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support and educate the contractors they supply, this will lead to best-practice installations.
Q. What is happening in the materials area?
Our business is very much about change and innovation to the construction sector. Technology that makes e cient use of time and resources is paramount.
We recently released New Zealand’s rst designed and developed dust-suppressed plaster to our contractors. It is 82% reduced dust while mixing, which provides health and safety bene ts to contractors. We also see a signi cant shift towards natural materials. Our earthen clay plasters provide for healthier living environments and are ‘cradle to cradle’ – they can be reused or returned to the earth with zero impact on the environment.
Q. Any thoughts on prefabricated housing and the use of new technology? There is no going back. Prefabrication has moved considerably in the past 10 years and will continue to do so at a similar rate. We are investing in robotics due to the heavy nature of our products. We want to reduce the physical impact on our people, rather than reduce their number in our dry powder facility. This will also enable more e ciency on a smaller footprint to produce a broader range of products.
Q. Any nal comments?
The construction industry is made up of an amazingly diverse and skilled group of people that, once combined, make a mark on how society was and will be into the future. The trick is getting all these professionals working together.
The one constant in life and business is the people.
What’s new?
Moisture in subfloors
AROUND 1.2 MILLION existing New Zealand houses have suspended timber ground oors and one in 12 new homes.
BRANZ house condition surveys have regularly found houses with suspended timber oors that do not meet the current requirements for ventilation.
Insu cient ventilation under the house can lead to high sub oor moisture levels. This can lead to rot, corrosion, borer infestation, loss of insulation performance and reduced durability in building materials. The subsequent dampness can also lead to health problems for
occupants, internal mould and fungi growth.
BRANZ Bulletin 594 Excessive moisture in enclosed subfloor spaces
describes the causes and e ects of excessive sub oor moisture in buildings.
It outlines ways of avoiding and detecting the problem and gives potential remedies. It updates and replaces Bulletin 457 Ventilation of enclosed subfloor spaces.
Details Available for $13.50 from the BRANZ Shop at www.branz.co.nz or call 0800 80 80 85.
‘Our vision is to seamlessly join together and optimise an array of tools that allows architects and engineers to work at the speed of thought.’ – Jen Carlile, co-founder and software engineer, Flux.
‘Rather than being driven by short-term thinking and vested interests, we need policies of intelligent regulation and smart investment, based on a far-sighted vision of the public interest in the well-functioning and sustainable housing
HelpingChristchurch sector.’–Philippa Howden-Chapman,
regenerate
THE GOVERNMENT and Christchurch City Council have established Regenerate Christchurch, a joint entity overseeing the long- term development of the central city, residential red zone, New Brighton and other regeneration areas.
It is jointly owned and funded by the Crown and the Christchurch City Council, with a board reporting to both. After 5 years, Regenerate will transfer to the city as a fully Council Controlled Organisation (CCO).
Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel says the new entity is a rst for New Zealand and has the potential to provide a new model for Crown and council collaboration beyond Christchurch.
‘The establishment of Regenerate Christchurch signals a shift in focus for Christchurch from recovery to regeneration. The structure of the new entity allows for community engagement in the decision-making process, which is crucial to the future prosperity of our city.’
Professor of Public Health, University of Otago.
‘Our parametric models are absolutely accurate and can be used directly for an industrial fabrication or prefabrication process. Going to the next step will open up new opportunities to design, generate and deliver projects – a very exciting prospect.’ – Joachim Clauss, Bates Smart.
Build 152 — February/March 2016 — 17
FROM THE HORSE’S MOUTH