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Passive House & Building Science

How Passive House and high-performance building works in the NZ climate: airtightness, insulation, ventilation, glazing, comfort and health.

Written for people planning a home in Nelson, Tasman, Richmond, Motueka and across the top of the South. New to the terms below? Our glossary explains them in plain English.

12 guides in Passive House & Building Science← All guides

Is a Passive House Worth It in New Zealand?

Warm in winter, cool in summer and cheap to run: see whether a Passive House is worth the premium for a Nelson Tasman home, and what you get back.

8 min read

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Passive House & Building Science

The Five Principles of a Passive House, Explained

The five things that make a home a Passive House, explained simply: insulation, airtightness, high-performance glazing, heat-recovery ventilation and thermal-bridge-free design, and how they work together in a New Zealand home.

9 min read

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Passive House & Building Science

Why So Many NZ Homes Are Cold and Damp, and How to Fix It in a New Build

Tired of cold, damp, mouldy rooms? What the research really shows, and how to design a new build in Nelson Tasman that stays warm, dry and healthy for good.

8 min read

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Passive House & Building Science

Is Your Home Making You Sick? An Indoor-Air and Health Self-Check

Could your home be making you sick? A quick room-by-room check for damp, mould and poor indoor air, what the signs mean, and how a new build fixes them.

9 min read

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Passive House & Building Science

What Is a Certified Passive House, and How Is It Different in NZ?

What certification actually proves: the performance targets behind a certified Passive House in New Zealand, and how it differs from the Building Code and Homestar.

8 min read

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Passive House & Building Science

Passive House vs Homestar vs SuperHome: Which Standard Is Right for You?

Confused by the standards? Passive House, Homestar and SuperHome compared: what each one measures, and how to choose or combine them for your New Zealand home.

8 min read

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Passive House & Building Science

Airtightness in NZ Homes: What It Is and Why It Matters

What airtightness actually measures, why the Building Code says almost nothing about it, and why a sealed home is warmer, quieter and healthier rather than stuffy.

9 min read

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Passive House & Building Science

Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery: Fresh Air Without the Cold

How MVHR supplies continuous filtered fresh air while keeping the heat you have paid for, what it is not, and why it is the partner airtightness requires.

9 min read

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Passive House & Building Science

Seven Passive House Myths, Debunked

No, you cannot not open the windows. No, it is not a sealed box. The seven misconceptions that stop New Zealanders building homes that would suit them.

9 min read

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Passive House & Building Science

Living in a High-Performance Home: How to Actually Run It

A well-built home rewards different habits from a leaky one. What to do with the ventilation, the windows, summer shading and the heating, and what will surprise you.

9 min read

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Passive House & Building Science

Do You Need a Fireplace in a High-Performance Home?

The honest answer on fireplaces in a Passive Home: why the emotional pull is real, why a well designed home needs very little heating, the airtightness problem with an open fire, and the alternatives worth considering.

8 min read

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Passive House & Building Science

Passive Cooling: Keeping a Home Cool Without Air-Con

How a well-built home stays cool through a Nelson Tasman summer without air-conditioning: managing solar gain, shading for the high summer sun, cross ventilation and night purging, and using thermal mass and glazing, all designed in from the first concept.

9 min read

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