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Craft Homes Talk About Teamwork & How It is Key in Building a Sustainable Home

Friday 15 January 2021, 12:17AM

By Beckie Wright

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AUCKLAND

Craft Homes believe that the key to creating a greener building industry is teamwork. Everyone involved in a project, from the client to the builders, and the suppliers and designers in between, needs to be on the same page for a property to be built sustainably. So, what can each member of a project team do to improve the sector’s green credentials?  

Starting with the client, unfortunately many people still need to be educated  and convinced of the necessity of more sustainable building practices and creating green homes. In other words, the more consumers demand greener building practices, the more the industry will shift to fulfil this demand.  

However, the biggest barrier to clients is cost, which is completely understandable, and it’s just a myth that eco homes are more expensive to build than standard homes. In fact, they cost much less in the long run as they will save you a lot resource use and its associated costs, such as maintenance, heating, ventilation, and many others.  

Next up in the project team are the architects and engineers, along with builders, who will work to bring a client’s ideas together into a cohesive plan, and they are all becoming increasingly familiar with resource-efficient design. Craft Homes suggest engaging a integrative design team to kick-start the process. This initial team should include an architectural designer and builder and, where appropriate, an engineer and suppliers too, ensuring the professionals you choose for your project are certified in sustainable design techniques. 

Sustainable building is all about being mindful of resource use, as this can reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill and lessen the need for upgrades to energy or water infrastructure that will have to be paid for by future generations. As the people who bring a design vision to life, builders need to be continuously trained and upskilled in sustainable practices and be familiar with them in order to play their part well in the building process.  

Some of the things that builders need to have expertise in are increased standards of insulation, air tightness, mechanical ventilation, the use of thermal mass, sustainable material use, innovative eco-technology, and more. 

As home builders themselves, the Craft Homes team gives priority to local suppliers and put strict waste minimisation plans in place on each site. They partner with the best subcontractors to ensure a home is built to the highest standard, and provide independent assurance through their New Zealand Certified Builders membership, Passive House and Homestar training to ensure every build meets the highest level of workmanship.  

Everyone involved in the construction sector, from designers to builders, need to work together to continually improve the processes and create a greener building industry in New Zealand, so for more information on new house builders, Homestar homes and sustainable homes please go to https://www.crafthomes.co.nz .