Nigel Isaacs

Victoria University of Wellington, Architecture, Faculty Member

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Indiana University

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Indiana University Indianapolis

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Papers by Nigel Isaacs

Sanitation and Ventilation as required in a Modern House": a review of by-laws in the 1890s relating to toilets in New Zealand Housing

Architectural history Aotearoa, Dec 3, 2023

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Energy End-use and Socio/Demographic Occupant Characteristics of New Zealand Households

This paper presents results from the first two years of the Household Energy End-use Project (HEE... more This paper presents results from the first two years of the Household Energy End-use Project (HEEP), a multi-party, multi-disciplinary investigation into energy end-use in New Zealand houses. The energy consumption in 28 houses in Wanganui was measured for half a year each and was linked to the surveyed socio/demographic household characteristic.

Building Science, Regulations and Health

NZSS 1900 Model Building By-law: a planned evolution

Architectural history Aotearoa, Dec 13, 2022

Twenty-five years after its publication, NZSS 95:1935 ʺModel Building By-lawʺ was starting to sho... more Twenty-five years after its publication, NZSS 95:1935 ʺModel Building By-lawʺ was starting to show its age. The 1961 City Engineers conference requested it be reorganised to put general requirements first and design requirements later. The NZ Standards Instituteʹs (NZSI) Bylaw Sectional Committee thought this a good idea, although to avoid confusion changed the designation of the new series to NZSS 1900. From late 1963 to mid-1964, NZSS 95 was reissued as NZSS 1900. The 14 parts of NZSS 95 became 11 chapters of NZSS 1900, initially by reprinting with new covers. Over the next 20 years the chapters were modified, revised, split, or amalgamated. On 1 April 1966 NZSI became the Standards Association of New Zealand (SANZ), and ʹNew Zealand Standard Specificationsʺ (NZSS) became ʺNew Zealand Standardsʺ (NZS). By late-1966 the revision and publication of NZS 1900 was nearly complete. For the future a five yearly review cycle was planned. However, storm clouds were ahead. NZS 1900 had a mixture of: legal requirements; design and construction requirements; quantitative requirements; and codes of practice. The resultant documents were considered to be hard to: use; inspect on site; and revise. In late 1969 the Standards Council was looking forward to a revision separating requirements (fixed, unchanging and rarely alternative) from solutions (changing as technology develops, often with alternatives). The ʺmeans of complianceʺ could be provided for the majority of users, while other solutions were available as desired or required. This set the scene for the Building Act 1991 and New Zealand Building Code. The paper reviews the development of NZS 1900, exploring the similarities and differences to NZSS 95. As an example of the process, the evolution of the requirement for windows for ventilation will be examined.

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Second-hand Car Showroom Converted into a Public Library

New Zealand Engineering, Jul 1, 1991

Nelson's new Elma Turner library, opened in March 1990, is an example of a building which can... more Nelson's new Elma Turner library, opened in March 1990, is an example of a building which can be successfully converted to a new purpose and still take into account environmental concerns, even within a tight budget. This light, airy and comfortable building was originally a car sales showroom. Much of the original building remains - although in some places it is difficult to see where.

Foundations of Control: New Zealand Building Legislation in the 1840s

Architectural history Aotearoa, Oct 1, 2014

The development of the "Raupo Houses Ordinance 1842" could be considered as the direct ancestor o... more The development of the "Raupo Houses Ordinance 1842" could be considered as the direct ancestor of today's "New Zealand Building Code." Limited in its scope and application, the Ordinance provided a short-term solution to what was hoped to be a short-term problem-the use of highly flammable material for house construction. It was not intended for application to the countryside, only to urban areas. To be effective, the Ordinance had to be adopted by each provincial council as covering a specific area. This occurred from 1842 (Auckland) to 1852 (Lyttelton and Christchurch). It was finally repealed in 1878. Not every province was happy with the Ordinance, with New Plymouth setting up its own "Thatch and Straw Building Ordinance." This paper will examine the intent, content and context of the Ordinance and its consequences on the development of future building controls. 2 Taylor The Maori Builds pp 6-35. 3 Phillipps Maōri Houses and Food Stores pp 40, 79. 4 "Auckland: Raupo House Bill" p 2. 5 Phillipps Maōri Houses and Food Stores p 40.

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The Development of the Revised NZBC Clause H1: Energy Efficiency

The revised New Zealand Building Code Clause H l and its Approved Documents will contain various ... more The revised New Zealand Building Code Clause H l and its Approved Documents will contain various acceptable solutions. This paper outlines the basis for the proposed code, the method of development and some of the issues raised. The use of proposed Acceptable Solution with its three components-Schedule Method, Calculation Method and Modelling Method are discussed. The further research required to support the next revision of Clause III and improved building energy efficient design is outlined.

Insulated Buildings - What Is Really There?

Although thermal insulation levels may be specified in design documents, there IS no guarantee th... more Although thermal insulation levels may be specified in design documents, there IS no guarantee that what is achieved in practice is an accurate rendition of the design requirements. This paper examines three in-situ measurement methods for the field determination of R-values (Non-contact Temperature Measurement, Heat Flux Meter and Visual Inspections) plus Examination of Documents. All perform satisfactorily under New Zealand conditions, but only Heat Flux Meter offers quantitative information of the actual construction. Two methods (Surface Temperature Measurement and the Portable Hot-box) are not considered useable for field measurements. The achieved R-value is a function of the insulant, design and installation, and hence the paper concludes all three must be considered in the detection and correction of faults.

Application of the Exo-Endo Model to the Measurement of Building Energy Performance

ASTM International eBooks, Mar 9, 2009

This paper outlines performance evaluation within the framework of the exogenous-endogenous class... more This paper outlines performance evaluation within the framework of the exogenous-endogenous classification system, as a means of directing building research activity to the requirements of the different groups concerned with building performance. The authors demonstrate the utility of the exo-endo model to their research into the measurement and evaluation of the national energy performance of commercial and institutional buildings, the performance of large groups of buildings under common ownership and the operation of individual buildings. The examples used draw upon research and conservation studies in offices, hospitals and school buildings. These case studies confirm the utility of the model and suggest areas where some refinements are needed.

‘Recommended minimum requirements for small dwelling construction’. A forgotten ancestor of the modern USA building code

Thermal performance of secondary glazing as a retrofit alternative for single-glazed windows

Energy and Buildings, Nov 1, 2012

Secondary glazing (or internal storm windows) can be used as a functional alternative to retrofit... more Secondary glazing (or internal storm windows) can be used as a functional alternative to retrofitted insulated glazing units (IGUs) in existing domestic single-glazed window frames. This work investigated the thermal transmittance of four secondary-glazing products-plastic film, magnetically attached plastic sheet, plain and low-E glass. Thermal transmittance measurements were made on a typical New Zealand single-glazed aluminium window, to the method of ASTM C 1199 using a guarded hot box (GHB). Four different secondary-glazing systems were then retrofitted into the window and the thermal transmission measurements determined. All four of the secondary glazing options provided significant thermal improvements to the singleglazed window (0.15 m 2 K/W), with R-values from 0.34 to 0.57 m 2 K/W. Each was also modelled in Window 6 software, with the results found to be within the GHB measurement error. The performance exceeded the expected performance of double glazing retrofitted into the existing framing due to the secondary glazing effectively insulating the framing.

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Building Evaluation Techniques

Part 1 Selected evaluation procedures and case studies: contributions from architectural and buil... more Part 1 Selected evaluation procedures and case studies: contributions from architectural and building construction experts from around the world. Part 2 Overview of performance evaluation: major types of evaluations, who should perform such evaluations and why, and conducting evaluations of empty buildings for future tenants. Part 3 A checklist of factors: detailed checklists examining each critical component of a building within the overall context of building performance, categorized by specific building type advice on how the reader may compile and customize his own checklists appendices.

Each Council shall appoint a competent person for the borough, hereinafter called "Inspector of Buildings"": The development of building controls in the second decade of the twentieth century

Architectural history Aotearoa, Aug 17, 2022

In 1903 the first edition of the Municipal Handbook of New Zealand was released by the Census and... more In 1903 the first edition of the Municipal Handbook of New Zealand was released by the Census and Statistics Office. From then on published biennially, it provided detailed statistical and administrative information on each borough, city, independent town district, and harbour board. This included a brief statistical summary with details of the various activities as well as the names of "Chief Officials," including those responsible for buildings. These included engineers (e.g. Borough Engineer), inspectors (e.g. Building Inspector) and surveyors (e.g. Building Surveyor). From 1910 the numbers of these officials increased, suggesting a growing interest in building controls. The 1915 edition of the Handbook listed 176 municipalities, of which 44 (25%) listed a chief official with a role related to buildings. These included 35 engineers, eight inspectors and one surveyor. The paper explores, based on the Municipal Handbook series, the changing interest of New Zealand local government in the buildings constructed within their boundaries in the second decade of the twentieth century.

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A Zero Energy Prefabricated ADU for New Zealand

Smart innovation, systems and technologies, 2019

Human activities threaten the sustainability of energy and environmental resources. One route to ... more Human activities threaten the sustainability of energy and environmental resources. One route to alleviate this is that all buildings need to be zero energy in operation. This paper discusses the results of simulating the energy use of a prefabricated accessory dwelling unit (ADU) for different construction scenarios in Wellington, New Zealand. The aim is to see whether it is possible given the construction constraints to achieve zero energy for space conditioning. The simulation was first done using ALF 3.2 software, developed specifically for New Zealand conditions. Changes in each scenario relate to using different thicknesses of Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) for walls and roof and considering different types of floor, together with different heating regimes. Using ALF 3.2 a total of 36 different scenarios were simulated to see how much energy the ADU needs during a year and where the main sources of energy loss and gain occur. The next stage was running the simulations while adding different degrees of thermal mass to selected designs to see the effect of mass on the ADU energy consumption. The last stage was amending the size of windows in the best performing designs in order to find the best balance between gains and losses through them. Simulation results showed that heating the whole ADU to 16 °C all day and using 165 and 215 mm SIPs panels for walls and roof, respectively, with the ADU sitting on a 150 mm insulated concrete slab delivers the best result, being very close to zero energy for space conditioning.

Housing and health: The relationship between research and policy

International Journal of Environmental Health Research, Sep 1, 1996

There is a long tradition of using housing interventions to promote public health, despite causat... more

Health and housing-seasonality in New Zealand mortality

Australian Journal of Public Health, Feb 12, 2010

The common belief that New Zealand's climate is mild appears to be supported by the statistics of... more The common belief that New Zealand's climate is mild appears to be supported by the statistics of deaths directly attributable to cold. However an initial analysis of seasonality of mortality using the modified Edwards method suggests New Zealand has a greater seasonality of mortality than the more extreme climates of the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Japan or Sweden. Examination of New Zealand monthly mortality from 1976 to 1986 suggests this is driven by the seasonality of mortality of those aged 65 and over. Three surveys of temperatures within New Zealand homes have suggested that few are fully maintained in the 18°C to 24°C comfort range. Mean temperatures close to or below 16°C were found in two of these surveys. Further research is suggested to examine the links between health and housing thermal performance. This research should combine both health and building science

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Energy in New Zealand houses: comfort, physics and consumption

Building Research and Information, Oct 1, 2010

The Household Energy End-use Study (HEEP) quantified how, where, when, and why energy was used in... more

Carpentry in New Zealand: a text book for use by apprentices

Architectural history Aotearoa, Oct 1, 2015

The 1953 National Housing Conference explored a wide range of ways of dealing with the problems o... more The 1953 National Housing Conference explored a wide range of ways of dealing with the problems of post-WW II housing, including reducing the costs of construction. The New Zealand Master Builders' Federation in its conference proposal was clear that one way to reduce costs was by a skilled and educated workforce. They noted the need for "an authoritative textbook on carpentry and joinery, based on New Zealand building practice," and their proposal was adopted as Conference Resolution 17. A committee was formed to guide the content and form of the book, and anonymous staff from the Technical Correspondence School prepared the text. Geoffrey Nees (architect of Kelburn, Wellington) employed five draughtsmen to complete the nearly 500 illustrations. The 1948 book The Australian Carpenter by C Lloyd and the New Zealand Army Education Welfare Service (AEWS) series of five carpentry booklets formed the basis for this new book, which focused on the syllabus of the New Zealand Trade Certificate.

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Best Bricks: a study of advertised brick pricing in Victorian New Zealand

Architectural history Aotearoa, Oct 20, 2013

While timber was suitable for construction, more than permanent materials were needed for real bu... more While timber was suitable for construction, more than permanent materials were needed for real buildings. Stone was available but transport limited its distribution. Bricks could be made almost anywhere. This paper examines New Zealand brick pricing based on advertised data from published newspapers across the Wellington, Nelson, Canterbury, Otago and Auckland regions. It provides an overview of brick pricing during this critical period of the birth of colonial New Zealand. The price of bricks will be compared with other essential supplies, to help understand changes in the cost of buildings.

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Balloon to Platform Framing": a change of the 1880s?

Architectural history Aotearoa, Dec 8, 2021

Brett's Colonists' Guide and Cyclopaedia of Useful Knowledge: Being a Compendium of Information b... more Brett's Colonists' Guide and Cyclopaedia of Useful Knowledge: Being a Compendium of Information by Practical Colonists, edited by Thomas W. Leys, was first published in 1883. Rated, in 1993 in a National Library Exhibition, as one of the 21 "Working Titles" that had shaped New Zealand, it provided "all Information of possible use" to new arrivals. This included how to build your own cottage-providing floor plans, a material list and an estimate of labour for four cottages (increasing to five cottages complete with a set of written specifications in the 1897 edition). These designs and quantities provide a unique opportunity to explore changes in the technology of New Zealand house construction. It has been hypothesised that in the 1890s timber construction shifted from balloon to platform framing-the basic style still used for timber framed houses. The paper will report research that examined import statistics, business records and quinquennial national censuses to explore indirect measures of changes in construction technology. It is concluded that this change occurred in the previous decade, the 1880s.

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Sanitation and Ventilation as required in a Modern House": a review of by-laws in the 1890s relating to toilets in New Zealand Housing

Architectural history Aotearoa, Dec 3, 2023

Download

Energy End-use and Socio/Demographic Occupant Characteristics of New Zealand Households

Building Science, Regulations and Health

NZSS 1900 Model Building By-law: a planned evolution

Architectural history Aotearoa, Dec 13, 2022

Download

Second-hand Car Showroom Converted into a Public Library

New Zealand Engineering, Jul 1, 1991

Foundations of Control: New Zealand Building Legislation in the 1840s

Architectural history Aotearoa, Oct 1, 2014

Download

The Development of the Revised NZBC Clause H1: Energy Efficiency

Insulated Buildings - What Is Really There?

Application of the Exo-Endo Model to the Measurement of Building Energy Performance

ASTM International eBooks, Mar 9, 2009

‘Recommended minimum requirements for small dwelling construction’. A forgotten ancestor of the modern USA building code

Thermal performance of secondary glazing as a retrofit alternative for single-glazed windows

Energy and Buildings, Nov 1, 2012

Download

Building Evaluation Techniques

Each Council shall appoint a competent person for the borough, hereinafter called "Inspector of Buildings"": The development of building controls in the second decade of the twentieth century

Architectural history Aotearoa, Aug 17, 2022

Download

A Zero Energy Prefabricated ADU for New Zealand

Smart innovation, systems and technologies, 2019

Housing and health: The relationship between research and policy

International Journal of Environmental Health Research, Sep 1, 1996

There is a long tradition of using housing interventions to promote public health, despite causat... more

Health and housing-seasonality in New Zealand mortality

Australian Journal of Public Health, Feb 12, 2010

Download

Energy in New Zealand houses: comfort, physics and consumption

Building Research and Information, Oct 1, 2010

The Household Energy End-use Study (HEEP) quantified how, where, when, and why energy was used in... more

Carpentry in New Zealand: a text book for use by apprentices

Architectural history Aotearoa, Oct 1, 2015

Download

Best Bricks: a study of advertised brick pricing in Victorian New Zealand

Architectural history Aotearoa, Oct 20, 2013

Download

Balloon to Platform Framing": a change of the 1880s?

Architectural history Aotearoa, Dec 8, 2021

Download

Thermal and Acoustic Building Insulations from Agricultural Wastes

by zahra balador, Nigel Isaacs, and Negin Imani

Global population growth and economic growth increase the demand for more buildings and thus more... more Global population growth and economic growth increase the demand for more buildings and thus more construction materials. Increases in production of construction materials lead also to greenhouse gas emission rise and depletion of natural resources. One of these materials is insulation, which increasingly plays a vital role in the energy performance of buildings and in the process reducing negative environmental impacts of the built environment. A number of studies have focused on finding substitutions for petrochemicals as a source for manufacturing building insulation. Some investigations have identified insulation materials that have lower environmental costs, for example, those that are made of natural or recycled materials. Manufacturing building insulation from agricultural by-product s is one such approach. However, these are in their early stages of development, and there is a long way to have them on the market.

Alongside identifying matters that require additional research to enhance technical reliability, this study explores issues that can improve the market viability and help make natural and recycled materials more attractive alternatives. There are some common themes among these materials and earlier studies have revealed that each of these agricultural wastes has some advantages that can be exploited for specific purposes alongside disadvantages that must be overcome. From another perspective, it is important to compare the performance of these new materials with that of more conventional options. This is one of the first steps needed to modify the industry. This chapter refers to earlier studies discussed in the literature in discussing the technical behavior of bio-based insulations in four categories: thermal, acoustic, environmental, and mechanical behavior. This research reveals the hotspots where evidence is currently lacking and how to find evident opportunities for this market, thereby suggesting where future research should be directed.

Research hotspots on agro-waste based building insulation products _ a meta-review

by zahra balador, Morten Gjerde, and Nigel Isaacs

SB-LAB, 2017

Insulation, as a building element, will increasingly play a vital role in improving building ener... more Insulation, as a building element, will increasingly play a vital role in improving building energy performance and reducing environmental footprints. This is highlighted by many of today’s insulating materials being based on petrochemicals. The increasing need for sustainable materials has led researchers to seek insulation materials, which have lower environmental burden, e.g. made of natural or recycled materials. Some of the insulation materials currently in their early stage of development are made from agricultural by-products, but there is a long path to get them to market. This study identifies which charac-teristics need attention and research to make them more reliable and competitive. The pa-per reviews current literature and classifies earlier studies of unconventional, bio-based in-sulation materials into four categories: thermal; acoustic; environmental; and mechanical behaviors. This method reveals the hotspots where evidence is currently lacking, thereby suggesting where future research should be directed.

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Agricultural By-products for the Production of Building Insulation in New Zealand – A first Look

by zahra balador, Morten Gjerde, and Nigel Isaacs

ASA, 2017

New Zealand's increasing population and economic growth is boosting the need for more buildings, ... more New Zealand's increasing population and economic growth is boosting the need for more buildings, and consequently more building materials. Increasing manufacture of building materials leads to the production of greenhouse gases as well as the depletion of finite natural resources. Approaches that reduce the environmental impact of construction can help achieve long term sustainability. One approach is the use of natural or recycled materials. Some agricultural by-products have characteristics similar to materials already used to manufacture insulation and could be an alternative bio-based solution. Rigorous analysis of the viability of this alternative is needed before such materials can be considered. This paper presents a literature-based study of technical research and opportunities evident in the New Zealand market.

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