HOME covers the best New Zealand architecture, design and interiors. It features inspirational, ingenious and just plain breathtaking homes from all over the country – as well as new restaurants, exciting art and the latest furniture releases.
By the time you read this, our house will be in tatters: we’ve just moved out so the builders can move in, adding much-needed space to our tiny 62-square-metre home, with a thoughtful redesign by architect Megan Edwards. We never meant to stay this long. I bought the place when I was single, partly because it had a studio flat out the front that I could rent out. Then Hannah moved in, we got a dog, and now we have two kids under two... One day, we joke, we’ll rebuild the studio and send the teenagers out there. In short: it’s a house that, despite its obvious limitations, is growing with us as a family. The thing is, we live very differently these days. Young people can’t afford to leave…
Anna Frances Pearson The Christchurch-based writer's first story for HOME, about a contemporary rebuild of a beloved family residence, is on p.118. You often write intrepid pieces about places such as the Chatham Islands, or exploring forests. How did you find the switch to architecture? A story is a story, so I focused on the owners’ narrative as a baseline. It was an earthquake rebuild so I asked about their attachment to the old house and what it felt like being in a brand new, contemporary pad. Describing a house in architectural terms was new for me, so I simply asked a lot of questions until I understood enough to write something informative. I probably asked some silly questions – but that’s what journalists do anyway. Sometimes the most obvious…
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The circle of life tastes of sweet meringue, lychees and black sticky rice at chef Sean Lim’s Wellington establishment, Comes and Goes. Lim chose the name to represent the constant hum of cafe life, with customers coming and going; an idea which designer Justin Roderique took on board. He created a giant circular hole in the wall that showcases Lim preparing his signature bacon waffle or crumbed-egg dishes. A curved counter with white timber battens curves from the kitchen, past ‘No 18 Bentwood’ bar stools by Thonet and a slim wall-mounted oak leaner. In the adjacent room, deep-blue banquettes face each other – along with the polished timber floors, they bring a crisp contrast to the white walls. Douglas and Bec lights brighten the pale walls and oak tables are…
A fixture in every design aficionado’s calendar, the Resene Architecture & Design Film Festival heads to the South Island after its Auckland and Wellington run. While blockbusters have no place here, blocks do make an appearance. In 2012, the creators of one of the world’s most popular games joined forces with the United Nations to create Block by Block, a project involving young people in urban planning. My Urban Playground looks at how gaming technology, architects, engineers and town planners are now sharing common ground in civic design. From blocks to brick, Uncommon Sense: The Life and Architecture of Laurie Baker is the official biopic of the late British-born architect who moved to India in 1945. Written and directed by the architect’s grandson, Vineet Radhakrishnan, the film examines Baker’s love…
How do you see The Pacifica fitting into the Auckland master plan? It was very easy to engage with Auckland Council (dare I say, easier than in Australia where I was based) as they were willing to have a conversation. They’d tell us whether our ideas would work. It was serendipitous, the right time, the right place, the right environment and people: all the key pieces came together. The area is being rejuvenated, transport is coming together and the client is committed to building an urban environment that’s socially sustainable and that activates the street. What was the key design driver? The beautiful harbour views. The literal translation of Waitemata is sparkling water, so we set up a dialogue between the water and the tower, with the glass tubes that twist…
