| 71 T T Kelly Deeks Embracing sustainability in design Chaney and Norman Architects can design homes to meet Homestar or Passive House standards, or align designs with the Passive House ‘low energy building’ criteria standard. Chaney & Norman Architects ARCHITECTURE When architect Chris Norman, of Chaney & Norman Architects, returned to Wanaka from the UK in 2003, he noticed a stark contrast in sustainable building practices. While the UK had already embraced a wide range of energy-efficient products, New Zealand was lagging behind. At that time, sustainability in local architecture was largely associated with alternative methods such as straw bale construction. However, Chris recognised that while energy efficiency is a key factor in sustainability, it comes not just from innovative heating systems like geothermal and solar technology, but from reducing the energy a building required in the first place. Chris’s interest in energy-efficient homes was reinforced by personal experience. Having worked in Canada, he understood the importance of a good thermal envelope, so when he and his family purchased a 1970s house in Albert Town, they took measures to improve its comfort. They added extensive insulation, reglazed with double-glazed windows, yet one of his daughters kept getting sick, even suffering with pneumonia on multiple occasions. This prompted a deeper investigation into what was wrong with the home’s performance. “A problem with our building process today is that by putting in more insulation, our houses become more airtight and can’t breathe,” Chris says. “A lot of modern homes have really good levels of insulation, but they also have condensation dripping down the windows and within the walls, creating mould and rotting the framing.” The same issue had been addressed in Europe and North America decades earlier, leading to the development of the Passive House standard, an approach that focuses on designing homes to be highly energy-efficient while maintaining healthy indoor air quality. Today, Chaney & Norman Architects employs ventilation systems as a standard feature. These balanced pressure systems draw in fresh, cool air from outside and pass it through a heat exchanger, removing moisture and maintaining a consistent indoor climate. This, combined with vapour control layers that prevent unwanted moisture infiltration, allows homes to function as efficient systems rather than just insulated boxes. Chaney and Norman Architects can design homes to meet Homestar or Passive House standards, or align designs with the Passive House ‘low energy building’ criteria standard.’ The decision to go for Passive House certification depends on the client’s preferences and their commitment to sustainability. Regardless of the chosen standard, Chaney & Norman Architects emphasises a holistic approach to design, ensuring that all components work together to maximise efficiency. “We use a full system approach. The Passive House standard has some metrics which determine how efficient homes are in terms of their energy use and to achieve that, the whole thing has to work as a system.” A critical shift in Chaney & Norman Architecture’s approach has been the integration of energy modeling. Rather than relying solely on intuition, the team now thermally models every concept to predict its energy performance. This allows them to determine the best heating sources, estimate overheating risks, and make informed design decisions. One of Chris’s 2013 projects, his second home in Albert Town, was built with a structural insulated panel system (SIPS) and a ventilation system. However, the house wasn’t energy modelled at the time, and can experience overheating on the eastern side, a problem that could have been mitigated with energy modelling and design changes to the window layout. Chaney & Norman Architects also addresses broader issues such as energy poverty. Many affordable homes are so poorly designed that residents struggle with heating and cooling costs. Initiatives like the Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust’s commitment to High Performance Building for social housing demonstrates that energy-efficient design can provide long-term financial and health benefits. Chaney and Norman Architects believes New Zealand can continue to learn from international building practices to create healthier homes. By leveraging modern tools like energy modeling and adopting time-tested, systems-based passive design principles, architects can build comfortable, efficient, and sustainable homes for future generations. WELArchitecture Design — Consult — Teach DESIGN - Architecture & more - SIPs & High Performance - Homestar & Passive House - Healthy, Low Energy Buildings CONSULT - Energy Modelling - Homestar Assessment - Passive House Consultant TEACH - Advice & support Joe Lyth 021 039 4054 Joe@WELArchitecture.nz WWW.WELArchitecture.nz
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