Swish Builders are always looking for smarter, more sustainable, and super ways to build your home. We signed up to the Superhome Movement to share ideas with builders and architects about better ways to build more sustainable and energy efficient homes.
Where we can, we believe in living more sustainably and improving the lifestyles of people living in each home we build. We can see the importance of energy efficiency and smart-design when it comes to building warmer, drier homes and at Swish Builders, we want to proactively improve the way we build in New Zealand.
What’s a Superhome?
Every household appliance these days comes with an Energy Star rating. The more stars an appliance has, the more energy efficient it is. It might be slightly more expensive to buy up front than a similar appliance with a lower energy rating, but because it needs less energy it will be cheaper to run.
Like an appliance, your house is also judged on how energy efficient it is. The independent Homestar rating ranks homes out of ten stars, instead of the Energy Star rating system which only uses six.
A regular house built to the minimum Building Code requirements would probably have a Homestar rating of four or five. It’s good, but there is room to be smarter about how it retains heat, conserves water, or requires less energy to run. A Superhome would have a Homestar rating of six or more, which means while it may be more expensive to build, your household running costs will be much cheaper over time! The Superhome Movement aims to improve the Homestar rating of your home, and educate homeowners about smarter building methods to make your house more energy efficient.
Building a Superhome
There are a number of ways for Swish Builders to turn your dream-home ideas into a Superhome.
Super- insulation reduces heat loss (and gain) with higher levels of insulation and airtightness, along with minimising thermal bridging to create a superior thermal envelope.
Proper ventilation is critical for health, safety, and comfort but also for the durability and longevity and protection of the building from decay.
A whole building integrated design system thinking approach is required.
Airtight construction and building materials to minimise heat loss and eliminate moisture and mould in the wall and roof assemblies etc…
All Superhomes have rainwater harvesting. Some also have greywater recycling. Use water efficient taps and fittings and energy drains.
Use renewable energy sources with energy efficient fittings and appliances, and automated smart controls to restrict energy use to times when it is needed
Every two minutes the sun gives the earth more energy than is used annually. Solar works best when integrated into the design to either be used while generated or stored.
Use ethically sourced, sustainable products that are environmentally certified. Avoid red-listed and toxic materials and coatings etc
Minimise your carbon footprint by having food producing plants and native landscaping
Design orientated for correct solar gain shading optimised to prevent overheating
Swish Builders Create Superhomes
Within every house there are areas where we can build smarter, to make your home more efficient and sustainable to run. Want to increase your home’s efficiency? Swish Builders can pick up your plans at any stage and advise on ways to turn your dream home into a Superhome! The sooner you engage with Swish Builders, the greater the scope for improvement.
With over 10 years of building experience in Canterbury, Swish Builders are on the pioneering edge of smarter home design. If you’re thinking about building or renovating, let the team from Swish Builders guide you through the design phase to create a warmer, drier, smarter Superhome.
Want to know more about the Superhome Movement and how Swish Builders can make your house more energy efficient? Contact Swish Builders on 03 384 9980 for a free consultation.