ANNOUNCING / Abodo’s Alpine Eco Villas Achieve Homestar 7 Rating

This is a significant achievement for Abodo and design-build experts FLiP Healthy Homes, and one that proves true dedication to delivering healthy, sustainable homes.

The first three Alpine Eco Villas at Cardrona, launched in May this year, have now been certified with a 7 Homestar® Built rating from the New Zealand Green Building Council. To achieve this level of rating, homes must be independently assessed against stringent criteria around health, energy efficiency and sustainability.

For a 7 rating, cladding must be at least 50% Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) certified timber and interior timbers must meet an approved Level-A Eco-Label. Clearly, the villas met these criteria with flying colours due to the extensive amount of FSC® and Declare Certified Vulcan timber used for both their exterior cladding, interior wall and ceiling linings, and in other areas such as decking, fencing and joinery.

The villas also feature double framed stud walls with an air tightness layer through the centre, sheepswool insulation and thermally broken double glazed windows that are recessed to the thermal line, which enabled them to exceed the requirements for ventilation, moisture control and energy efficient heating. They are oriented with skylights for solar gain, which also helps reduce energy use.

For architect Eli Nuttall of First Light Studio, who designed the homes alongside associates FLiP Healthy Homes, Homestar provides a useful tool to benchmark the level of health, efficiency and sustainability they want to achieve with a home.

“By targeting a rating of Homestar 7, we set out to prove that a beautiful home could deliver hard on these objectives while also remaining affordable. The task of reaching this standard is challenging in such a harsh climate, meaning that close attention had to be given to the thermal envelope,” he says. “Homestar also takes into consideration the materials and how they’re used in the home. Being sustainably grown and processed, the use of Abodo timbers contributed maximum points in this area.”

As well as becoming certified Homestar 7, these high-achieving villas have also been recognised as finalists in the Residential category for the Designers Institute of New Zealand’s Best Awards for 2023, where they are commended for their delivery of healthy, affordable homes in what can be one of New Zealand’s toughest climates.

To experience the warmth and beauty of the villas for yourself, follow these links:

• Abodo Alpine Eco Villa
• Abodo Alpine Eco Villa (Spa)