The New Zealand Building Biology & Ecology Institute (BBE) provides information on how buildings affect the health of people and the environment, and ways of building healthier and more sustainable homes . It promotes the Principles of Ecological Building & Designwith publications, workshops and courses, seminars and research.
There are offices in Auckland and Wellingtonand Hawkes Bay which are run in conjunction with eco-architecture practices by graduates of the original IBO Building Biology and Ecology Correspondence Course.
HistoryThe Institut fűr Baubiologie und Okologie (IBO) was originally established in 1970 by Prof. Dr. Anton Schneider in Germany and now has affiliated offices in other parts of Europe, UK, USA, Canada, Australia and NZ
BBE has been active in education and research in NZ since 1990. The New Zealand Institute was founded and directed for the first ten years by Reinhard Kanuka-Fuchs, anzia, architect. In this time Reinhard developed basic awareness for ecological building internationally and in the NZ public, profession, industry and building authorities . His key projects included the development of the 24 BBE manuals and other healthy home publications, as well as guiding the building of the Waitakere City Council Eco home and development of their Sustainable Home Guidelines, which encapsulate most of the BBE principles. He also trained many health practitioners, builders, architects, designers and manufacturers via university classes and the original IBO Correspondence Course, who now form a network of BBE professionals throughout NZ.
Our MissionBBE is committed to creating a healthier and more sustainable built environment. Through education, advocacy and research we aim to make people aware of the health and environmental hazards of modern buildings and construction, and show them how to create a healthier and more sustainable places to live and work. Our objectives are:
- To make information on healthier and more sustainable building , materials and services available to the public and to the building industry.
- To endorse or teach courses, workshops and seminars , and endorse or produce publications covering the field of healthier and more sustainable building and lifestyle.
- To endorse or carry out research and development in the field of healthier and more sustainable building.
- To advise and provide support and networking for those who are committed to a healthier and more sustainable building industry in the products and services that they provide.
- To advise and co-operate with other relevant people, including environmental, research, health, community, local and central government organisations to encourage a healthier and more sustainable built environment and lifestyles.
Alexander Greig : Director, Architect anzia and Dip BBE, "design your own eco home" workshop leader alex@ecoprojects.co.nz
Jenny Rattenbury : Developed and administers the Correspondence Course and publication orders, Architect, cert BBE and artist jennyrat@xtra.co.nz
Johann Bernhardt: Directs the Auckland office, Architect (german registration) and cert BBE, "eco builder" workshop leader jobern@ihug.co.nz
Eddie Van Uden: Assists in running Auckland office, Architectural designer and cert BBE equinoxdesign@ihug.co.nz
Steven Jaycock: Directs Hawkes Bay Office, workshops and design, Architectural Designer stevejay.nz@gmail.com
Brighid Critchlow: Directs the Nelson office, Architect (UK registration) brighid@sacred-space.co.nz
Loren Martin: Assists in running Wellington office, Dip Interior Designer (Canada) loren@ecoprojects.co.nz