David Kent is lead architectural designer at KR Living in Ōtautahi where he’s propelling better quality, greener townhouses and homes in the city and across the South Island Te Waipounamu. Before studying architecture at Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington he was an aeronautical engineer working in Aotearoa and the UK. David is a Homestar designer and assessor.
Any learnings from aircraft powerplants and airframes you’ve leveraged in the residential design space?
In practice the two disciplines are far more connected than most people would perceive! Both are about housing people, keeping them safe and meeting their needs while simultaneously taking care of the technical issues. Your typical jet airliner is essentially just a hotel waiting room complete with kitchens, lavatories, air conditioning, double glazing, insulation etc. The key difference is jets fly at 30,000 ft - a far more hostile environment. As they are both about accommodating people, many design issues are common to both - the outcome just looks different.
What has shaped your sustainability story?
Outside of work I like to get out and explore the mountains when time allows. One inescapable truth is that our alpine environment is changing rapidly – alpine paths that were relatively straight forward 20 years ago are now far more hazardous and in some cases even becoming impassable. That aside, recent flooding, landslides and storm damage have caused significant destruction and financial cost for our society. If we want to slow the rate of climate change then the challenge is to make a concerted effort to do the best we can with what we’ve got – this is where initiatives such as Homestar assist.
You’ve said modest budgets and a desire to do decent work pushed you to define architecture as opposed to just building.
Can you tell us about this?
For me the difference between architecture and building is the thought, skill and craft that’s put into the act. These things can be measured by the delight that’s derived from a space. Between working on jets and studying architecture I did a deep dive into industrial design and subsequently the insanely good work of Dieter Rams. Dieter’s work is very clean and minimal but the thought, craft, restraint, consideration of materials and understanding of the production process are all very easily read. A master craftsman delivering results that are super hard to achieve.
It’s through this lens I look to Dieter’s work - his process and his ’Principles of Good Design’ as a potential way forward that could deliver the desired level of delight across a broad range of budgets.
You’re on the frontline of energy-efficient residential housing in Ōtautahi. What is the marketplace saying?
Both Steve Jobs and Henry Ford have been quoted as saying that people don’t know what they want until it’s shown to them- or words to that effect. To that end the market response to our recent projects has been very positive and the Homestar component is something people appreciate once the benefits are explained to them. My preferred way of communicating the benefits of Homestar is to just get on and do it and let the market experience it for themselves. A little show and a little tell has proven to be all that’s required to get interested parties across the line.
Overheating in newly built medium and high-density housing is a growing problem – what’s the solution?
The solution is energy modelling. It is an incredibly cost-effective way to undertake product testing, confirm the air is sitting in the goldilocks zone and if it’s not - then changes can be made.
Zooming out from overheating specifically, all we’re trying to do with all this building science stuff is get control over the indoor air so we can ensure it’s fresh and sits within the optimal temperature and humidity ranges. Simply doing that will give you all the comfort, health and durability benefits. Additional steps can then be taken to increase efficiency. For this purpose, energy modelling is crucial.
Is energy modelling the missing link in our push for better housing?
I wouldn’t say it’s the missing link as the tools exist but I would suggest an industry-wide failure to understand the benefits of energy modelling is the issue.
It’s a very cost effect way to undertake the necessary testing. Not doing it is simply gambling with the comfort, enjoyment and health of the occupants as well as the durability of the product and that’s simply not professional.
What’s been a highlight project for you in recent years and why?
Our Opawa Road Project would be up there (three stylish two level, two bedroom 6 Homestar rated townhouses in Ōtautahi’s inner-city residential suburb of Opawa). This was the first Homestar project we undertook – the learnings we took away were invaluable.
One change you’d like to see in the construction industry in the next 12 months?
Education- I’m super huge on education. Talking to builders and other developers there seems to be a desire by many to move beyond the minimum standards and build a better product. Unfortunately a robust understanding of building science principles is not quite there - there seems to be a lot of questionable ‘science’ floating around.
Your favourite green building here in Aotearoa or overseas?
The Scion Innovation Hub – Te Whare Nui o Tuteata in Rotorua (a Crown Research Institute specialising in technology development for the forestry industry) designed by RTA in collaboration with Irving Smith Architects. From what I’ve seen it does a very honourable job of addressing Dieter’s good design principles.