3 Results: Organisations Conducting Research

Beacon Pathway Ltd

Nick Collins
PO Box 11 338
Auckland

Phone: 0508 Beacon
Email: office@beaconpathway.co.nz

In planning:

Title (provisional):

Market Transformation - Tools and guidelines

Purpose:

To develop tools and guidelines to support specific interventions and develop appropriate indicators to pilot and monitor progress i.e. the outcomes of interventions.

Co-researchers:

Ann Smith, Marie Reti-Flower and Cerasela Stancu (Landcare Research), Stephen McKernon (Supplejack).

Title (provisional):

Market Transformation - Implementation and evaluation of interventions

Purpose:

To evaluate and refine interventions and indicators with case study companies, industry associations, and housing and consumer groups.

Co-researchers:

Ann Smith, Marie Reti-Flower and Cerasela Stancu (Landcare Research), Stephen McKernon (Supplejack)

In progress:

Title:

'Policy and Regulation - Understanding the regulatory and policy environment'

Purpose:

To provide a clear understanding of the environment surrounding sustainability regulation and policy development in central and local government; to review current and planned initiatives on sustainability by central and local government.

Title:

'Policy and Regulation - Economic assessment model'

Purpose:

To develop an economic/sustainability tool which is acceptable to the regulator and which supports the RIS process to include sustainability in the New Zealand Building Code and any other relevant legislation.

Title:

'Policy and Regulation - Life Cycle Assessment'

Purpose:

To develop a Life Cycle Assessment tool.

Title:

'Policy and Regulation - New Zealand Building Code'

Purpose:

To assess sustainability requirements in the Building Code and identify any gaps; to implement new sustainability measures for the Building Code.

Title:

'Policy and Regulation - Sustainability Assessment Scheme'

Purpose:

To develop and provide a Sustainability Assessment Scheme for New Zealand covering both new and retrofit building.

Title:

'Policy and Regulation - Parameters for goal'

Purpose:

To define the parameters around, and the metrics of, Beacon's goal of bringing 90% of New Zealand homes to a high standard of sustainability by 2012.

Title:

'Neighbourhoods - Sustainability indicators'

Purpose:

To develop a set of indicators that reflect neighbourhood-scale sustainability impacts and benchmark these against national and international best practice.

Title:

'Neighbourhoods - Benefits of sustainability'

Purpose:

To identify the potential benefits of sustainability measures for neighbourhoods; to establish the scale and scope of potential improvement in different neighbourhoods.

Title:

'Neighbourhoods - Pilot project'

Purpose:

To trial a pilot neighbourhood improvement scheme.

Title:

'Neighbourhoods - Retrofit options'

Purpose:

To identify the retrofit potential for existing neighbourhood forms.

Title:

'Neighbourhoods - Code of Practice'

Purpose:

To develop a model Code of Practice to support the implementation of sustainability features in neighbourhood development.

Title:

'Neighbourhoods - Greenfields'

Purpose:

To develop conventional and model sustainability plans for greenfields development.

Title:

'Technology - NOW Home technologies'

Purpose:

To develop a short list of technologies derived from the NOW Home, THEN Home and NEW projects for potential advancement, taking into account new-build and retrofit needs.

Title:

'Technology - Available retrofit technologies'

Purpose:

To evaluate existing retrofit technologies for their applicability to New Zealand houses.

Title:

'Technology - Waste guidelines'

Purpose:

To develop and publish guidelines on waste minimisation for new and retrofit building.

Title:

'Technology - Managing innovation'

Purpose:

To develop a process to manage an innovative technology development portfolio for Beacon.

Title:

'NOW Home'

Purpose:

To design and build a home which is as energy, water and resource efficient as possible using best available technologies, materials and practices; to monitor the construction process; on completion, to find tenants for the house and then to monitor its performance for two years; to test the success of the design and measure the effectiveness of the sustainability features.

Title:

'Market Transformation - Identifying the gap - consumers'

Purpose:

To assess the residential building industry for level of sustainability; to assess the level of engagement of consumers with sustainability; to identify the gap between the current situation and Beacon's goal of bringing 90% of New Zealand housing stock to the highest sustainable levels.

Co-researchers:

Ann Smith (Landcare Research), Stephen McKernon (Supplejack), Susan Bates (Scion), Consumer Institute.

Title:

'Market Transformation - Identifying the gap - industry'

Purpose:

To assess the residential building industry for level of sustainability; to assess the level of engagement of industry with sustainability; to identify the gap between the current situation and Beacon's goal of bringing 90% of New Zealand housing stock to the highest sustainable levels.

Co-researchers:

Ann Smith and Marie Reti-Flower (Landcare Research), Stephen McKernon (Supplejack), Susan Bates (Scion), participating industry associations.

Title:

'Market Transformation - Bridging the gap'

Purpose:

To identify specific market transformation examples with the potential to significantly contribute to Beacon's goals - the examples will be tested with industry and consumers to identify realistic interventions (along with the tools and guidelines that would be needed) suitable for the New Zealand residential built environment.

Co-researchers:

Ann Smith (Landcare Research), Stephen McKernon (Supplejack).

Title:

'Market Transformation - Drivers and barriers'

Purpose:

To identify and evaluate the key issues that affect the current and expected future uptake of sustainable technologies by the residential building industry and consumers.

Co-researchers:

Ann Smith, Bob Frame and Marie Reti-Flower (Landcare Research) and Stephen McKernon (Supplejack), Susan Bates (Scion).

Completed:

Title:

Together, Creating Tomorrow's Homes: A report based on research conducted by Beacon Pathway (2005)

Purpose:

This report is based on research conducted during the initial Project Confirmation Phase, which aimed to confirm the direction and focus of further research. The initial research was grouped into nine areas: New Technology, NOW Home, Consumers, Industry, Integration, Sustainability Framework, Retrofit, National Scorecard, and Neighbourhoods.

Co-researchers:

Karen Bayne (Scion), Megan Howell (Waitakere City Council), Roman Jaques (BRANZ), Stephen McKernon (Supplejack), Mike O'Connell (Environment Canterbury), Ian Page (BRANZ), Ann Smith (Landcare Research), Albrecht Stoecklein (BRANZ), John Storey (Victoria University of Wellington), James Turner (Scion).

Title:

Market Transformation - Industry association alignment (2005)

Purpose:

To determine the views of industry associations on sustainability and how these might potentially affect the achievement of Beacon's goals.

Co-researchers:

Stephen McKernon (Supplejack) and Jennifer McCartney (Speechmakers).

BRANZ Ltd

Rachel Hargreaves (Senior Sustainable Building Scientist)

Auckland office

Phone: (09) 524 0008
Fax: (09) 524 0018
Email: rachelhargreaves@branz.co.nz
Website: www.branz.co.nz

In planning:

Nil.

In progress:

Title:

'Sustainability in the Residential Built Environment'

Purpose:

See Beacon Pathway Ltd response.

Co-researchers:

Roman Jaques, Lynda Amitrano, Albrecht Stoecklein, and Rachel Hargreaves.

Title:

'Application of environmental (sustainability) profiling techniques to the building industry'

Purpose:

To identify and evaluate methods of sustainability profiling (both management systems and reporting techniques) specific for building and construction related industries.

Co-researchers:

Agnes Sheridan and Rachel Hargreaves.

Title:

'The Household Energy End-use Project (HEEP)'

Purpose:

A long term research project to create an accurate up-to-date knowledge base of the actual energy use by the occupants of New Zealand residential building.

Co-researchers:

Nigel Isaacs, Andrew Pollard, Lynda Amitrano, Michael Camilleri, Lisa French.

Title:

'Zero and Low Energy Houses (ZALEH)'

Purpose:

A four-year FRST funded research project on market transformation and lifestyle evaluation of energy efficiency programmes.

Researcher:

Albrecht Stoecklein.

Title:

'An integrated response to climate change mitigation and adaptation'

Purpose:

To identify flexible, integrated climate change responses for the building and construction industry by:

• exploring building solutions to deliver a carbon-neutral built environment
• exploring building solutions to deliver an adapted built environment in an already altering climate.

Co-researchers:

Roman Jaques and Rachel Hargreaves.

Title:

'Australian Greenhouse Office Climate Change Adaptation Project'

Purpose:

A study into measures to identify and assess the need to adapt buildings for the unavoidable consequences of climate change.

Co-researchers:

Lynda Amitrano, Rachel Hargreaves, Trevor Lee, Mark Snow, Les Winton, Rosalee Woodruff.

Title:

'Sustainable Residential Building Manual (phase 1)'

Purpose:

To contribute to more sustainable New Zealand residential housing.

Co-researchers:

(See Victoria University entry), Albrecht Stoecklein and Roman Jaques.

Completed:

Title:

Smart Growth (2000)

Purpose:

To raise awareness of the smart growth concept and its value to New Zealand development.

Co-researchers:

Fletcher Challenge, Forest Research.

Title:

Urban Sustainability in New Zealand: An information resource for urban practitioners (January 2003)

Purpose:

To compile New Zealand information on urban sustainability to assist urban practitioners deliver 'urban solutions' across a range of disciplines.

Co-researcher:

Kathryn Davies (Unitec).

Title:

Urban Sustainability Worldwide: An information resource for urban practitioners (October 2003)

Purpose:

To provide useful information from international sources to urban practitioners to assist them in creating liveable and sustainable towns and cities in New Zealand.

Title:

Being a Climate-friendly Kiwi: At home and in the office (May 2004, 2nd edition)

Purpose:

To provide easy-to-use, practical information on how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on a day-to-day basis. Includes a New Zealand specific climate change calculator to work out the home/office carbon footprint.

Title:

Easy Guide to Eco-building (2004, 3rd edition)

Purpose:

To provide an introduction to green building, highlighting important issues to consider and providing links to relevant New Zealand material.

Title:

The Green Home Scheme (2004, 2nd edition)

Purpose:

To promote sustainable, healthy and safe homes by recognising the environmental impact buildings have on their occupants and surroundings. Specifically, the scheme was developed to:

• assist the building of comfortable, practical and environmentally sensitive houses
• encourage and recognise safe and healthy homes
• influence the availability of environmentally preferable materials.

Researcher:

Roman Jaques.

Title:

Impact of energy use information resulting in behavioural change (March 2005)

Purpose:

Identify the potential of instant energy consumption feedback on energy saving behaviour.

Researcher:

Albrecht Stoecklein.

Title:

Compendium and Evaluation of Building Environmental Impact Schemes being used in Australasia (May 2005)

Purpose:

To provide an expert assessment of schemes currently being used in Australasia with a view to recommending a scheme for use as the primary scheme in New Zealand. See http://www.buildingresearch.org.nz/assets/pdfs/ SR135.pdf

Researcher:

Rachel Hargreaves.

Building Research

Dr John Duncan, Manager, Levy Investment

Moonshine Road
PO Box 50 127
Porirua City

Phone: (04) 237 2053
Fax: (04) 237 2051
Email: johnduncan@buldingresearch.org.nz
Website: www.buildingresearch.org.nz

In planning:

Nil.

In progress:

Nil.

Completed:

Title:

Conflicts between The Resource Management Act 1991 and The Building Act 2004 (2004)

Purpose:

The two key legislative impacts on the form of the built environment are the RMA and the Building Act. They were drafted with completely different philosophies. The RMA is intended to enable the sustainable management of natural and physical resources. The RMA is very much local in focus and application. The Building Act (2004) leads to a uniform nationwide Building Code, and has wider scope than the 1991 predecessor, to ensure that buildings contribute to the health, physical independence and well being of their occupants, and that they are constructed in ways that promote sustainable development. Building projects must comply with both. There needs to be a clarity of requirement; the work found around 20 instances of lack of clarity (though no major conflicts), and some gaps in responsibilities, for example in relation to earthworks and coastal structures. See http://www.buildingresearch.org.nz/assets/BR%20RMA.pdf

Co-researcher:

Contractors to Building Research: MWH NZ Ltd.

Title:

Compendium and Evaluation of Building Environmental Impact Schemes being used in Australasia (2005)

Purpose:

See BRANZ response.

Co-researcher:

Contractors to Building Research: Rachel Hargreaves and BRANZ Ltd.

Buller District Council

Jane Bayley (Senior Planner)

Phone: (03) 788 9111
Fax: (03) 788 8041
Email: jane@bdc.govt.nz
Website: www.bullerdc.govt.nz/

Nil.

Comments:

The council has two urban design teams, which deal with the two major towns in Buller District. The teams work independently of each other and have little contact with other groups in the urban design field. The teams are very interested in what is happening throughout New Zealand with regard to urban planning. In Westport, the main focus has been on setting up the main entrance into town, with plantings and a jetty structure. In Reefton, they are reinstating the 'old time' heritage look of the area with front verandahs.

Centre for Advanced Engineering (CAE)

George Hooper (Executive Director)

Private Bag 4800
Christchurch 8004

Phone: (03) 364 2478
Fax: (03) 364 2069
Email: g.hooper@cae.canterbury.ac.nz
Website: www.caenz.com

In planning:

Title (provisional):

'Transport networks'

Purpose:

Integration of land use and transport planning to improve accessibility and better management of travel demands.

Co-researchers:

Alan Nicholson (University of Canterbury), Ken Dobinson (Warren Centre, Sydney), Shane Turner (Beca Group Ltd).

In progress:

Nil.

Completed:

Title:

Planning for Natural Hazard Risk in the Built Environment (2004)

Purpose:

To examine ways of strengthening future planning and decision-making to take better account of hazard information and science knowledge.

Co-researcher:

Terry Day (CAE Programme Manager).