be size efficient, and build just what you need. Quality, not quantity.
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Get the right team. Find an architectural designer who is experienced in designing for health, comfort, resilience and low carbon footprint. A good architect or designer will add huge value and save you thousands in running costs. They will help find a builder who is experienced in building better. Beware of greenwash.
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3 4
Invest in the thermal envelope first including airtightness, edge insulated slab, uninterrupted insulation in the walls and ceilings, high performance windows and proper ventilation.
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Be sustainable in your choice of building materials. Think of the generations of people who will live in the home after you are gone and what will happen to the home in 100 to 200 years.
Visit www.superhome.co.nz for more in-depth information on upcoming events, how to engage the best designers, builders, engineers and other industry professionals, as well as where to source the most sustainable building materials.
Proven performance Experts in high performance homes, Passive House and panelised construction ethoshomes.co.nz E: peter@ethoshomes.co.nz www.buildandrenovate.co.nz B&R | 43
