What it is
An airtight home needs to breathe on purpose. Heat-recovery ventilation brings in a continuous supply of fresh, filtered air and passes the outgoing stale air across a heat exchanger, so the warmth stays inside while the moisture and stale air leave.
How we build it
Ventilation is designed alongside the airtightness layer, never bolted on afterwards. Duct runs are planned with the structure, intakes and extracts sit where they work hardest, kitchens, bathrooms and laundries, and the system is balanced at handover. The result is a home without condensation, without stuffiness and without the heating bill that open windows bring.
Materials and brands
- System
- Heat-recovery ventilation, guided by PHINZ design principles
- Partner systems
- Pro Clima airtightness and a fully-insulated envelope
We are working back through our builds with professional photography, so images of this system in our own homes will be added over time.
Good questions
Ventilation, answered.
What is heat-recovery ventilation and why does a home need it?
It brings in a continuous supply of fresh, filtered air and passes the outgoing stale air across a heat exchanger, so the warmth stays inside while moisture and stale air leave. An airtight home needs this to breathe properly, since it can no longer rely on gaps and draughts.
Is this the same as HRV or MVHR?
Yes, heat-recovery ventilation, HRV and MVHR (mechanical ventilation with heat recovery) all describe the same balanced system: fresh air in, stale air out, warmth kept.
Do you fit balanced ventilation on Passive House builds?
Yes. The Green House at Upper Moutere has its ventilation designed alongside a continuous insulated envelope built to the Passive House standard, guided by PHINZ design principles.
Which of your homes have this fresh air system installed?
Every home we build except Tasman View and The Cedar House, including Horton Road and The Blue House at Upper Moutere, both designed with heat-recovery ventilation behind a Pro Clima airtight layer.
Does ventilation replace opening windows entirely?
No, you can still open windows whenever you like. The system runs continuously in the background so the home stays fresh and dry even when everything is shut, rather than relying on you to air it out.
Talk to the builder who does this every day.
Book a free one-hour consultation with founder Daryl Combes. No obligation, just an honest conversation about your site, your brief and your budget.
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