How to build homes with virtually no heating (2020)

"High performance houses that have little need for mechanical heating and cooling can be built everywhere in New Zealand," says Sian Taylor and Mark Read from Team Green Architects. "Our own home is a good example. We live and work in one of the country's harshest climates, Queenstown, which is cold in the winter and hot in the summer, from a Passive House with very little requirement for heat even on the coldest days." "Orientate the home to gain the most from the sun when you want it and avoid the sun when you don't, such as when it's too hot or too low in the sky. Where possible, you limit openings on the south or where you might create a liability for yourself. For example, in Central Otago, where we have long, hot days in the summer, a house that is west facing with large areas of glass will be a liability in the summer if it's not properly managed through external shading devices, as it will overheat." "A colder climate calls for compact design and a highly insulated envelope, whereas a long, north-facing configuration optimises the amount of passive heating throughout the day, so the majority of the living spaces and glazing are to the northern side of the house, with services residing in the south. Being aware of the potential heat loss of an irregular building envelope is also at the forefront of our design approach." "We prefer to use the breezeway louvre system in many of our houses, which allows air to freely circulate through the home," they explain. "Our designs combine generous ventilation with high insulation, which allow the user to control their environment and to connect to the outside environment in all conditions. We also specify heating systems to supplement the passive solution, however a well-designed house should have very limited need for heating for up to a few months per year." In the beachside community of Paekakariki on the Kapiti Coast, Werry House, by Bonnifait + Giesen, utilises the breezeway louvre system to maximise cross-ventilation throughout the home.