We all know that sunlight is good for us: it helps us grow, brings us smile and makes us more productive. When it comes to housing, natural light saves us money in lighting and heating. However, with the increasing population and the development of the urban environment, buildings that lack an adequate amount of natural light start to emerge. For instance, some of us may live in apartments where there’s no direct access to sunlight. Or sometimes, as in the case of our property, it might be facing in the wrong direction or receiving shading from the properties surrounding us. Our house falls straight into the second category. As we’re going to carry out an earthquake repair for our home later this year and I’d love to gain more daylight/sunlight into our living room, I thought this would be a good case study for our article. After researching and asking around, with the help of Warren Clarke, the Beach Hut Architecture in Christchurch NZ, we came up with four options to introduce natural light into our home. The solutions listed in this article may be more specific to our house. However, the general principles should still apply to most buildings. Please feel free to chip in and share your thoughts with us. Before we start, it is essential to know the difference between daylight and sunlight. Daylight is the volume of natural light entering the house through windows. It is vital to illuminate your homes. Sunlight is referred to as actual sunshine coming into the house. It has higher radiation and brings in warmth. Too much sunlight is not suitable for any building, as it would overheat the place quickly and it might blind you. Too little sunlight, like in our home, forces us to wear more sweaters at home than when we are outside in winter. Here is the layout of our house, the arrow points to the North, the position of the midday sun for our property. Our house was likely built as a holiday batch once upon a time. As time progressed, other parts were added onto the house. With a new building beside us that is 6 metres high, we do not get a lot of sunlight anymore in winter. In summer the sun is shining from about 7 am until around 12:30 pm into our windows in the living room. The sun then moves above the house. In winter the neighbouring house shades all but our roof until 11 am. From 11 am until 12:30 pm, we do get sunlight in our living room windows. After 12:30 pm, the sun does not move above our house. It moves lower and is shining onto the toilet wall, entrance and through a small window into our laundry space. Here is the roofline of our property, with the arrows pointing towards the lower points in our roof structure. There are four ways to get more light into our living room: change the layout of our house, add windows to gain direct light, find ways to gain light indirectly and construct a potential sunroom. Let’s look into each option more closely. Option 1: Change the layout of the house to gain more sunlight In this option, we would have to make significant changes to our house. In essence, we would need to move the living room to where currently the laundry, toilet and bathroom are. Changing the layout is significant, not just the labour but also the cost. We would need to replace the piping for the bathroom, toilet and laundry; rearrange the electrical to have more plugs better positioned; as well as install a new extractor fan at the new bathroom area. New and more windows would also be required to let in more sunlight, and lastly, the storage cupboards and entry have to be relocated. The cost of this option is the highest of all possible solutions. Adding new windows and having changes to the existing structure of the building will be expensive. Walls also need to be checked to ensure they are not part of the structural wall. In our house, there is also a step down from the space between the toilet to the bathroom. If we decide to raise the lower part, then we will have to change the external wall and roof of the new living area, as it would be too low otherwise, adding further to the cost. The cost estimate for this option is about $50,000.00 at least. Option 2: Gaining light with the current layout To gain direct sunlight with the current layout, we need to add windows or remove what is currently shading ours. Here is the current plan of our house as a reminder. As we cannot make our neighbour’s house vanish, adding windows at our current floor levels would not help us. We need to add windows onto the roof, where we do get sunlight. There are again several options, which we will go through next. Important to note is that using this method we will only be able to achieve our goal partially— roof windows are made to gain light and keep out the heat, in essence, we would gain daylight. This plan would be excellent in summer, though not ideal in winter where we would like to have the extra heat. Furthermore, any roof window installed would lose more heat than our insulated roof. Option 2.1: Installing a light tunnel/solar tube/sun tunnel Light tunnels often have a round cap on top to catch the light from different angles. With various mirrors, daylight is then directed into the house. What in this option that would suit us is that we have above the living/dining/kitchen area a false ceiling and roof cavity. The tunnel would bridge that gap between roof and ceiling without extra work needed to be done. The downside of this option in our case is that light tubes are made for small spaces like walk-in wardrobes or hallways. A large area such as ours would require multiple light tunnels. I think I would also miss not seeing the sky directly, as a light tunnel just reflects the light. Nonetheless— this is an option that would work and be affordable at about $1,000.00 per light tunnel installed. Option 2.2: Install roof windows for natural light. This option for us does mean some additional work would need to be done to bridge the gap of the ceiling to the roof to box the window in and let the light shine into the living room. Regarding visual appeal, I would prefer this option. My personal opinion is that an actual window looks better on the roof than the light tunnel. It would also allow us to see the sky, though we would be blinded by the sun in mid-summer during the hottest hours. The option of the roof windows would also be more costly at about $1,000.00 plus installation. The installation cost can vary around $300-$900 pending on its complexity. If only daylight is desired, then the roof windows should be installed on the Southwest facing roof side. But in our case, as we are also after the sunlight, we would add one on the Northeast facing roof and one on the Northwest facing roof. To prevent overheating in the summer due to these windows, we would choose the roof windows that have blinds included. A different way to organise the roof window is shown in the image below. In changing the roof structure to make it lower above the bathroom, we could install a window than is situated between the bathroom and kitchen area, and angled towards the living room. People like me that are paranoid about potential damage in hail (though all roof windows are tested and approved against it); this might be a better option as a roof overhang protects it. Again, there would be additional costs to change the ceiling, and we would also have a more substantial heat loss through the loss of insulation. The costs for this in our house would be approximately(??) Option 3: Indirect ways to provide natural light Now, let us look at ways to gain sunlight by utilising indirect ways to light up our living room. Option 3.1: Use mirrors outside to reflect light into the inside We tried this method a few winters ago, and the result was far from satisfactory. The mirrors needed to be moved and adjusted as the sun moved; also, the heat was still missing. Though writing about this option reminds me of my dad. He designed and installed a mirror wall opposite his house in his backyard to bring more light inside. I have never seen anything like this before. The mirror wall is about 5000x5000mm in size. Every mirror is about 50x100mm and angled onto the ceilings of different rooms. As my dad is a perfectionist: he connected an electric motor that moves the mirror wall with the sun. The engine calculates the date and time to optimise the captured sunlight and send the daylight onto the chosen spots within the house. The cost for such a design is difficult to estimate, as my dad did a lot of it himself. He is an electrician with curiosity on technology and DIY, and after all, a German. The motor itself that I know, was already about 1,000.00 Euro. Option 3.2: Brighten our room by using a reflective interior room design. Use light colours on walls, furniture and flooring will help light up a room. Light colours reflect light, and dark colours absorb light. Painting the walls slightly darker than the ceiling will give us a new feeling of space and light in a room. For us, most of our walls are painted white, some of our furniture is darker recycled wood that is oiled and reflects a little. The carpet will get removed, and an oiled exposed timber floor will reflect better than our current rug. But this alone will not help us in letting enough light into the room. Option 3.3: Introducing internal windows to share the light. Adding internal windows is another way to get indirect light. Casa Batllo, one of the famous Gaudi designed buildings in Spain, makes extensive use of interior windows to distribute nature light around the house. In our case, this means renovating the entry/laundry area with more roof or wall windows, then bring the light over to our living room. It could be achieved by installing additional windows onto internal walls between our entry area and the kitchen. Unfortunately, this would not be a workable option for us, as our bathroom sits right behind the kitchen wall. Option 4: Sunbathing in the potential sunroom Except for the option of changing the layout of our house, something is missing. All of those options lack a critical ingredient that we would also like to have—heat from the sun. The heat gain will only be small with roof windows/light tunnels or indirect light. How can we get a higher heat gain throughout the year? What about a potential sunroom? On the Northeast side of our living room beside the driveway is a large sliding door with a concrete slab and tiles on top of it. This area on the side of the house is small at about 1000mm wide and 8000mm long. We could potentially build a sunroom with windows on top of that. This area does get sun even in winter for longer than our current windows of the living room. Enclosing this area with glass would make it act as an indirect heater. The concrete slab and tiles are very good at absorbing heat. The heat can then be released once the temperature of the air cools below the temperature in the concrete slab and tiles. Our slab is uninsulated at present, but having a glasshouse would still be a heat gain. The glasshouse could be utilised as a greenhouse, and the heat that it maintained could be transferred into the living room. The estimated cost for a conservatory is between $30,000-$40,000. Conclusion Natural light is essential to our health, physically and mentally. We do perform better and are happier in places that have an adequate amount of natural light. In this article, together with Warren, we use our house renovation planning as a case study to explore ways to bring more natural light into a house. These options include but are not limited to Change the layout of the house Install roof windows/light tunnels Create and share light indirectly Construct a sunroom If you would like to share your ideas and add more solutions to our list, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us. To contact Warren, you could email him at warren.clarke.nz@gmail.com To contact me, you could email me at info@circularproject.co.nz We also want to thank Velux for their contribution. To find out more about Velux, head to www.velux.co.nz

( Photo: A cohousing projects in Zurich) Cities have been incredibly important to our economic development and made the distribution of resources, such as drinking water, much simpler and more economical. However, urban habitation also brings several challenges. For instance, the rising property values have made it nearly impossible for many young people to get onto the property ladder. Another growing concern is how urbanisation might affect our mental health status. Loneliness is sadly a fact of life for many urban indwellers. A solution to this might be co-housing. Co-housing is when multiple people come together and live on a larger piece of land together. While so far, it might sound similar to apartments, there is a crucial difference: common spaces. Common spaces are areas intentionally designed to foster social relationships for residents with each other. Here, we will explore the topic of co-housing together with a specialist in the field, Greer O’Donnell from Urban Strategist. We will look at the challenges and benefits of co-housing as well as explore why it is growing in NZ. The history of co-housing The history of co-housing began in Denmark in 1964 (1). The idea was to build a more supportive living environment in the outskirts of Copenhagen (1). ‘Supportive’ means helping families with their potential challenges: social isolation. To achieve this goal, architects created shared spaces for the residents, such as vegetable gardens, playgrounds and most of all, a community building. This community building is often used as a library or a function room for music or workshops. A key aspect of utilising this community building is to share meals, in some communities three times per week. Co-housing groups tend to be likeminded people. It can be people that want to have inclusive lifestyles, people with a fear of loneliness, people that share a common interest in a particular sport and many other possibilities. Though this doesn't mean everyone will turn into your best friend, what it does mean is you will be able to share things you enjoy doing with similar-minded people. Loneliness in an urban setting My wife and I were transferred to the UK just before the birth of our son. We completely underestimated how the social aspects of life change once you have a child. And we were lucky that there were a lot of young parents and baby groups in our neighbourhood, which allowed us to feel connected and supported during the early stage of parenthood. Studies have shown that in the US and UK cities, only a third or less of the people know the name of their direct neighbours (3,4). And in urban Australia, one person only knows, on average, 5.7 people in his/her local area (5). We can assume that for many people in NZ cities, the number will be similar. Life has its’ challenges. High-stress works, troublesome relationships or uncertain future; all of them can make us feel trapped or helpless. And we have to deal with the problems on our own. Without social connection, it would feel even harder to go through those hurdles. A 50-year study that was published in the American Journal of Public Health stated that there’s a clear correlation of social connectedness and how long we live (6). The social connectedness here does not mean a virtual relationship, but about the close connection people formed within their community. Interestingly, after 30 years of the study period, researchers indicate, when people had less connection with the community due to some social changes, their health deteriorated. Especially in men under 65 years of age, the experiences of heart attacks rose sharply (6). What are the benefits of Co-housing? It is better for our mental well-being. Co-housing is thought of being able to create communities, better families and community values (2); which help us deal with life and its challenges. It forms a social network that is built by people spending time with each other and sharing time, ideas and emotions with others. Sharing our feelings, positive or negative with others has been found to be able to help make us feel better and be healthier (7,8). On top of that, sharing our emotions will also create meaningful relationships with others (8). Meaningful relationships help us feel connected and less lonely. People in close-knit communities will look after each other and check to ensure the other is well. The big hope is that we all find friends to live with, share ourselves and our hobbies. And most of all, the opportunity that co-housing brings is that we would all live longer and better. It is better for our finances. Co-housing also has economic benefits. For starters, people are more able to afford to get onto the property ladder. Globally, a co-housing unit tends to be more affordable than buying in the open market. In co-housing projects, often several resources are shared: books, music instruments, cars and tools. The sharing activity means that everyone can have access to a wide variety of material things without the need for a lot of space or capital to buy it. Our imagination only limits ways of sharing in co-housing communities: a community gym, washing machines and gardening tools are all ways to save the individual money and make better use of our resources. A good example would be, parents could take turns to look after all children within the community, giving every other parent a well-deserved break. It is better for our environment. Sharing resources means less raw materials need to be mined; car-sharing will save CO2 emissions; one extensive garden is still often smaller than 20 small ones. A smaller land area is making the distribution of services like water and electricity easier and more efficient. Many current co-housing communities are closely tied to the green building and living movement. But conventional building techniques are just as suitable for co-housing. While not as environmentally friendly, there is still an environmental benefit to them in co-housing communities, as the floor areas tend to be smaller. What are the challenges of co-housing? As with many clubs, everyone has to contribute to making it work. But similar to clubs there tend to be a few significant contributors and a few that only show up when there is a party. Creating plans to involve all people to sustain a beautiful and healthy community is vital in the success of a co-housing community. People live in co-housing for different reasons, such as to do good for the environment, to escape the system or to avoid social isolation. Various reasons can bring tensions between residents. As in most groups, there will likely be a requirement for community leaders to arrange the group for different tasks: gardening roster, community cooking or cleaning roster and organising the community finance etc. While this could be seen as additional work, we believe that it would save you time. It would take more of your time to do similar tasks just for yourself and your direct family. What do we need to do to enable people wanting to live in a co-housing community? Our society should be better educated on the science regarding co-housing and its benefits. It would ensure everyone can make an informed decision that works for them. Currently, when we hear co-housing, we often think of a couple of extreme greenies that want to get out of our economic and societal system. Better education will likely spark a curiosity to find out more and see that co-housing is a very viable option for you and me. Fundings for co-housing projects should be more accessible. Currently, Kiwisaver, for example, is only at a later stage accessible, which means it cannot be used during the planning and design processes of a co-housing project. Resources about potential co-housing communities could be more known. Websites like www.cohousing.org.nz have existed for a while. And now, there are other platforms that support and promote co-housing and other forms of community-focused housing, for example, www.alternativedevelopment.org.nz is one of them. People interested in co-housing can check there for opportunities and get in touch with the relevant parties. Conclusion Urbanisation brought us many things, turning us into lonely city wolves is, unfortunately, one of them. Forming or living in a co-housing community could be one of the solutions to this. On top of helping people feel more connected, co-housing also benefits people financially and assists in protecting the environment. Together with Greer, we explored ways to enable people to live in a co-housing community. Hopefully, with better co-housing education and more accessible co-housing funding available, more and more people would love to join the co-housing community in NZ. If you are keen on finding out more about Co-housing, check out The Urban Advisory here: https://www.theurbanadvisory.com/?ref=mail Sources Canadian Cohousing Network, ‘The History of Cohousing’; Author: Danny Milman; ca. 1994; https://www.cohousing.ca/about-cohousing/history-of-cohousing/ Lucy Sargisson. ‘Second-Wave Cohousing: A Modern Utopia?’ Utopian Studies, vol. 23, no. 1, 2012, pp. 28–56. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/10.5325/utopianstudies.23.1.0028. Accessed 1 Mar. 2020 Independent; ‘More than half of Britons describe their neighbours as 'strangers'’; Author: Emma Elsworthy; 29.05.2018; https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/britons-neighbours-strangers-uk-community-a8373761.html The Cut; ‘A Third of Americans Have Never Met Their Neighbours’; Author: Melissa Dahl; 24.08.2015; https://www.thecut.com/2015/08/third-of-americans-dont-know-their-neighbors.html News.com.au; ‘Australians don’t know our neighbors anymore’; Author: Kate Calacouras; 25.10.2014; https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/relationships/family-friends/australians-dont-know-our-neighbours-anymore/news-story/bfc3b974d97551bbc45e5ba81e12b286 American Journal of Public Health, ‘The Roseto effect: a 50-year comparison of mortality rates’; Authors: Egolf, B; Laker, J; Wolf, S; Potvin, L; 08/1992; Volume 82, Issue 8; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1695733/pdf/amjph00545-0027.pdf Greater Good Magazine; ‘The Sharing Effect’; Author: Summer Allen Ph.D.; 24.11.2014; https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/the_sharing_effect The Good Men Project; ‘The Benefits of Sharing Emotions’; Author: Billy Johnson II; 28.02.2011; https://goodmenproject.com/health/the-benefits-of-sharing-emotions/

Building a home can be extremely stressful, frustrating and cause many arguments with our loved ones. We have all seen it on TV shows like “Grand Designs”. People embrace a project and encounter many problems along the way, such as changing design after the project began—arguing about it—extending the timeframe—arguing about it—exceeding budget—arguing about it, etc. Eyes roll, hair pulled. What a drama! But this doesn't have to be the norm. Andrew and Alessandra, who have just finished building their straw-bale home in the North Island, had a very different experience to share. They helped answer three questions that puzzled me the most. 1. How can we enjoy the process of building our home instead of rolling our eyes and blaming each other? Andrew and Alessandra said the secrets lie in planning, preparing, finding the right professionals and understanding your limits. Thirty years ago, Andrew met his dream. He walked into an architect-designed straw-bale house and was blown away. From that moment, Andrew started researching, reading and talking about building a straw-bale home. When he met Alessandra, the dream became more real. Alessandra and Andrew wanted to create a place that matched their lifestyle, but most importantly, the house itself was not the goal, the shared experience of building a home themselves was the dream long-held. They wanted to shape their home based on their values, values about how it should be made, who and what it should be built with, and how it should fit into its environment. They deliberately created a financial safety-net for their house build over many years, therefore even though they had one year of living without income during the construction process, it was still sustainable for them. When the right land was found, they bought it without a site visit as they were working overseas. Then they found Pat Mawson, their builder, via recommendation and waited for two more years until everything aligned to start the build together. During the preparation, while sharing and bouncing ideas around with Alessandra, Andrew converted their concept design into drawings, simple 3D renders and a collage of pictures. He then worked off and on via phone and email for more than a year with their architect Alex Greig and builder Pat Mawson to slowly transform the dream into reality—a set of plans that could express the shared vision and gain building consent from the local council. According to Andrew, the professionals helped him simplify and improve on the original ideas, while also suggesting cost saving. It was important to find the right professionals, ask questions and trust their expertise. Which leads us to another secret of a happy building process, know what you can do and what you can't. (Image clockwise: Happy feet; Cleaning up the straw wall; The couple were treading clay slurry into loose straw; Pat checking the weight/density, uniformity of the bales in the field. ) Alessandra and Andrew were clear in this department. They focused on doing the tasks that they could do and left what they couldn't do to the pros, which Andrew said, was one of the best decisions they made. They chose to work with professionals like Pat and his team, who were experienced in working with straw-bales and earthen plasters, rather than tackling it alone from theories that were picked up from books, YouTube or workshops. It also guaranteed the quality of the build as Alessandra and Andrew were able to share their ideas, take advice and adjust the building plan as things progressed. 2. How can we create not just a house but a personalised home? Alessandra and Andrew committed their time and effort into creating their own home, they helped build it rather than just commissioning others to do it for them. They were involved in every detail. They installed large wooden windows and glass sliding doors around the house, which framed several ever-evolving natural pictures. After setting the orientation of the house for the sun, they designed several comfortable windows seats for themselves to enjoy the sunrise and sunset, or watch clouds passing by. They also chose to build with natural materials like straw-bales, clay plaster, recycled timber, wool insulation and natural oil and paint finishes. The straw and plaster walls help regulate moisture levels and maintain a healthy living environment. It also gives the feeling of being surrounded by nature. They also used clay plaster as wall cladding. The clay created slightly uneven surfaces that feel warm and natural when touching them. Andrew was keen to combine traditional building materials and techniques with new building methods. He wanted a highly efficient building, so with Pat’s recommendation an air barrier membrane was added to the non-straw-bale sections of the house exterior walls. With this implemented and the smart design of the ceilings, windows, doors and floors, it allowed passive solar heating and cooling for the house all year round. Alessandra’s unique touch to the project comes to a particular place: the corners of the building. She created beautiful curves around the doors and windows, which made the entire home flow beautifully and feel like one. She said, even now, every time she walks past the corners, it takes her right back to the time when she made them. Additionally, the uniqueness of their home comes in many other shapes and forms. Looking around their house, you can find mixed and matched up-cycled timber dining chairs, custom-made interior joinery from recycled timber cabinets, old native timber fence rails and palings etc. All of these items fill Alessandra’s and Andrew’s house with character and transforms it into their beloved home. 3. What does it feel like to live in the countryside in a straw-bale home? Straw-bale construction is a traditional building method, but is new to most people. Natural building materials generally contain no toxins, are fully biodegradable or at least recyclable and help keep indoor air quality at a healthy level. What inspired Andrew way back in his first experience of a straw-bale home was the local materials, and the thick walls of the straw which anchored the whole house firmly into the landscape, it felt grounded. Alessandra spends a fair amount of time alone in the house. Often friends and family are concerned that she might be lonely or feel unsafe. To their surprise, Alessandra says she feels safer in her country home than in the city apartment where she used to live. The house is warmer and full of character. She enjoys the variety of animal life around the house, which brings beautiful natural sounds inside the house day and night. The natural sounds and the absence of city lights create a very comfortable and relaxing atmosphere. The ever-changing views which are framed by the large windows and glass doors, make every day of the week feel like a holiday. Conclusion Reading Andrew and Alessandra’s story, you might feel you don't have as much time for planning and preparing for your dream home. Though few journeys are ever perfect and without hurdles, Andrew and Alessandra’s principles can help us avoid some detours and mistakes. The principles can be summarised as below: Invest time: Dream, plan and prepare. Consider how you want to live, and what is important to you in terms of materials, colours, space, feel and flow. By dreaming of living in your home, you can start creating sketches, plans and collages of pictures. Know your strengths and limits, utilise professionals’ expertise. Be clear on what skills you bring, what tasks you can do versus where you are better off to work with professionals. The sketches and plans that you've prepared can give professionals a clear and shared vision. This vision will help the professionals work with your ideas, simplify and develop options that align with it and enhance it. Add a part of yourself into the building. Being involved helps you identify with the building, your home. Add your favourite materials or colours and if possible, pitch in and help the professionals on site with work that you can do. Enjoy the process. Having a task list is important for organising the build, but it’s important to go with the flow. Celebrate milestones along the way, embrace the challenges, learn and grow. Would you like to see this house in person? It is possible to book a night in their quiet, peaceful and natural sanctuary. A perfect opportunity to forget about your daily worries and clear your head. To get in touch with Alessandra and Andrew, go to www.ngakereru.com or contact them by email at ngakereru.maraetotara@gmail.com If you are keen on finding out more about straw bale building, get in touch with their builder Pat at www.strawhome.co.nz To get in touch with the architect, Alex Greig, go to www.greenhausarchitects.co.nz

Structural Timber and steel framing explained The most common type of structural wall assembly in New Zealand is via timber or steel frames. As timber in New Zealand is a widely and renewable resource it is common to use it. However, with pine being used for construction (due to its fast regrowth) potential safety measures were taken within the building code to give buildings a long and worry-free life. The building code clause B2 Durability states that structural components of the building, such as joists, bearers, and studs are required to last the life of the building, but no less than 50 years (2). Timber frame VS. Steel frame: ​ So what are the differences in steel and timber frame? From our research, it appears that timber frames are as steel frames take more work for installation. Steel is more durable, fire-resistant up to very high temperatures, resistant against termites, very strong and fully recyclable. Though the recycling process will require energy to be spent in melting the steel. Also, the recycling process often happens overseas, adding further CO2 emissions. Steel has less waste created during the manufacture as steel can be more precisely manufactured (3). Steel however requires more energy in its production and mining. Steel is worldwide the most recycled material and can be recycled again and again. ​ There is an ongoing debate between timber and steel frame as to which of the two is more efficient. Steel is more conductive than timber, meaning that it conducts in the summer heat and in winter cold from the outside to the inside. Wood is a natural material that expands in summer and shrinks in winter, potentially leaving small gaps around the insulation that let cold air through. Types of wood used and their treatment: ​ Wood is a natural and renewable resource, which is widely available and sustainably grown in most of New Zealand. Most types of timber need to be treated to guarantee the 50-year durability requirement for structural components. Structural timber for housing frames comes in New Zealand under the so called 1.2 treatment. These treatments are: ​ Boron treated Douglas fir or radiata pine Azoles as a water-based emulsion treatment of radiata pine or Douglas fir Triadimefon+cyproconazole treated radiata pine LVL ​ Note: LOSPtreatments (TBTO, TBTN, IPBC) are not permitted for framing CuN LOSP has been removed from H1.2 and is not permitted for framing(2) More information on the treatment requirements for New Zealand Buildings please visit the weathertight website (4) ​ ​ ​ Check out structural timber treatment standards here Environment effects : ​ Most common is radiata pine timber treated with Boron. This treatment does have ecological side effects. The fact that the New Zealand Ministry of Health issued the requirement for the boron treated timber to be put into landfill to avoid contamination of plant, soil, animal and human life speaks for about how healthy for us and the environment treated boron frames are (5). ​ Sources: (2) New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, 'Acceptable Solutions and Verification Methods For New Zealand Building Code Clause B2, Durability, 2nd Edition, 2014 (3) Hitchcock and King, 'Timber Frame vs. Steel Frame", , 11.05.2019 https://www.hitchcockandking.co.uk/h-k-news/timber-frame-vs-steel-frame/ (4) https://www.weathertight.org.nz/new-buildings/timber-treatment/ (5) Ministry of Health, 'Health and Environmental Guidelines for Selected Timber Treatment Chemicals', June 1997 Back to Structural

insulation Insulation Options Insulating your house is like wearing a winter jacket- it helps you keep the heat inside. This creates comfort and cuts down your heating costs. If you live in an old house, as we do, then you might ask: which part of the house loses how much heat? Renovators are often unsure as to where insulation is best put to save on heating costs. If you are building a new property, all walls, roof, and the floor will be insulated as is the norm today. If you are renting out an older home then the property needs to be insulated in the roof cavity, stopping heat escaping as well as underfloor, stopping the cold coming inside your home. Where do our homes lose how much heat? According to BRANZ, this is where our houses lose heat. ​ ​ The insulation value is measured by the R-Value. The R-Value describes the insulation material's ability to resist heat flow- meaning how good the material is in keeping the heat inside your home in winter and outside your home in summer. The higher the R-Value of your insulation material is, the better it performs. The R-Values in NZ construction differ depending on the area of your home- here the early 2020 building standards we found on the MBIE website (1). We have taken the R-values for timber or steel frame, which is the vast majority in NZ. ​ North Island except Central Plateau : Roof 2.9; Walls 1.9; Floor 1.3; Heated Floor 1.9; Windows 0.26; Skylights 0.26 : Roof 3.3; Walls 2.0; Floor 1.3; Heated Floor 1.9; Windows 0.26; Skylights 0.31 South Island and North Island Central Plateau ​ ​ ​ ​ The highest R-Values for NZ construction as of 2019 are for the roof 3.3; for the walls 2.0 and for the floor 1.3 (1). If you are a renovator, please check out Energywise as you might be eligible for a grant to insulate your homes at here: ​ ​ ​ ​ Below, we checked out for you different options to insulate your home and stay warmer and more comfortable inside your building. In New Zealand it is now a regulation for all rental properties to have underfloor and roof insulation (2). ​ While the R-value is important, it is also important to note that the value given by manufacturers is also dependent on a few things: is the insulation dry? Wet insulation is like wearing wet clothing and does not insulate as well. In time in nearly all buildings moisture will pass through the insulation. Some insulation materials can lose in damp and drafty conditions up to 90% of their insulation value. Does the insulation allow moisture to pass through? If you have materials that do not let moisture pass through, damage to your structural frame as well as loss of insulation efficiency can occur. Is the insulation fluffy or compressed? Insulation that is compressed has less efficiency that insulation that is installed with enough room. How thick is my insulation? As a general rule: if the insulation is installed with enough space and dry and the thicker it is the more insulation or R-value it has. Are there gaps around your structural frame, leaving parts exposed? ​ Please be aware that the standards set are minimum standards, they should not be a target but a minimal requirement. The better the insulation, the more you will save in heating. Aiming for minimum standard is like aiming for a minimum wage in your career. It does get you something, but will you be happy with it? ​ ​ Sources: (1) Building Performance NZ, 'R-values for common construction types', NZ Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, November 2019 (2) Tenancy Services, 'Current insulation regulations', NZ Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, November 2019 Check out the required insulation values here Check out your eligibility for insulation grant here Sheep Wool Insulation Straw Bale Insulation Cellulose Insulation Rock wool/Glass wool Insulation Polystyrene & Polyester Insulation Back to Products

Renovators and New Builders So many choices It's hard to find good sustainability information when building or renovating a home. We all want a healthy and affordable home, and ideally one that is kind to the environment too. Different materials and technologies all have their pros and cons in certain situations, but it's often hard to understand will work best for our budget, building style, values and needs. The Circular Project team is here to help you make better building choices and create a home that will benefit your family's health and your wallet. Common issues in Kiwi homes Many of us live in unhealthy, unsustainable homes that cost us a fortune to heat in winter or cool in summer and cause: Toxic mould on the walls and in the building structure Buildings that are too hot in summer and cold and damp in winter, causing asthma and other respiratory diseases Unhealthy indoor climates; the average indoor air is up to ten times as toxic as our outdoor air with car fumes High costs to us in heating, cooling, water heating and healthcare Degrading in our soil, water and air quality throughout the life of many products. ​ ​ As independent energy and sustainability consultants the Circular Project team can help you create a home that is affordable, healthy, energy efficient and sustainable - all within your budget, building circumstances and values. Different buildings have different challenges. Healthy and sustainable solutions are often much more affordable than we think and look just as modern as our most common building products. ​ Free consultation to help you find your product match ​ When making product choices, many things are important: your budget, the running costs, your particular living style, the style of building you want to achieve, the materials used in your building and your values. In working closely with you, we help you find what works for you. All our advice is independent and backed up by scientific evidence to help you make a choice that fits you. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Energy modeling to calculate your return on investment ​ ​ But which choice is the right one for you? Making the wrong choice will cost us money and we'll save less on energy. Even if we choose only the best performing products, overheating and discomfort can be a serious issue. By energy modelling your house, we can assist in cutting construction costs or finding what exactly works best for you. We can look at window sizes, construction details, insulation levels or different forms of heating to help you find a combination that works best for you. We check all from air tightness to construction details and heating to help you find what works best for your budget and values. We regularly help cut construction costs or make buildings much cheaper to run. We often have to make choices as we cannot afford to buy all the top performing products. Get in touch How we help Get in touch Connecting you to a designer or architect ​ In our view, design is very important and often overlooked. Proper design will help cut costs by, for example, reducing unnecessary spaces, proper window placement and energy efficient detailing. Find here a list of architects we know focus on well designed homes. A good designer or architect will save you money while creating a better home. Find architects and designers The benefits of working closely with the Circular Project team are: ​ Independent and personalised advice that is based on science and your requirements Get a home that is comfortably warm, cheap to run and healthy for your family Find products that are good for you, the people creating the products, the people installing the products and the planet. Free tools and resources Blog posts Create a more comfortable and healthy home- based on science Free calculator tools for you to use Go to calculators Have you ever looked into how much money you spend or save on your water heating bill? How big the heater in your room needs to be to keep you warm? When condensation will occur? What the payback period is for different products? Our free calculators are here to help you. Create a more comfortable and healthy home - based on science Free product library It seems sometimes that there are endless options. In our product library we focus on helping you evaluate different options and explain all commonly used options with their pros and cons. Go to product library A Case Study: Four Options To Get More Natural Light Into Your Home 64 Write a comment 1 Co-housing—A Movement That Creates Emotional Support and Affordable Housing 50 Write a comment 2 The secret formula to create your dream home 87 Write a comment 2