All our builds are designed with your comfort in mind.

✅ Year-round healthy temperatures.

✅ Constant filtered fresh air.

✅ Dry windows.

✅ Reduced allergy materials.

✅ Plant based paints.

A huge up to 70% reduction in your power bills!

We achieve this by building with the Arbol Difference - based on European low-energy use construction methods and materials, we go well beyond the legal minimums of NZ building code for an abode that features:

✅ 40% more insulation than the new H1 standards.

✅ An airtight building envelope.

✅ Reduced thermal bridging.

✅ uPVC window joinery with Lightbridge double glazing.

✅ Fresh air mechanical ventilation heat recovery system (MVHR).

Prefabrication at our facility for a lightning fast 12-week construction of your new abode. 

✅ All tools and materials on hand ready to go.

✅ No back and forth to different job sites.

✅ Fully finished including all painting and tiling.

✅ In house Quality Control to maintain our high standard of workmanship.

✅ Stopdigging Screwpiles for a fast, strong and Code Mark certified foundation.

We strive to be more responsible with our building everyday. This includes:

✅ An up to 70% reduction in landfill waste compared to traditional on-site building with six types of recycling at our facility - soft plastics, plastics, cardboard, metal, polystyrene & GIB.

✅ Reduced treatment timbers wherever possible.

✅ Plant based paints.

✅ Glue free click-together flooring.

✅ Storage and reuse of timber off cuts.

✅ Reclaimed materials like LMA cladding made from old power poles and bridge beams.

✅ Stopdigging screw pile foundations for reduced CO2 compared to concrete and avoiding treated timbers in soil.

✅ Long lasting and low maintenance material choices.

The road to your new home should be an easy process.

✅ We guide you through every step.

✅ Fixed price dwelling*

✅ No hidden costs

✅ Fair contracts and payment terms for all parties.

We are crafts people who value high quality work and results.

✅ Attention to detail.

✅ No she'll be right attitude.

✅ Fully finished before leaving our facility.

1. Structure, Insulation & Airtightness

Code, the legal New Zealand minimum:
Stick framing – slow to assemble and requires a lot of straightening.
Nogs (dwangs) in walls – creates thermal bridging and reduces insulation cover.
Typically glass based insulation with Formaldehyde bonding – cause of irritation.
Services run within main framing – reduces insulation cover.

Result – the cheapest solution to build short term, with on going high power bills an unhealthy living environment and long term more expensive home to maintain.

The Arbol Difference™ - NZSIP

Rātā and Tōtara models use Structurally Insulated Panels (SIPS).

They are faster to assemble, minimise waste, and are built to stand the test of time.
The panels are glued, screwed and taped together – for a solid airtight build.

R7 floor – 235% better than code.
R4.4 walls – 120% better than code.
R7 ceiling – 6.5% better than code.

A service cavity is placed inside the building envelope for plumbing and electrical which reduces penetrations in the main insulation layer.

NZSIP Panels are PIR (Polyurethane-filled) and offer superior fire ratings, thereby enhancing the safety of your home. Their closed-cell system ensures greater structural integrity and translates into a higher R-value, providing superior thermal insulation and increased energy efficiency.

They are locally produced in Cromwell, BRANZ Appraised, and have been used on 150 homes throughout NZ (June 2024)

Result: Very easy to heat and cool home, low power bills, healthy living environment with less nasty materials within the envelope and faster construction of your home.

Learn more about NZSIPS

The Arbol Difference™ - LVL Framing

High Performance - Pōhutukawa  and Beech models
140mm LVL (Laminated Verner Lumber) pre-cut and nailed framing
Faster to assemble accurate, strong, straight with minimised waste.
Full runs of Formaldehyde free, recycled Earthwool insulation for primary framing.

Pro Clima Intello airtight vapour barrier – so energy can’t escape and protects your insulation from internal moisture damage.

45 to 90mm service cavity for electrical and plumbing – increased insulation cover

Further R1.2-2.4 TerraLana wool insulation added to the service cavity (ceiling and walls) for increased total insulation and reduce thermal bridging.

External batten for fixture of cladding.
No nogs(dwangs) .

R5.3 wall insulation - a whooping 165% better than code.
R4.8 floor - 60% better than code.

Result: Very easy to heat and cool home, lower power bills, healthy living environment with less nasty materials within the envelope.

2. Windows & Doors

Code - the legal minimum

Most window joinery in New Zealand is made from Aluminium, this is a highly conductive material that requires thermal breaks to reduce heat transfer.
Poor air sealing and less secure closure.
Standard double-glazed glass.

Result: Cheapest solution short term - drafty, crying windows and cold to touch joinery.
Timber is great alternative, thermally very efficent, but more expensive and requires regular maintenance.

The Arbol Difference™ - uPVC

Extremely thermally efficient frames.
Warm & dry - frozen on the outside, means heat isn’t escaping the home!
UV resistant, won’t rot, corrode, or rust.
European tilt & turn – multiple opening directions for security and ventilation.
Great seals & cams for fantastic airtightness – less heat loss.
Very little maintenance – easy to clean.
LOW-E Lightbridge Argon filled double glazed glass - keeps energy within the build, reflects harmful UV light.
Up to 70% recycled content in the joinery.

Result: The most cost-effective high-performance solution – dry windows, reduced power bills and little maintenance required.

3. Ventilation

Code- the legal minimum.
Basic extraction fan for bathroom and kitchen.
All energy extracted – no heat retained.

Result: Excessive moisture in your home leading to condensation on your windows, constant heating, moisture pushed into your wall cavity, throwing ‘free’ heat energy out through poor ducting that can harbor mold, and only works when the switch is on.

The Árbol Difference™  - Mechanical Ventilation Heat Recovery (MVHR)

Continuously removes moisture and stale air, while returning filtered fresh air and captures up to 90% of heat on the exhaust cycle and returns it to the environment - this includes the heat from cooking, and showering.

Filters remove smells, pollen & dust.

Result: Reduced energy costs and cleaner healthier and more comfortable environment.

4. The Árbol Difference™ - Prefabrication

Our dwellings are fully finished at our facility in Cromwell. Why? In one word - Efficiency.

Traditional on-site building is plagued with cost over runs, delays, additional waste, noise, and wasted time.
We work from a controlled environment:

75% of our builds are inside - so our team and your building are not exposed to the elements - wind, rain, snow, and the sun - no more weather delays.

Security - all our materials and tools are safely stored inside our fenced, locked and constantly under video surveillance premises. This means our team can start and end the day quickly, no more carrying tools back and forth, everything is charged and ready to go. Materials are stored in our racking for quick access, and plenty of fixed lighting makes for a pleasant work environment during the short days of winter.

Reduced travel - one site for dwelling construction, no back and forth.

We are here to monitor all on-site trade work, insuring nothing gets past us.

The New Zealand building industry is an over 50% contributer to landfill. We can and do better - we store off cuts for future builds and separate recycling with - hard plastics, soft plastics, polystyrene, metals, plaster, and glass. This has reduced our landfill waste by two thirds compared to on-site construction.