About Us

What is Beacon?

Beacon Pathway Ltd  is a research consortium that’s working to find affordable, attractive ways to make New Zealand homes more sustainable by changing the design, construction and renovation of New Zealand’s homes and neighbourhoods.

Our vision is:

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We have two aspirational goals to bring about a significant improvement in the sustainability of New Zealand’s homes:

1. To bring the vast majority (90%) of New Zealand homes to a high standard of sustainability by 2012; and

2. That every new subdivision and any redeveloped subdivision or neighbourhood, from 2008 onwards, will be developed with reference to a nationally recognised sustainability framework

We want to inspire smarter living…and believe the home is the place to start

Our houses – how they’re built, what they’re made of, how we use them and how they relate to other houses and facilities in our neighbourhoods, towns and cities – determine how well we treat the Earth. Our homes have a huge impact on the environment with the resources they use and the pollution they contribute from manufacturing materials and operating our homes with power, water, waste and heat.

Most importantly, our homes determine how well we live.  Beacon believes we can all live in homes which perform much better than they currently do: warmer, healthier, cheaper to run and kinder to the environment. And we can all share the benefits – happier, healthier family life.

We use robust science based research in the New Zealand built environment

Beacon aims to encourage and improve New Zealand’s sustainability by researching building technologies, construction industry practices, urban planning, policy and regulation as well as consumer understanding and needs.

We’re committed to increasing knowledge and understanding through research.  To do this we’re working closely with groups who share our goal of better homes for all New Zealanders.

We believe actions speak louder than words

Beacon’s research is not just head knowledge. Our research is trialled in live New Zealand based demonstration projects, to prove it works and can be done affordably here. The NOW Home® and Papakowhai Renovation projects trialled and tested sustainable homes and renovations.  The HomeSmart Renovation project is working with homeowners, landlord and tenants to sustainably renovate New Zealand homes. We then monitor and measure the actual performance of these homes to ensure they meet our research expectations.

We rely on capable partners to put our knowledge and research into action

After our research is tried and tested, our knowledge is then shared with key stakeholders throughout government, infrastructure and industry who partner with us to put the research into practice, and with homeowners, tenants and landlords who can benefit from living in warmer, drier, healthier homes.

Sharing information, experience and resources is not just desirable – it’s the only way we can all start to live more sustainably.

We are supported by established and influential shareholders

Established in May 2004, Beacon Pathway Ltd is a collaborative research consortium of organisations with a considerable stake in the quality of the residential sector - Fletcher Building, New Zealand Steel, Waitakere City Council, BRANZ and Scion.

Shareholder contributions are matched, dollar for dollar, by funding from the Foundation for Research, Science & Technology (FRST).