Leaky buildings a collective failure
An architect is commonly regarded as the author of a building. In reality, they work with a large team of people – including the client, the client’s builder, and an array of suppliers and manufacturers – all of whom are responsible for producing a good outcome.
It is therefore unjust and inaccurate to place blame for a leaky building solely on an architect.
Despite being designed and built to code, thousands of New Zealand homes constructed in the early to mid-2000s were affected by the leaky buildings crisis, where materials and construction methods used were retrospectively found to have weathertightness issues.
At the time, architects and other industry professionals were working to a government building code that was later found to be totally inadequate. On top of that, companies that the building industry trusted and relied upon were manufacturing and marketing products that were not fit for purpose.
Architects, builders and other industry experts didn’t know that at the time, and it’s ridiculous to blame individuals for what was a complex and heartbreaking situation that continues to affect thousands of New Zealanders.
In Rottenomics, a 2020 book about the crisis, author Peter Dyer estimated the cost of remediating all leaky buildings in New Zealand to be around $47 billion. Dyer blamed the problem on a culture of deregulation in the 1990s and early 2000s, which led to building products and techniques that were unfit for purpose flooding the market.
In 2015, MBIE data on residential weathertightness failures estimated that more than 174,000 New Zealand dwellings built between 1990 and 2014 would be ‘‘very likely to leak’’.
A home is the result of a collaboration between builders, engineers, council consenting officers, roofers, window manufacturers, and a whole host of other specialist trades. The architect or architects are there for the whole journey, but every house is a team effort.
The building code has evolved since the days of leaky buildings. And while parts of it remain inadequate by international standards, architects are working closely with MBIE to further update these standards to ensure all homes built in New Zealand are warm, dry and healthy.
In New Zealand, architects who wish to remain registered must continue to update and improve their knowledge and practices through continuing professional development. Registered architects must also adhere to a strict code of ethics, and risk censure or deregistration if they breach this code.
The code states that if issues arise with a building, the architect should work with the client and the contractor to produce a satisfactory solution.
Further consumer protections are included within New Zealand’s Building Act and Weathertight Homes Resolution Services Act.
In 2015, MBIE data on residential weathertightness failures estimated that more than 174,000 New Zealand dwellings built between 1990 and 2014 would be ‘‘very likely to leak’’.