This section is all about how the site a house is built on can affect its sustainability. Navigate through the sub sections to read about subdivisions, landscaping, orientation, and location.
Posts under ‘Site’
Subdivisions
Subdividing can have a major impact on the local environment even before a house is built. Some guidelines for sustainable subdividing.
Sustainable subdivisions
Design Protocal: MfE Urban Design Protocol
Low Impact Urban Design $ Development: LIUDD – Low Impact Urban Design & Development
Landscaping
Appropriate landscape design can reduce water consumption, increase biodiversity, create shade for your home, reduce storm water run-off and aesthetically enhance your site.
Appropriate planting
Some appropriate alternatives to grass can be found on the following website.
NZ Ecological Resoration Network
Follow the links below for information from sustainable building websites.
Level: Plants, Trees and Landscape
SmarterHomes: Planting and [...]
Orientation
Orientating your new home to make the most of solar energy will make it cheaper to run and more comfortable. These links to sustainable building websites provide basic information:
Level: Positioning a Home on the Site
SmarterHomes: Climate
Click on the documents below for our overview of the options.
How orientation affects home energy
Orientation for the sun
Energy Design [...]
Location
Sustainable design reaches beyond the limits of the building and site. It extends to wider urban context. Click on the following link for information on the importance of location.
SmarterHomes: Neighbourhood
Read the article below for our overview of urban sustainability.
A Case for Urban Sustainability
www.mfe.govt.nz/issues/urban/work-programme/protocol (outlining the forthcoming ‘NZ Urban Design Protocol’) and www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/urban (summary [...]
