“Collaboration is where transformation happens.” That was the key message delivered by Claire Falck, BRANZ’s CEO, who presented some of our latest research on topics such as AI, remote inspections, new builds, and climate resilience.
“The building industry is facing many challenges,” said Claire. “These challenges have been with us for some time, and they aren’t easy to solve – things like affordability and the cost of building; the complexity of the building system; the barriers to innovation; and how to get the right information to the right people across a diverse and fragmented industry.
“To shift the dial, we need to work closely with the sector – and that’s what we’re committed to doing,” said Claire.
Led by the Registered Master Builders Association (RMBA), Constructive is an annual industry-led forum designed to enhance collaboration, build resilience and ensure a sustainable sector that delivers what New Zealand needs now, and for our future.
Claire spoke about BRANZ’s research and insights in the following areas:
- The long-term challenges facing the building industry; for instance, affordability and the cost of building, the complexity of the building system, and the barriers to innovation. For more detail, see our Industry Insights report 2024.
- BRANZ’s investment for new research in four priority areas, which directly link to the challenges facing Aotearoa:
- Housing affordability
- Improving the quality and safety of New Zealand’s housing
- Improving resilience to and recovery from natural hazards
- Lessening the environmental impacts of the built environment
- Streamlining the consenting process; with a new research project to explore whether artificial intelligence (AI) might be helpful in increasing the speed and efficiency of consents.
- Tools for remote building inspections; including the free-to-use BRANZ-powered app for digital inspections, Artisan.
- Increasing financial mechanisms for consumers; helping New Zealanders access finance to build these homes and get advice on how to make them comfortable and efficient.
- How to strengthen Aotearoa’s buildings to better withstand our changing climate; including a new research project that will create practical guidance on how to protect homes against disasters and severe weather, as well as recovery advice.
Claire also shared a sneak peek of BRANZ’s new Fire Lab, which is due to open in 2025, alongside our existing Structural Engineering Lab.
“We are proud of the impact that our research has on improving the quality and performance of New Zealand’s buildings,” said Claire following her presentation.
“But we know that we cannot do this alone. We rely on the feedback, input and support of our partners in the construction sector, who are at the forefront of delivering better homes for New Zealanders.
“That is why events like Constructive are so valuable, as they provide a platform for sharing knowledge, ideas and best practices across the industry. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with the sector, and working together to achieve our vision of building a better New Zealand.”
Healthy Homes: A Practical Guide
On day two of the forum, BRANZ General Manager of Research Dr Chris Litten also joined Aiden Jury, Sales and Franchise Director at Jennian Homes, in the session Healthy Homes: A Practical Guide.
They shared tips for building energy efficient homes, in line with the recent changes to clause H1 of the building code.
You can read BRANZ’s support for higher energy efficiency standards here. We believe that the standards should be maintained because:
- Standards are based on scientific evidence
- Insulation does not cause overheating
- Poor design is the problem
- Avoiding the costs of reversing the changes
- Aligning the building sector with national climate goals
Ngā mihi to the Constructive team for organising the conference, and for the opportunity to share our insights with the industry.
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You can find out more about this research in our latest Annual Review, published this month:
- BRANZ’s investment priority statement 2024
- Streamlining the consent process – can AI be helpful in consenting? (p.86-87)
- Increasing financial mechanisms for consumers – advising bank customers of new build performance (p.46)
- Climate resilience – build back better (p.24-25)
- Restoring homes after flood damage (p.24-25)
- Overview of BRANZ’s new fire & structures laboratories (p.12-15)
- Guide to BRANZ’s testing & assurance services (p.16-19)
- Remote building inspection tools – BRANZ Artisan app