Page 54 - Build 152

Ventilation
Connections
BRANZ scientists have rm connections with their international peers, collaborating on joint building science projects and ensuring New Zealand has access to the latest and best information.
BY MANFRED PLAGMANN, BRANZ SENIOR PHYSICIST
BRANZ'S PARTICIPATION in international organisations such as the Air, In ltration and Ventilation Centre (AIVC) and the International Energy Agency (IEA) are crucial to delivering top-quality science for the New Zealand building industry.
Involvement in these groups provides unfettered access to some of the world’s leading building science researchers and has been the catalyst for many international collaborations. Through these organisa- tions, BRANZ gains access to data, models and technical methods developed by other
countries that can then be applied to a New Zealand setting.
Collaborating on research themes
Connection to organisations such as AIVC and IEA are increasingly important as New Zealand moves towards more airtight homes where energy e ciency and ventila- tion must be designed at the beginning of the building process.
Maintaining international linkages involves attending and contributing to international conferences and workshops
throughout the year. BRANZ also partici- pates in several internationally collaborative research themes, held under the umbrella of the IEA, relating to issues faced by the New Zealand building industry.
Engaging internationally
BRANZ sits on the board of the AIVC, ensuring we stay up to date with the latest ventilation science and help shape its direc- tion. Besides learning from other scientists, many of the solutions and techniques designed by BRANZ to suit New Zealand buildings and environmental conditions are also of value to researchers elsewhere.
Great bene ts come from engaging with other researchers to discuss ideas, learn from successes and mistakes and avoid the repetition of work that has not been published yet or is in its early stages.
By fostering international connections, collaborative projects can be set up to approach problems too large to be attempted individually. This contributes to worldwide research and to free information exchange. It also provides a great forum for testing the validity of BRANZ’s science.
52 — February/March 2016 — Build 152
FEATURE SECTION