Z House.

ArchiPro Project Summary - Modern family home in Christchurch designed for resilience and sustainability, featuring a highly functional DUOTHERM Warm Roof system for energy efficiency and low maintenance aesthetics.

Title:: Z House
Manufacturers and Supplier:: Equus Industries
Category:: Residential/; New Builds
Completed:: 2022
Building style:: Modern
Photographers:: Lightforge PhotographyEquus IndustriesPatrick Reynolds Photography

On this residential site in Christchurch once stood a large, 2-storey, brick home. The 2011 Canterbury earthquake brought this multi-generational family home to the ground.

RTA Studio designed a new family home with resilience to future earthquakes and flooding, and elements of the original home at the heart of the design. The house was to be sustainable to operate and permanent so that its embodied carbon be mitigated over time.

The design required a long lasting highly functioning roof which not only protected the investment from the elements, and had a sleek design, it had to perform in a healthy highly insulated way.

RTA Studio and Equus worked closely on the roofing design for this home. They chose a DUOTHERM Warm Roof system, which combines a robust waterproofing membrane with thermal insulation and a vapor barrier. This provides the home with condensation control, consistent internal temperatures, and increased energy efficiency. Project specific condensation risk analyses were calculated for this roof to ensure it provided adequate thermal resistance to contribute to the sustainable operation of the building. Thermal resistance is essential for creating a healthy, dry home and reducing energy needs for heating and cooling a large structure over its lifetime.

Aesthetically, RTA Studio and the client wanted something that looked smart and would be low to zero maintenance. The striking black, glimmering AGR cap sheet (of the DUO two-layer roof and deck membrane) was selected for its aesthetics, giving the roof a 'sparkling' appearance in the sunlight. The project design had a lot of detail; Solar battens, terminations, and circular holes in the roof for plantation to grow through. Our consultant team worked closely with the designers to ensure these details were designed as sleek as possible.

Quality inspections were regularly carried out by both Equus Consultants and designers from RTA Studio during the installation, with Canterbury Waterproofing Ltd, a long-time and experienced Equus Certified Applicator, responsible for installing the DUOTHERM roof.

Project Gallery

Why choose a warm roof?

CodeMark Certified and BRANZ Appraised.
Specific project design with condensation risk analysis (CRA) and wind load calculations to ensure the best system available for the buildings requirements.
Condensation Control – A warm roof moves the dew point to the outside of the structure, ensuring there is no condensation build up in the ceiling cavity.
No condensation build up negates the need for mechanical venting, causing less penetrations in the membrane.
Energy Cost savings are maximized with less need for heating or cooling throughout the building.
Creates more space within the ceiling for services.
Light-weight system, strong and flexible for resistance to seismic movement.

Views and Engagement

Products used

DUOTHERM Warm Roof SystemEquus Industries

Professionals used

Equus IndustriesManufacturers and Suppliers

Equus Industries

Manufacturers and Suppliers

Marlborough • Auckland • Wellington • Canterbury

equus.nz

Equus Industries. Equus Industries Limited is a private limited liability Company (#120201) incorporated in Blenheim New Zealand in 1982. The company commenced business, immediately after formation, as a manufacturer of specialist coating systems for commercial buildings. This remains the main thrust of the operation to this day, with additional high quality complementary products introduced extending the range to encompass a full range of coating and waterproofing materials for all types of construction. In addition to supplying the New Zealand market, Equus started exporting specialist lines from late 1983 to Australia, the South Pacific and South East Asia. More recently developing strong links with distributors in both Australia and South East Asia. Since formation, growth has been steady and continuous at an average 15% annual compound rate. The company now has a multi-million dollar turnover and is respected as a supplier of qualityprotection materials to the construction industry.