Zeta Studio is a Wellington-based sustainability consultancy founded by Nico Zilliox, a New Zealand Registered Architect with a strong focus on building performance.
With architectural training and 12 years of professional experience, we understand the technical, regulatory and practical challenges faced during residential design and documentation. Sustainability is not treated as an add-on, but as an integrated part of the architectural process.
Zeta Studio works alongside architects and designers as a collaborative consultant, providing technically sound sustainability input that strengthens performance while respecting architectural intent.
Homestar is a voluntary rating tool developed by the New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC). It sets a clear framework for building better homes, recognising performance in climate resilience, ecology, community impact, operational efficiency, lower embodied carbon, and improved health and comfort.
More than a checklist, Homestar provides architects, designers, and builders with a structured pathway to achieve measurable outcomes. It also rewards homeowners with an independent rating that demonstrates quality and care well above minimum Building Code compliance.
A Homestar-rated home is designed to be healthier, warmer, drier, and more comfortable, while using less energy and water than a comparable Code-minimum home.
The New Zealand Building Code establishes only the legal minimum standard. Over time, it has often been treated as a design target rather than a baseline. As a result, many homes, even new ones, fall short of international expectations for warmth, ventilation, energy performance, and long-term wellbeing.
A warm, dry home should not be aspirational, it is fundamental. Poor housing quality contributes directly to preventable health issues, including respiratory illness in children. We can, and should, build better.
Homestar certification also unlocks preferential green lending options from major banks including ASB, Westpac, and BNZ, recognising the reduced risk and long-term value of high-performing homes.
We all deserve healthy, comfortable, resilient places to live, homes that support the future of our whānau to live, work, and thrive.
More information on the NZGB website.
Nico is a Homestar Designer and Assessor with the NZGBC.
He integrates Homestar into projects from the early design stages, ensuring the process is efficient, coordinated, and strategically embedded — reducing unnecessary redesign, cost escalation, and time delays.
Nico works collaboratively with architects, architectural designers, builders, and homeowners. Whether your project is targeting a 6 or a 10 Homestar rating, he provides practical guidance, performance insight, and full certification support to help you achieve the level of quality your client expects.
Homestar Design Support
Independent Homestar assessment and coordinated documentation support aligned with the realities of architectural delivery.
Building Performance & Thermal Bridge Analysis
Technical review of envelope details, junctions and construction assemblies.
Assessment of thermal bridging risk and support for improved detailing strategies.
Integrated Design-Stage Sustainability Advice
Early-stage collaboration to optimise orientation, insulation strategy and envelope design.
Performance-Focused Residential Design Support
Targeted sustainability input tailored to New Zealand residential construction methods and climate conditions.
As a Registered Architect, Nico understands:
• How design decisions evolve through documentation
• The coordination between consultants and contractors
• The importance of clear, buildable detailing
• The balance between performance, cost and architectural clarity
Sustainability advice is therefore practical, technically sound, and aligned with how projects are actually delivered.
Nico Zilliox is a New Zealand Registered Architect with 12 years of professional experience in residential design and documentation in New Zealand, including eight years with the award-winning practice Parsonson Architects in Wellington.
His work has involved detailed envelope design, consultant coordination and navigating the regulatory framework of New Zealand construction. This practical experience informs a sustainability approach grounded in real-world project delivery.
Alongside architectural practice, Nico has developed a focused interest in building performance, thermal bridging and sustainability assessment. Through continued professional development and technical study, he has strengthened his expertise in envelope detailing and performance-based design.
Qualifications
• New Zealand Registered Architect (NZRAB)
• Homestar Designer
• Homestar Assessor
• Passive House Trained
• Master of Architecture (France)
• Bachelor of Architecture (France)
Zeta Studio brings together architectural training and technical sustainability knowledge to provide clear, practical guidance that integrates seamlessly into the design process.
Zeta Studio works with architects, designers, developers and homeowners seeking thoughtful, performance-driven residential outcomes.
If you're:
Designing a new home
Seeking Homestar certification
Looking to improve thermal performance
Wanting early-stage sustainability advice
You can:
Book a complimentary discovery call (15 min) Free
A focused discussion to understand your project and objectives.
Book a 1-hour technical consultation $500
This consultation is a face to face or online meeting for an hour to discuss detailed guidance on compliance, modelling, materials and Homestar certification strategy. It includes a preliminary assessment for achievable Homestar rating and a follow-up report to support your next steps.
Zeta Studio
Architecture & Sustainability Consulting
Based in Wellington and working with practices across New Zealand.
Phone: 02108561033
Email: nico@zetastudio.nz
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