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Medium-density housing that meets the needs of New Zealanders

There are now more housing consents being issued for multi-unit homes than for stand-alone houses. The growth of medium-density housing (MDH) is set to increase further as government policy drives intensification in our largest urban areas.

This programme provided resources to the industry to support it in building high quality, affordable medium density housing. This housing will meet the needs of the people who live in it and be accepted by the wider community.

The targeted outcomes for this programme included:

  • The building industry has the technical information to enable the design of quality, affordable and desirable medium density housing.
  • Medium density housing buildings are maintained to sustain long term performance.
  • Everyone has a shared understanding of how to optimise the journey through the building and consent process for medium density housing.
  • There is increased acceptance of medium density housing in communities.

Research under this programme included:

The building industry has the technical information to enable the design of quality, affordable and desirable medium density housing

Defining medium-density housing for New Zealand

This work has developed definitions around what medium density housing means in the New Zealand context. It explores who is building MDH, how they are being built and known issues around construction. The project also looks at occupant behaviour associated with medium density housing.

The new medium density housing market - supply-side and demand-side analysis

We need to have a better understanding of the future demand for medium density housing and of the industry's (including the finance and insurance industries') ability and appetite to supply it in New Zealand. This project used information from existing residential preference surveys, Statistics New Zealand, and discussion with developers to establish demand for medium density housing and to estimate costs of different types. It also addressed supply-side questions such as number and type of medium density housing being built; scaling-up opportunities; and the roles of various skills including management, design, labour, financing and other business services.

Medium density housing construction quality survey

A key concern identified during the scoping of this programme of work was the risks for owners, occupiers and society more widely of poor quality housing. While medium density housing construction has a track-record, it isn't great. We were keen to understand where the problems currently lie so we can help tackle these for future developments.

This project carried out onsite surveys to identify the potential construction problems associated with designing and building medium density housing. It explored the kinds of design features needed to make it easy to maintain these homes. It also identified possible skills gaps in the building industry which may be contributing to quality issues.

  • SR376 Defining medium-density housing

    This report reviews the existing definitions and suggests a working definition for the purposes of BRANZ’s MDH research programme. It then reviews the NZ MDH literature in detail and describes common typologies currently provided in the NZ market.

    Download [PDF, 4.9MB]

  • SR412 Medium-density housing construction quality survey

    MDH has been suggested as a solution to affordability issues in NZ. This study looks into learnings from the existing stock of MDH, particularly around the need for maintenance, proposing using cladding materials that have low life cycle costs.

    Download [PDF, 1.9MB]

  • SR379 Medium-density housing supply and demand analysis

    This report summarises the findings of research into the supply and demand for medium-density housing (MDH) in the New Zealand market.

    Download [PDF, 2.7MB]

Medium-density housing fact sheets

Getting information to industry is essential if we are to translate research insights into practice. Drawing on BRANZ's expertise at knowledge transfer, this work provides architects and designers with the technical information they need to design quality, affordable, desirable and easily-maintained medium density housing. The project has produced 11 easy-to-read fact sheets covering specific areas of design and construction

  • Medium-density housing #1: What is medium-density housing?

    With increasing pressure on New Zealand's building stock, medium-density housing (MDH) has emerged as an attractive option to meet our changing housing needs. But what does MDH mean?

    Download [PDF, 1.9MB]

  • Medium-density housing #2: Supply and demand

    Housing demand and the identification of future housing trends are core elements in determining if current and future housing supply is on track to meet the needs and preferences of residents.

    Download [PDF, 97KB]

  • Medium-density housing #3: Attitudes towards MDH

    As medium-density housing becomes more prevalent in the face of increasing housing pressure, its successful uptake partly depends on people's attitudes.

    Download [PDF, 135KB]

  • Medium-density housing #4: Consents

    MDH requires a building consent and may require a resource consent under the Resource Management Act, which can affect both construction time and costs.

    Download [PDF, 657KB]

  • Medium-density housing #5: Acoustic performance

    A key issue for medium-density housing is the need to design and construct walls and floors/ceilings between individual dwelling units to ensure acoustic privacy.

    Download [PDF, 286KB]

  • Medium-density housing #6: Maintenance

    Maintenance needs of MDH can be more complex than stand-alone homes. When not attended to, both building performance and occupants' health may suffer.

    Download [PDF, 645KB]

  • Medium-density housing #7: Fire safety

    Moving from low-density to medium-density housing involves people living in closer proximity. This has implications for fire safety design. This looks at Building Code clauses C1-C6 Protection from fire and minimum fire safety requirements.

    Download [PDF, 1.1MB]

  • Medium-density housing #8: Specified systems and building warrants of fitness

    Some types of medium-density housing - typically apartment complexes - have controls placed on them to make sure they are safe and healthy for people to enter, occupy or work in.

    Download [PDF, 991KB]

  • Medium-density housing #9: Construction issues

    As New Zealand increasingly adopts medium-density housing as a mainstream housing option, the building industry needs to identify and overcome construction quality issues.

    Download [PDF, 670KB]

  • Medium-density housing #10: Can we build it?

    MDH makes up an increasing proportion of NZ homes, but roadblocks are in the way of its delivery. Upskilling the workforce, attracting people into it, building consumer confidence and more partnerships are key to delivering the quality MDH NZ needs.

    Download [PDF, 1.5MB]

  • Medium-density housing #11: Resource consent issues

    Research involving five councils and 24 designers, developers and planners found a resource consenting process that worked well in many cases but takes much longer than anticipated in others.

    Download [PDF, 515KB]

Fire spread from lower roofs

The distinct risks around fire presented by medium density developments have been highlighted as an important area of focus for the programme. The first piece of work in this space looked at risk of fire spread in medium density housing projects where there are different roof heights in the same building. This is a common design element of medium density housing. The challenge is around the risk of fire spreading from the lower roof onto the higher wall above it. At present these higher walls must be protected to prevent the spread of fire, which is both onerous and expensive. This project provided recommendations for amendments to Building Code performance criteria and requirements.

Acoustic design of medium density housing

Acoustic performance has been identified as a key area of concern for medium density living. This project aimed to make a concerted push to identify what needs to be done to develop solutions around external and internal noise. It looked at domestic and international practice and also looked at how best to get information out to the industry.

Developing tools to measure and improve the quality and liveability of medium density housing developments

The aim of this research was to provide the development community with a means to better understand and measure the quality and liveability of the homes they are building. This will help with the improvement of future designs. This work is about insight to improve the acceptability of medium density living for both future residents and surrounding neighbourhoods.

  • ER30A Acoustical design of medium-density housing

    This project collated information on the current state of play and the most relevant information resources, needs and gaps around noise control and acoustics in New Zealand medium-density housing.

    Download [PDF, 4.7MB]

  • ER30B Acoustical design of medium-density housing: Appendix G

    Appendix G to the collaborative research project proposed and funded by the Building Research Levy to help BRANZ better understand, and provide guidance around the needs of acoustic performance and noise control.

    Download [PDF, 2.9MB]

  • ER33 Medium-density housing assessment tools: Summary report

    Looks at how good-quality medium-density housing might be defined in New Zealand and the elements that make it up. This research has defined the core outcomes that New Zealand would want to see in its future medium-density developments.

    Download [PDF, 4.6MB]

The building industry has the skills needed to design and build quality, affordable and desirable medium density housing.

Medium density housing buildings are maintained to sustain long term performance

Knowing enough to maintain: Understanding the gaps in the knowledge of owners and residents around the maintenance requirements for medium density housing

Medium density housing presents particular maintenance challenges. It tends to be multi-storey and is often governed by a body corporate. Maintenance and upkeep costs and requirements can be a barrier to acceptance of medium density housing as an option. Maintenance of stand-alone housing is an issue for New Zealand. Medium density housing is likely to present a greater challenge.

This project identified what the residents and owners of medium density housing already know about maintaining their homes, helped to identify knowledge gaps and provide guidance to support improved long-term performance of the homes.

Everyone has a shared understanding of how to optimise the journey through the building and consent process for medium density housing

Perceived barriers to getting resources and building consents for medium-density housing

This project looked at the current experience of those already building medium density housing as they go through the resource and building-consent process. It identified the barriers and constraints they experience, and the impact of these barriers. The project also identified ways in which the consent process for medium density housing can be made easier, more responsive, more effective and more efficient.

There is increased acceptance of medium density housing in communities.

The New Zealand Housing Preferences Survey: Attitudes towards medium-density housing

The acceptance of medium density housing as a legitimate, healthy and desirable housing option is critical to its success as a solution to housing pressure. Current acceptance is limited, both amongst occupants and those who live in neighbourhoods surrounding this type of housing. The purpose of this project was to understand how to increase community acceptance of medium density housing by exploring current attitudes and perceptions in communities across New Zealand. This research is informing future educational and attitudinal change programmes.

Updated: 6 March 2025