Research and Development

Post-Occupancy Evaluation

Salmond Architecture director Anne Salmond has been involved in researching methods for undertaking post-occupancy evaluations with Victoria University of Wellington.

Anne undertakes evaluations using the walkthrough method developed there.

Post occupancy evaluations completed include:

  • Hanson Court apartments –  WCC housing upgrade project
  • Regent Park housing –  WCC city housing project
  • TeAra Hau –  WCC city housing project
  • Berkeley Dallard –  WCC city housing project
  • Newtown Park –  WCC city housing project
  • School of Architecture –  Victoria University of Wellington
  • Science laboratories –  Victoria University of Wellington
  • Bank of New Zealand Retail Outlets
  • New Zealand Armed Forces Navy accommodation units

Building evaluations are carried out as part of the briefing for new projects, to help assess the effectiveness of completed projects, and to determine any finetuning or changes required to existing projects.

Applied Research into new materials and building methods

Salmond Architecture has been involved over the last few years in building with new construction methods, creating more cost effective, warmer homes with materials such as:

Structural Insulated Panels (SIP)

Constructed from a composite board using oriented strand board with urethane foam insulation, SIP panels provide a strong, lightweight construction system with excellent insulation and bracing characteristics.

Salmond Architecture designed the first SIP house to be completed in New Zealand, and have since become a leading architect in the design of SIP Houses. Salmond Architecture have been responsible for developing details for use of this material in New Zealand houses.

The measured performance of these houses is impressive, with significant improvements in comfort and reductions in energy costs.

High Performance House with Warm Frame Technology

Salmond Architecture designed the first house in New Zealand using the Warm frame composite wall system, which combines lightweight structural steel with insulation products to provide a wall frame that improves the thermal performance of the building envelope.

The High Performance House with warm frame technology is a demonstration home at HIVE the home innovation park in Christchurch ( www.warmframe.co.nz) ( www.highperformancehouses.co.nz )

Click here to watch the construction of a High Performing House with Warmframe technology