Design Right

Showing results 1-10 of 11

Order by:

Designing better

By Greg Burn 1 June 2020, Build 178

Significant performance improvements can be achieved affordably in houses by designing above the New Zealand Building Code minimum requirements. So, where is a good place to start to improve the liveability of a house?

Read more

10 design tips to reduce costs

By Bruce Sedcole 1 April 2020, Build 177

Building a house is always expensive, but it is often decisions about fixtures and fittings and those little extras that push the budget higher. Designers and architects can help by directing clients to more pennywise choices that don’t affect performance.

Read more

Back to solar design basics

By Bruce Sedcole 1 June 2020, Build 178

Developers subdividing land and owners commissioning new homes have one chance to get the basic solar design principles right. Siting and designing new dwellings can be done cost-effectively and will substantially increase performance over a dwelling’s lifetime.

Read more

Boundary wall fire resistance rating

By John Grant 1 October 2020, Build 180

Controlling fire spread between residential buildings and outbuildings is important for protecting life and property. We recap the requirements and look at an area of confusion – fire rating of windows and doors in walls close to a boundary.

Read more

High costs of poor solar design

By David Hindley 1 December 2020, Build 181

The article Back to solar design basics in Build 178 looked at the principles of designing for the sun in new suburbs and new house construction. In this follow-up article, we look at what is happening in practice and the costs of getting it wrong.

Read more