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Sustainable Buildings

The Ministry for the Environment defines buildings as being 'sustainable' when they are designed, built and operated with low environmental, social and economic impacts (or even have a positive environmental impact) while enhancing the health, welfare and quality of life of the people that live and work in them.

Take a look at the Home Smarts Calculator to see how your home measures up.

Sustainable buildings are sensitive to:

• The environment – local and global.
• Resource, water and energy consumption.
• The quality of the work environment and its impact on occupants.
• Financial impact – cost-effectiveness from a long-term, full financial cost-return point of view.
• Long-term efficiency over the life of the building.

Retrofitting for Sustainability

You don't need to buy a new house for it to be a sustainable building.  There are very simple things you can do to your current home.  This is called retrofitting.  A home was retrofitted in the Rotorua suburb of Fordlands as an example of what could be done.  Scion Research launched the BEACON project which is now being rolled out throughout the country.  Energy Options Ltd was also involved in this project, and can answer frequently asked questions and provide easy solutions.

It really is simple to renovate, and easy to integrate aspects of sustainable building into your home.  Contact a local eco-design advisor if you have one, to help give you FREE advice.  Or alteratively check out the EcoBOB New Zealand Eco Directory for a huge range of products and services.

Further information...

• The New Zealand Government Sustainability Website has great information and links.
• Locally, Lockwood Homes has an eco-house show home on Fairy Springs Road.
• Check out the Right House online.
• Smarter Homes is another New Zealand site that provides advice and ideas.
• Sustainable Households provides loads of advice on sustainable living.
• Retrofitting doesn’t have to cost a fortune either, for those of you who love a project.
• David Holmgren, co-founder of the Permaculture movement, has developed a strong case for the notion of sustainable homes being not just a retrofit of your physical home... it is also about the land your home stands on, and the community it is a part of.  Everything is connected, and your home is where all things come together.
• Find out simple ways to make your home more ecologically and environmentally friendly.
• Find out how to make your home more energy efficient in ten easy steps.
• If you want to do it yourself, chances are the 'how to' is on the net!!  DIY double glazing, DIY solar panels, DIY micro-hydros, to name but a few.

Make a difference...

Like other areas of sustainability, important aspects of having a sustainable home focus on:

• Waste management.
• Food systems (eg, gardening).
• Water conservation.
• Site location and local ecology (working with natural systems).
• Transpor.
• Energy efficiency.

Remember, it’s about trying to incorporate as many of these principles as possible, and support others who are doing the same.

EcoBOB has a great directory of links to New Zealand sustainable living online resources.

Learn more about...

• Well-being
• Waste minimisation
• Sustainable transport
• Water
• Sustainable business
• Sustainable development
• Climate change
• Energy efficiency
• Food systems
• Ecosystems
• Forests
• Wetlands
• Consumer information
• Air quality