Future proof your Wanaka build with Passive & Performance Principles. Comfort now. Better Value later. Why building a passive home will future proof the value of your home for the future.

To get started, let’s talk about what Pro Clima products are - and why the team here at M A Building love working with them on high performance and passive homes. Pro Clima is a New Zealand business that has created a range of building systems that achieve airtightness and weather-tightness in a home. These systems create energy efficient, low allergen emitting, comfortable, healthy homes, which as you all know, we are all about too!

Decisions, decisions, decisions, there are so many to make when it comes to making our homes the best they can be. Clean, green homes are what most of us are striving for and who doesn’t want lower electricity bills to join that party? Interestingly, solar energy has been in existence for at least 100 years, mainly used for steam production to drive machinery. An invention of a solar cell by Charles Fritts in 1893 was the beginning of the solar panel we have come to know today. With solar panels becoming an attractive option for homes to generate their own electricity, we decided it would a good idea to gain some clarity around solar energy.

Having lived in Wanaka for five years now, there is a particular time of year when high-performance and passive homes absolutely shine. That time of year is now, in Autumn and again in Spring, when the mornings and evenings are cooler but the days provide clear skies with sunshine. The design of a passive or high-performing home means that the airtightness and insulation reduces the amount of heat loss allowing the home to stay at a comfortable temperature all night long. Meaning the home owner is no longer reaching for that heat pump remote every single night or that condensation towel every single morning and is saving themselves 90% reduction in their heating costs every single year.

When we’re talking with clients who are planning to build a passive home or a high-performing home, one of the key reasons they are looking to build this way is because of the benefits when it comes to condensation. Here in New Zealand, many homes, both old and new, that are built to the standard New Zealand Building Code, will experience ‘crying windows’ or high levels of condensation on their home’s windows.

Mechanical Ventilation systems are systems that provide better indoor air quality in homes and commercial buildings by extracting stale air or by supplying fresh air, some systems will extract and supply.

As you all know, kitchens are often referred to as the “heart of the home”. Kitchens are essential to our daily lives, there are so many products on the market, but are they actually healthy for us? There are some materials that are excellent choices, which not only tick our aesthetic goals, but are safe for our families.

There are 5 Main principles in Passive House building. One of the key features of Passive House design is excellent insulation.

New building technologies help to keep our homes warmer in winter and cooler in summer while also addressing heat loss and gain through the building envelope. However, the tightly sealed buildings we’ve created may not be as healthy as we think; for healthy homes need to breathe freely to ensure good air quality and a dryer mould free environment.

Let’s face it, living in Central Otago, heating is an important element to consider when you embark on your building journey. It can be confusing, so let’s take a deep dive into underfloor and radiation heating with Mark from Heat

In recent years, we’ve seen the Passive Housing concept rise in popularity with more and more passive homes popping up both internationally and locally here in Wanaka too. In fact, since the first Passive House was built in Darmstadt, Germany in 1991, there are now over 30,000 Passive House buildings completed worldwide. So what is a Passive House, why has it become a leading international design standard, and is this the future of building?

Creating smart features in your home can be mistaken as too complicated or technical, but the team at Custom Digital here in Wanaka have made it their mission to make home automation easy to install and understand. We’ve enjoyed working with Ryan and his team many times on building projects and know that you’re going to love our conversation with him about smart home automation

For many of us who love to cook, the kitchen is the space that receives the most attention and thought when it comes to a new home build. After all, even if we’re not in there cooking, the kitchen is the heart of any home where we spend time talking with friends and family, grazing on nibbles, or the kids pull up a seat and do their homework. So it’s no wonder that when it comes to pantry design, it’s important to do the kitchen justice and get the style that’s just right for the space.

So often we hear from our clients that they were feeling overwhelmed and daunted by the building process before we met them. With the multitude of decisions to be made before and during their build, we can completely understand how clients get to this point. When we came across the online software, Co-Construct, we knew we’d struck gold for our clients

The recent cold snap of weather here in Wanaka has reminded us all of the benefits of building an energy-efficient home that helps retain the heat and stay as warm and healthy as possible. One key aspect of ensuring your home stays warm and dry is installing the most effective windows for your space.

As the hub of any home, the colour scheme of your kitchen can transform the mood and size of the space. Typically, when choosing kitchen design, most people will be choosing between a dark or light colour palette for their bench-top and cabinetry. And we know just how hard it is to make that final decision!

Now more than ever, we’re noticing that our clients are interested in what products and materials are being used to furnish their homes. It makes sense, as kiwis we spend the majority of our personal time at home and now one third of us are also working from home too.

We know that we won’t be the only ones who have spent the last few weeks taking stock and reevaluating what’s important to our business for the future. For us, one issue that we continue to revisit is how we can best support sustainability in the construction industry.