Passive House 2025 Webinar Series – Webinar 6 ” RetroPHit and EnerPHit”
Event details
PHINZ is excited to present the sixth webinar in our 2025 series – Designers Webinars: How to Build A Passive House and Builders Social Webinars: Everything Passive House.
Webinar 6 – Builders Social
Topic: Retrofit and EnerPHit in NZ
When: 29 April 2025, 4pm – 5:30pm (includes a Q&A session)
Cost (members): $15.00
Cost (non-members): $30.00
If you have already registered for the Designers Webinar on 10 April, there is no cost for this one but you will still need to register.
This talk will be relevant to Builders and Tradespeople and Passive House enthusiasts
Join us for a webinar showcasing one of New Zealand’s most recent projects targeting the EnerPHit (Passive House retrofit) standard. NZRAB Registered Architect, Passive House designer, builder, and client, Matteo Garbagnati, will share his experience from the project’s inception to near completion.
This webinar will follow the transformation of a previously run-down house into a significantly energy-efficient home, highlighting the process and the long-term energy savings achieved. You’ll gain valuable insights into the practical application of EnerPHit principles in a real-world setting.
We will also chat with Terry Bryers, who completed the first certified Enerphit build in NZ and also won regional supreme renovation and national sustainable and environmental awards of the year 2022 with Master Builders. for this project in Piha.
And finally Jon Davies, Pro Clima will talk to us about the Parka Wrap.
79% of NZ walls have little or no insulation. Parka Wrap is a system of overlaying new materials on existing walls to thermally improve buildings, increase comfort and reduce energy demand. Waste reduction and simplicity of site Quality Assurance were unexpected outcomes of the practical testing and subsequent case studies.
Hosted and moderated by:
- Jessica Eyers, Senior Analyst and Educator, Sustainable Engineering Ltd
She has a MSc in architecture (UEL, 2006) and is a design LBP. Jessica has deep expertise in natural building materials, especially strawbale construction. She and her family live in New Zealand’s first certified strawbale Passive House. Jessica was most recently running her own architectural design practice; she has also been a NZGBC assessor and Eco Design Adviser.
Speakers:
- Matteo Garbagnati, Director of Collaborative Projects Studio
Matteo is a co-founder and co-director of Collaborative Projects Studio, an architectural practice based in Wairoa, Hawke’s Bay. Originally from Italy, he is a New Zealand Registered Architect with over 19 years of experience working on high-end commercial, educational, and residential projects across Europe and New Zealand. His architectural approach integrates Passive House design, resource efficiency, and community-focused design to create healthy, sustainable spaces that foster connection and positively impact people and the environment. He has a particular interest in retrofit and the use of reclaimed materials, emphasizing sustainable and adaptive reuse in his projects.
- Terry Bryers, Bruyere Passive Homes Ltd
I first came across a new building technology while travelling through Europe
in 1993. Existing stone / masonry buildings were being clad over with polystyrene and
plastered. I wondered why this was happening and found they were using this system to
add insulation to the structures and minimise heating / power consumption
during winter.
This stayed in my mind ( being a builder ) until one day while surfing the internet I found Passive House. After lots of investigating I realised this was exactly where our buildings should be heading. I found a new company in NZ called eHaus, Jon Illife and Baden Brown had started to set up Passive House builds. Jon had bought the technology over from Germany. I contacted them and ended up being their first licensee in NZ, concentrating in the Rodney District area. This was a ten year collaboration which gave me full insight into Passive House building.
An existing client of mine had bought a house in Piha. We were engaged to renovate to an upgraded insulation and European joinery standard, until after removing linings finding everything covered in mould. With my Passive House experience, we advised on Enerphit as the best way forward.
This ended up being the first certified Enerphit build in NZ and also won regional supreme renovation and national sustainable and environmental awards of the year 2022 with Master Builders. We have now been involved in Passive House building for over sixteen years. As the public interest grows each year, I am sure this will be standard build practise eventually in NZ.
- Jon Davies, Technical Sales Support and Education Manager, Pro Clima NZ Ltd
Jon moved back to Pro Clima after 4 years with Oculus Architectural Engineering
where he was on the building enclosure design team for Te Mātāwai (139 Greys Ave,
Auckland) 276 externally insulated apartments. During his time at Oculus he
developed an IANZ accredited test laboratory and made good use of it during
lockdowns, completing a Master of Architecture investigating external insulation over
existing buildings. Now Jon supports Pro Clima’s Technical Sales Team across New
Zealand, creating educational resources and events that focus on hands-on learning
rather than theoretical powerpoint presentations.
