PHINZ Webinar: A Shading & Overheating Masterclass

Event details

Designing buildings that stay cool, comfortable, and resilient

Overheating is no longer a future risk — it’s a growing, present-day problem in New Zealand buildings.

As buildings become more airtight and summers grow hotter, many current design approaches, assessment tools, and regulatory settings are struggling to keep pace. In the absence of clear overheating controls in NZ regulations, designers are increasingly exposed to performance risk, occupant discomfort, and an increased level of overheating complaints.

This PHINZ Shading & Overheating Masterclass brings together building science, Passivhaus design experience, and real-world specification insight to explore what actually works when it comes to keeping buildings cool.

What this session will cover

• Why overheating is a complex, multi-factor issue, not a single design failure
• Where current overheating metrics and assumptions fall short
• How glazing, shading, ventilation, and building operation interact in practice
• When simplified checks are not enough — and when more robust assessments are needed
• Practical strategies to reduce overheating risk in NZ buildings

Speakers

Tavis Creswell-Wells
Tavis will explore why overheating has become such a challenging and poorly managed issue in New Zealand buildings. He’ll unpack how glazing, shading, ventilation, climate, and human behaviour interact to affect comfort — and why the way we currently assess natural ventilation and overheating risk often fails to reflect real performance. Tavis will also examine the limitations of commonly used overheating checks, including PHPP, and outline when more robust approaches such as TM59 are required.

Andy Marlow – Director, Envirotecture
Andy will share lessons from nearly a decade of Passivhaus design in southeastern Australia, where keeping buildings cool has become increasingly critical. His presentation will focus on tools for assessing risk, the effectiveness of shading strategies, and how post-occupancy monitoring can inform better design decisions.

Bjorn Ledwig – Co-owner, ECOWINDOWS
Bjorn will bring a practical specification lens, drawing on over 30 years of experience with European high-performance glazing, shading, and ventilation systems. He’ll explore how early design decisions around glazing and external shading can significantly influence comfort, energy efficiency, and overheating risk in NZ buildings.

Who should attend

• Architects and designers
• Builders and trades
• Building performance consultants
• Councils and policy professionals

If you design, specify, consent, or build — this session will help you move beyond compliance and towards real performance.

Proudly Sponsored by ECOWINDOWS

ECOWINDOWS is a New Zealand-based supplier of high-performance European window, ventilation and shading systems, specialising in Passive House and low-energy buildings. We support architects with performance-driven advice, helping integrate glazing and external shading strategies that deliver comfortable, energy-efficient homes year-round.

When: 17th February, 12:30pm – 2pm

Where: online (Zoom)

Cost: PHINZ Members – Free; Non-members $30.00 plus GST; NZIA & ADNZ Members receive a 25% discount

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