The latest news, views and inspiration from WikiHouseNZ...

WikiNews 009

August 2017

It’s been some time since our last newsletter, thank you for staying with us. And a warm welcome to recent subscribers, many of whom signed-up after seeing the interview with Martin Luff and Danny Squires on TV1’s ‘What Next’ programme with Nigel Latta and John Campbell. (More on that later). 

Our First Customer.jpg

The big news is, we have our first paying customer. Sue Wauchop has come on board to help us with the final development/ testing of our new Starter Home. Sue has funded the remaining development on the 40m² Starter Home, and we will erect this structure on a temporary site in central Christchurch in late 2017. The idea is to construct the basic shell of the structure and then iterate through the remaining detailed design, including finalising internal design and subsystems such as electrical and water. Our aim is a high performance sustainable house so unique that it cannot be compared to the usual new home. It would be like comparing apples with oranges! We’ll be having conversations with various parties over the coming weeks to finalise an appropriate site so that everyone can come and have a look and learn about our work. We will show the new home for 6 - 9 months, then we can easily  disassemble it, take it to Sue’s section and reassemble it for her so she can start living in her new home. We are on the look out for anyone who is keen to follow Sue as an early adopter, and join us in bringing fully tested WikiHouse solutions to New Zealand.

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WikiNews 008

September 2016

Although it appears that we have been quiet, much progress has been made behind the scenes this year on putting the first, fully-finished WikiHouse in New Zealand on the ground. Big steps have been made in developing the design, much prototyping and testing has been done, all while managing a shift of the WikiLab from Addington to a larger fabrication premises in Hillsborough a few kilometres away in SE Christchurch.

We have moved!

It has been a challenging year for us to this point. At the end of last year we ran up against the size constraints of the WikiLab in Addington (the first facility of its kind in the world!) “Full up to the brim” we thought, and you can see why...

An early return in January was required to search for a facility where we could begin assembling the full-size demonstration house, which will be over 5 metres tall, and cover 40+ square metres on the ground - the clock was ticking for us as the current lease expired at the end of March.

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WikiNews 007

December 2015

Backyarder™ Progress

Progress at putting New Zealand's first WikiHouse on the ground currently resembles something akin to the old adage of a duck on a fast-moving stream: nothing much apparently happening on the surface, but paddling like steam underneath.

Back in April at our launch event for the first ever WikiLab in the world, we set a self imposed target that we  “...will build a 25-30 square metre prototype house by the end of the year”.

Whilst we have made enormous progress this year, the impending approach of the holiday season sees the necessity to extend beyond this deadline for a fully completed demonstration model of the BackYarder™. Along the course of the year the size of the BackYarder™ has grown from 23 to 40 square metres after much consultation, and analysis of initial early adopter's feedback.

The essential reason for the stretch in the timeline is simply that when you are attempting to bring things together in a uniquely different way there is no established blueprint to follow. We are creating a new system, not just building a house (although many people would tell you this is hard enough!).

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WikiNews

Issue 006 - October 2015

Introducing our WikiTeers

Team member Elizabeth Guthrey is a WikiTeer with a broad skill base and a ton of enthusiasm.

Tell us something about yourself, Elizabeth?

I’m a creative entrepreneur with an environmental conscience. My skill sets vary from research, project management and designing to co-ordinating events. I split my time between the environmental conservation field and the design/build field. Many people would think I’m pursuing two different career paths and I’m far too busy. But I feel there are strong linkages between my jobs.  Although I admit, working for one organization would make life easier. When I have free time, I like making crafts, playing musical instruments, and teaching dance. 

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Welcome to WikiNews 005  September 2015

If you've recently visited our website, www.spacecraft.co.nz, you will have noticed it has been revamped. The website includes two places to visit regularly to check on the latest developments at Space Craft Systems. In the menu, go to WikiBuzz to find the 'Blog' and to The WikiHouse for  'Development Progress'. If you are a member of WikiHouse Meetup and receiving this newsletter for the first time, you may wish to take a look at past WikiNews issues, to be found in the menu under WikiBuzz. 

The excitement is building...

"This year has seen remarkable progress towards completing our first WikiHouse in New Zealand", says Jane, our General Manager. It is not even 12 months since The Canterbury Community Trust granted funding to ensure that the WikiHouse BackYarder could become a reality. In this time we've added management, considerable design prowess and substantial professional assistance to our team, and the result is now beginning to take shape.

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Welcome to WikiNews 004 July 2015

Our WikiTeer community continues to grow. Some WikiTeers are working remotely from their home bases around New Zealand and overseas, while others work from the lab.The WikiSoup team meetings now take place monthly, previously being held six-weekly. One of the purposes of WikiSoup is to provide an opportunity for communication between the various WikiHouse teams. WikiSoup also provides a venue for socialisation while sharing a meal of home-made soups and bread (hence the name WikiSoup), prior to getting down to business! 

This edition brings you the background story, explaining how WikiHouseNZ evolved from the shared vision of Martin Luff and Danny Squires. We introduce WikiTeer, Kritara Strunk. You will also be introduced to Bestie Row as well as learn of a NZ project which has elements of WikiHouse about it. Enjoy!  

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Welcome to WikiNews 003 May 2015

WikiHouse-global-community.jpg

The WikiHouse team is now well established at the Christchurch WikiLab. The opening was celebrated last month, coinciding with the announcement of a new partnership. This edition features more on this event, along with articles profiling the WikiHouse Foundation, introducing WikiTeer Tim Weir and more inspirational global projects. Enjoy!

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Welcome to WikiNews 002 April 2015

A lot has happened in 'WikiHouse World' since our last newsletter. In this issue, we want to share news of some of the latest international developments as well as what's happening at home. 

Now that things are ramping up with progressing the BackYarder build over the coming months, we promise to keep you updated more regularly. We are delighted to have an increasingly enthusiastic team of volunteers join us as we embark on the next phase of this 'wiki-adventure'. Speaking of volunteers....

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WikiHouse/NZ Newsletter - November 2013

First steps

Welcome to the first-ever newsletter from the WikiHouseNZ team.

As you will read further on, the WikiHouse concept in New Zealand is gaining strength and momentum, and we are finding that more and more people are becoming interested in what we’re doing and the progress of the project along the way.

This is bringing a greater need for information than has previously been provided through the website and blog, so we’ve decided to send out an occasional newsletter with comments and updates about the progress of bringing to completion, in New Zealand, what is intended to be the first fully-consented WikiHouse in the world.

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