Building
Stan Scott on renovations
Jesse is undergoing major renovations at home, and thought it might be helpful to ask builder Stan Scott about the steps you need to take from planning your project through to the building stage. Audio
Tradies pressured to install shoddy componentry
Plumbers, gasfitters and electricians say they're under pressure to install shoddy products from overseas, without proper checks for safety. Imported plumbing products are subject to MBIE guidelines… Audio
Building Act Reforms
Bill McKay takes a looks at how people can help themselves better upfront, when building a new house or doing alterations. Bill McKay is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Architecture and Planning at… Audio
State's cladding solution and unis links to China queried
Australia correspondent Chris Niesche joins Kathryn to talk about how one state is coming to the rescue of apartment owners over the issue of flammable cladding. Two universities are under fire after… Audio
KiwiBuild a 'welfare scheme' for wealthy - National
Housing Minister Phil Twyford says KiwiBuild is not a welfare scheme, and wealthy New Zealanders should be able to access it, along with everyone else. This comes after it was revealed a group of… Video, Audio
Fletcher Living homes in central Christchurch struggle to find buyers
Almost six months on the market, the first of 940 upmarket townhouses priced between $1million and $1.6m are struggling to sell, putting a dent in an ambitious goal to have 20,000 people living in the… Video, Audio
11,000 people, households waiting for public housing
As at March this year, more than 11,000 people or households were on the waiting list for public housing. Housing Minister Phil Twyford says will exceed its state house building target in the year… Video, Audio
'Affordable' home buyers charged extra for driveways, landscaping
Is a driveway an essential part of a home - or an optional extra...a nice to have?! A senior Auckland councillor has ordered an urgent investigation into whether affordable home buyers should have… Audio
Designing Better Homes: NZ Green Building Council and Lifemark
Bill McKay talks to Kathryn about how, at very little cost, we can improve our houses at the design stage and a couple of organisations that can give practical help; they also have assessment tools… Audio
Arrow subcontractor can’t access crane after company’s collapse
Subcontractor Smith Crane and Construction is out of pocket and short one crane after being caught up in the collapse of construction firm, Arrow International. The firm, which employs 250 people… Audio
Adrian Mann: The world's longest piano in Dunedin
The longest piano in the world is in Dunedin. Builder Adrian Mann talks to Jim Mora about the giant instrument and the concert pianists who visit to play it from all over the world. Audio
KiwiBuild dogged by structural constraints, expert
A comprehensive look at the state of housing. Bill McKay delves into the problems facing KiwiBuild, observes Housing NZ steaming ahead, including medium density developments close to facilities and… Audio
KiwiBuild misses its targets
Housing Minister Phil Twyford has revealed KiwiBuild won't hit its target of 1000 homes this year as promised. The opposition is calling the scheme a failure, but some say there's still hope. Audio
Must Heritage be Handsome?
The problem with saving our modernist architectural heritage is we often can't agree on whether it's any good or not, says Bill McKay, Senior Lecturer in the School of Architecture and Planning at the… Audio
Another NZ building company fails
Christchurch-based Corbel Construction has gone into liquidation, the latest in a string of companies to fail or suffer heavy losses.
A year of Kiwibuild, can shared equity meet targets?
Bill McKay analyses the long awaited announcement of the Urban Design Authority - it's going to be huge, and will run several projects large scale and incorporate both Housing NZ and Kiwibuild. Also a… Audio
Contruction firms urged to tackle labour shortage
Construction firms are being urged to take on more women and people from different ethnic backgrounds as apprentices to tackle a labour shortage. Video, Audio
Repurposing old materials, spaces and buildings
Lifestyle writer, Catherine Foster takes a look at repurposing old materials, and how a range of homes have used upcycled bits and pieces to great effect. From rusting roofing off an old barn to… Audio, Gallery
Record high building apprenticeships, not enough
The training organisation for the building and construction sector (BCITO) says the government should pay employers to teach apprentices - which would help address the shortage. New figures released… Audio
A festival of architecture
Bill McKay looks back on the broad range of offerings from the past fortnight's Festival of Architecture, he says it wasn't just for architects and wealthy people. Audio
