Features

Each Build offers in-depth insights into two topics of interest to the building and construction industry.

what clients want

Feature section: What clients want

Build 140

Clients are often unsure about what they want. That's why a good architect or designer helps tease out answers, while the best builders jeep clients informed.

urban design

Feature section: Good, better, best

Build 139

Building Code standards are simply a minimum to build and design to. By aiming higher and considering optimum performance, we could be designing and constructing buildings that are not just good, but the best.

maintenance 135

Feature section: Tale of two cities

Build 139

While Christchurch is starting to rebuild following the destructive earthquakes, Auckland is bulging at the seams with housing demand and prices soaring. Our two biggest cities prose challenges in very different ways.

homes for life

Feature section: Homes for life

Build 138

What could be more sensible than homes that can be adapted to suit the needs of people throughout their lives? Accreditation schemes such as Lifemark and a small but growing trend towards universal design are making this happen.

weathertightness 138

Feature section: Weathertightness

Build 138 , 119 , 110 , 103

The leaky building crisis and its impacts will be with us for years to come. While there are many unanswered questions, there are important principles and basic advice designers and builders should take note of so future disasters are avoided.

Technology

Feature section: Technology

Build 152 , 137 , 131

Technology is bringing rapid changes to the way we work. Drones, robots and 3D printing are just some of the ways disruptive new technologies are impacting on the industry. In the home, the Internet of Things is automating tasks that were previously laboriously manual.

what to use where

Feature section: What to use where

Build 137

Knowing what building material to use in a particular situation is often not straightforward. The Building Code spells out the requirements, but designers and builders need to make sure the products they use are genuine and fit for purpose.

behind the walls

Feature section: Behind the walls

Build 136

The hidden aspects of buildings can often be the problem zones, with lurking contaminated materials and inadequate fire stopping around service penetrations just two examples. However, this is also where some of the best and most critical building work lies.

sustainable design

Feature section: Sustainable design

Build 136 , 100

The shift towards sustainability in the built environment is irrevocable. While two major cities look to benchmark new development against green assessment tools, a stunning regional project aspires to the highest sustainability standards in design and function.

Build145Feature1

Feature section: Commercial buildings

Build 145 , 135 , 125 , 112

Challenges abound for commercial buildings. High energy and water use are issues, and weathertightness has caused plenty of problems. But there are also reasons to celebrate as exciting New Zealand innovations help push timber structures higher.