Design and Build for Communities in 2125
What does it take for a business to survive — and thrive — not just next quarter, but for the next century?
In a time of rising material costs, shifting regulations, and a climate that is already changing, the way we design and construct buildings has never mattered more.
In a time of rising material costs, shifting regulations, and a climate that is already changing, the way we design and construct buildings has never mattered more. Every choice , from materials and energy use to the impact on ecosystems , shapes not only how our communities live, work, and thrive, but also how our environment recovers and endures.
That’s why Wao Summit’s Better Building Day (Thursday 30 October 2025, Wānaka) is the South Island’s premier event for the building sector , a full-day programme dedicated to creating sustainable, resilient, and future-ready buildings that respect both people and the planet.
This day isn’t about short-term fixes. It’s about reimagining the built environment as part of Wao’s Journey to 2125: designing homes, workplaces, and infrastructure that last well beyond our own lifetimes while regenerating the natural systems that sustain us.
Better Building Day is open to anyone with a Building Day Pass, giving you the freedom to choose the sessions that matter most to you. Whether you’re an architect, builder, designer, tradie, or simply someone planning a build, you’ll leave with practical tools, fresh ideas, and connections to help you integrate sustainability into every stage of the construction process.
Lunch is included, and CPD / LBP points are available for all sessions.
Lisa Hinde, Associate Principal at Warren and Mahoney
Mark Anderson, Founder of MA Building
State of Play: What’s shaping the building industry now?
The day opens with a sharp look at the realities of the building sector in 2025 , where it’s heading, and what it needs to change if we’re serious about lasting to 2125. This session pulls together four experts who each tackle a different piece of the puzzle: planetary limits, market pressures, housing trends, and team resilience.
Kate Meyer is a sustainability scientist and engineer who developed the internationally recognised Planetary Accounting Framework, a system that translates global environmental limits into everyday metrics, like “planetary nutrition labels” for buildings and products. Through her work with the Planetary Accounting Network, she helps businesses, councils, and communities design within Earth’s boundaries, ensuring the built environment supports both people and the planet.
Lisa Hinde, Associate Principal at Warren and Mahoney, is a leading voice on sustainable design in Aotearoa. She advises large organisations and developers on how to embed low-carbon strategies into building portfolios, helping them navigate the rising tide of regulation, market expectations, and climate-related risk. Lisa brings clarity on how market forces are shaping the future of construction.
Matthew Cutler-Welsh, Senior Manager – Residential at the New Zealand Green Building Council, has championed better housing performance for more than 15 years. Host of the long-running Home Style Green podcast, Matthew has guided thousands of homeowners, designers, and builders on how to create warmer, healthier, and more efficient homes. He’ll outline the housing trends redefining residential construction today.
Mark Anderson, founder of MA Building, is an innovator in prefabrication and high-performance timber systems. Having worked across both boutique projects and large-scale developments, Mark is focused on how to build resilience into teams and processes , ensuring sustainable methods actually work on site, not just on paper.
Why this matters: This isn’t just a status report. It’s a reality check , and a call to action. You’ll leave with a clear view of where the industry stands, the pressures it faces, and the opportunities to re-orient around smarter, future-ready practice. It’s the foundation you need to start building for 2125.
Journey to 2125 , Where housing, food, nature, and community connect
What will our towns, neighbourhoods, and homes look like in 100 years’ time? And how do we design today so that future generations inherit places that are livable, resilient, and regenerative?
This panel brings together four leading NZIA architects to explore how housing, food systems, ecosystems, and community wellbeing intersect in the built environment. Together, they’ll unpack what it really means to design for intergenerational impact.
Tim Ross has worked across community-driven housing and regenerative urban design, with a strong focus on how architecture can support resilience in both people and place.
Caro Robertson, of Assembly Architects in Arrowtown, brings deep experience in alpine and passive design, creating buildings that perform in some of New Zealand’s most challenging climates.
Thom Gill, a director at Pac Studio and part of the Auckland Council Urban Design Panel, is known for imaginative and people-centred architecture that blends bold ideas with practical outcomes.
Guy Shaw is an advocate for regenerative practice in design and construction, working at the interface of architecture, ecology, and community.
Why this matters: Designing for 2125 requires more than better insulation and low-carbon materials. It demands a shift in thinking , seeing the built environment not as separate from nature and society, but as part of a whole system that sustains life. This kōrero will challenge you to imagine new models for housing, communities, and infrastructure that restore balance between people and planet.
Ben Eyers, Founder and Director of Hiberna
Caro Robertson, architect/co-director of Spacecraft Architects
Tim Ross, Registered Architect and Principal of Architype
Rolling up your sleeves: workshops that make a difference.
The afternoon dives into the practical side of better building , where ideas meet the realities of materials, energy, and water. These sessions are designed to equip you with tools you can take straight back to your projects.
Kate Meyer introduces the concept of Planetary Accounting, showing how global environmental boundaries can become measurable design metrics. It’s a chance to move beyond lofty sustainability goals and learn how to embed real limits and outcomes into every project.
At the same time, Delia Bellaby, Ben Eyers, and Tanya Simmonds open the door to the world of natural and regenerative materials. Hemp, straw, lime, and earth aren’t fringe experiments , they’re time-tested solutions that are increasingly being scaled for mainstream use. This workshop explores how to specify and apply these materials in ways that genuinely regenerate, rather than deplete.
Later in the day, Harry Lakin from TMCo takes a forensic look at energy. In From Energy Waste to Energy Wise, you’ll learn how to identify where buildings bleed money and emissions, and what steps can close the gap.
And finally, Jose Cranfield, working with WAI Wānaka, leads a session on stormwater runoff, a reminder that every building site is part of a bigger catchment. Good design can protect our lakes and streams, reduce flooding, and build resilience for communities downstream.
Why this matters: These workshops shift the conversation from “should” to “how.” They’re about giving builders, designers, and homeowners the confidence to design within planetary boundaries, choose regenerative materials, cut energy waste, and safeguard waterways. In other words, they’re about creating buildings that support human and environmental health, rather than undermine it.
Better Building Banter
The day winds with conversation. Gather to share what you’ve learned, swap stories from the workshops, and connect with others on the same journey. Our Green Drinks sessions are where the seeds of collaboration are planted and the ripples of change begin , turning a day of learning into momentum that can carry through projects, businesses, and communities long after the summit ends.
Why attend?
This is the South Island’s building event. Every year it sells out, drawing architects, builders, designers, and homeowners from across the region.
Learn from leaders. The line-up features pioneers in high-performance housing, regenerative materials, and climate-resilient design.
Get credit where it counts. All sessions qualify for LBP elective activities; architects can apply for NZRAB CPD points.
Choose your own path. With a Building Day Pass, you can tailor the day to your practice.
Join the Journey
Better Building Day runs on Thursday 30 October 2025 in Wānaka. Passes include lunch and access to all sessions. Spaces are limited and this day always fills fast.
This isn’t just about building to code or keeping up with market shifts. It’s about re-thinking the built environment as a force for health , for the people who live, work, and learn inside these spaces, and for the ecosystems that surround them.
The choices we make now will echo for a century. The buildings we construct today will still shape lives in 2125. The challenge is ensuring they work with human and environmental health , not against it.