The Tipping Point - An Energy Efficient Medium Density Housing Development

The building industry’s immense contribution to greenhouse gas emissions and the need for housing in New Zealand are both singular issues that need a combined solution set (Mulliner & Maliene, 2011). The current isolation between sustainability and the current housing market regarding New Zealand architecture suggests this is putting a halt to our desire for a ‘green’ country. Rapid construction and affordability are prioritised over the environmental impact of the building (Pullen et al., 2010).

Providing quality housing with minimal environmental impact are key issuesin society today, and how these are incorporated together will create the solution (Mulliner & Maliene, 2011). Sustainability is a broad term, so it is necessary to narrow this down by focusing on reducing the embodied and operational energy of the building (greenhouse gas emissions). My research will focus on finding a combined set of parameters to design quality, medium-density housing that reduces greenhouse gas emissions through decreased operational and embodied energy. Limitations of this research include the small umbrella of sustainability research in this thesis. Embodied and operational aspects are only one element that assists in designing sustainable housing. The disconnect between the current housing market’s quality and sustainability aspects drives this thesis.