Author: Matthew Cutler-Welsh
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Building a Better New Zealand
It’s been recognised that a ‘successful and innovative’ building industry is very important to New Zealand. Defining and achieving this amidst the backdrop of a Christchurch rebuild and 40% population growth in Auckland, is the subject of the Building a Better New Zealand conference. The Building a Better New Zealand Conference will take place on 3rd –…
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What is Good Home Improvement?
Good home improvement doesn’t have to be just about energy or water efficiency. This is something I struggled with when selecting this year’s DIY project for Dad and me. [portfolio_slideshow] I feel very fortunate to have a Dad who’s a great handyman and ‘fixer’. I’m also grateful for all the time I spent in Dad’s…
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Energy Efficient Homes with Dean Buckeridge
Dean Buckeridge has been designing energy efficient homes for nearly two decades. Along with Russell Devlin, and now also Bob Burnett, I’ve regarded Dean for long time as one of the prominent house designers in Christchurch who has been leading the way in good, solar design. It was a privilege to talk with Dean and…
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Metrapanel
What’s a great way to build a house quickly, with nearly zero waste and at a reasonable price? Prefab of course! And Metrapanel is a prefab solution created and produced right here in New Zealand since 1994. Who is Metrapanel? The original company was started in 1994 by Melissa Savage’s father, Les Wykes. The current…
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Good Homes
We pretty much know what’s in them, but where are all the good homes in New Zealand? And what is it specifically that makes them good? A common response from a survey I posted recently, was that people want to know about other people who have designed and built ‘good homes‘, and how they did…
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Go Green Expo
Who’s going to the Go Green Expo? I just had a quick Skype chat with Operations Manager, Damien Hochberg about why he created the expo and what it’s all about. Unfortunately this means that my blog posts are a bit out of order (I’m yet to write up my interview with Mark R LePage from…
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How to have a warm home and no power bills in Christchurch
Chris McKay and his family were forced to leave their home in Christchurch after the Canterbury earthquakes in 2011. Like many others, they were faced with the task of finding a new home and they chose to start from scratch and to build. Early on the process, they decided they wanted to have a warm…
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Improving Home Performance with Curtains
How important are curtains when it comes to improving the performance of your home? Curtains and Curtain Tracks 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. The alternative to a track…
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Home is Where the Heart is
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. The home is where we are, for 70-90% of the time. Think about that. The average person spends about three quarters of their day, in their house. The…