As the construction sector takes its first tentative steps toward a circular economy, could emerging technology provide the catalyst to get the transition moving?
Build looks at the refurbishment of an iconic corner of Wellington’s CBD – the Stewart Dawson building, named after the jewellery business that was its long-term tenant, and its immediate neighbour at 8 Willis Street.
Our construction sector faces persistent challenges – from skilled labour shortages and fluctuating material costs to inefficient building methods. Off-site manufacturing offers a compelling alternative, but do the benefits add up?
Studies by BRANZ and other researchers have shown that healthy homes provide a range of benefits for their occupants. They’re warmer in winter and cooler in summer, drier, better ventilated and often cheaper to run. So why aren’t we routinely building them?
Research shows that warm roofs offer homeowners and occupiers a range of benefits over their cold roof counterparts. Warm roofs make it easier to achieve a healthy indoor environment, reduce energy costs and, in some systems, provide a more durable roof structure.
Floods can not only destroy property but devastate lives and communities. What controls do we have to protect people and their most important assets from growing flood risks?
When asked about our worst natural disasters, many New Zealanders think of earthquakes. But after the recent events in Auckland and Hawke’s Bay, the greatest disaster risk we have to manage may be quite different, prompting the question should we look elsewhere for some answers?
