Claims by Canterbury architects that building new homes to be energy and water efficient would add $15,000 to the cost of home building are exaggerated and short-sighted.

Late in 2014 the New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA) in Canterbury challenged proposed new rules in the Christchurch City Council’s district plan that would require new homes to be built to a minimum Homestar 6 rating. They claimed this would add unnecessary cost to the building process. If the Building Code doesn’t require these levels of performance, why should Christchurch City Council?, they asked.

Doesn’t have to cost a lot. The assertion that building a new home to reach a Homestar 6 rating would make it unaffordable looks only at the purchase price. Compared to a typical Christchurch house, Architects Jasmax calculated the additional cost to build a Homestar 6 home would add a little under $6,500. That’s around 2%.