'Build back better' requires a framework that focuses on the full life of a house – from materials to its end of life
- Written by Krishanu Roy, Senior Lecturer in Engineering, University of Waikato

In the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle, New Zealand is again talking about “building back better”. But how do we build back better when we don’t necessarily understand what “better” means? Or how to achieve this across a country with significantly different risk profiles?
At its most basic level, build back...