Account or Login
A Superhome design provides you a superior living environment for the life of the home and savings from day one. What makes a superior design and how to avoid faulty design.
SuperFloor... Slab fully insulated edge with no thermal bridging.
Suspended floors fully insulated floor systems, airtight and earthquake resilient.
SuperWall high-performance wall systems and Panels. EcoPanel and Cross Laminated timber (CLT) floors and roofs. Rapid construction, weather-tight, resilient and efficient
Windows are the greatest heat loss. SuperWindow recessed windows provide huge energy and comfort benefit and eliminate condensation causing weeping windows etc.
Super- insulation reduces heat loss (and gain) with higher levels of insulation and airtightness, along with minimising thermal bridging to create a superior thermal envelope.
Airtight construction and building materials to minimise heat loss and eliminate moisture and mold in the wall and roof assembies etc... Proper MHRV ventilation is required in airtight buildings.
Proper ventilation is critical for health, safety, and comfort but also for the durability and longevity and protection of the building from decay.
A whole building integrated design system thinking approach is required.
Energy efficient heating, such as hydronic underfloor that is solar powered and integrated with hot water heating is a super efficient option
All Superhomes have rainwater harvesting. Some also have greywater recycling. Use water efficient taps and fittings and energy recovery drains. Permeable landscape to reduce stormwater runoff
Use renewable energy sources with energy efficient fittings and appliances, and automated smart controls to restrict energy use to times when it is needed
Every two minutes the sun gives the earth more energy than is used annually. Solar works best when integrated into the design to either be used while generated or stored.
Use ethically sourced, natural materials that are environmentally certified. Avoid red-listed and toxic materials. Minimse waste and ensure the home is resilient and future focused
Minimise your carbon footprint by having food producing plants and native landscaping. Permeable paving and appropriate planting to reduce stormwater load
Design orientated for correct solar gain with shading optimised to prevent overheating. Planning and layout for sun and light access. Biophilic design
Homestar rates sustainability. Passive House models predicted thermal performance. Blower door tests verify the build quality airtightness. Monitoring confirms built performance.
BASE, BETTER, BEST format.
We are keeping things straightforward to follow and easy to implement. A SUPERHOME is a home that at least meets or exceeds the “BETTER” or “BEST” requirements of Healthy home design guide. A HEALTHY HOME is defined as one that at least meets or exceeds the minimum “BASE” standards in this document.
The Healthy home design guide is intended to ensure that projects are planned, designed and executed on the basis of super standards, design principles, aesthetics, function and universal design. This is intended as an industry reference document. The online version of the Healthy Home Design Guide is a living document and will be updated regularly to reflect improved technology and methods.
SUPERHOMES should be created by a project team with ideally at least two Superhome movement participants. Designer and Builder https://www.superhome.co.nz/who/
Superhome participants are knowledgeable innovators engaged in appropriate Continued Professional Development (CPD). As a result, standards, methods and techniques are continually evolving and improving.
A systems thinking approach is applied with holistic integrated design-driven thinking. An important focus is the design standards that are deficient in the New Zealand Building industry. The guide provides alternative solutions to the sub-optimal building code acceptable solutions.
Our homes significantly influence our health and wellbeing and this can be in a positive or negative way. People often spend 80% to 90% of the time in their home. Especially older people and the very young. Therefore it is important the home provides the best possible living environment, so it protects and nurtures the body and mind; a place where a family can live salubriously, and flourish and be successful. To achieve this, a home should be well designed and built to stand strong, be resilient, durable, efficient in size and cost, while being kind to both its family and environment.
NZ's first 10 star home
Church Square, Christchurch is the location of NZ's first 10 Homestar rated home. Designed by Bob Burnett Architecture.
