Health & Happiness

Human health, comfort and happiness are deeply affected by many aspects of our environment, including the air we breathe, the surfaces we touch, the noises we hear, and the views we see.

The diagram and text below outline some of the approaches we're using at Camp Glenorchy to create a place where all visitors feel comfortable, healthy and inspired.

1. Test Lab

The existing staff house on the Camp Glenorchy site has been turned into a ‘Test Lab’. A team worked throughout the winter of 2015 to test the systems that will be used to provide heating and hot water in our Camp Glenorchy guest cabins. They are now testing how people interact with the systems, to find the right balance between automation and manual control so our guest cabins are easy to enjoy while using the least energy possible.

> Paul Brainerd visiting Burgess Malarkey at the Test Lab

2. Passive design

Buildings at Camp Glenorchy will harness the power of the sun and wind to provide healthy, comfortable spaces with minimal energy use for those working or staying with us.

The size, placement and layout of windows has been designed to capture energy and light from the sun, reducing the need for heating and lighting. Opening windows by varying degrees will allow fresh air to circulate through the buildings and shading features will keep them cool on hot summer days. Acoustic insulation will reduce noise transfer both between rooms and between indoor and outdoor spaces.

3. High-performing building envelope

The building envelope separates the inside of a building from the outside environment. It is the physical layer containing the building's framing, insulation, interior lining and exterior cladding.

Our buildings will have a high level of air tightness and insulation to help keep them warm and dry in winter and cool in summer.

Thermal insulation will be 60% higher than the New Zealand Building Code requirement. The building’s airtightness will follow the stringent Passive House standards.

4. Integrated design

We believe that incorporating different points of view throughout the design process creates opportunities for even better outcomes.

Project team members from many different disciplines have been actively collaborating in the design of Camp Glenorchy to create buildings where the architecture, systems and the environment work together to improve comfort and achieve high levels of energy and water efficiency.

> Regular design team meetings help to identify solutions to design challenges

Visitor feedback

While the design and construction teams are taking a lot of care in bringing Camp Glenorchy to life, the best judges of Health & Happiness will be our guests.

Once Camp Glenorchy is open to the public, we will seek on-going feedback from guests to continually improve our services and fine-tune the systems within our buildings. Stories and lessons from people staying here will also enrich the experience of future travellers.

Healthy materials and a connection with Glenorchy

The materials used in our buildings directly affects the experience people will have at Camp Glenorchy. So does our ability to connect our buildings and the guest experience to the surrounding environment. Visit our Materials and Place pages to learn how these key elements are serving as important elements of the project.

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