Pre-fabs? Dismantling? A Wellington architectural firm are thinking outside the square. Sustainable design is a term that’s often applied to architectural moves that are either totally unexceptional – orienting houses towards the sun, for example, and maximising natural ventilation – … Read more
A house for five, and a one-car garage. This home for the future was featured by Element last year and has now sold for 900k over QV. The Grey Lynn house designed for his own family by Richard Naish of RTA Studio – … Read more
For much of last century and for a good part of the one before that, the small settlement of Matakana, 65 kilometres north of Auckland, enjoyed a bucolic existence devoid of notoriety. Things changed in the early 1990s when property … Read more
The opportunity to rebuild the blank canvas that is Christchurch central into a world-leading eco city is one that gets residents excited, but all players need to sign up for it. At Victoria Park across the Avon River from the … Read more
If the mayor has his way, all new buildings in Auckland will be required to have a green roof. The Draft Auckland Plan called for every new commercial building to have a green roof. However, the exact definition of what … Read more
South Africans think they can show us a thing or two about bach living? What gives? Lance and Nicky Herbst are South African-trained architects who moved to New Zealand about 15 years ago. Ever since then, they’ve been teaching their … Read more
A well-honed sense of place and purpose ensures this Waiheke Island home treads lightly on the land. Dave Strachan was an exponent of ‘sustainable design’ before the phrase was coined. Not that he would describe himself as such. When designing … Read more
It’s an image straight from popular science fiction: humming, energy-efficient buildings swathed in living plants, the perfect harmony of nature and technology. Vertical gardening, living walls, bio walls — in cities where space is at a premium, the landscape is … Read more
The original Ministry of Education brief was straightforward: a GreenStar-rated secondary school for the 1100 students of Papamoa College.
From the worm farm and the bike parks in the basement to the rooftop garden, this building is designed to work – for the organisation and the staff. Solar hot water: Panels installed on the roof of the building Rooftop … Read more