Robust materials and expressive detailing create a joyous sensory experience on a human scale.

Housing is a complex topic as there are so many factors that come into play – from sustainability to affordability, from aesthetics to technology, from regulations to demographics. Seeking new perspectives to these old questions, we asked six architects about some of the themes driving suburban house design in New Zealand today.     Smaller […]

Using a design/build approach based on economies of scale, this architect couple created three townhouse units in Seattle, one of which they’ve kept as a family home. Text Joe Malboeuf. Photography Rafael Soldi. According to a 2015 US Census Bureau report, Seattle just lost its status as the fastest-growing city in the United States. My […]

Kerr Ritchie Architects designed this home for a ceramicist and her family on a precipitous Dunedin site. Simple forms and practical materials connect with the port and harbour, while elegant proportions provide beauty and grace. Text Bronwen Kerr and Pete Ritchie Photography Paul McCredie. This Dunedin home for a couple and their young daughter occupies […]

Opportunities for urban green space are increasing as we reconcile density with human needs and sustainability. From pocket parks to green walls to communal rooftop vege plots, some clean air and domesticity is softening our cities. Written by Andrea Stevens.   The Commons rooftop garden, Melbourne (above) By Breathe Architecture, photo Andrew Wuttke The five-storey […]

This concrete block townhouse shows how one couple successfully made the move from the suburbs to the city in one of New Zealand’s fastest-growing centres. They, and the architect Adam Mercer, offer their views on this social yet private building. Text Andrea Stevens, Photography Simon Devitt. Defying the New Zealand dream of retreating to the coast […]

Multi-unit living is taking its rightful place in the spotlight at last and these three townhouses in Christchurch offered us the chance to combine design flair with innovative construction technology on a compact infill site with tight constraints. Text Daryl Maguire, Warren and Mahoney. Photos Dennis Radermacher. Salisbury Street is close to Hagley Park and […]

Anita Panov and Andrew Scott designed and built their own inner city sanctuary in Sydney, Australia. Rather than deny the ambience and clamour of the city, they planned their home to embrace it, modelling its spaces to deliver a mix of stimulation, social comfort and solitude. Photos Brett Boardman. A few years ago, we designed […]

Smart technology can reduce home running costs and even support sustainability. David Ponting points the way. Through greater understanding of smart technologies, your home can be designed to function at lower annual running costs while providing a more sustainable and comfortable living environment. Given the accessibility of information about ‘technology based sustainability’, the first step […]