Sustainable Design

Sustainable design is most effective when it is treated as a set of design principles rather than a checklist applied at the end. Orientation, massing, the placement of glazing relative to winter sun paths, the thermal mass of floor and wall assemblies — these are decisions made in the first weeks of a project. Making them well does not add cost; it shapes cost.

We integrate passive solar principles, thermal modelling, and considered material selection into every project from concept stage. In Auckland's maritime climate, this means managing solar gain through the summer months while capturing it through winter — an active dialogue between the site's orientation and the building's form. It also means choosing materials for their embodied impact as well as their performance: the use of timber, the specification of insulation, the treatment of thermal bridges at junctions that are often detailed without care.

For clients who want to pursue a formal performance target — NZGBC Homestar rating, NABERS, or Passive House certification — we work with the relevant assessors and modelling consultants to ensure the documentation and compliance pathway is integrated into the design process rather than layered on top of it. The goal in each case is the same: a building that is genuinely comfortable to occupy year-round, with lower running costs and a material specification that can be defended.

What this includes

Passive solar design and orientation analysis

Thermal modelling and glazing ratio optimisation

Winter sun and summer shading analysis

Insulation specification and thermal bridge detailing

Natural ventilation strategy and cross-ventilation design

Embodied carbon and material lifecycle consideration

Rainwater collection and grey water system integration

Mechanical ventilation and heat recovery specification

Homestar or Passive House documentation support

Daylighting analysis and internal light quality design

Landscape integration for thermal and ecological performance