KEY POINTS:
When Coromandel builder Rod Percival decided to build an environmentally sensitive show home he came up with 52 eco-friendly ideas.
The first on the list was the building site sign made out of recycled beams, plywood and environmental choice-approved paint. The last item was the composting of all the gib board waste on his farm.
Among the dozens listed in between were natural oils for treating wood, plastering interior walls with clay, double glazing, recycled wooden doors, the use of New Zealand-grown plantation timber, smart-flush toilet systems, and pure wool carpets.
Mr Percival, winner of New Zealand's 2002 supreme builder award, said he had always had green leanings during his 40 years in the construction industry and was keen to do more to promote sustainable building in the country.
While his building business was at the top end of the housing market, he also recognised a need to get the middle market on the green bandwagon, with affordable options for others who wanted the advantages of well designed and energy efficient dwellings.
Homes that embody sustainable features are more expensive to build, particularly when they incorporate elements like double glazing, extra insulation measures, and solar water heating.
The outgoings are said to be eventually repaid to consumers and reduction in the reliance on gas and electricity is important as residential buildings consume about 12 per cent of New Zealand's energy production.
For those who can afford the extras it is an increasingly sought after dream incorporating specialist design.
In Auckland a project management company is finding plenty of interest for sustainable construction of upmarket houses.
Dan Hayworth, project manager at Arhaus Group, said carefully researched and specialist design added to the cost of building a house but his clients, many from overseas, wanted the benefits.
Mr Hayworth said in New Zealand timber houses had stood the test of time well but could be damp and drafty.
The World Health Organisation has reported that nearly one third of New Zealand homes were colder than the recommended minimum average of 16C.
Mr Hayworth is managing a residential construction in Waimauku for Austrian clients. The large dwelling is built from aerated concrete block which takes more energy to produce than timber but is more durable in the long run.
The house faces north to make use of passive solar energy and double glazing in the windows containing a metal film will reflect heat back into the rooms.
A roof-top solar water heating system will help provide hot water and energy-efficient lighting will be installed throughout to reduce electricity costs.
