Presented by Delia Bellaby, Otago Polytechnic

The global construction industry is a leading driver of the climate crisis, a reality sharply felt in Aotearoa New Zealand, where the built environment is plagued by high construction costs and poor-quality outcomes. While modern buildings are typically designed for a brief 50-year lifespan – often relying on complex, high-emission synthetic materials to achieve energy efficiency – ancient structures built from simple, locally sourced materials have stood for millennia.

This presentation argues for a vital paradigm shift. By looking backward, the modern sector can move forward. Low-impact, time-tested methodologies such as rammed earth, adobe, cob, thatch, and hempcrete offer sophisticated, natural physics that address our urgent housing and climate crises. Embracing these ancient principles of circularity, high thermal mass, and zero-waste lifecycles represents the ultimate forward-thinking innovation – enabling Aotearoa to build enduring, high-performing structures that outlast and out-perform mainstream modern methods.

Attend via Zoom
Meeting ID: 511 405 452
Password: 582894