Welcome
We are an Incorporated Society committed to transforming New Zealand's homes and neighbourhoods. Through research and demonstration projects, we hope to show how to make our homes higher performing (resource-efficient, cheaper to run, healthier to live in), adaptable, resilient and affordable.
New homes
Find out how to design and build new homes that perform better with our new build demonstration projects:
- High Performance House at HIVE
- NZHF HomeSmart Home
- Waitakere NOW Home
- Rotorua NOW Home
Existing homes
Find out how to renovate smarter with our renovation projects:
- Build Back Smarter in Christchurch
- HomeSmart Renovation project
- Papakowhai Renovation project
Neighbourhoods
Find out how to measure and value neighbourhood sustainability in New Zealand.
- Neighbourhood Sustainability Framework
- Valuing neighbourhoods
Being HomeSmart
Look here for research-based advice to improve your home’s performance. We call this being HomeSmart.
Find out more about our benchmarks for a high-performing home, the HSS High Standard of Sustainability®.
Resources
Come here to find:
- Resources for local government
- Resources for central government
- Resources for homeowners
- Videos
- Conference and symposia papers
New on the website
Read the case study of the first Build Back Smarter upgrade, Huntsbury 2.
Wall insulation through most of the house has meant a great result for the homeowners.
The Beacon Blog
Lois Easton says don’t invest in a whole house ventilation system until you’ve fixed the basics…
Read our latest blog at
Early research
Beacon’s original research programme included work on:
- Energy
- Water
- Indoor Environment Quality
- Systems/Materials
- Market Transformation
Quick links
Based on our research and demonstration projects, we have developed resources for homeowners, councils and industry.
- Build Back Smarter checklist and guides - how you can upgrade your home’s performance during earthquake repairs. More
- Retrofitting wall insulation: Benefits and the opportunity earthquake repairs offer Christchurch - A fact bank on why wall insulation works and why it should be included in earthquake repairs. More
- Policy options for sustainable homes: A resource manual for local government - Information and examples to support councils in developing policies and programmes which encourage sustainable building and renovation. More
- Making your home HomeSmart: A homeowner manual - What to watch out for when renovating, and how to get the best performance from your home. More
- Neighbourhood Sustainability Framework and Assessment Kit - The tools to assess the sustainability of both new and existing neighbourhoods. More
- National Value Case for Sustainable Housing - This policy document assesses the value of making sustainable interventions across New Zealand’s housing stock. More
- Forced air ventilation systems - A study of how well these systems work to improve cold damp homes. More
- Unflued gas heater fact bank - Why unflued gas heaters are dangerous for your health and pocket. More