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A HIGH PERFORMING SHOW HOME. KOTARE PARK, CAMBRIDGE

This home uses 70% less energy.

This show home was brought to life through a collaboration between Higgs Building Co and Tawa Architecture, combining design excellence with sustainable building practices. This show home is now a flagship display for Ebode Homes, demonstrating the benefits of SIPs construction and energy-efficient living. Visit Ebode Homes to learn more. 

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Show Home SIPs High Performance Kotare Park Cambridge Eco-Homes Eco-friendly Sustainable Energy Efficient Structural Insulated Panels Formance Builder

A HIGH PERFORMING SHOW HOME

The future of homes starts here.

We are proud to present a show home that breaks the mould and challenges the way we build homes in New Zealand. This home surpasses NZ building code standards and prioritises sustainability and energy-efficiency. Designed to encapsulate our ethos of our business – beautifully crafted, consciously built.

 

Every aspect of this home has been meticulously designed to optimise its performance. Built with SIPs (Structurally Insulated Panels) for the building envelope, a MaxRaft floor slab, thermally broken joinery using APL's new Centrafix system; this home is designed for maximum thermal performance.

 

Using Passive House Planning Package software (PHPP), we've energy modelled this home to demonstrate its remarkable energy-saving capabilities. It's projected to consume 70% less energy compared to a standard New Zealand building code home, while maintaining a comfortable indoor temperature of 20 degrees throughout the year.

IT'S ALL IN THE DETAIL

Not just another show home. What makes this home better. 

This home has been energy modelled using the Passive House Planning Package software. It calculates heating, cooling, and primary energy demands, resulting in a remarkable projection: our home is set to consume 70% less energy than a standard New Zealand building code home, all while maintaining a consistently comfortable indoor temperature of 20 degrees throughout the year.

 

Through this energy modelling process, we've gathered extensive data about our home, enabling us to identify and address minor over-heating concerns in certain areas. Our collaboration with TAWA Architecture has been instrumental in devising creative solutions to mitigate these concerns. 

Passive House Planning Package 

Show Home SIPs High Performance Kotare Park Cambridge Eco-Homes Eco-friendly Sustainable Energy Efficient Structural Insulated Panels

Formance Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) offer a myriad of benefits that make them a top choice for our show home. One of the most significant advantages of using  SIPs is their exceptional energy efficiency. These panels provide superior thermal insulation, reducing energy consumption and creating a comfortable indoor environment while lowering utility bills. Furthermore, these panels are environmentally friendly, as they reduce waste. SIPs' ensures airtightness, a reduced carbon footprint and also allow for faster construction, saving time and money.

By integrating SIPs into our design, we've added a second story to our home without the need for conventional second-story framing. The construction style of SIPs panels has given us the creative freedom to re-imagine the structural elements of our home, eliminating the constraints of traditional framing and trusses. This not only optimises the use of space but also allows us to breathe life into areas that have been previously underutilised.

Structural Insulated Panels.

Show Home SIPs High Performance Kotare Park Cambridge Eco-Homes Eco-friendly Sustainable Energy Efficient Structural Insulated Panels Formance Builder

A fully Insulated MAXRaft MAXSlab has been used, to increase the performance of the home.  When we energy modelled this home, we've achieved an impressive R-value of 3.75, significantly surpassing the current building standard of R-value 1.5.  This substantial insulation rating is a testament to our commitment to creating an environmentally conscious home. Complementing this, the foundation slab will seamlessly integrate MAXRaft Edge Perimeter Insulation, the entire foundation is meticulously optimised for energy efficiency.

MaxRaft Foundation. 

Show Home SIPs High Performance Kotare Park Cambridge Eco-Homes Eco-friendly Sustainable Energy Efficient Structural Insulated Panels Formance Builder

The home uses APL’s new thermal technology for windows and doors, having a remarkable impact on thermal performance - almost doubling the performance of standard aluminium joinery. With the innovative Centrafix™ installation method, thermal performance is further increased by over 20%. This ground breaking technique eliminates thermal breaks, enhances insulation within the frames, and effectively reduces heat loss and drafts, making it a pivotal component of our show home's energy-efficient design.

APL ThermalHeart Centrafix Joinery. 

Show Home SIPs High Performance Kotare Park Cambridge Eco-Homes Eco-friendly Sustainable Energy Efficient Structural Insulated Panels Formance Builder

In this home, a centralized ventilation unit has been used, this system does more than just circulate air; it removes stale, damp air, ensuring a comfortable and healthy environment. Furthermore, it's designed to recover up to 94% of thermal energy from the extracted air. The unit also acts as a powerful air filter, removing dust and pollutants from the indoor atmosphere, which is essential for maintaining good indoor air quality. With 24/7 operation, it ensures that this home consistently enjoys the benefits of fresh, filtered air.

Heat Recovery Ventilation LWZ 280

Show Home SIPs High Performance Kotare Park Cambridge Eco-Homes Eco-friendly Sustainable Energy Efficient Structural Insulated Panels Formance Builder

We've used JSC Taiga, also known as Lunawood, for our cladding because it's sustainable and beautiful. Through thermal modification, Nordic timber becomes more durable and weather-resistant, lasting longer and needing fewer chemicals. Lunawood comes from responsibly managed forests, supporting biodiversity and woodland health. By using timber from these forests, we help protect natural resources and habitats.

JSC Taiga (Lunawood) Cladding 

Cladded in StoArmour Plaster. This innovative aerated panel not only lends an attractive exterior finish but also offers exceptional thermal properties that align seamlessly with New Zealand's energy-efficiency standards. It also provides exterior insulation against temperature fluctuations. StoArmour Plaster boasts a lower carbon footprint compared to many other manufactured masonry products, making it a conscious choice for our show home. 

StoArmor Plaster Cladding 

Show Home SIPs High Performance Kotare Park Cambridge Eco-Homes Eco-friendly Sustainable Energy Efficient Structural Insulated Panels Formance Builder

In the heart of the home, the kitchen bench tops have been thoughtfully chosen, featuring Dekton by Cosentino, a remarkable carbon-neutral product across its entire life cycle. Dekton is an ultra compact surface composed of a blend of raw materials, including porcelain and glass, and it proudly incorporates recycled or recovered materials in its composition. Not only does this choice offer a sleek and stylish aesthetic, but it also reflects our dedication to eco-conscious construction.

Cosentino Dekton

Show Home SIPs High Performance Kotare Park Cambridge Eco-Homes Eco-friendly Sustainable Energy Efficient Structural Insulated Panels Formance Builder

This home will be decorated using Natural Paint Co, a high-quality plant and earth-based paint, free from volatile organic compounds (VOCs). All ingredients are sustainability sourced. In contrast, conventional petrochemical-based household paints can contain a daunting array of over 1,000 ingredients, often laden with harmful chemicals, solvents, and synthetic components that release toxins into the air. By opting for Natural Paint Co, we ensure a toxin-free environment in this home.  Additionally, every square meter painted with Natural Paint Co translates to a saving equivalent to one square meter of the Amazonian rainforest.

Natural Paint Co

Show Home SIPs High Performance Kotare Park Cambridge Eco-Homes Eco-friendly Sustainable Energy Efficient Structural Insulated Panels Formance Builder

Carpeted in luxuriously Bremworth Levante Carpet, made entirely from 100% renewable New Zealand wool fibres. This carpet proudly boasts the highest environmental grading, achieving an impressive ESC Level 4 certification. The Environmental Certification Scheme rigorously assesses carpets to ensure they meet strict environmental performance standards, including criteria such as volatile organic compound emissions, noise reduction capabilities, and thermal insulation properties. We have chosen this carpet not only for its elegance and comfort but also for its strong commitment to environmental sustainability.

Bremworth Levante Carpet

Show Home SIPs High Performance Kotare Park Cambridge Eco-Homes Eco-friendly Sustainable Energy Efficient Structural Insulated Panels Formance Builder

We've chosen to incorporate Sleepyhead Zero underlay in this home, an eco-conscious choice crafted from locally recycled foam. Remarkably, about 80% of the foam used in this underlay is sourced right here in New Zealand, helping to reduce the amount of foam that would otherwise end up in local landfills. To further underscore our commitment to sustainability, the packaging of Sleepyhead Zero Eco Underlay is fully recyclable, with the plastic being repurposed into other products like fence posts.

Sleepyhead Zero Underlay

Show Home SIPs High Performance Kotare Park Cambridge Eco-Homes Eco-friendly Sustainable Energy Efficient Structural Insulated Panels Formance Builder

Our selection for flooring features Quick-Step laminate floors, which bear the prestigious EU Ecolabel certification. This recognition signifies that Quick-Step's laminate floors are manufactured using a minimum of 80% sustainably sourced wood and are entirely free of hazardous substances in their composition. These floors are thoughtfully produced in power-efficient factories. What sets Quick-Step laminate floors apart is their exceptional durability, boasting an extended product guarantee.

Quickstep Perspective Nature Laminate

Show Home SIPs High Performance Kotare Park Cambridge Eco-Homes Eco-friendly Sustainable Energy Efficient Structural Insulated Panels Formance Builder

NOT WHAT YOU'RE USED TO

Let's compare.

Higgs Show Home 

NZ Building Code

Space Heating Demand 

(Kwh per square meter per annum to heat the home.)

 Approx 120 Kwh/(m²a)

No requirement for maintaining a certain temperature.

 22 Kwh/(m²a)

Based on maintaining 20°in the home all year round

Consistent temperature all year round.

(Every room is designed to maintain 20-25 degrees all year round.)

     

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Design to minimise thermal bridges 

(points in a building's thermal envelope where the insulation is compromised.)

 22 Kwh/(m²a)

Based on maintaining 20°in the home all year round

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Superior Insulation

(Formance Panels have superior insulation with near-zero air leakage, creating a consistently warmer, drier, and healthier indoor environment.)

R6.6 Roof
R2.0 Walls
R1.5 Slab

 R6.9 Roof
R2.8 Walls
R3.75 Slab

High Performance Window Joinery

Low E Double Glazed Aluminium Max R Value: 0.46

 APL ThermalHeart Plus Suite with Centrafix, Low E Double Glazing with Argon Gas. 
Avg R value: 0.70

Airtight Building Envelope
(A airtight layer preventing unwanted leakage of heat, draughts and cold spots.)

Not monitored andno blower doortest required

Constructed using Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) and blower door testes to prove airtightness.

Ventilation in the home
(Recovers 90% of heat energy in the air inside the home. Removing stale, damp air and delivering fresh, filtered air) 

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Filtration
(Removes dust and pollutants in air of the home, provides 24/7 fresh filtered air.) 

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Access to renewable energy source
(Solar Panels and battery storage.) 

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Energy Modelled using Passive House Planning Package

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The floor plan.

Show Home SIPs High Performance Kotare Park Cambridge Eco-Homes Eco-friendly Sustainable Energy Efficient Structural Insulated Panels

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