Standpoint: Insights on sustainable buildings and toxic building materials

Standpoint video series highlights the breadth and depth of the research that goes on at Te Herenga Waka. This week First-Year coordinator Dr Emina Kristina Petrovic takes a stand on sustainable building materials.

23 March 2024

Tell us about yourself.

“My name is Dr Emina Kristina Petrovic and I'm a senior lecturer in Wellington School of Architecture. My research focuses on toxicity and sustainability of building materials.”

Where do you stand on this statement: Synthetic materials are problematic?

“I agree, synthetic chemicals can be highly problematic and generally we release new chemicals into manufacture before testing whether they are a problem or not. And that is almost a greater problem than necessarily any one chemical in its own right.”

Where do you stand on this statement: The life cycle of building materials is well understood by the government?

“The life cycle of building materials cannot be well understood by the government because it's not well understood by the scientists. So we have to start with science, knowing how to answer some of the key questions before we can expect that to be implemented into everyday life or through government regulations.”

Where do you stand on this statement: Young people can have profound impact on an environment?

“I think that we live at a time of unprecedented change and opportunities to drive positive change. I think it's the most exciting time possible to be a young person in this current, crazy, but also empowering environment. It's about aligning our true purpose with a sense of what we are doing. So that we can have true purpose and change can come along together.”