Innholdsfortegnelse for November-December 2021 i Architecture NZ

WHEN THE FIRST OF TWO KŌRIMURIMU was revealed in July, Mayor Phil Goff encouraged Aucklanders to lie on the flax-like surface and “breathe in the sea air, look up to the sky and hear the movement of the tide below”. Not the first thing that comes to mind to do in Te Wānanga, Auckland’s new waterfront public plaza beside the Ferry Building between Princes and Queens Wharves. But people are standing and sitting on it. Kids seem to love its bounciness. And some are lying on it – a sleeping bag was spotted in it recently. What if a whole lot of drunken people climbed into it and went a bit crazy late at night? “That is exactly what it is loaded for,” says Isthmus architect Sarah Bishop, pointing out there…

LOCATION Queens Wharf, Downtown, Auckland ARCHITECT Isthmus Group PROJECT TEAM David Irwin, Gavin Lister, Sarah Bishop, Andrew Mirams, Greg Lee, Paulo Costa, William Brooks, Gabrielle Free, Salva Shah, Azmon Chetty BUILDER/CONTRACTOR Downer HEB, NZ Force Construction STRUCTURAL ENGINEER Structure Design MARINE ENGINEER GHD MECHANICAL ENGINEER Tonkin + Taylor ELECTRICAL ENGINEER eCubed QUANTITY SURVEYOR RLB WAYFINDING Maynard SURVEYOR CKL PLANNING CONSULTANT Tattico PROJECT MANAGER TSA Project Management MANA WHENUA ARTISTS Reuben Kirkwood, Ted Ngataki, Maaka Potini TĀMAKI MAKAURAU MANA WHENUA Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, Patukirikiri, Ngaati Whanaunga, Ngāti Maru, Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki, Te Ākitai Waiohua, Ngāti Whātua ki Kaipara, Ngāti Whātua Runanga, Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua, Ngāti Tamaoho, Te Ahiwaru ROOFING Décortech, Roofing Industries, Nuralite, Symonite WINDOWS Thermosash, Woods Glass PILE CLADDING Liquidstone FLOORING Burgess Matting and Surfaces, Firth Concrete…

“In creating this striking new public interface and showcase for timber technology, the architects have successfully embraced their client’s desire to maximise the use of wood, resulting in benchmark-setting innovation. Formed as a patterned glass box façade that references the adjacent Whakarewarewa Forest canopy, and layered over an articulated timber framework to deliver dappled light into the interior, the generous open core of this Crown research building shapes an interconnected structure with a welcoming heart. Extensive use of sustainably grown, local timber has enabled the building to achieve net-zero embodied carbon emissions, creating a blueprint for the future of timber construction.”…

“A hip roof over a nine-square plan forms the foundational narrative of this small Kōhanga Reo in urban Ōtautahi Christchurch. The internally orientated building uses a central square as the rā courtyard – a sheltered and light-filled gathering space that provides a semi-outdoor play area during the cold Canterbury winters. Adjacent learning spaces radiate from this central point in the manner of a star, which is the colourful tohu (symbol) used to underpin the centre’s kaupapa. Beautifully scaled with niches that create a secondary layer of child-sized spaces within the main rooms, this elegant, well-crafted building is full of colour, energy, interconnectedness and aroha, and weaves tikanga and tradition into the lives of its young users.”…

“This exemplary project threads a series of bold new architectural elements and integrated artworks through the existing layers of Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum, transforming it into a cohesive entity fit for its multicultural future. A new entry sequence from the south creates an epic civic greeting and orientation space within the South Atrium. New spaces and linkages have been elegantly designed to connect rooms and navigate between existing layers of heritage fabric. Rich materiality, local timbers, sculpted forms and diverse narratives reinforce cultural connections, and strongly ground the building in its unique place.”…

“From reception to room, the Hotel Britomart does everything differently. At street level, the threshold between light-filled lobby and public pavement is barely visible. Pockets of seating within create links with adjacent restaurants and the architects have taken cues from neighbouring heritage buildings to weave together old and new elegantly. On the upper floors, dark, muted colours of glass-ended corridors create a mysterious and shadowy journey to the hotel’s ingeniously arranged rooms, which reorder the usual placement of sleeping space and bathroom. With a material palette that relates strongly to place through locally sourced products and crafted fittings, the hotel has a textural and sumptuous interior.”…

“Threepwood Passive House is a small, well-proportioned and robust family home that rests lightly amid its beautiful South Island surroundings. Its bold and simple form mimics the slope of the land while, inside, two levels connected by a ladder and tiny playroom create flexible spaces for work and living. Through clever and compact planning, the functionality of entry, kitchen and laundry are merged, and generous volumes make living areas feel spacious and light. Outside, a wide, north-facing verandah provides essential shading and beautifully framed views that hold meaning for the home-owners. A certified Passive House Plus with an 8 Homestar rating, this relaxed home full of warmth and delight is a strong example of how responsible and sustainable design can be used to create delightful living environments.”…

“This former Trengrove & Blunt office building designed in the late 1970s has been lovingly and meticulously restored and repurposed as an inner-city home and studio. The proportions of the original riverfront elevation have been honoured while a beautiful and refined new architecture of textures, elements and artwork has been layered into the building. The architect (who once worked in the building), in collaboration with the owners, has created a beautiful inner-city home within this carefully revived and transformed icon on the Christchurch riverfront.”…

“Densely massed along busy Great North Road, Waterview Court provides a group of 120 striking and memorable homes. Utilising shadow, depth and colour to create interest, the five-storey block of road-facing apartments constructed of pre-cast concrete is robust and durable, and generates a high-quality streetscape that will stand the test of time. Away from the road and encircled by housing of differing scales, a generous green space and play area creates a safe, engaging heart and a unique sense of place for the residents of this social housing complex. Through careful planning, all residents benefit from naturally light-filled homes with considered window placement and deck spaces. Kāinga Ora’s collaboration with architects, iwi, community groups and contractors has driven a diverse and integrated living outcome that must be admired.”…

“The simple brief for a carport, clothesline and garden shed has been thoughtfully resolved into a collection of forms that brings delight and convenience to everyday tasks. Large overhangs, slatted screens, hinged window awnings and seats add a generosity to utilitarian functions, and the architect’s skilful use of everyday materials, such as concrete block and treated pine, give a tip of the hat to architects Julie Stout and the late David Mitchell, as the project’s name suggests. A superb demonstration of the architect’s ability to bring joy to the most basic, but important, of structures, this is indeed an elegant shed.”…

“… this town hall complex is now perhaps better than it ever was, and stands as testament to the power of architecture and the importance of culture.” Jury Commentary Sharon Jansen, John Hardwick-Smith, Gary Lawson and Grant Edwards The terms ‘world class’, ‘iconic’ and ‘beloved’ are often overused but, in this instance, they are truly apt. Tossed towards the Avon River by the 2011 Canterbury earthquakes, this magnificent building sat awaiting almost certain demolition until the Christchurch City Council’s brave and visionary decision to restore and upgrade the entire complex – to include a substantial annex for the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, as well as improved accessibility, occupant safety, flexibility and upgraded technology. This ambitious project, guided wholly by the principle of ‘do as little as possible but as much as…

“A well-functioning regional airport with a grounded sense of belonging, this simple structure has been embraced as a community building by, and for, the people of Tairāwhiti. Suggesting both the whare and the waka, the terminal’s form and folded roof are elegantly structured. The rich interior is anchored by a patterned tāhuhu (ridge pole) at its spine, alongside toi whakairo (carvings) that embody a sense of well-being and welcome. In developing Gisborne Airport, the architects have complied with rigorous Living Building Challenge requirements, while their deep commitment to material research and project delivery has realised a sustainable, bicultural building that reflects the mana of mana whenua and provides a fitting gateway to Tairāwhiti.”…

LOCATED AT THE SOUTHERN END OF THE campus, the Agricultural Sciences building is the first of the university’s two new science facilities to be completed. Taking just 12 months to build, this new facility delivers modern teaching, research and collaboration spaces to more than 50 academic staff, researchers and postgraduate students. Lincoln University is committed to being an exemplar of sustainable practices for the land-based sector and the ecosystems within it, not only through teaching and research but in everything it does. Following on this ethos and determined to honour Lincoln University’s heritage as the oldest agricultural teaching institution in the Southern Hemisphere, the university’s procurement team resolved to use New Zealand wool as the primary flooring solution. From experience, they knew they needed a modular solution, as tiles facilitate…

ONE TRIES, WITH INCREASINGLY UNRULY hair, to remain hopeful. Auckland has moved to Covid Alert Level 3.2 (lockdown with bigger picnics and shopping). A daily visit to stare at the Ministry of Health vaccinations data updates is strangely therapeutic. Watching the second week of the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26), aka the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, hope is harder to find. The clichés don’t help: “a critical juncture for humanity” says Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) president Simon Allford. The same sentiment – “This is the critical moment for humanity” – is the overriding message of Burning, Eva Orner’s new documentary about Australia’s devastating Black Summer bushfires, which convincingly lays the disaster on Scott Morrison’s government (and preceding governments) for refusing to address the underlying existential…

TOWERING ABOVE THE REST Australasian studio Plus Architecture’s apartment and hotel tower in downtown Auckland, The Pacifica, opened its doors in September, almost five years after construction commenced. At 57 storeys (178 metres), the project is the country’s tallest residential building, currently providing 273 apartments, with a 35-suite boutique hotel and restaurant and café in the pipeline. Project director Jaimin Atkins says the tower’s design is inspired by its location; the totem-like twist, which plays out on the exterior, references a Māori pikorua (symbolising togetherness) and the shifting glass façade mirrors the Waitematā Harbour. The design, says Atkins, also alludes to the Auckland laneway. “We represent that laneway experience within the architecture of the base of the tower, before it becomes vertical elements within the skyline.” The tower’s ‘super penthouse’…

It appears that the myths of an isolated, pure landscape that Aotearoa has projected to the world have received serious attention and, now, a literal interpretation. Billionaire venture capitalist Peter Thiel has commissioned internationally renowned architects Kengo Kuma and Associates for the design of his controversial lakefront hide-out in Wānaka. Choosing Kengo Kuma – a practice known for its careful consideration of context and materiality – seems surprising. Kuma’s modest design ethos appears in jarring contrast to Thiel’s libertarian-infused, futurist fantasies. Yet, the move to acquire a starchitect of such calibre for the project mimics the velvet glove, iron fist tactics previously used by Thiel to gain citizenship downunder in 2011. The project is composed of a series of stand-alone buildings that appear to hunker down seductively into the polarising…

LOCATION Quay Street, Downtown, Auckland SITE AREA 1700m2 ARCHITECT Isthmus Group PROJECT TEAM David Irwin, Gavin Lister, Sarah Bishop, Nada Stanish, Travis Wooller, Alex Foxon, Sophie Fisher, Travis McGee, Mihali Katsougiannis CLIENT Auckland Council, Auckland Transport BUILDER/CONTRACTOR Downer HEB, JFC STRUCTURAL ENGINEER Tonkin + Taylor STRUCTURAL ENGINEER (KŌRIMURIMU AND SCULPTURAL BALUSTRADES) Airey Consultants LIGHTING AND ELECTRICAL ENGINEER eCubed QUANTITY SURVEYOR RLB HERITAGE CONSULTANT Plan.Heritage GEOTECHNICAL, MARINE ECOLOGY CONSULTANT Tonkin + Taylor PLANNING CONSULTANT Tattico PROJECT MANAGER TSA Project Management MANA WHENUA MARINE AND ECOLOGY SPECIALISTS Dr Jarrod Walker, Tātaki Limited; Richelle Kahui-McConnell, Mealofa; Charmaine Bailie, URU Whakaaro MANA WHENUA ARTISTS Tessa Harris (Ngai Tai ki Tāmaki), Reuben Kirkwood (Ngai Tai ki Tāmaki) TĀMAKI MAKAURAU MANA WHENUA Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, Patukirikiri, Ngaati Whanaunga, Ngāti Maru, Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki, Te Ākitai Waiohua,…

THOM GILL AND HELLE WESTERGAARD OF Studio Nord architects were one of the two lead ‘driver families’ (DFs) who funded the $4.95-million purchase of the land, the design and the Resource Management Act planning process, and formed a consultative development company for the four-year Cohaus Grey Lynn build. The DFs required some serious intestinal fortitude, high levels of financial nous and professional skill, a sensitivity to the group’s requirements and an ongoing commitment to and faith in each other – a radical array of skills that they freely admit evolved during the project. On the way, they developed a grudging admiration for the risk resilience of developers and an understanding of the finely poised balance between success and failure. Both DFs were biking families. After initially exploring smaller sites, they…

Jury Commentary Sharon Jansen, John Hardwick-Smith, Gary Lawson and Grant Edwards A successful new addition to the cityscape of Tāmaki Makaurau, the Hotel Britomart interfaces gracefully with adjacent heritage architecture, creating intricate spatial experiences for those who move through this building and the laneway it creates. Beautifully planned and executed, the hotel is a place of discovery and delight – from the architects’ reinvention of the hotel room into something clever and unusual yet luxurious, to the seamless integration of its thoughtful exterior with a rich and sumptuous materiality within. This is New Zealand’s first 5 Green Star rated hotel; the commitment and passion of client, contractor and architects to design excellence and sustainability through concept, execution and delivery has resulted in an outstanding building for Tāmaki Makaurau. – NZIA…

“How could architects so young design with such vision? This project is testament to the very rare skills of Sir Miles Warren and Maurice Mahoney (both 35 at the time), and acoustician Sir Harold Marshall (33), and the ways in which they combined their abilities to create a masterpiece of national and international significance. Rugged, robust, refined and delicate, this architecture is one of contrast and contradiction that harmonises into a jaw-dropping effect. From carpet colours to door handles, and from lampshades to acoustic baffles, nothing was left to accident and nothing could be better. The Christchurch Town Hall has truly endured, and risen again to take its rightful place in the canon of New Zealand architecture.”…

“With this innovative project, the architects have transformed a marginal and contaminated site near a motorway into a tranquil sanctuary for a brand-new preschool. A gentle and considered sequence of entry via a footbridge over a restored wetland provides a delightful sense of arrival at a protected triangular courtyard formed by three pavilions. Designed as ‘nature classrooms’, these pavilions are naturally ventilated and situated to take advantage of sun and light, while their crosslaminated timber interiors and soft colour palette create a calming connection to the surrounding mature trees. New Shoots is a rich spatial experience and a magical, nurturing environment for children.”…

“… in the heart of South London’s Peckham stands this build-to-rent block of houses by a Māori architect, who also filled the roles of developer and contractor. The leaning mansard, a play on the predominant neighbourhood roof type, presents a dramatic profile that also interacts with the protected mature trees and greenery behind. Four unique rental houses are tightly interwoven within the building’s four levels, and each has its own independent street access, outdoor space and varied aspect via punched openings. Structured with digitally cut cross-laminated timber, this project challenges planning, material, development and construction norms to provide high-quality, affordable, sustainable rental housing… that could inform our architectural thinking here in Aotearoa.”…

“Carefully directed natural light reveals an exquisite interior, and each carefully placed window and textured surface adds layers of sensory experience to everyday domestic space.” Jury Commentary Sharon Jansen, John Hardwick-Smith, Gary Lawson and Grant Edwards This modest, contemporary bungalow built on a subdivided front lawn on the ‘wrong side of the street’ is an inspirational window into what the future of Auckland could look like. Considerate of its surroundings and honestly grappling with multiple layers of local body rules and covenants, Our House has been designed with minute attention to detail and not a single inch is wasted. From the road, subtle folds and shifts in the wall and façade gently reinterpret expectations of suburban frontage, drawing from and contributing to the local streetscape. Inside, deceptively simple volumes cleverly…

“Conceived as a pair of big sheds sitting alongside the sand dunes, this large family getaway is testament to an architect–client relationship that has resulted in a beautiful, serene encampment. Here, sumptuous and elegant materials and details appear simple and effortless, undoubtedly in contrast to the huge effort and care this stunning project demonstrates. The natural flow of the spaces into one another offers connection balanced with appropriate separation, all the while maintaining wonderful engagement with the outside and its stunning vistas. Design elements that encourage relaxation – built-in seating, sheltered verandahs, sunscreens and fireplaces – are beautifully crafted and generously proportioned, combining to create a calm and luxurious beachside environment.”…

“Bold and explorative in its essence, Recrafted Art House is an example of architects taking an inventive approach to preserving and extending the life of an important historic residence. A new pavilion of slick, white metal harmonises with the substantial existing elements of this arts and crafts mansion in a manner that is consistent, immaculate and beautiful. Deft touches and luxury detailing have been used to create both sympathetic harmony and striking contrast, and the project is finished both inside and out with a level of care and attention that the original architects, Bamford & Pierce, would undoubtedly marvel at.”…

“Addressing an urgent need to house single occupants in low-rise, suburban Rangiora, this social housing development creates an accessible and welcoming enclave of homes. With a nod to Warren and Mahoney’s Christchurch flats of the 1960s, the architects have carefully created clusters of two-, three-and four-unit groups that appear as individual homes with familiar gable roof forms. Thoughtfully proportioned and planned, the 28-residence development has integrated accessible ramps into its landscaping, with paths, roads and small outdoor spaces creating a sense of home, sociability, safety and community. Built with low-maintenance brick and precoated metal, this quality urban environment provides a strong model for the future provision of state housing in Aotearoa.”…

“In response to the crisis of youth homelessness, these well-executed, transportable buildings provide rangatahi with the opportunity for a brighter future. Designed to be transported onto the property of a host family, the My Whare builds help facilitate care and connection alongside independence, as their inhabitants transition out of state care or homelessness. By approaching this project with care and thoughtfulness, the architect has created aspirational and exquisite spaces that demonstrate the role the profession should play in creating a built environment for our most vulnerable people.”…

“Through diverse and responsive stakeholder engagement, and respectful intervention with heritage, this collaborative team has created critical new connections and facilitated improved accessibility to Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum. A new entry sequence welcomes visitors through carved fins into Te Ao Mārama, the South Atrium, and new pathways navigate visitors through the building. Rich materiality, local timbers and sculpted forms with diverse narratives connect old with new, reinforcing cultural connections, and strongly grounding the building in its unique place.”…

“Bordered by two busy roads and an open public space, this housing precinct is an exemplary response to its context, providing people-focused inner-city living designed for young professionals and families. Car parking on a side lane allows for the arrangement of buildings around two central courtyards, which, alongside an urban pedestrian lane, create quiet pockets of shared space to encourage strong community engagement. At the precinct’s eastern perimeter, a taller apartment block provides a buffer from the impact of a busy main road, protection from prevailing wind and passive surveillance of internal public spaces from west-facing living and balcony areas. The rigorous and tight planning of these 6 Homestar rated one-, two-and three-bedroom units has resulted in a well-considered and resolved addition of 94 homes to the housing stock of…

IT’S A CHALLENGING TIME FOR an old white bloke. Not that I am complaining; we have probably had too many good years stuffing up the planet’s ecosystem and marginalising Aotearoa’s first arrivals to begrudge the odd bit of disdain and a few epithets. I saw that the University of Auckland’s Professor Elizabeth Rata, writing in the New Zealand Listener a while back, quoted an unidentified tweeter calling for “white male boomer profs” to be the first to go in university staffing cuts. Though I have only briefly been identified as a professor, I am at once hurt, appalled and excited by this call to arms. Were I still to be on the professorial payroll, I would certainly be in the firing line and, no doubt, lament the loss of academic…

SENSE OF IDENTITY A provision of funding via the government’s ‘shovel ready’ initiative has given the green light to a major development of YMCA’s Ōtautahi Christchurch city centre site. Stage 1 of the project, the Dominion-led refurbishment of Hotel Give, supported by Architectus, was officially re-opened by the Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, in early August. All profits from the YMCA-run hotel – the country’s first socially sustainable hotel – are reinvested into the organisation’s programmes and services, to support better outcomes for young people and vulnerable members of the community. Stage 2, a dedicated new building for YMCA’s community-based activities, also designed by Architectus, is in construction. The project will house a black-box theatre, preschool, health and well-being spaces, education facilities for young people, dance and movement studios, and a…

After a long life and an illustrious career, 2011 NZIA Gold Medal winner Jack Manning passed away just a few days short of his 93rd birthday. He was responsible for some of Auckland’s more refined and expressive buildings over his lengthy career. Following a period with the Auckland Education Board, Jack started with Group Architects in 1955 before moving to the Auckland City Council Architect’s office, where he was involved in the Auckland Central City Library design. In the 1960s, he shifted to another large modernist practice of the era, Thorpe, Cutter, Pickmere and Douglas (TCPD). Jack was the key designer for Queen Street’s elegant AMP tower. At TCPD, he also worked with his future architectural partners David Mitchell and Pete Hill. Their design for the new Auckland College of…

PERHAPS THE MOST SURPRISING SPATIAL aspect of the gangways of Te Ngau o Horotiu is that when Te Waitematā’s king tides are at their highest, ferry passengers find themselves standing above the top of Queens Wharf. For some, disembarking the gentle slope downhill to the wharf might be a lovely way to attune to the phases of the moon – its gravitational pull, when it’s new or full and orbiting closest to Earth, lifting the harbour waters to their peak. The moon is perhaps even more present at the very lowest tide, when disembarking passengers find themselves toiling up an unusually steep 1:10 gradient instead of its more normal 1:14 at low tides. As a regular ferry commuter, the very high spring tides always make me feel uneasy – a…

LOCATION Surrey Crescent, Grey Lynn, Auckland  FLOOR SIZE 1920m2 gross ARCHITECT Studio Nord PROJECT TEAM Thom Gill, Helle Westergaard, Matteo Garbagnati, Gabriela Kopacikova ACOUSTIC ENGINEER Marshall Day ARBORIST Peers Brown Miller CIVIL ENGINEER Maven ELECTRICAL ENGINEER Cosgroves ENERGY DESIGN Re/volve Energy FIRE ENGINEER Anvil Fire Consultants GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEER Geoconsult HERITAGE CONSULTANTS Burgess Treep & Knight Architects, Salmond Reed HYDRAULIC ENGINEER Cosgroves INTERIOR ARCHITECT Studio Nord LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Beca, Xanthe White Design, Studio Nord, Resilio Studio MECHANICAL ENGINEER Cosgroves PROJECT MANAGER Stella Projects QUANTITY SURVEYOR Emmitt Consultants STRUCTURAL ENGINEER Thorne Dwyer Structures TOWN PLANNER Barker & Associates, Campbell Brown TRANSPORT ENGINEER Flow Transportation Specialists URBAN DESIGN R A Skidmore Urban Design…

“Design excellence is revealed in this ambitious project, which creates a transformational destination in downtown Auckland. From the generous and luxurious Sky Lobby to the Green-Star-rated tower and the re-imagining of an entire city block, Commercial Bay achieves a remarkable level of sophistication and design richness. Providing connections to multiple transport networks, and negotiating the challenge of accommodating tunnels for the under-construction City Rail Link, this project of epic proportions is testament to the excellence of its design team and is a precinct for Tāmaki Makaurau that is truly worth celebrating.”…

“With their work barely visible in parts, yet still confident and bold, the architects have successfully restored this iconic piece of Christchurch. One of the very best examples of the city’s brutalist style, this landmark building was nearly lost to demolition in the aftermath of the February 2011 earthquake. The team involved in the reconstruction, restoration and refurbishment of the town hall have shown respect and integrity in their handling of such a sensitive project. By finding appropriate ways to add substantial additional space and making the necessary accessibility, safety and technological upgrades, the architects have shown that the vision and skill of this town hall’s original designers lives on.”…

“As one of Auckland Council’s most heavily used community facilities, Whare Koa needed upgrading to meet demand in a manner that was respectful to the Cook Island community it serves. Through subtle changes to its plan and the introduction of light into service spaces, the architects have transformed this bungalow’s functionality while graciously preserving its interior – including the restoration of original wallpaper and the use of high-quality fittings and finishes. By embracing the bungalow’s dark nucleus, and juxtaposing it with the vibrant colours of the Pacific, the architects have created a rich, culturally responsive interior where rooms glow with a vibrancy further enriched by the people who use them.”…

“Efficiency and economy are balanced with opulence in this delightfully crafted house set amid a raw Waiheke Island landscape. A trio of structures facilitates an informal-yet-intricate sequence of experiences that open up a rich dialogue between built form and landscape. Deep-set openings frame the views and the main pavilion itself acts like an architectural periscope. Inside, intimate and sumptuous interiors have been carefully thought through, and arrival thresholds, areas for cooking, bathing and working occupy the spaces between the inner and outer skins. The main pavilion’s living space unfurls seamlessly out to a central courtyard and two canvas-clad bedroom pods, each with its own aspect and outlook, loosely contain this exterior space. Together, these deceptively simple pavilions form an off-the-grid encampment and well-loved home for the owners.”…

“Meandering arrival paths lead you to a trio of pavilions that distil the essence of seaside living. Leveraging the most from the site’s topography and mature trees, Light Mine’s relaxed arrangement of forms provides seclusion, peace and privacy. Deceptively casual planning provides a flexibility of habitation that could easily cater for two or for the entire extended family. The use of timber on Light Mine’s strong, sculptural exterior – which references the history of mining in the area – has been expertly detailed by the architect and beautifully crafted by the owner, a builder. The result is a restful-yet-exciting retreat, thoughtfully tailored to its location.”…

“This diverse and dynamic housing precinct contains a range of typologies that are rigorously and tightly planned. Central pedestrian courtyards and lanes create a people-orientated neighbourhood that encourages integration and engagement between residents while carefully managing privacy. A modulation of form breaks the scale of this precinct, while brick and metal cladding materials are a nod to the industrial heritage of its site. Providing protection from Christchurch’s prevailing north-easterly, a taller apartment form is orientated to provide living and balcony spaces that soak up the afternoon sun. All units benefit from dual aspect, and necessary service areas and bike storage spaces are well considered and integrated.”…

“Within a crowded precinct of student halls of residence, this pair of attractive, nuanced towers, poised between city’s edge and motorway, stand tall and apart. Thoughtfully created to foster a sense of community, generous spaces offer large dining areas, smaller group study and meeting places, and private study spaces, which are arranged over a two-storey podium. Highly glazed, this podium allows views into and out of this busy and vibrant student community. Central common spaces on each floor help to foster connection and a sense of belonging, making Waipārūrū Hall an exemplar of the way student wellbeing can be nurtured and enhanced by quality architecture.”…

“On the 6x6-metre footprint of a former garage, this backyard infill home for downsizers complements and draws from a 112-year-old main villa on a suburban Petone site. With its cleverly worked diagonal plan, The Cube provides surprisingly loose-fit volumes for personalised living and working across two zones, that each extend out under a slim canopy of steel and recycled timber to adjacent gardens. This deceptively simple and well-loved little house has a spatial complexity and generosity well beyond its humble dimensions and budget, and provides an excellent and timely precedent for densification and multi-generational living on suburban sites.”…

“Tiaho Mai represents a new model of care where a focus on health, wellness, whānau and community are at the heart of recovery for people requiring acute-level mental health care. As a result of extensive research and collaboration with the district health board, the architects have structured this building around seven courtyards and lightwells, inverting the traditional hub-and-spoke design. Social spaces and open-air courtyards are accessible from light-filled corridors, and cross views allow staff to observe from a respectful distance. Tiaho Mai proves that good architecture can help enable the delivery of mental health care that is uplifting and respectful of the people who access it, as well as their whānau and staff.”…

“The transformation of an entire city block on a pivotal downtown site has been expertly handled to create an engaging urban experience. By successfully opening up the project’s centre with laneways that form connections and reinforce linkages to the wider site context, the architects have crafted a public space that is an extension of the urban fabric beyond its threshold. Connections to multiple transport networks – including bus, rail and ferry – have been integrated and tunnels for the underground City Rail Link are accommodated beneath. This is a project that seeks to represent Auckland’s unique identity with skill and care, and that triumphantly enriches the city far beyond the boundaries of its site.”…

NESTLED COMFORTABLY IN THE NATIVE BUSH that surrounds it, this new holiday home in Abel Tasman National Park is subtle and understated, appearing as though it has always been there. This is, in part, due to it being built on the footprint of an older bach that used to stand in its place but it is also largely due to its cladding. Wrapped in COLORSTEEL® in a classic corrugated profile, the house takes on the essence of a rural structure and the warm natural richness of the FlaxPod® colour helps to absorb the building into the bush setting. “The idea was to keep it quite informal as it is a beach house,” says architect Simon Hall of Jerram Tocker Barron Architects. “We kept it simple with the cladding and the…