Professor Anthony Hōete shares three recommendations from ModelDocs — a BRANZ funded research programme that delves into NZ’s building consent process to seek behavioural transformation.

What can LBPs, architects and BCOs do better to reduce consenting timeframes?

In my opinion it is only by analysing Terrace and Apartment housing developments with the use of Dynamic Simulation computational modelling processes that an objective evaluation can be made of the potential for passive summer over-heating to occur in the most likely vulnerable units.

In our first article, we laid the foundation for change in the construction industry by introducing systems thinking as a shared responsibility for every stakeholder. Today, we focus on how we can improve the safety and quality of our built environment by examining the role and responsibilities of main contractors.

Similar challenges are occurring in Australia and the United States.

Ten frequently asked questions that can help with general understanding and challenges that are regularly faced in the New Zealand construction industry.

In LBP skills maintenance 124 we gave a general overview of retention money, what it is for and what contractors should look out for if they choose to retain it as part of a commercial contract. This month, we’re looking at retentions again from the point of view of a subcontractor who is having retention money withheld from them. 

Licensed Building Practitioners (LBPs) play a critical role in ensuring the structural integrity and weather-tightness of New Zealand’s residential buildings. However, recent data and industry commentary suggest that a significant number of LBPs are not adequately prepared for building inspections, leading to concerning failure rates. These failures often stem from issues such as non-compliance with the Building Code, incomplete documentation, or work being carried out beyond the LBPs scope of competence.

Professor Anthony Hōete shares the results of ModelDocs — a BRANZ funded research programme that delves into NZ’s building consent process to seek behavioural transformation.

One of the key findings is that B1 and E2 represent over half of all RFI line items related to NZBC clauses. So, what can we do to reduce those RFIs?

Remediation projects present unique and complex challenges that go beyond traditional design scopes. We want to show how this can lead to unfavourable outcomes if not addressed early on by the designers and specifiers on the project.

The key to improving the cost of NZ homes is about making lots of small improvements that will add up to a significant cost reduction.