18 December 2025
From low-cost granny flat designs to AI-powered tools, 22 new projects will share $11.5 million in Building Research Levy funding, driving innovation and affordability for New Zealand’s buildings.
A Building Research Levy of 0.1% is collected from all building consents over $20,000. Every year, it’s invested into industry-led contestable funding for universities, industry groups and researchers to deliver practical solutions to reduce costs, lift quality, and improve resilience and sustainability in Kiwi buildings.
A key priority is housing affordability, with 13 projects this year focused on lowering building, maintenance, and living costs, improving efficiency, and delivering more affordable housing options.
Highlights include:
- Adaptable, open-source granny flat designs to deliver more low-cost, quality housing and intergenerational living for Kiwis, including rangatahi.
- AI tools for smarter decisions on where to build in Auckland and for affordable, culturally responsive housing design for Māori whānau.
- Practical retrofit solutions and digital DIY tools to improve health and reduce energy bills for the 90% of NZ homes needing maintenance.
- Guides for iwi-led mixed tenure housing developments on Māori land.
- Collaborative building resilience tools to prepare for and recover from floods, storms, and climate change.
Decisions on where to invest the Building Research Levy are guided by the Research Investment Advisory Group, an independent panel of sector experts who ensure every dollar tackles the biggest challenges in building and construction.
“Industry leadership in building research decisions is critical,” says Paul Campbell, representing Engineering NZ and Chair of the Research Investment Advisory Group. “These projects were chosen through a rigorous process to deliver tools and outcomes that make a tangible difference for the sector.”
“The quality of proposals this year has been outstanding. They cover everything from digital DIY tools to iwi-led housing development guides to making quotes for building work more consistent. I’m excited about what these innovations will mean for the future of building in Aotearoa.”
This year’s funding has been awarded to 22 projects: including four led by universities, six by industry and Māori research groups, two PhD scholarships, and seven by BRANZ, as well as three sector resources by BRANZ that turn academic research into practical guidance that designers and builders can use on the job.
The Building Research Levy also funds specialist building research infrastructure and free resources for the sector - from the Artisan digital consenting app to the industry-led H1 Hub, and regular technical guidance for builders and designers.
“This funding sets the foundation for the next decade of building science,” says Nigel Smith, Chair of the BRANZ Inc Board. “BRANZ’s investment of the Building Research Levy ensures funding decisions have been guided by the industry, for the industry, to drive long-term impact for building in Aotearoa.”
“It’s about delivering research that matters - tools and resources that help the sector build smarter, more affordable, and more resilient homes.”
A total of 107 expressions of interest were received in response to the Building Research Levy Investment Priorities released in July 2025. Funding agreements will be finalised in early 2026, with projects starting from April. Find out more about BRANZ’s 10-year Building Research Investment Strategy here.
The table below lists all successful projects - more detailed descriptions are available on the BRANZ website.
Making it easier to build affordable granny flats
| Project | Delivered by | 2026/27 funding | Project length | Total funding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open-source housing: The granny flat. Delivering adaptable designs and resources, this project led by Professor Anthony Hōete will help Kiwis make the most of new legislation, reduce costs and support healthier, affordable intergenerational living. | University of Auckland | $166,000 | 18 months | $220,000 |
| Whakamaru i te rangatahi: Navigating housing solutions for rangatahi and whānau. Providing step-by-step guidance for Māori youth and whānau to fund and build secure, affordable and intergenerational granny flats and minor dwellings on Māori land. | Pūrangakura Māori and Indigenous Research Centre | $136,734 | 2 years | $280,000 |
Using AI tools to design more affordable housing
| Project | Delivered by | 2026/27 funding | Project length | Total funding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Optimising affordable housing: What and where to build, and how to make It happen. Delivering AI-powered tools, dashboards, and GIS solutions to guide smarter housing decisions and speed up the delivery of affordable homes across Auckland. | University of Auckland | $110,206 | 2 years, 4 months | $200,000 |
| Architecture for all: Building equity through AI and whānau-centred design. Combining AI-powered tools and kaupapa Māori methods to make whānau-centred home design more affordable and accessible. | Te Wānanga o Aotearoa | $129,124 | 2 years | $349,000 |
Increasing resilience and safety in our buildings
| Project | Delivered by | 2026/27 funding | Project length | Total funding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RESCUE: Resilience via evaluation, science, climate understanding & engineering. Bringing together scientists, insurers, councils and communities, this major programme will deliver new evidence, tools, and training to prepare for and recover from floods, storms and climate risks. | BRANZ Ltd | $724,300 | 4 years, 6 months | $3.11m |
| Improving affordability and resilience sprinkler impact in apartment housing. Working with experts across the sector to create practical guidance to support cost-effective protection strategies for low to mid-rise apartments across Aotearoa. | Heavy Engineering Research Association (HERA) | $83,000 | 1 year | $83,000 |
| Spatial data refresh: Updating BRANZ maps for safe, resilient buildings. This free tool, with over 11,000 monthly views, will be updated with the latest science to deliver reliable building site data for any NZ address – including climate zones, earthquake risk, wind zones, rainfall, corrosion levels. | BRANZ Ltd | $70,600 | 9 months | $70,600 |
Retrofitting homes to cut energy bills and improve comfort
| Project | Delivered by | 2026/27 funding | Project length | Total funding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Making housing affordable: Tackling the current and future maintenance crisis. 90% of NZ homes need maintenance work, with a national bill of $27.3b. This project delivers practical tools to make it easier for Kiwis to keep their homes well-maintained, safe and cost-effective. | Centre for Research Evaluation and Social Assessment (CRESA) | $189,000 | 18 months | $315,000 |
| Closing the gap between design and reality for healthier homes. Working with MBIE, industry and international experts, this major project will develop real-world modelling, compliance pathways and practical tools for preventing internal moisture to support industry to deliver drier, healthier homes. | BRANZ Ltd | $610,300 | 4 years | $2.308m |
| Your home, your way: A DIY tool for affordable, custom energy retrofit solutions. An easy-to-use digital tool to deliver tailored, low-cost DIY retrofit options to help Kiwis cut energy bills and make their homes healthier. | Massey University | $81,741 | 2 years, 2 months | $186,804 |
| Insights to impact: advancing access to HEEP2 data. Driven by strong demand, this BRANZ-led project turns data on energy use and living conditions in NZ homes into accessible tools – helping reduce energy bills and create healthier homes. | BRANZ Ltd | $238,740 | 2 years | $428,740 |
| From sunlight to savings: Reducing energy costs for whānau in social housing. Measuring how solar power in social housing can reduce energy costs, and improve comfort, affordability and daily life for Māori whānau. | Te Āhuru Mōwai | $330,000 | 2 years | $470,000 |
|
Diverse dwellings: Understanding NZ's changing housing landscape. Updating NZ’s housing typology to deliver clearer data on today’s homes — improving decisions about quality, affordability, and future planning for Aotearoa’s population needs. |
BRANZ Ltd | $100,000 | 18 months | $182,000 |
Supporting the sector with practical resources
| Project | Delivered by | 2026/27 funding | Project length | Total funding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maintaining digital resources. BRANZ’s free digital tools — like H1 Hub, House Insulation Guide and BRANZ Maps — are trusted and widely used. Funding ensures they stay up-to-date, supported, and deliver real value for the sector. | BRANZ Ltd | $445,000 | 12 months | $445,000 |
| New technical guidance & solutions. A new digital platform will deliver trusted technical guidance as fast, searchable answers — putting the right knowledge directly in the hands of industry. | BRANZ Ltd | $230,000 | 12 months | $230,000 |
| Real-world impact with practical how-to content. Turning research into practical how-to content, helping the sector make faster, evidence-based decisions that reduce delays, improve compliance, and deliver safer, affordable homes across Aotearoa. | BRANZ Ltd | $755,000 | 12 months | $755,000 |
Delivering cost-efficient, quality builds
| Project | Delivered by | 2026/27 funding | Project length | Total funding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Te whare o te iwi: Accelerating māori-led mixed-tenure housing delivery. Developing a practical, step-by-step toolkit for iwi-led mixed-tenure housing to deliver more affordable, culturally responsive housing options for Māori communities. | The Urban Advisory | $286,675 | 12 months | $286,675 |
| Affordability through agility: Practical solutions for construction efficiency — A National Effort. Construction cost overruns and delays cost billions of dollars annually. This project will co-create open-access Adaptable Agile project management practices for construction to boost efficiency and cut costs. | Victoria University of Wellington | $159,189 | 2 years | $305,583 |
| Build Insights. This interactive tool combines trusted data to help the sector forecast demand, track trends, and plan ahead. Continued funding expands datasets and insights to support decisions, improve affordability and strengthen Aotearoa’s building sector. | BRANZ Ltd | $646,000 | 12 months | $646,500 |
| Tender price variance in NZ residential construction. This PhD study will uncover why quotes for building work vary so widely and recommend practical changes for more consistent, affordable, and stable pricing. | PhD study, University of Canterbury | $40,000 | 3 years | $120,000 |
| Improving approaches to the provision of housing data. Working with government, industry, and communities, this project will create smarter, collaborative ways to collect and share long-term housing data — supporting informed choices for healthier, affordable homes. | BRANZ Ltd | $255,100 | 16 months | $357,100 |
| Development of thermal mass concrete using construction and demolition waste. This PhD project looks at turning construction waste into low-cost, low-carbon concrete and masonry products for homes - reducing landfill and material costs for a more affordable, sustainable construction sector. | PhD study, University of Canterbury | $40,000 | 3 years | $120,000 |
| Funding | FY2026: | $5.83m | Total: | $11.47m |
|---|
For more information, contact: media@branz.co.nz | 027 405 9354
About the Building Research Levy
A 0.1% Building Research Levy is collected on all building consents over $20,000 — $1 for every $1,000. Administered by BRANZ Inc, it provides contestable funding to address the sector’s biggest priorities: affordability, quality, resilience and sustainability.
Funding decisions are guided by industry-led governance, ensuring every dollar delivers practical results for Aotearoa.
- Investment signals are determined by BRANZ Inc’s sector priorities, guided by the Building Research Advisory Council
- All research proposals are assessed by the Research Investment Advisory Group, an independent panel of experts representing science, industry, Iwi, Government and the Building Research Advisory Council.
BRANZ Ltd.’s building researchers can apply for funding alongside universities, industry groups, research organisations and more. The Building Research Levy is also invested into critical building science infrastructure, and sector resources.
In November 2025, the Minister for Building and Construction proposed to repeal the Building Research Levy Act. Under this proposal, building research would be managed by MBIE and funded through the Building Levy under the Building Act 2024. This is a major shift for New Zealand’s building and construction sector. See BRANZ’s statement.
About the Building Research Association of New Zealand (BRANZ)
BRANZ is an independent expert in building and construction. We help the sector innovate, improve productivity, and address challenges of affordability, quality, resilience, and sustainability branz.co.nz
For nearly 60 years, BRANZ Inc has invested the Building Research Levy in research, infrastructure, and tools that address the sector’s top priorities. We also provide independent research and product testing so the industry can build with confidence.