ASK THE DESIGNER:

Michael Sly of Climate House NZ

Michael, what advice would you give to people who are thinking about building a passive

house? It’s important to get every element right. Invest in the shell of the home and the right ventilation system; getting these things done well and to a high standard will pay off in the years to come. With solar panels and an electric car, we’re a net-zero-energ y household, so the house generates as much energy as it consumes. It’s pretty exciting to think of how much money can be saved; it’s all about energ y independence. Some assume eco-architectural design comes with a high price tag – is that a misconception? Actually, the cost of building an eco-efficient house is the same as building one with central heating. The expense can vary depending on your design,

fit-out and location, but the money you save when living in a passive house is significant. What did building your home teach you about

the passive house design process? Passive house certified designer Guy Shaw from Energy Architecture collaborated with us on achieving passive house standards. We learned that there’s a lot of attention and planning that goes into the energy-efficiency details and ensuring the house is airtight. We also learned that in building a prefabricated house, you need to make more design decisions ahead of time. The actual build happens very quickly, so it’s important to be organised. Are we very far away from this technology becoming mainstream in New Zealand? It’s becoming mainstream now. We have multiple builds like this underway around the country and the technology and expertise are there for the taking.