http://beacon/index.php en andreab@beaconpathway.co.nz Copyright 2013 2013-03-24T20:50:03+12:00 http://beaconpathway.co.nz/index.php/news/article/high_performance_house_open_in_christchurch/ http://beaconpathway.co.nz/index.php/news/article/high_performance_house_open_in_christchurch/#When:19:50:03Z The High Performance House show home was opened on 12 March 2013 by CERA chief executive Roger Sutton who praised manufacturers for developing innovative solutions in response to housing need in Christchurch.  Mr Sutton suggested that off-site manufactured houses such as the High Performance House could fill a real gap in the Christchurch rebuild. He provided a theoretical example of home owners packing up on Monday, demolition and removal on Tuesday and Wednesday, on Thursday the foundation would be prepared and ready by Monday / Tuesday of the next week for the house to be delivered on site. New Zealand Steel Vice President of Marketing and Sales Scott Fuller agreed that the High Performance House had great potential for Canterbury. “Because of the speed of offsite fabrication in a controlled and secure environment with no weather delays it is ideal for Canterbury rebuilds, as a faster build causes less disruption, allowing people to continue to live in their old homes throughout the construction period. Other accommodation will only be required whilst the site is cleared and the house is delivered and assembled” he said. The High Performance House is constructed with a new system called Warmframe™. Warmframe™ is an innovative new building system which combines steel framing, insulation and windows into a single unit, built off-site and which is much better insulated than Building Code minimums. Claddings and coatings can also be added in the factory.  Developed by industry partners (New Zealand Steel, Frametek-RFS, InsulPro, Fletcher Aluminium and Resene), Warmframe™ technology promises a new generation of prefabricated home - one which not only brings the speed and accuracy benefits of off-site construction but also promises to provide warm, healthy, and energy efficient living with lower running costs. The house has been designed by award winning architect Anne Salmond using her High Performance Houses™ system. The home has other high performing features which will add to its value and low running costs including: photovoltaics for energy generation, solar water heating, wood pellet burner and a rain water tank. The house is now open to visitors Wednesday to Sunday from 12pm to 4pm, or by arrangement outside those hours. For more information, visit www.beaconpathway.co.nz/new-homes/article/what_is_the_High_Performance_House_at_HIVE 2013-03-24T19:50:03+12:00 http://beaconpathway.co.nz/index.php/news/article/eqc_wall_insulation_decision_applauded/ http://beaconpathway.co.nz/index.php/news/article/eqc_wall_insulation_decision_applauded/#When:19:43:09Z Media release 4 March 2013 Including wall insulation in repairs to earthquake-damaged Canterbury homes will have a huge impact on keeping homes warmer and healthier, said Nick Collins, Chief Executive of Beacon Pathway. Beacon has already successfully trialled the advantages of wall insulation, along with other upgrades, through its Build Back Smarter project and it has been a huge success. “The extensive repair and rebuilding required in Christchurch presents an opportunity to include upgrades which will improve a home’s performance - we call this building back smarter,“ said Nick Collins. The Earthquake Commission today (March 4 2013) announced that they would be giving homeowners the opportunity to install insulation in areas exposed during earthquake repairs. “We congratulate EQC on their decision to allow wall insulation to be installed during repairs as home owners will see the benefits immediately, particularly as the weather gets colder,“ Mr Collins said. The first of 10 earthquake-damaged Christchurch homes has been upgraded through the Build Back Smarter project including wall, ceiling and floor insulation, a heat transfer system and double glazing.  This has resulted in a much warmer home for the Huntsbury couple. “Through Build Back Smarter, Helen and David have noticed how much easier it is to heat their home and the impact this has had on their lifestyle. Previously the couple would heat their dining room/main living area with a woodburner and spend as much time as possible in this area. The rest of the house would remain cold,“ said Mr Collins. “Helen used to put on a down jacket to go into the lounge to play her piano. Following the upgrades, David and Helen have noticed warm even temperatures throughout the house, and even some health improvements, particularly in sinus trouble.“ The inclusion of wall insulation to the home added no extra time to the completion deadline and was easier than expected. “The extent of the damage and the desire by builders to undertake work quickly and efficiently, means that wall linings are often removed rather than repaired, creating significant additional opportunity for installing wall insulation,“ Mr Collins said. Over 60 per cent of Canterbury’s homes, Mr Collins said, were built before insulation was mandatory - most of these will have no wall insulation whatsoever. “The greatest opportunity lies in installing wall insulation because it will make the biggest improvement to how the home performs, and is usually both inconvenient and expensive to install. For these reasons, wall insulation is often only undertaken during major renovations - a once-in-30-year event.“ Beacon Pathway is an incorporated society committed to making New Zealand’s homes more resource efficient, healthier to live in and affordable. Christchurch’s Build Back Smarter project is a collaborative effort supported by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority, the Christchurch City Council, Fletcher Building, the Ministry of Science and Innovation and the Christchurch Agency for Energy. Community Energy Action is assessing the homes and undertaking insulation and heating retrofits. For more information about the benefits of wall insulation visit www.beaconpathway.co.nz/existing-homes/article/wall_insulation  For more information on the Huntsbury 2 case study house visit www.beaconpathway.co.nz/existing-homes/article/huntsbury_2   2013-03-24T19:43:09+12:00 http://beaconpathway.co.nz/index.php/news/article/north_american_study_tour_to_focus_on_medium_density/ http://beaconpathway.co.nz/index.php/news/article/north_american_study_tour_to_focus_on_medium_density/#When:23:36:52Z The 2013 study tour of successful medium density developments in North America will take in Victoria BC, Seattle and Portland. These cities showcase successful and sustainable medium density developments,which have led to changes in market demand. New Zealand faces the challenge of delivering more affordable and better housing solutions to meet demand.  Medium density development is part of the solution, but only if it is done well and is appealing to the community. Tour highlights The Living Future conference and trade show in Seattle May 15 - 17.  The International Living Future Institute is hosting its seventh annual conference, Living Future 2013, in downtown Seattle, Washington. Living Future is the forum for leading minds in the green building movement seeking solutions to the most daunting global issues of our time. Out-of-the-ordinary learning and networking formats provide innovative design strategies, cutting-edge technical information, and the inspiration needed to achieve significant progress toward a truly living future.  This year’s educational program theme is “Resilience & Regeneration”. The Living Future conference and trade show tackles the planet’s ecologic, economic and social challenges, and offers solutions addressing these challenges at the building and city scale. Dockside Green Development, Victoria BC. Dockside Green has long been at the forefront of global urban planning. This new-generation, master-planned waterfront community is designed to reflect a more responsible approach to the environment. Aims to set the benchmark as the future of sustainable harbour front communities. Pike Place Market (Seattle) is iconic and also runs the Pike Place Market Preservation and Development Authority (PDA). This has four affordable housing buildings and three market rate buildings located directly within the Pike Place Market. http://pikeplacemarket.org/applications_permits/live_in_the_market. The Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation and Development Authority has developed ID Village Square, the block-long development that includes assisted-living, family housing and childcare above retail space (no incubators), library, community center, health clinic and other services. SCIDPDA’s other housing projects in this historic neighbourhood are in renovated buildings. Croft Place (Seattle) features one, two, three and four bedroom apartment homes.  There is also a community building that contains: laundry facilities, resident technology centre, after school youth development program, and a community room with a kitchenette which is available for use by all residents.    There is also a demonstration solar panel on the roof of the community building.  Built in 2005 with energy conserving windows and extra insulation to keep heating bills low Mount View Heights - an 8 acre former school site, now owned by the Capital Regional Hospital District (Victoria). Following a comprehensive rezoning process, a plan has been developed for the site that addresses three key regional priorities-a ‘Campus of Care’ for seniors, housing for the homeless, and affordable family housing operated and developed by a variety of partners. The overall development will be “green”, incorporating sustainable elements, and all buildings designed to qualify for LEED status. Vantage townhomes are example of some infill density being added within the Town of View Royal, a predominantly residential suburb of Victoria. The first phase of this small mixed-use project is complete and the first development to be an Energy Star qualified home on Vancouver Island. Energy Star qualified homes aim to be at least 20% more energy efficient than standard code construction.   Find out more about the tour itinerary here Proposed itinerary for North American medium density study tour Follow the progress of the tour on Beacon’s Facebook page Beacon Pathway 2013-02-05T23:36:52+12:00 http://beaconpathway.co.nz/index.php/news/article/hear_jeremy_harrall_on_real_people_real_buildings_real_data/ http://beaconpathway.co.nz/index.php/news/article/hear_jeremy_harrall_on_real_people_real_buildings_real_data/#When:21:50:10Z Beacon, together with Hikurangi Foundation and the British Council, have brought Dr Harrall to New Zealand to deliver a programme of events focusing on SEArch’s development solutions: ‘Real people, real buildings, real data’. Jeremy Harrall is the Managing Director of SEArch (Sustainable Ecological Architecture), a RIBA Chartered Architect practice.  SEArch focuses on environmentally responsible architecture with a light touch on the planet, providing low energy living. SEArch designs buildings that are naturally heated, naturally ventilated and have reduced to a minimum, their reliance on fossil fuels. Jeremy will share his experiences and insights on retrofitting and designing high-performance housing and commercial buildings, and discuss how he’s used data to shift the policy debate and public awareness in the UK. The core aim will be to explore how sustainable design can provide the basis for social, environmental and economic benefit, and lead to new enterprise opportunities.   The programme 13 November 10am-12pm Seminar   for housing providers and planners: Influencing change to improve housing Wellington   City Council. For   more information, contact info@hikurangi.org.nz 13 November 6pm-7.00pm Public   lecture: Real people, real buildings, real data Victoria University of Wellington, School of   Architecture, 139 Vivian St, Wellington. For more information, contact the School. 14 November 3pm-5pm Public   lecture: Building community and resilience through sustainable design Clean Tech Centre, Otaki. For more information, contact the Centre. 15 November 12.15pm-1.30pm Public   seminar: Long Sutton development - intent, design, and impact Auckland University, Lecture Theatre   206-220, Arts 1 Building (Entry from Level Two next to Lecture Theatre), 14 Symonds St, Auckland. Book here: http://drjeremyharrall.eventbrite.co.nz/   2012-11-01T21:50:10+12:00 http://beaconpathway.co.nz/index.php/news/article/2012_symposia_presentations_now_online/ http://beaconpathway.co.nz/index.php/news/article/2012_symposia_presentations_now_online/#When:02:00:53Z Presentations from Beacon’s 2012 symposia series in Christchurch, Auckland and Wellington are now available. The symposia series focused on housing challenges in our two biggest cities, Christchurch and Auckland.  Each symposium included a panel discussion on potential elements for a housing action plan for each city, and participants voted on the ideas they liked best.  The outcomes of these discussions are also available and we welcome your feedback and ideas. For more information, visit: 2012 Beacon symposia  2012-10-03T02:00:53+12:00 http://beaconpathway.co.nz/index.php/news/article/beacons_2012_symposia_coming_up/ http://beaconpathway.co.nz/index.php/news/article/beacons_2012_symposia_coming_up/#When:22:12:26Z After a two year gap, Beacon’s symposia series is back, and this year it is focused on New Zealand’s national housing crisis. Our two biggest cities face housing issues that have implications for the whole nation: Christchurch (and Canterbury) faces a post-earthquake repair and rebuild of unprecedented scale: 15-17,000 homes to be demolished; 110,000 homes to be repaired with 15,000 homes needing major repair in excess of $100,000. Auckland needs 10,000 houses every year for the next two decades.  The city’s  400,000 existing homes are poor performers - cold, damp and adding to the population’s health problems The 2012 symposia series will not only share Beacon’s projects and activities in Canterbury and Auckland, but we will hear about other initiatives to address these issues.  Most importantly, the forum will discuss potential solutions for the challenges.   The results of the discussions in Christchurch and Auckland will be taken to the Wellington symposium to focus on potential policy solutions. Beacon hopes to start a conversation between stakeholders from across the sector - from third sector providers, to industry, to local and central government - which will generate housing action plans for both Auckland and Canterbury. For more information, visit: 2012 Beacon symposia      2012-08-09T22:12:26+12:00 http://beaconpathway.co.nz/index.php/news/article/affordable_and_high_performance/ http://beaconpathway.co.nz/index.php/news/article/affordable_and_high_performance/#When:09:56:39Z We’re excited about the results from the New Zealand Housing Foundation’s HomeSmart Home.  With very low energy and water use, and a fantastic healthy environment for the homeowners, it is a great example of affordability over time. The Housing Foundation is a not-for-profit, charitable trust set up to provide affordable housing for low income households.  Built in 2009, the HomeSmart Home amended a standard Housing Foundation design using Beacon’s HomeSmart Home guidelines.  These guidelines have been developed out of our experience in building and monitoring the performance of two new homes, and they aim to ensure a home meets our performance benchmarks, the HSS High Standard of Sustainability®.  The HomeSmart Home’s energy and water efficiency, indoor temperatures and humidity were monitored for a year with a family of 2 adults, 2 children and 2 teenagers living there. The results were exciting.  Simple but effective were improvements to the home’s passive solar design and thermal envelope.  The house was oriented to the north with the garage on the south side and the majority of windows along the northern face.  An overhang shaded living area windows with eaves over the upper storey windows.  High levels of insulation (R4.6 ceiling insulation and R2.6 external wall insulation) were combined with U-PVC framed double glazing.  The family found the house to be very warm in winter and only used the heater when they first moved in with a newborn baby.  Warm winter temperatures in living and bedrooms improved the family’s health. The family reported that no-one had been sick since arriving in the house and they had not needed asthma inhalers. Energy use in the HomeSmart Home was startlingly low coming in at 3980 kWh per year.  Compare this to a recently monitored group builder house in Christchurch where year-round heat pump use resulted in 14,400 kWh per year energy use and you can see what a saving this is.   In part, the great performance was due to the photovoltaic panels which generated 50% of electricity used, but even without this, the home’s design and features made it a very efficient electricity user - after all, not many affordable homes would invest in this level of kit.  A combination of energy efficient appliances, lighting and hot water combined with good passive heating and thermal design significantly reduced the family’s power bills.  The family praised their efficient heat pump hot water system for its contribution to their lower power bills and the warmer home meant minimal heating costs. The house also included a Centameter which enabled the family to keep an eye on their energy use.  Other studies have indicated that energy monitors can reduce energy use by about 10%. Water-wise, the HomeSmart Home also performed well.  Water is metered and paid for separately in Auckland, so using less water had a direct financial benefit for the family.  Water efficient appliances and fittings, a rainwater tank for the garden, and a greywater system, which reused 30% of waste water from bath, shower and laundry, reduced the family’s water use to 117 litres per person per day.  This is considerably less than the average in the Waitakere area of 165 litres per person per day.  Given the low cost for water efficient fittings and the ease of incorporating them into homes, they should be a top priority for affordability. Find out more about the HomeSmart Home 2012-05-22T09:56:39+12:00 http://beaconpathway.co.nz/index.php/news/article/building_back_smarter_in_christchurch/ http://beaconpathway.co.nz/index.php/news/article/building_back_smarter_in_christchurch/#When:23:40:17Z Beacon Pathway Inc’s first demonstration project is underway.  The Build Back Smarter project aims to show that home performance interventions can - and should -  be included in the ‘standard’ repair of earthquake damaged Christchurch homes.  Beacon’s earlier research has shown the benefits of addressing the performance of the whole house (energy, water, indoor environment, materials).  The Waitakere NOW Home and Papakowhai Renovation projects clearly demonstrated improvements in health, well-being, cost savings and efficient resource use.  However, the Papakowhai project in particular also identified that there are critical intervention points at which it is both easier and more cost effective to undertake some interventions.  Wall insulation, for example, is best combined with replacing internal or external cladding. The extensive repair and rebuilding required in Christchurch presents an opportunity to include interventions which will: improve the household’s resilience and ability to meet future challenges reduce ongoing operational costs provide healthier, warmer homes which result in lower health costs and higher productivity reduce demand on centralised electricity and water networks Build Back Smarter wants to develop and demonstrate a robust approach to including home performance interventions into ‘standard’ repairs without slowing down the rebuild process.  Critically, the project is trying to identify the barriers to building back smarter and find a way to address them so that the demonstration can be scaled up and used city-wide.   Ten demonstration homes Ten homes will be selected for performance interventions, focusing on ceiling, floor and wall insulation, double glazing, solar or heat pump hot water, rainwater collection, heating upgrades and a range of energy and water efficiency measures. The upgrades will be individualised, depending on the extent of damage suffered by each home.  Selected homes will be assessed and a plan for the additional interventions developed, in consultation with the homeowners.  The online Homestar™ assessment will be used to rate the home before and after the repairs, adding yet another part of the ‘value case’ for consumers to consider building back smarter. The effectiveness of the repairs will be evaluated by interviews with homeowners, contractors and PMOs after upgrade / repair completion and again after several months.  The process will be both documented with evaluation of its effectiveness from all perspectives (insurers, contractors, Council and homeowners).  Ideally, the demonstration will show that building back smarter is possible and beneficial, and will identify how it can be achieved.   Funding Build Back Smarter has been made possible by funding and support from: EECA Fletcher Building Ministry for Science and Innovation Christchurch City Council Christchurch Agency for Energy 2011-08-24T23:40:17+12:00 http://beaconpathway.co.nz/index.php/news/article/beacon_pathway_now_an_incorporated_society/ http://beaconpathway.co.nz/index.php/news/article/beacon_pathway_now_an_incorporated_society/#When:22:22:30Z Beacon Pathway Ltd has morphed into Beacon Pathway Inc.  And now we’re an Incorporated Society, we’re looking forward to working with our members on new research and projects.   Beacon Pathway Ltd wound up on 30 June 2010 with the completion of its research contract with the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology (FRST).   An end-of-term review by FRST commented on the success of Beacon’s research programme in terms of both research advances and driving change.  However, despite the progress made, the job Beacon Pathway Ltd started is not finished.  Our goal of transforming New Zealand’s costly, inefficient and poorly performing housing stock has not yet been achieved. In recognition of this, two former shareholders in Beacon Pathway Ltd, Waitakere City Council and New Zealand Steel, proposed a successor organisation to build on the success of the original programme and address outstanding issues in home and neighbourhood performance.   Waitakere City Council and New Zealand Steel brought together with other stakeholders to form an Incorporated Society, Beacon Pathway Inc.  The Society’s purpose is to transform New Zealand’s homes and neighbourhoods to be high performing, adaptable, resilient and affordable through a programme of research and transformational projects.   The Society’s programme may include another research contract with FRST.  After Beacon Pathway Ltd’s successful review, Beacon Pathway Inc was invited to submit a proposal for a new FRST-funded research programme. This is currently being considered by FRST.   Membership in Beacon Pathway Inc. brings the opportunity to leverage projects through collaboration, participate in high profile demonstration projects, share research learnings and work with other members across the housing sector.  Beacon Pathway Inc. looks forward to discussing these benefits and developing relationships with any organisations across the residential housing chain which share the Society’s vision of high performing, adaptable, resilient and affordable homes and neighbourhoods.   Find out more   2010-11-17T22:22:30+12:00 http://beaconpathway.co.nz/index.php/news/article/launched_the_neighbourhood_sustainability_framework_and_assessment_kit/ http://beaconpathway.co.nz/index.php/news/article/launched_the_neighbourhood_sustainability_framework_and_assessment_kit/#When:23:37:59Z Beacon’s Neighbourhood team has just launched the culmination of their research: a Neighbourhood Sustainability Framework and Assessment Kit. This provides a framework for people and organisations wanting to improve the sustainability of neighbourhoods that they are planning, retrofitting and managing. It takes into account the environmental, social, behavioural and economic elements of neighbourhoods, and recognises that not only are neighbourhoods dynamic, they reflect the result of multiple decisions made by a range of stakeholders at different times.  The Kit provides the tools to both assess neighbourhoods and to drive conversations on specific aspects of neighbourhood level sustainability in order to inform practical decision making. You will find the Neighbourhood Sustainability Framework and Assessment Kit useful if you are a: developer local authority planner, engineer, policy maker or community developer designer planner neighbourhood manager, for example, with Housing New Zealand Corporation or a housing trust   Download your free copy of the Neighbourhood Sustainability Framework and Assessment Kit here.   The technical reports detailing the development of the NSF and Kit are also available.  Visit the Reports and Presentations - Neighbourhoods page. 2010-06-17T23:37:59+12:00