As architects, we typically improve a handful of homes a year. But change the rules behind them and you improve every timber house built in New Zealand. That’s the opportunity Duncan has just stepped into, joining the panel of experts reviewing NZS 3604 requirements.
NZS 3604 is the rulebook behind most of New Zealand’s timber houses, so it’s no surprise plenty of people have opinions on it. We had our say on the draft a few weeks ago (you can read the submission here), and we weren’t alone. The public consultation drew around 2,500 submission points – possibly the biggest response to a New Zealand standards review in a very long time. Every one of them now needs to be read, weighed up and answered.
That’s where the panel comes in. The NZIA (New Zealand Institute of Architects) has two members on it, and when one of them became unwell, the Institute – having seen our submission – invited Black Pine’s founder Duncan Sinclair [pictured above] to step in.
Why this one matters
This is the first time in 15 years the standard has been revised, and a lot has changed since then. Thermal performance requirements (both from a technical perspective and what people simply expect) have moved on considerably. Laminated and mass timber are now widely available, even for everyday framing. Fixings have changed too. The review is about bringing the standard in line with how we actually build today.
The panel has about 16 members, split into working groups that each focus on one area – engineered timber beams, junctions and fixings, and so on. Duncan’s in the thermal group, looking at how the standard affects how warm, dry and efficient a house is.
Less timber, more insulation
Here’s a good example of what that means in practice.
A standard timber-framed wall is packed with studs, nogs and dwangs. Do we actually need all of it? Often, no – it’s just become the default way of doing things.
Strip out the timber that isn’t pulling its weight and you free up space for insulation. Make that the new default, and every house built to the standard performs better – without anyone on site having to think twice about it.
It’s the same story with fixings. The nail gun is quick (and, admittedly, quite fun), but a nailed building can really only be demolished. Long structural screws can be backed out, so a house can be altered, repaired or taken apart with its timber still in good enough shape to reuse. With construction and demolition making up 40 to 50 percent of what goes into our landfills, that’s a big deal for the long term.
What happens next
The aim is to work through all the submissions by the end of this year, with the revised standard out for public use around the middle of 2027. Nothing’s final yet, and it’s a big task, but we’ll share what we can along the way.
In the meantime, remember NZS 3604 is a minimum standard. If you’re building or renovating now, you don’t need to wait for the rules to change – our earlier post has a few simple things you can ask for today.