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This small art-filled home is built on a former vegetable garden

Hamish Stirrat designs a house for artists Dan Arps and Kirstin Carlin on the site of her parents’ former backyard vegetable garden Thirty-eight years ago, Tony and Lynne Carlin moved into a little 1940s weatherboard house on a big flat section in Auckland’s Mount Roskill. It has served as their family home ever since. Their children grew up there, moved away – and then over the past few years, they’ve slowly come home. First, Tony and

Inside a small 1940s concrete bunker with a sympathetic modern extension

Two Christchurch architects transform a 1940s concrete bunker into a home of texture, light and comfort The home of architects Kate and Daniel Sullivan, a very convenient 50 metres from Sumner beach, is the first project they’ve worked on for themselves. The couple founded Architects’ Creative about eight years ago in Christchurch, where they’ve established their careers and work on a range of projects, including new residential and renovations. They keep their practice modest (three

How this small home was built for the view and designed for the future

Architect Graeme Cunningham has designed a clever small home for Jeanette Smail on the land that was formerly her backyard Project Second dwelling Design Graeme Cunningham, Architecture & Environment Location Torbay, Auckland Brief Design to the view and future-proof for flexibility When Jeanette Smail held the house-warming for her new home by Graeme Cunningham, her friends applauded him. He’d achieved just what she wanted – a house that embraced the views and drew the sun’s

How a 1960s family home was transformed into a serene design studio

A 1960s home that raised a family has been converted by Jane and Arch MacDonnell to house their design studio Jane MacDonnell— We started up Inhouse back in 1994 when I got pregnant. We wanted to have our baby with us and didn’t want to put her into daycare and go off to different jobs. So we started in the front room of our house in Kingsland, hence the name. Then we got a bit

Take a tour of an elegant Parnell penthouse built in the old Ford Factory

This family of six decided to take a leap of faith and had Patterson Architects design a beautiful penthouse apartment for them in the old Ford factory Q&A with associate Luke Douglas of Patterson Associates How did the Ford Penthouse project come about? Director Andrew Mitchell and I were leading the project team for the Ford Residences when the penthouse developed into a full fitout and interiors project. This was about the time construction was

Inside a beautiful family home designed to fit on a small piece of lawn

Architect Lisa Webb talks about how she created a home of intrigue and shadow on a tiny scrap of land that was formerly a front lawn Q&A with architect Lisa Webb of Studio LWA You’ve resolved a small site with a tight programme to create a family home. How are you enjoying living in it? It was pretty overwhelming in the beginning. We had been renting a draughty bungalow where the spaces were larger, but

Inside a chic Wellington apartment designed with Passive House Principles

Architects Gerald Parsonson and Craig Burt of Parsonson Architects discuss their process of designing two exquisite apartments in Wellington with Passive House Principles Q&A with Gerald Parsonson and Craig Burt of Parsonson Architects How did you avoid the high cost of earthworks on a site like this? Gerald Parsonson: We used the old structure from the original house. A normal Kiwi house is timber. This had concrete columns, steel beams and a concrete floor. The

Architect Rafe Maclean discusses designing to Passive House Principles

On a steep site in Dunedin, Rafe Maclean designed a warm little home for his family around Passive House principles. He talks through the process Q&A with Rafe Maclean of Rafe Maclean Architects What drew you to Passive House design? I had a realisation around 10 years ago that I didn’t know how to predict building energy use at the design stage, and the accuracy around predicting interior comfort levels was pretty gut-feel. I also

How this architect designed a compact family home on a small front lawn

Lisa Webb creates a home of intrigue and shadow on a tiny scrap of land that was formerly a front lawn For a moment, coming in from a bright Auckland afternoon through the timber-lined entry of architect Lisa Webb’s home, your eyes take time to adjust. Slowly, the house reveals itself as you round the corner – a black ceiling, rimu lining and dark blue walls come into relief. The effect is almost painterly, with

Why this family of six moved from the suburbs to a penthouse apartment

This family of six decided to take a leap of faith and had Patterson Architects design a beautiful penthouse apartment for them in the old Ford factory. They discuss why it was the best decision ever There’s a confusion of buildings in this tightly packed pocket of Parnell, Auckland. The dense concentration of predominantly residential properties – some faux-Victorian, some a little undecided – is interspersed with offices and one or two warehouses. There’s very

Why this couple built two apartments on their steep Wellington site

Gerald Parsonson crafts two exquisite apartments – one to live in and one to rent – for a retired couple It’s hard to know where to look in John and Heather Hutton’s handsome central Wellington apartment. There are fabulous views everywhere. If you face north west, you can see over the top of the well-ordered wilderness of the Botanic Gardens to Tinakori Hill. To the north east, your eye is carried across the central cityscape

This home wasn’t afraid to push the boundaries with extreme angles

Craig Wilson of TOA Architects discusses the abstract ideas that inspired the unique and thoughtful design of this Grey Lynn home Q&A with Craig Wilson of TOA Architects This was a tight site with difficult access. How did you keep to the schedule? Access definitely caused issues with the programme. The CLT panels could’ve been up in three days if they could have been delivered to the site at one go. Credit goes to the

How this unique home overcame its steep, narrow site

Craig Wilson resolves a steep, narrow site with prefabrication technology and a little humour ‘Don’t pack a sad’. The artist’s message on fluted plastic board in the kitchen is pointed, droll. Indeed, retaining a sense of equilibrium was advantageous in this project. Owners Craig and Kristin Wilson built a home after seven years of living – strike that – existing in the worst house on a not-so-favoured street. It was “interesting times”, says Craig, an

How this rural home brings a contemporary urban edge to its setting

Smartly dressed and designed for its location, this understated sleek black box fits effortlessly into the rolling countryside landscape that surrounds it Project Rural residence Architectural designer Box Location Kaiwaka, Northland Brief Embrace the rural location A design that responds to site and situation is a job done well. Pair that with products developed to respond to the environment and aesthetic requirements, and the job is elevated to the next level. The rural aspect of

How this home used low-maintenance cladding to make a statement

Cost efficient, easy to install and a smart finish, here’s how this Kerikeri home used black cladding to stand out from the rest Project Pod house Architectural designer Alan Simpkin, Arcline Architecture Builders Circle D Construction Location Kerikeri Brief A unique, light-filled home with ample wall space for art Pod homes suit the New Zealand lifestyle as they allow private spaces to sit harmoniously alongside busy communal ones, while creating more outdoor living space. When

Why the 56-tonne concrete roof in this winning home isn’t oppressive

Architect Jack McKinney discusses the collaborative process that went into designing and building this award-winning home with its 56-tonne concrete roof Q&A with architect Jack McKinney You’ve worked with Cam on many projects – how does this affect the way you design for him? We have a body of work that we are always trying to surpass. Finding new outcomes keeps both of us interested. We are currently exploring concrete construction, with each project slightly

How this house was designed for the winter sun’s path and mountain views

Traditional bivouacs motivated this home’s design but it was the path of the winter sun, plus the spectacular mountain views that dictated the home’s angles Q&A with architect Vaughn McQuarrie How did clients from Australia come to approach an architect from Waiheke? They found me on the internet, via another project I had done down south that they liked. We met up initially in Auckland to discuss the project, then on site in Queenstown. I’m from Southland,

Architect Vincent Van Duysen’s home is pared-back design at its finest

Architect and designer Vincent Van Duysen takes Thomas Seear-Budd on a tour of his home and an accommodation project in Antwerp, Belgium Vincent Van Duysen has gained international recognition for his restrained spaces that speak to the art of living. The Belgian architect studied in the 1980s at Saint-Lucas in Ghent before moving to Milan, where he worked with Aldo Cibic. Now based in Antwerp, his studio designs residential and commercial architecture, interiors, furniture and products.

These Wynyard apartments show us how good high-density living can be

The architect behind this design, Patrick Clifford, discusses how the design of the Wynyard apartments came to be. See more of these homes below Q&A with Patrick Clifford of Architectus Could you explain the creative thinking that went into deciding the final design? The process was quite a collaborative one with three firms of architects, Willis Bond and history of the project. The reference design that was provided as part of the project was critiqued.

How this small home has made the most of its tricky location

Tim Gittos and Caro Robertson of Spacecraft Architects discuss why this tricky site gave them inspiration and not trepidation. See more of this clever small home below Q&A with Tim Gittos and Caro Robertson of Spacecraft Surely a site like this fills you with trepidation? Tim Gittos— No, it was great – all these constraints breed a lot of creativity. Are sections like this – cheap but difficult – increasingly sought after in Wellington? Caro

How each room in this impressive home was designed for a specific view

There were two possible sites for this award-winning Queenstown home. But the views from this location won the architect and owners over Q&A with Richard Naish of RTA Studio How did you work out where to place the elements of the home on the property and in relation to each other? We walked the property and tested two sites, with this one becoming the preferred. We liked its exposure to key views, together with its undulating

This Great Barrier bach goes back to basics in the most sophisticated way

After winning the Dulux award for best interior, Architect Stuart Gardyne discusses the details behind designing this Great Barrier bach Q&A with Stuart Gardyne of Architecture+ The project started as a ‘courtyard’ house but evolved – what was the key to unlocking the design? Enclosure can be achieved in many ways, as can connections to garden and outdoor spaces. The qualities of a courtyard can be achieved using planting and hedges; it’s not necessary to

Inside an award-winning Grey Lynn home with its 56-tonne concrete roof

With its striking concrete diagrid roof and sense of fun, HOME magazine’s Home of the Year 2019 is a truly Auckland house [jwp-video n=”1″] “It’s sort of simple on purpose,” says architect Jack McKinney, self-deprecatingly of our Home of the Year 2019. McKinney designed the home in Grey Lynn, Auckland, for his long-time clients and friends, builder Cameron Ireland and Rachael Newnham, and their three children. “Sometimes a project depends on whether it’s immaculately perfect,

How this unique small home took its design inspiration from a bivouac

This small home takes its inspiration from the environment it sits in. Traditional bivouacs motivated its design for it is a place to relax, retreat and enjoy the spectacular mountain views The first time architect Vaughn McQuarrie met his clients on site, they were about to leave on a 12-day back-country tramp, with no fixed route and plans to sleep rough “under logs and rocks”. The conceptual die was cast: a ‘Bivvy’ house. As McQuarrie

This Waikanae home makes a statement with its oversized black cladding

Striking yet simple, see how this Waikanae home uses black cladding to set the scene for its minimalist interior style Project Pavilion House Architectural designer Peter Davis Builders David Reid Homes Kapiti Location Waikanae Brief Design for contrasting criteria and to incorporate nature. Contrasting criteria, such as an owner’s idiosyncrasies, are often factored into home design. Architectural designer Peter Davis was challenged to accommodate spaces for strident noise as well as serene silence when designing

This stylish home will make you want brick walls and a gabled roof

A designer creates a fortress-like home in Birkenhead Point, Auckland, for her young family Sophie Wylie, Artifact— “I live here with my husband and our three children – a five year old, four year old and two-and-a-half year old. The kids love to play outside so it was interesting having a really urban home for them – the courtyard works well, with enough surface area for them to play. We also have parks around us,

This new development shows us what good apartment living can look like

The first project to be awarded Best Multi-Unit in years, the new Wynyard Central apartment building is what the new Auckland should look like  [jwp-video n=”1″] Home of the Year is brought to you in association with Altherm Window Systems Best Multi-Unit Architect: Architectus It wasn’t so long ago that Auckland’s Wynyard Quarter was a nature-stripped industrial area that had done its days in the timber trade before turning to storing petrochemicals as the ‘Tank Farm’. The

This award-winning retreat in Arrowtown celebrates its dramatic landscape

Richard Naish designs a home near Arrowtown that seems to emerge from the spectacular mountain landscape [jwp-video n=”1″] Home of the Year is brought to you in association with Altherm Window Systems Best Retreat Architect: RTA Studio Rather like an English teacher tasking students to write an essay with no topic or word limit, this Arrowtown site posed an immense challenge: an over-abundance of opportunity. In usual circumstances, the parameters of possibility are clear: ring-fenced by section

New Zealand’s best small home overcomes a tricky site in a magical way

Winning Best Small Home at the Home of the Year 2019 awards, this house does more than overcome a difficult site – it makes it into something rather special indeed [jwp-video n=”1″] Home of the Year is brought to you in association with Altherm Window Systems Best Small Home Architect: Spacecraft Architects The vertiginous hills and dizzying slopes of Wellington are full of human interventions. Rows of homes perched precariously atop rugged slopes like so many

This unconventional Great Barrier bach has an award-winning interior style

A sophisticated retreat by Architecture+ at Medlands Beach on Great Barrier Island rethinks conventional bach living. See why it won the Best Interior award, sponsored by Dulux, for Home of the Year 2019 [jwp-video n=”1″] Home of the Year is brought to you in association with Altherm Window Systems Not so long ago, Stuart Gardyne spent a night at the house he designed on Great Barrier Island, only to discover that the neighbours use the place

A 1970s masterpiece is reworked for the second time by Daniel Marshall

Architect Daniel Marshall discusses how he felt renovating this impressive home, originally designed by Robert Railley,  not once, but twice Q&A with Daniel Marshall of Daniel Marshall Architects Your practice is not known for renovations. Why take on this one? We engage in commissions based on the potential of the project and our relationship with the client. Although a clean slate can seem more attractive to an architect, sometimes existing limitations can force you to

This Arrowtown home proves an interior can be cosy and sleek

An architectural couple transform a crib in downtown Arrowtown into a home that expands and contracts for family and friends Q&A with Maarten Hofmans of Hofmans Architects What’s the clever detail you’ve employed under the cedar roof with the waterproof Butynol to prevent moisture penetrating? I saw some rural buildings on a work trip to Chile which had layered planks of wood as a wall and roof cladding, offering a great uniform finish over the

How this incredible home was designed in response to its landscape

Architect Cecile Bonnifait of Bonnifait + Giesen tells us how they have designed a house that works with the landscape, both internally and externally Q&A with Architect Cecile Bonnifait of Bonnifait + Giesen How does the house respond to its landscape? The house lies within a gently contoured Hawke’s Bay vineyard facing sea views in the distance. It’s designed as a sculptural folded roof creating a large canopy over the different quarters and echoing the

This modern add-on is a private retreat from the main holiday home

Architect Wendy Shacklock was tasked with creating a modern add-on that’s a retreat from the main retreat in this Langs Beach bach. See how she did it Project Owners’ retreat Architect Wendy Shacklock Location Langs Beach, Northland Brief Create a retreat that sits away from the active parts of the main holiday home. The addition to this Langs Beach holiday home is Wendy Shacklock’s 13th project for her clients. They’ve been with her for 25

An architect discusses how to manage a budget during a renovation

Architect AJ Sutton tells us how he controls a house brief against the budget and what his strategy is when costs get too high Project Villa extension Architect AJ Sutton, MA Studio Location St Mary’s Bay, Auckland Brief Create a contemporary addition to a traditional villa for a young family. Q&A with AJ Sutton and MA Studio Based on recent renovation projects, what’s an indicative cost per square metre? As with all projects there are variables,

5 expert tips for renovating in heritage areas involving council compliance

Architect Natasha Markham gives us her five general rules of thumb for renovating a heritage home and having to deal with council and compliance Project Villa addition Architect Natasha Markham, MAUD Location Eden Terrace, Auckland Brief Create an open-plan living area and a better connection to the garden. Q&A with Natasha Markham of MAUD What’s your five-point guide – some general rules of thumb – to renovating in heritage areas that involve council and compliance? Do the groundwork. Preparation is

How modern pieces worked with traditional details in this Chapman-Taylor

Michelle Backhouse discusses how she balanced modern and contemporary pieces inside her Arts and Crafts Chapman-Taylor home Q&A with Michelle Backhouse Chapman-Taylor’s details are beautiful. What were your favourite parts of the house? The large sitting room with its inglenook fireplace. It was a favourite spot in both winter and summer. Every detail in the room, from the solid and perfectly formed adzed jarrah beams, to the hand-hewn bookshelves and the steel casement windows, created a

How a wheelchair-friendly house was designed to maximise its limited light

Andrew Sexton has designed a wheelchair-friendly home beside Wellington Harbour for his brother, and his other brother built it. Q&A with Andrew Sexton of Andrew Sexton Architecture Had you designed a home for someone who uses a chair before? No, but I’d shared a bedroom with Stew! It wasn’t the only first for you with this home. You had never been asked to include a sauna, nor had you had a design go to public

A classic 1970s home gets a luxurious and sympathetic update

Daniel Marshall gently updates and extends a secluded 1970s home, originally designed by Robert Railley for his family The young couple in the old photograph sits cross-legged on a poppy-red shagpile, a collection of vinyl records spread before them. A Gordon Walters painting hangs on the wall behind and a Barcelona chair is placed, somewhat incongruously, in front of the entrance to this formal living room. The scene, shot in 1973 for Australian Home Journal,

This fibreglass extension is not your average garage

Tasked with creating an extension to this former 1950s Statehouse that could be used as a multi-room, but was not allowed to be a brick-and-tile double garage, architect Mark Frazerhurst looked to curves and corrugated fibreglass  Project Studio addition Architect Mark Frazerhurst Location Point Chevalier, Auckland Brief Create a multi-functional room and extra bedrooms for a growing family. Sometimes, beautiful things come from the most prosaic of beginnings. In the case of this addition by Mark

This Te Awanga home will make you want a bright blue kitchen

Bonnifait + Giesen design a house in the vines at Te Awanga with places to work, places to socialise – and places to do both Take a look at the Te Awanga house of Catherine and David Robertson on Google and one thing jumps out at you immediately. Where its neighbours all face diligently north, angled on their axis like obedient little stones, outdoor living areas on the northern side, the Robertson house has a

A sympathetic add-on transformed this Arrowtown crib into a cosy home

An architectural couple transform a crib in downtown Arrowtown into a home that expands and contracts for family and friends There’s something of the spirit of the old crib in Maarten Hofmans and Anna Rees-Hofmans’ home in the historic district of Arrowtown. While finesse sets the new a world apart from the old, they share intent – to accommodate the ebb and flow of people. For the Rees-Hofmans, it’s their blended family of four children,

The wheelchair-friendly home designed and built by two brothers for family

Andrew Sexton designs a wheelchair-friendly home beside Wellington Harbour for his brother, and his other brother builds it It wasn’t quite a miracle, but it was something special all the same. Stew Sexton drove from the supermarket to his new home in Wellington’s Eastbourne, parked the car in the garage, got the groceries out, took them upstairs to his kitchen and put them away in the pantry. Then he rang his wife Doreen, who was

This classic Chapman-Taylor house is cleverly filled with modern pieces

After 23 years, Michelle and Gary Backhouse leave their treasured home, designed in 1909 by James Chapman-Taylor Call it the long goodbye. After more than two decades in a home they have loved, restored and treasured, Michelle and Gary Backhouse were in no mad rush to close its handsome, jarrah-wood front door behind them for the final time. ‘Otari’, their century-old home, an elegant brick-and-title house designed and built by the celebrated Arts and Crafts architect

See how a detailed villa extension fits perfectly into this traditional home

The brief was to create a contemporary addition to a traditional villa for a young family “The clients were up for something refined and highly detailed,” says AJ Sutton. “There was a reasonable brief and a few images – they wanted something modern and open plan, which on that site really means a box on the back.” As simple as the concept seems, this project is rammed with detail; a balancing act as budget rubbed up against

This modern villa extension transformed a lean-to into a sunny living area

This family came up with an ingenious villa extension solution to create an open-plan living area with a better connection to the garden Just about every villa has one: the dreaded lean-to, with sloping ceilings, small windows and a rabbit warren of rooms jammed next to each other. Often derided; usually demolished. But when it came to reworking this villa in Eden Terrace, Auckland, Natasha Markham of MAUD decided on a much more subtle approach. Instead

Inside a simple holiday cabin with the barest level of shelter

One cabin for sleeping, one cabin for resting and a kitchen that’s open to the elements. This holiday home is simple living at its finest Q&A with Ben Mitchell-Anyon of Patchwork Architecture Where did you draw the line on what to include, and what not to include, in the cabins? The composting toilet and outdoor shower were already built. The shower is (or was) built around a totara tree, the toilet is a decent stroll

How this Opahi Bay home worked sustainability into its latest renovation

Sustainability is a core value of Strachan Group Architects’ practice, here’s how the incorporated it into this Ophai Bay revamp Q&A with Pat de Pont of Strachan Group Architects What was it like working with family? It’s such a privilege working for anyone and having people put their trust in you. With family, the responsibility that comes with that definitely ramps up a few notches. We get on really well – we all have different

This bold bach makes a strong case for red subway tiles

There’s a wall of red subway tiles, a few red furniture accents and an exterior painted in (you guessed it) red. This bold bach is bringing red back in vogue Project ‘Takatu’ house Architect RTA Studio Location Tawharanui Peninsula Brief Build a bach for family and friends, one that will be passed down through the generations. [gallery_link num_photos=”5″ media=”http://homestolove.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/TakatuBach_Home_Dec2019_6.jpg” link=”/real-homes/home-tours/striking-red-bach-paddock-beach-view” title=”Read more about this home here”] The view from this long, low red bach isn’t

Why Crosson Architects chose to build this Otama bach on stilts

Armed with a brief that asked for a bach that blended in with the landscape but made the most of the incredible views, Ken Crosson chose to elevate it on stilts Q&A with Ken Crosson of Crosson Architects How did you create a structure that talked about the New Zealand context? We typically research local context extensively and draw threads to generate an architectural response, which is woven with the clients’ desires and brief. Our

This self-built summer cabin has a kitchen that’s open to the elements

With only two enclosed rooms connected by an open kitchen and living space, this self-built summer cabin is stripped back to the bare necessities “I always wanted to build a cabin,” says Simon Wilson. “That’s one thing I’d wanted to do forever.” Yet three years ago, at the height of the Auckland property crisis, Wilson and his partner Anna MacLeod – who have two children, Milo (eight) and Scout (two) – found themselves locked out

This Akaroa home was designed to make the most of its waterfront views

This Akaroa home expertly uses a classic gable style roofline and wide windows to soak up the picturesque views of the harbour Q&A with Aaron Paterson and Liz Tjahjana of PAC Studio What were the site’s complexities? Aaron Paterson: With its waterfront location and visual prominence from Daly’s Wharf, it needed to be aware of the surroundings. From a distance and the waterfront, the design intent is that the house appears as a series of

This Te Horo holiday home proves the classic Kiwi bach is not extinct

Sitting on the sand dunes, this angular new build encapsulates the spirit of the much-loved mid-20th-century batten-and-fibrolite bach This Te Horo holiday home proves the classic Kiwi bach is not extinct Now, this is how a beach house should be: wet dogs and driftwood, wet towels and sand on the floor, discarded boardgames and kids – lots and lots of kids. It’s the school holidays and Kerry, her friend Philippa, and their combined broods of,

How this Pauanui bach attained a laid-back camping vibe with architectural flair

The brief for this Pauanui bach, which caters for two families was something that didn’t lose the original camping feel. The result was that and much more Project Shared family bach Designer Adam Taylor Architecture Location Pauanui, Coromandel Brief A bach that caters to two families, without losing the original laidback, camping feel of the former set-up. For 12 years, brothers Brent and Mark Procter and their families happily spent summer holidays on a small

Why this Wanaka holiday home took its inspiration from a DoC hut

With a young family who love to explore outdoors, the brief for this Wanaka holiday home was simple: something that resembles a DoC hut Project Te Kea hut Architect Rafe Maclean Architects Location Rippon Lea, Wanaka Brief To design a holiday home with DoC hut references for a young family who love exploring the outdoors. Wanaka holds a lot of significance for owners Kathryn and Matt. They lived there for a few years after university;

Here’s why this striking red bach chose the paddock over a beach view

After seven years on the site, when it was finally time to build their red bach, the owners knew the best spot was facing the paddocks, not the beach Here’s why this striking red bach chose the paddock over a beach view The view from this long, low red bach isn’t of white sand and pōhutukawa, but paddocks and sheep. It’s a bucolic, sheltered little spot, close enough to the beach yet far enough away

This striking Akaroa home was built to accommodate three generations

Sitting on the water’s edge in Akaroa is a cleverly designed group of homes, built to accommodate a family of three generations; connected but separate Throw a stone from the deck of this holiday house designed by Aaron Paterson and Liz Tjahjana of PAC Studio, and you’ll hit a landmark. Daly’s Wharf, Akaroa’s oldest surviving wharf, projects from the nearby seawall into Children’s Bay, terminating in a little shelter with an orange turret roof. Paterson and

This angular build put a modern spin on the classic Kiwi bach

Its coastal site proved a challenge but the outcome was a striking angular bach that the architects involved thought the owners would say “heck no” to This angular build put a modern spin on the classic Kiwi bach Q&A with Gerald Parsonson of Parsonson Architects: You’ve been quietly playful with colours for the exterior battens? A colour palette that we had to adhere to came with the subdivision. It’s quite muted and soft, no bright

Why this impressive Otama beach house chose its irregular shape

Floating on the white sand dunes, this black steel-clad Otama beach house manages to make the most of its views whilst maintaining its privacy Otama is one of the most perfect beaches on the Coromandel Peninsula. There’s squeaky white sand and gentle rolling surf, an estuary and bleached grassy hills behind. It’s three hours from the nearest city over narrow, winding roads and, until recently, the road from State Highway 25 was unsealed and occasionally

How one small faux-pas gave this home’s prime spot to the tennis court

Never leave a neighbour in charge of your build. This family learned that the hard way and now their tennis court has the best views on the property How one small faux-pas gave this home’s prime spot to the tennis court Designed on the footprint of memories, this Opahi Bay home has history in its DNA. The familiar is its framework; generational continuity its building blocks. Just after World War II, Ray McGreal bought this

Here’s how this striking black-clad house responds to its tough landscape

With mountain ranges on all sides, this Queenstown home was designed to be striking, but sit unobtrusively amongst the landscape Q&A with Jeff Fearon and Tim Hay of Fearon Hay Architects In this striking black-clad Queenstown home the views of the surrounding mountain range are ever-present, but carefully framed and revealed slowly as you walk through the home. “The idea was that each roof would lift towards a different view, and bring the landscape into

How an architect and artist worked together to design a dramatic home

Both inspired by the modernist era the pairing of architect Claude Megson and artist Roy Good resulted in a house of angles, drama and intrigue How an architect and artist worked together to design a dramatic home What was it like working with architect Claude Megson? Roy Good: We were novices in respect to house design but Claude had a marvellous ability to ease the client into the process. Regular meetings proceeded over what was a

A beachfront home in Takapuna is designed to hero the fantastic views

Pete Bossley has designed a house that floats among the pōhutukawa on Takapuna beach. A beachfront home in Takapuna is designed to hero the fantastic views Auckland’s Takapuna Beach looms large in the lives of the owners of this Bossley Architects-designed home. As a teenager, Helen Gillespie was a volunteer lifeguard at Takapuna, travelling over the Auckland Harbour Bridge from her childhood home in Westmere, a modernist house designed by her late father, architect Barton Gillespie of Wilson Moodie

This Queenstown house blends seamlessly into its mountain surrounds

With a mountainous backdrop and bare landscape, there is only a certain type of house that sits in this setting like it was made for it. This is that house This Queenstown house blends seamlessly into its mountain surrounds It’s almost filmic. After turning off the main road to Gibbston and up the switchback Crown Range Road, you turn onto a rutted gravel driveway and a dark house in the distance flits in and out of view. As the

Here’s why a spiral staircase was the perfect addition to this edgy house

A soft spiral staircase helped achieved the perfect balance in an industrial Waiheke home that’s “part cathedral, part boatshed” Q&A with architect Vaughn McQuarrie: What drove the decision to dig the street end of the house into the slope? I didn’t want a balustrade to the deck at the sea end, so I had to keep the floor level low enough that the drop from the deck to the ground would be less than one metre. [gallery_link

A 1960’s apartment gets a modern new layout and look

Architect Dom Glamuzina learnt about working with family when he updated an apartment in the glamorous 1960s building, ‘The Pines’, for his father  Q&A with Dominic Glamuzina of Glamuzina Architects How many square metres is the apartment and how does it function within the footprint? It’s essentially a 130-square-metre one-bedroom apartment with a study, which would be an outlier in the current Auckland apartment market. The original plan was broken down into discreet spaces that

Why this Takapuna beachfront home opted for visual simplicity

Pete Bossley has designed a beachfront home that floats among the pōhutukawa on Takapuna beach Why this Takapuna beachfront home opted for visual simplicity Q&A with Pete Bossley of Bossley Architects What did the owners ask you to create on this beachfront site? Helen and Jack wanted a warm house that related well to the beach. The views are fantastic and Jack is very active in the water, so a direct connection to the beach and Rangitoto was important

An elegant apartment redefines pastels as a sophisticated colour scheme

Architect Dom Glamuzina updated an apartment in a glamorous 1960s building with a palette of saturated pastels, brass and marble Welton Becket is something of an outlier in American architecture. During his long career he designed thousands of buildings and established a practice that eventually numbered more than 500 people, with offices spread from New York to Los Angeles, and projects as varied as the Capitol Records building and Beverly Hilton in LA, and the

This dramatically angled house was designed to display the owner’s art

In 1968, Claude Megson devised a house of angles, drama and intrigue for the artist Roy Good in Oratia. The gallery-like walls are now adorned with his art This dramatically angled house was designed to display the owner’s art This year Roy Good celebrates 50 years as a practising artist and designer. Retrospective exhibitions open in December at Te Uru Waitakere Contemporary Gallery in Auckland, and in 2019 at CoCA, Christchurch. At the latter, Parallel

This Waiheke house was designed to be part boatshed, part cathedral

They say opposites attract. It’s case in point in this Waiheke house where grandiose cathedral meets cosy boat shed, with a hint of nostalgia This Waiheke house was designed to be part boatshed, part cathedral On a hill above Waiheke Island’s Anzac Bay is a house that seems to recline on its elbows, wriggle down into the sand a little, and tip its face to the sun. It feels good inside. Welcoming, lofty, warm. “A

This renovated 1950s railway cottage reconnects with the past

Ben Daly turns a plain 1950s railway cottage into something personal and magical, without losing its original spirit Q&A with architect Ben Daly What’s the attraction to refitting humble buildings like this? I’m very keen on the idea of memory, the life and the stories of everyday buildings, things we are drawn to and react to. It’s almost a way to try to reconnect with the past and a simple way of living. I’m interested in seeing

This renovation of an Ernst Plishcke original pays tribute to its history

A 1959 flat by Ernst Plischke above the garage of diplomats and art collectors Frank and Lyn Corner seems to expand well beyond its four small walls Q&A with Stuart Gardyne of Architecture Plus What did you know of the ‘Corner Flat’ before you worked on it? Having known the family most of my adult life, I was well aware of its qualities. While its presence on the street is modest, its reputation was much larger, being

This Taupiri home makes the most of its location

Architect Dan Smith and his wife Sam leave Auckland to build a small, crisp house in Taupiri, on the banks of the Waikato River Q&A with architect Dan Smith Tell us about finding this piece of land. I’m regularly hunting for the next design opportunity; architects are always seeking the potential of overlooked spaces. I stumbled across this listing with a stunning view over the Waikato River and convinced Sam to stop in on our way

The home of the late Tom Kreisler is an ode to his work

The late Tom Kreisler lives on in his New Plymouth home where his widow Lesley has paired his large-scale paintings with Mexican artefacts and family heirlooms The home of the late Tom Kreisler is an ode to his work Tom Kreisler was an enigmatic figure in the New Zealand arts community. Born in 1938 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he came to live in New Zealand in 1952 where he studied art at the University of

This hillside home makes a strong case for an all wood interior

A compact house in the Karekare bush by Stevens Lawson is designed around contemplation and retreat for a designer and his family Q&A with architect Nick Stevens and homeowners Dean Poole and Krista Dudson The site is steeply wooded – how difficult was it to find a spot to build on? Nick Stevens: It’s a very constrained site. There was already a little bench cut out of the hill with a couple of shacks on

This small Taupiri home makes a case for escaping the rat race

Architect Dan Smith and his wife Sam leave Auckland to build a small, crisp house in Taupiri, on the banks of the Waikato River This small Taupiri home makes a case for escaping the rat race In many ways, it’s a familiar story of a young couple wanting to own their first home and not being able to afford it in Auckland. Dan and Sam Smith, who both grew up in Hamilton, looked south and decided the

This tiny railway cottage renovation stands the test of time

Architect Ben Daly turns a plain 1950s railway cottage into something personal without losing its original spirit This tiny railway cottage renovation stands the test of time During three years living and re-working a house in Hawke’s Bay, architect Ben Daly struck up a close working and personal friendship with the artist Martin Poppelwell. The way Daly tells it, Poppelwell would say something, Daly would get offended, and then he’d go away and think about it. One

This little “granny flat” in Wellington is an Ernst Plishcke gem

A 1959 flat by Ernst Plischke above the garage of diplomats and art collectors Frank and Lyn Corner seems to expand well beyond its four small walls This little “granny flat” in Wellington is an Ernst Plishcke gem Wellington’s hillsides are famously dotted with the modernist creations of one of Austria’s greatest mid-century architects: Ernst Plischke’s white or pale blue-painted, flat-roofed pavilions can be seen popping above ridgelines or attached to hills around the city. Last year, in Thorndon

This bach in the Karekare bush is the perfect place to ‘switch-off’

A compact house in the Karekare bush by Stevens Lawson is designed around contemplation and retreat for a designer and his family This bach in the Karekare bush is the perfect place to ‘switch-off’ “I’m an obsessive worker,” says Dean Poole, a founder and director at design studio Alt Group. “It’s not like a job – we achieve a lot because we like working. But this is a total escape. As soon as you hit the

This home proves how an overlooked piece of land can be given new life

An enigmatic house by Tim Dorrington on an overlooked corner of land edges up to a creek, while turning its back on suburban neighbours   Q&A with Tim Dorrington of Dorrington Atcheson Architects How did the stream dictate your design decisions? It meant concrete foundations were off the table right away. The ground level is probably a metre to two metres higher now than it was, so there’s quite a lot of cut and fill.

These architectural community houses promise to break the poverty cycle

Three architects come together to resourcefully design and build 10 community townhouses with rents that are only 25 percent of income Project ‘Triangle Road’ community housing Architects Strachan Group Location Massey, Auckland Brief Well-built, warm, dry homes with aspirational details. These architectural townhouses promise to break the poverty cycle True to his organisation’s name, Mark Woolley, who leads community housing provider VisionWest Community Trust, is a visionary about what a good home can do to transform

This small home is an inspiring answer to suburban living

This enigmatic house in Avondale by Tim Dorrington on an overlooked corner of land edges up to a creek, while turning its back on suburban neighbours This small home is an inspiring answer to suburban living Crunch around a corner in a long, ordinary gravel drive and there, abruptly, is an extraordinary house. It has heard you coming. It’s crouching behind a black wall made blacker by the shadows of ponga and kanuka. Architect Tim

‘MiniHut’ is a small prefab prototype that’s set to change the housing game

New Zealand architecture firm Bonnifait + Giesen have created a tiny prefab home that delivers high-quality architecture at a reasonable cost ‘MiniHut’ is a small prefab prototype that’s set to change the housing game Project ‘MiniHut’ prefab house Architect Bonnifait + Giesen Location Hangzhou, China Brief A small prefab house with quality architecture and efficient delivery. In essence, the latest prefabricated design by Wellington architects Cecile Bonnifait and William Giesen is a sort of apartment

How this new Waiheke Island home achieved such a striking exterior

With its chic black cladding and bright red door, this Waiheke home makes a statement. Watch to find out how this home achieved such a crisp, contemporary finish. [jwp-video n=”1″] Project: Palm Beach House Designer: Tony Smith Location: Waiheke Brief A laid-back island home where every room has sea views. How this new Waiheke Island home achieved such a striking exterior A long list of decisions needs to be considered when building a dream home.

This heritage villa has been renovated in the most respectful way

Architect Andrew Meiring has made family living easy with the respectful renovation of this heritage-listed villa. We talk to him about the project Q&A with Andrew Meiring of Andrew Meiring Architects You’re more accustomed to new builds – what did you enjoy about this renovation? Although this project had the scale of a new-build it was structurally and programmatically more complex than most new builds. When dealing with alterations, one spends a lot of time

This hilltop home at Lake Wanaka has distinct European style

Built in 1973 by freshly graduated architect Ashley Muir, this almost medieval home overlooking Lake Wanaka is still striking four decades on. We talk to Ashley about the unique project Q&A with Ashley Muir of Mason & Wales Architects Lois and Rolfe Mills were keen on a “young architect who listened”. How many houses did you have under your belt before this one? Lois and Rolfe, and another couple, provided the ultimate gift to a

The late David Mitchell’s last design was this wonderfully angular home

Both playful and rational with punchy yellow accents, the last house designed by the late David Mitchell is a bold feature in the Christchurch streetscape Q&A with Julian Mitchell of Mitchell Stout Dodd Architects Both owner and architect were sailors. How did that influence the design? Well, they got on really well for a start! While there are some nautical aspects to the house – such as the boat hull form over the main living

How a New Zealand architect converted a historic pub on the Thames

A New Zealand architect in London inserts a crisp apartment into a historic converted pub on the Thames. We talk to architect Giles Reid about the project Q&A with Giles Reid of Giles Reid Architects How do you feel the minimal style contrasts or compliments the existing building? I suppose I don’t altogether think that the work is that minimal. I felt a good response to this warehouse-like space was making a few elements, such

The respectful renovation of this Devonport villa celebrates its history

Architect Andrew Meiring adds to a heritage-listed Devonport villa with a playful assemblage of stone, wood, glass and concrete The respectful renovation of this Devonport villa celebrates its history In faded 1880s photographs of North Head Maungauika, Devonport, a white villa with a playful turret sits high on the hill. The house faces the township below and a farm track runs up its side. The history of the villa is as faded as the photographs,