Many architects and designers take the opportunity of working in their own homes to experiment with untested ideas. Chris O’Malley of Product X Architecture certainly did when he redesigned the kitchen, dining and living room of his family’s 1975 house. He admits he and his colleague of 19 years Mervyn Hunter were experimenting with the centrepiece […]

Sydney architect Brad Swartz explains how he turned 27 square metres in a Darlinghurst block into a functional and beautiful one-bedroom apartment for him and his partner. Being close to the city won over size for this young professional couple. Photos Katherine Lu. When we bought it, this was a rundown apartment consisting of a […]

Co-housing offers a return to a more integrated and social living environment, with lower capital cost and energy use for a sustainable architecture. Architect Andrew Benn and his mother Suzanne test the concept in Sydney. Photo Tom Ferguson. With housing affordability now a major policy issue for our cities, and the need for sustainable housing […]

Congratulations to all Friday night’s award winners at the NZIA Architecture Awards! Awards jury convenor, Auckland architect Pete Bossley commented: ”It has been a strong year in New Zealand architecture, and the buildings we saw amazed and enticed us. It was a privilege to visit them, and a challenge to judge them.” Here are the new houses […]

Our latest issue is out now – Creating Economy by Design – where we investigate cost strategies in residential architecture, looking at how careful design can lead to innovations – building more with less, creating smaller but more interesting spaces, making houses simple but smart – and how industrial materials might be used to create homes that are robust, […]

Melbourne-based architect Peter Johns demonstrates that when it comes to architecture, there are many ways to breathe new life into old bones. Why renovate? There are plenty of reasons to improve a home. Perhaps your family’s needs have changed. You may need more space or want to use your home’s spaces differently as family circumstances […]

The era in which your home was built can be an indicator of the direction your renovation will take, and also, potentially, of the issues you may encounter. Renovating villas and transitional villas — 1880s to 1920s Sturdy kauri classics, New Zealand timber villas have a central hallway with a kitchen and bathroom in the ‘lean-to’ […]