Category: Design
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Build Aotearoa 13: Homestar vs Building Code
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 ChecklistThis is a summary of the basic requirements over and above basic building code…
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Build Aotearoa 6: Framology
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% –…
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270: From Villa to Very Nice House
Richard Houghton now lives in a very good, healthy home. But that wasn’t always the case.
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269: The Style of Sustainability
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…
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265: A New Network of Smart Healthy and Green Living Content
Sabine Schoenberg is co-founder of the Smart Healthy Green Living network, a collection of videos and streamed 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. Sustainability, says…
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261: Casey Curtis
“You could be an architect one day,” was a comment made by an school teacher that has influenced the life of Casey Curtis. Out of necessity, Casey joined a group home builder after completing her deisgn degree in Christchurch. It was 2010 and she felt fortunate to have a job at the time as the…
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257 The Atlas of Comfort
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 ‘the warm side’ of engineering, Germán has long had an interest in energy efficiency. He didn’t expect to be researching human behavior and social science.
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254: The Impact of Interior Design
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…
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249: How to Build a Healthy Home for an Ideal Lifestyle
I’m sure that many lifestyle block owners have days when they feel like a farmer, though they would rarely claim to be one. Similarly, people who design their own home then pick up the hammer, don’t claim to an architect or a builder. Mike Pickering almost did become an Architect. He changed his mind at…
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248: What Does a Passive House have in Common with an F-111?
Scott Stewart used to fly in high performance aircraft. Now he helps designers with the high performance details of Passive House homes.