The Superhome Movement: Q&A with Bob Burnett

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Whare Paetara — winner of the 2023 ADNZ Resene Kaitiakitanga Award, introduced for the first time this year.
Kaitiakitanga is the ethics and practice of protection and conservation of the natural environment and the resources within it, on which people depend. — Whare Paetara — winner of the 2023 ADNZ Resene Kaitiakitanga Award, introduced for the first time this year. Kaitiakitanga is the ethics and practice of protection and conservation of the natural environment and the resources within it, on which people depend. Image: Supplied

Bob Burnett of Bob Burnett Architecture has had a core focus of designing energy-efficient, healthy homes for over two decades. In 2015, he co-founded the Superhome Movement to help normalise building better — to not only help combat climate change, but also improve the health of New Zealanders. Editor of ArchitectureNow, Jacinda Rogers, talks to Burnett about the Superhome Movement and what is needed to raise the quality of housing in Aotearoa.

Jacinda Rogers (JR): For those that haven’t heard of Superhome, when did it start and what is the movement about?

Bob Burnett (BB): Following the February 2011 Canterbury earthquake, my family were ejected from our home and experienced poor quality, cold, mouldy, rental homes. These substandard rentals resulted in serious health issues for my children including asthma, which was triggered by the presence of mould. I decided that it is not okay that so many Kiwis live this way and so the Superhome Movement was created in 2015. It aims to raise awareness and help New Zealanders to live in better, healthier, more energy-efficient, and environmentally-friendly homes.

JR: What markers or qualifications do homes need to meet Superhome standards?

BB: The key principles for a Superhome are: good design; verified thermal performance; super-insulated floor, walls and roof; high-performance and recessed windows; airtightness, ventilation, efficient energy, and water; low carbon materials and good waste management.

JR: In terms of budget, does it cost a lot more to build a Superhome?

BB: Not necessarily. Good design is the key to building a Superhome or renovating an existing home. Good design can actually save you money in the long run, avoid costly mistakes and future-proof to improve equity and ROI. There are three levels of Superhome Standards: Base, Better, or Best, to suit various project budgets. This means the preferences for performance, specifications, and details can be chosen for the desired budget. There may be some initial upfront costs involved in some of the components (e.g. high-performance windows) when targeting Better or Best, but these costs will soon be recovered through reduced energy costs.

JR: What are some common misconceptions about energy-efficient homes?

BB: That they are significantly more expensive. The other common misconception is that the New Zealand building code is a satisfactory standard, when it is out of date by at least two decades.

JR: Are there any roadblocks to building healthier homes in New Zealand?

BB: The current New Zealand Building Code standards are universally used as a target by industry but it’s way below minimum standards compared to other countries with similar climates. People are paying good money for new homes and renovations believing that they are getting the best homes available, but that is not the case. The Superhome Movement aims to provide people with access to good, unbiased information so they can make design decisions early in their new build or renovation project, so that they can get a healthy, comfortable, energy-efficient home.

JR: How can the industry at large back this movement? What is needed most critically?

BB: First, gain a better understanding of what is really needed to create a healthy sustainable home. Then share access to this knowledge with their people, clients, and customers. What is critically needed is to raise awareness that the New Zealand Building Code standards are too low and what can be done to enable people to be able to enjoy better, more comfortable, energy-efficient homes. The Superhome Movement is a group of like-minded professionals happy to provide and share information and help people into Superhomes.