Design overview
- Pic: Craig Robertson Photography for Beacon Pathway Ltd
Wherever you live, and whatever type of home you have, smart design can provide benefits.
A lot of New Zealand homes are poorly designed and not built for their location and climate. Many lack insulation and are cold and damp contributing to respiratory problems such as asthma. Some materials used in homes can also have negative effects on health, as well as on the environment.
A well-designed home will be warmer, more comfortable, healthier and more enjoyable to live in. Good design can also help to reduce your power, gas and water bills while being kinder to the environment.
Good design is about making sensible choices, such as:
- selecting a building site with good access to the sun
- insulating your home so its stays warm in winter
- orienting windows so the sun can heat your home
- choosing materials that don’t use or emit harmful chemicals
- buying appliances that are efficient and inexpensive to run
- thinking ahead to make sure your home or renovation will meet future needs as well as current ones.
When should you think about design?
Design is important for all types of homes - from apartments and townhouses to suburban sections, lifestyle blocks and rural homes.
Whether you're buying, building or renovating the earlier you start thinking about smart design the better. What works for you will depend on your site, climate, lifestyle requirements and available budget.
Once you've considered the ideas on this website, it would be a good idea to make a list of priorities and discuss these with your designer. Make sure your designer's views are compatible with yours.
It's also worth remembering that all aspects of design influence each other - the size and placement of windows, for example, will influence the design of your roof (to ensure you get shade in summer and sun in winter).
Home improvements
Whether you own or rent, good design can be used to enhance existing homes. For example, installing insulation or adding a concrete-floored conservatory will make your home warmer; sealing around doors and windows will reduce draughts, and adding solar panels for water heating should reduce your energy bills.
Choosing a site
Good design starts with understanding your site. For example, if you're building or renovating you'll get better results if, early in the design process, you think about any features of the site that you want to preserve and any features you want to make the most of (such as sun for heating and trees for shelter).
When you're choosing a site for building, it's worth considering whether you'll be able to build the home you want without extensive alterations to the site. Something you've seen in a magazine may not be suitable for the site you're looking at.
It's also worth considering what work has already been done by the developers or previous owners - there could be risks that you'll face costly problems further down the track. The more a building site is altered - through earthworks, removal of vegetation, and diversion of waterways and runoff channels - the greater the risk of problems such as slips, slumping, erosion and flooding.
Good design reduces these risks by minimising the impact a home has on its site - for example, by using foundations that don't require extensive earthworks or by avoiding large-scale use of concrete paving that can increase the risk of flooding.
For more information, see exterior design, being a good neighbour, and minimising pollution and site impacts.
Passive heating and cooling
With smart design which optimises the heat of the sun, you can keep your home at a comfortable temperature throughout most of the year while cutting down on the need for heaters and fans/air conditioning units. This is known as 'passive' heating and cooling ('passive' in this context means no appliances or mechanical heating and cooling are used).
In winter, a well designed home will catch the sun's heat and store it inside your home. In summer, shading will keep the sun out and breeze will keep your home cool.
To achieve these benefits your home will need to be well insulated. Without good insulation, you'll gain and lose heat through the ceiling, walls and floor.
If your home is well insulated, the biggest source of heat loss is windows and other glazed areas - so it's worth considering double-glazing or some other method of preventing heat loss through windows.
Passive heating and cooling isn't just for new homes or major renovations. You can achieve significant benefits from small alterations to an existing home such as insulating, adding a north-facing conservatory or simply putting up thermal-lined curtains.
See passive heating, passive cooling and orientation for more detailed information.
- Key elements of passive heating and cooling
Energy and water efficiency
In a well-designed home, resources are conserved and used efficiently in ways that keep your costs down without sacrificing comfort or convenience. Passive heating and natural light can reduce the amount of electricity or gas you use. So can solar water heating and energy efficient appliances. By using less energy, you'll save yourself money and also help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (produced when electricity is manufactured by burning oil, gas and coal.)
There are many easy ways to reduce water use - for example, by fitting low-flow showerheads and choosing water-efficient washing machines and other appliances. By using less water, you'll pay less in water charges and/or reduce upward pressure on rates.
Dampness and unhealthy air
A lot of New Zealand homes suffer from dampness that can contribute to health problems such as asthma. Many contain airborne pollutants such as formaldehyde from building materials which can also contribute to health problems.
Effective ventilation helps to dry out a home and bring in fresh air, making your home healthier to live in and easier to heat in winter. In summer, ventilation makes your home cooler.
The placement of windows and doors affects ventilation and so does the internal layout of your home. With good design, you can get air to flow where it's needed without creating strong draughts.
See unhealthy air and ventilation for more detailed information.
Safety and security
A home's design can influence how safe and secure it is. For safety, it's worth considering:
- room layout and floor surfaces that reduce the risk of slips and falls
- ease of access for people who are less mobile
- making sure your home is well lit
- using safety glass
- fire safety
- location of driveways to reduce the risk of children being hit by cars
- location of fences to keep children away from hazards
- setting the hot water cylinder at a safe temperature to prevent burns.
For security, it's worth considering visibility from neighbours and from the street, as well as quality of locks and catches on doors and windows.
See safety and security for more detailed information.
Environmentally friendly materials
The materials used in our homes can have significant negative effects on health and on the environment. Some emit harmful chemicals. Others are made using non-renewable resources and/or create harmful emissions when they're being manufactured or transported to the site.
Smart design involves choosing materials that are made from sustainably managed resources (for example, plantation timber or recycled materials) and make your home healthy and comfortable to live in.
See unhealthy air and materials for more.
Construction
Most New Zealand homes use conventional timber frame construction but there are other options. It may be worth considering alternatives such as aerated concrete or straw bale that provide added insulation. The right option for you will depend on site and climate conditions as well as personal taste.
Whether you're building, renovating or carrying out minor alterations, the construction process can also be managed to minimise waste. This keeps your materials and landfill costs down, and reduces the environmental impact of waste disposal.
See construction for more.
More information
From Smarter Homes
- Passive heating
- Passive cooling
- Insulation
- Glazing
- Ventilation
- Orientation
- Understanding your site
- Safety and security
- Materials
- Water
- Energy
From ConsumerBuild
From other sites
The Energywise website has a section on energy efficient home design.
An Introduction to Designing Comfortable Homes (PDF, 377KB) is a booklet about energy efficient design, produced by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority and the Cement and Concrete Association of New Zealand.
You can get information about zoning and planning requirement for your area from your local council. ConsumerBuild’s Council finder web page has contact details for New Zealand local authorities.
The Waitakere City Council’s website has guidelines on sustainable building.
The NOW Home website has information about designing and building homes for energy and water efficiency.
