Influencing people’s uptake of sustainability in housing

Stephen McKernon, Susan Bates, Albrecht Stoecklein, Frances Maplesden, Karen Bayne.

Beacon’s consumer uptake objective was to have 90% of houses in New Zealand reaching a high standard of sustainability by 2012. This project aimed to confirm whether the programme of research initially identified by Beacon will achieve this objective and whether it is consistent with international best practice. Part of the brief was to identify at least one alternative approach that might deliver the required result more quickly.

The project looked at social change research and interventions worldwide and developed a design tool – a way of designing strategies and alternatives in the consumer housing market.