NZ course for Creating Living Built Environments

A new education program, designed to raise the bar for New Zealand construction practice, is being launched at Otago Polytechnic. The course strives for the creation of beautiful, inspiring buildings that are net zero (energy, water and waste) and built from non-toxic, locally sourced materials.

Creating Living Built Environments is provided through Otago’s Centre for Sustainable Practice in partnership with the International Living Future Institute (ILFI), New Zealand Green Building Council and The Natural Step, with support from AUT and Unitec. Centre for Sustainable Practice program director Steve Henry said the course “views building through a wide lens that considers the people who will inhabit the built environment, as well as the short- and long-term impacts of construction”.

The course addresses the stretch goals of the Living Building Challenge international standard - a green building certification program that defines the most advanced measure of sustainability in the built environment currently possible. Course presenter Jerome Partington, who has trained and worked in sustainable architecture and education for 25 years, was recently awarded the Living Building Challenge Hero award by the ILFI.

Jerome Partington.

“The Living Building Challenge is an award-winning, internationally recognised philosophy, advocacy and performance certification tool,” said Partington. “The Challenge has been effective worldwide, with commercial, civic and educational projects now complete. Building codes have been changed as a result of the Challenge standards and manufacturers’ products reformulated to remove toxic ingredients.”

Creating Living Built Environments consists of a two-day block course in either Auckland (11 and 12 September) or Dunedin (25 and 26 September), followed by weekly webinars until late November. For further information, visit www.op.ac.nz/sustainablepractice, call 0800 765 9276 or email steve.henry@op.ac.nz.