Buildings are a big
part of the problem
Buildings are a big part of the problem
When scientists measure the amount of carbon buildings produce in terms of energy use, they put the figure at 6% of global emissions.
But, when a consumption approach to carbon is taken, that's all the emissions created by the production of concrete, steel and the other construction products, plus the associated transport, packaging, waste and demolition – the figure goes up... and it goes up to a shocking 39%.
When you look at the whole picture, buildings have an immense carbon footprint.
Luckily, in New Zealand, much of our energy is renewable and we use a lot of timber. So here, experts put the percentage of carbon emissions from buildings at 20%.
However, a recent Massy University study estimated that an average 198m2 NZ home produces 233 tCO2 emissions across its lifetime. Under the Paris Agreement, that home would need to produce just 35 tCO2.
This means that average New Zealand homes emit six times the allowed amount of carbon, if we are to keep global warming under 1.5°C.
Watch our video to find out more
The Actually story
The concept for Actually began with a question:
How can we know what’s actually sustainable when it comes to building design?
The concept for Actually began with a question: How can we know what’s actually sustainable when it comes to building design?
This was the question that gnawed away for years in the back of founder Ben Brady’s mind.
Every time he sat down to design he asked himself, what can I do to reduce carbon with this build? How can I measure the effects of my choices – and share that information with others?
There were no tools in the industry that provided Ben with the calculations he needed, but he knew there had to be a way. So instead of wishing for it, he created it.
Ben Brady
Ben Brady is the founder, designer and developer of Actually.
Ben is a multi-award-winning architectural designer with a practice based in Ōtautahi, New Zealand.
Specialising in the design of bespoke residential new homes and alterations, Ben’s background in Fine Arts, and earlier years spent working as a sheet metal worker, have served him well in his ability to deliver creative design responses tempered with down-to-earth practicality.
The development of Actually is a prime example of Ben’s unique skillset and enquiring mind.
Ben Brady heads, multi-award winning architectural firm, Linetype Architectural.
Based in in Sumner, New Zealand, the practice specialises in bespoke residential new homes and alterations.
A background in Fine Arts, and earlier years spent as a sheet metal worker, have served Brady well, in his ability to deliver creative design responses tempered with down-to-earth practicality. The development of Actually is a prime example of this unique skillset.
Ben is a current member of Architectural Designers New Zealand (ADNZ), and is a Licensed Building Practitioner (Level 2).
Meet the team
Ben is joined by a group of like-minded creatives who are resolute in their desire to help the planet, by helping the New Zealand building industry reduce its global carbon emissions.
Graham Rule
Graham's highly successful business career spans more than 35 years in wide array of sectors including logistics, transport, property and technology.
He is a key figure in several innovative enterprises and has five Directorships.
Graham is driven to secure financial health for all stakeholders and is passionate about creative technologies that provide a tangible difference in the lives of the people who use them.
Graham Rule
Graham's highly successful business career spans more than 35 years in wide array of sectors including logistics, transport, property and technology.
He is a key figure in several innovative enterprises and has five Directorships.
Graham is driven to secure financial health for all stakeholders and is passionate about creative technologies that provide a tangible difference in the lives of the people who use them.
Trevor Hone
Trevor has enjoyed a varied career since gaining his BSc in Economics in the early 1980s.
After spending two enlightening years in the UK music industry and 12 years in London's foreign exchange markets, Trevor joined the residential construction Industry where he has remained for twenty five years.
In 2001 he moved to New Zealand in 2003 he started Trevor Hone Builders. This grew into a successful multi award-winning company, culminating in the NZ Master Builders 2021 National Craftsmanship Award.
Trevor is passionate about the building industry and the sustainability, cost and wellbeing challenges it faces.
Trevor Hone
Trevor has enjoyed a varied career since gaining his BSc in Economics in the early 1980s.
After spending two enlightening years in the UK music industry and 12 years in London's foreign exchange markets, Trevor joined the residential construction Industry where he has remained for twenty five years.
In 2001 he moved to New Zealand in 2003 he started Trevor Hone Builders. This grew into a successful multi award-winning company, culminating in the NZ Master Builders 2021 National Craftsmanship Award.
Trevor is passionate about the building industry and the sustainability, cost and wellbeing challenges it faces.
Alec Bathgate
Alec Bathgate is the Founder and Creative Director of Bathgate Design.
His professional career spans over 35 years, in which time he has worked across a number of different sectors and with clients of all sizes to create thoughtful and highly crafted design solutions.
The calibre of his work has been regularly recognised in the New Zealand Best Awards and he has recently being awarded the supreme Purple Pin for graphic design; the highest honour for design in Aotearoa.
Alec is a lifetime member of the Designers Institute of New Zealand (DINZ), and a New Zealand Music Hall of Fame inductee.
Alec Bathgate
Alec Bathgate is the Founder and Creative Director of Bathgate Design.
His professional career spans over 35 years, in which time he has worked across a number of different sectors and with clients of all sizes to create thoughtful and highly crafted design solutions.
The calibre of his work has been regularly recognised in the New Zealand Best Awards and he has recently being awarded the supreme Purple Pin for graphic design; the highest honour for design in Aotearoa.
Alec is a lifetime member of the Designers Institute of New Zealand (DINZ), and a New Zealand Music Hall of Fame inductee.
Emma Bathgate
Emma joined Bathgate Design as Business Director in 2020, after returning home to Ōtautahi from ten years in London.
With a Bachelor of Fine Arts and over a decade of experience leading digital design and technology teams, Emma and the Bathgate Design team have been working with Ben since day one to create a user interface for Actually that is simple and highly intuitive, despite dealing with complex calculations and layers of in-depth information.
We hope the result is a product that ultimately makes users' lives easier, and creates a positive change for sustainability within Aotearoa's building industry.
Emma Bathgate
Emma joined Bathgate Design as Business Director in 2020, after returning home to Ōtautahi from ten years in London.
With a Bachelor of Fine Arts and over a decade of experience leading digital design and technology teams, Emma and the Bathgate Design team have been working with Ben since day one to create a user interface for Actually that is simple and highly intuitive, despite dealing with complex calculations and layers of in-depth information.
We hope the result is a product that ultimately makes users' lives easier, and creates a positive change for sustainability within Aotearoa's building industry.
Mitchell Coll
Mitchell Coll is the lead designer and Director of Fabric Architecture.
He has led clients, contractors and his team through over 1,700 successful projects since the inception of the practice in 2009. Mitchell is a proud member of both Architectural Designers New Zealand (ADNZ) and Te Kāhui Whaihanga (NZIA).
His continuing involvement as an industry advisor and lecturer for numerous educational and community groups, as well as his registration as an architect are evidence of his high level of knowledge and leadership within the architectural and construction industry.
Mitchell Coll
Mitchell Coll is the lead designer and Director of Fabric Architecture.
He has led clients, contractors and his team through over 1,700 successful projects since the inception of the practice in 2009. Mitchell is a proud member of both Architectural Designers New Zealand (ADNZ) and Te Kāhui Whaihanga (NZIA).
His continuing involvement as an industry advisor and lecturer for numerous educational and community groups, as well as his registration as an architect are evidence of his high level of knowledge and leadership within the architectural and construction industry.
Amy Douglas
As a seasoned multidisciplinary designer with over two decades of experience, Amy seamlessly bridges industry gaps, transitioning from branding to architecture with a focus on interior environments. Her deep understanding of people's wants and needs beyond the surface ensures she develops spaces that inspire and connect people, while her love of all things design allows her to confidently push creative boundaries.
Amy Douglas
As a seasoned multidisciplinary designer with over two decades of experience, Amy seamlessly bridges industry gaps, transitioning from branding to architecture with a focus on interior environments. Her deep understanding of people's wants and needs beyond the surface ensures she develops spaces that inspire and connect people, while her love of all things design allows her to confidently push creative boundaries.