NMIT awarded government funding for sustainable building project

Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology has scooped a $1 million funding award for sustainable buildings from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

MAF Senior Policy Analyst John Eyre says the funding is part of the Wood Building Demonstration Project, a government initiative to encourage innovation in design and the use of wood products in new multi-storey commercial buildings.

NMIT picked up the award for an innovative proposal for a sustainable wooden building to house the new Art and Media faculty building. MAF will contribute $1 million towards the design and construction.

``Wood is not widely used in the construction of New Zealand commercial buildings despite its environmental and cost-saving benefits. As part of a government initiative to promote its use, MAF called for proposals from government agencies and government-funded institutions around the country this year,’’ Mr Eyre said.

``NMIT submitted a unique proposal for a wooden building that demonstrated many sustainability benefits and was subsequently awarded part-funding for its design and construction. The building will be a good demonstration and education model that we hope will encourage the use of wood in commercial construction.’’

The selection criteria for the funding were that the proposed building must be commercial, constructed with wood, multi-story, innovative in its design, and have features that could be easily translated into other buildings.

Wood has many environmental benefits as well as cost-saving benefits. It is a sustainable, renewable and low-energy resource. Additionally, there is a plentiful and sustainably-grown supply in New Zealand. Wood uses less energy to manufacture and is generally the same cost or cheaper than many other building materials.