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Healthy homes research

Healthier homes make for healthier people. Reducing moisture and improving the insulation, ventilation and heating of Aotearoa New Zealand's houses supports people's health and lessens disruption to work, learning and living due to illness.

For decades, New Zealand's building stock has had a basic approach to the control of heat, air and moisture. Modern lifestyles, new construction trends and climate change mean that this approach is no longer enough. We need to address systemic problems and to design houses based on how people live.

Our work focuses on the factors that prevent our buildings from being warm, dry and healthy over their lifetime. We also investigate ways to improve comfort, temperature and heating to support better health outcomes.

Key research

BRANZ research provides evidence-based information to help home and building occupants, building owners and the building industry produce and maintain warm, dry, healthy homes.

  • Warmer, drier and healthier buildings

    This research programme builds on the WAVE (Weathertightness, Air Quality and Ventilation Engineering) programme, which was a 6-year initiative that ended in October 2015.

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  • House Condition Survey

    Completed approximately every 5 years from 1994 to 2015, the BRANZ House Condition Survey is a comprehensive survey of New Zealand's housing stock. It gives data on property characteristics, house maintenance and living conditions.

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Healthy homes resources

Findings from BRANZ healthy homes research contributes to useful online resources, tools, books, bulletins and webinars as well as New Zealand standards and government policy.

  • Understanding the magic of curtains

    Beacon Pathway, the Home Performance Advisor Training Programme and BRANZ wanted to improve the understanding of the science of curtains in Aotearoa NZ.

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  • Research Now: House Condition Survey 2015

    BRANZ surveyed the condition of a large sample of New Zealand houses approximately every 5 years from 1994 to 2015. The 2015 sample of 560 houses was designed to broadly represent the national housing stock - both owner-occupied and rental houses.

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  • Research Now: Indoor air quality

    Excess moisture and contaminants are common inside our houses, garages and schools, impacting wellbeing and productivity. Understanding what they are and how ventilation can reduce their presence will help make our houses and schools healthier.

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  • Research Now: Changing behaviour

    Research shows that changing people's behaviour requires an intervention that is carefully planned. There are myths and barriers that need to be overcome. Key elements are required for successful interventions in changing the way people act or think.

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