Tony Watkins

Regulations are notable for their dull conformity, but Green Architecture courses are notable for a wonderful diversity.

Two days of perfect weather. All the photographs by Ann Krueger.

With John Key at the helm and the global economic melt down it seemed like a good time for a revolution.

Green is the new black.

After spending 150 years cutting down trees New Zealand had finally arrived at the point where some reassessment was needed before for the last trees disappeared. That proved however to be too big a challenge for business, and architecture, where exploitation was the foundation on which success was built. The alternative was to avoid thinking and justify the irresponsible by planting a tree.

It seemed by 2008 that the world had gone mad. Carbon-trading had to be the greatest con trick of all time and it seemed that no one noticed. Everyone was too busy making money out of nothing.

First you need to decide that your house will be a collector of energy rather than a user of energy.

A sustainable house produces a surplus of energy.

You can recognise truly great architecture by the sound of the laughter.

Expo 2000, a World Fair, was held in the City of Hannover, Germany

In 1992 William McDonough Architects prepared a document called The Hannover Principles Design for Sustainability, to act as a brief for the international pavilions at Expo 2000. In satisfying the brief the beauty of the resulting buildings, done by many of the world's leading architects, put to rest the criticism that Green Architecture too often did not delight the mind and the eye as well as the human spirit.

To assist those who cannot find a copy I have reproduced the Principles below. However you should also refer to the book which explains the Principles in greater detail.