BRANZ’s strategic focus areas
BRANZ concentrates Levy-funded research on four interconnected focus areas - affordable, resilient, sustainable and quality buildings for Aotearoa New Zealand. This guides how we invest in research.
Each year, BRANZ publishes Research Investment Priorities that signal the specific topics and challenges sought within each focus area. All Levy-funded research supported by BRANZ must contribute to at least one focus area. With this clear focus, BRANZ ensures finite Levy funding is invested where it can shift the dial on the issues that matter most.
Affordability
Making it easier to build, live in and maintain affordable housing.
BRANZ focuses on reducing costs across the building lifecycle by supporting productivity, avoiding costly failures and providing trusted tools that support better decisions.
BRANZ's definition of affordability
New Zealanders can afford the costs of living in, building, maintaining and retrofitting both existing and new homes.
Strategic focus - affordability
Quality
Supporting safe, warm, dry and healthy buildings.
Our work helps ensure buildings are fit for purpose, built right the first time and designed to perform well for future generations.
BRANZ's definition of quality
Buildings are fit for purpose, meet the needs of the people who use them, now and into the future by being safe, healthy, durable and comfortable.
Resilience
Buildings protect people from earthquakes, fire, extreme weather and climate change.
From earthquakes and extreme weather to corrosion and fire, BRANZ science helps identify risks and develop practical solutions that keep people and communities safe.
BRANZ's definition of resilience
Buildings and communities are able to withstand hazards, protect life, minimise damage, recover quickly and adapt to future challenges.
Sustainability
Supporting a low‑impact, circular building sector.
BRANZ has led sustainable building research for more than 20 years, developing tools that reduce emissions and waste and support cost‑effective, low‑impact building practices
BRANZ's definition of sustainability
Buildings and communities are able to withstand hazards, protect life, minimise damage, recover quickly and adapt to future challenges.
BRANZ strategic documents
Find out more about BRANZ’s long-term approach to research investment in the following documents:
BRANZ Research Investment Strategy
This document sets out BRANZ's 10-year approach to investing the Levy, including the outcomes, goals and objectives that guide what we fund.
Read the Research Investment Strategy
BRANZ Strategy on a page
This document provides a one-page summary of BRANZ's overarching aspiration and focus areas, including our purpose, our foundations and how we will measure our success.