This collaborative project shares creative propositions for the future development of Devonport village on Auckland’s North Shore, from an overall masterplan and individual sites worked up in models and visualisations. Led by Devonport locals Julie Stout (Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects gold medal recipient) and architect Ken Davis, this exhibition features the work of 18 Architecture Masters students from the University of Auckland School of Architecture and Planning. Urban Adaptations – Devonport TomorrowWednesday 16 July – Sunday 27 July 2025 Exhibition opening: Wednesday 16 July at 3 Victoria Road, 6pm to 8pmVenue: Depot Artspace, 3 Victoria Road, DevonportUrban Adaptations – Devonport Tomorrow dovetails with the exhibition/installation Building (Under the Volcano) at the Whare Toi. This project is a collaboration between artist Richard Reddaway (Massey University College of Creative Arts), designer and architectural historian Kate Linzey (The Architectural Centre), and architect Matt Liggins and architecture students from the University of Auckland’s Bachelor of Architectural Studies. It explores suburban built environments and the genealogy of forms that constitute Te Hau Kapua Devonport to ponder relationships to the whenua, how we choose to create our homes and how different cultural understandings and expressions of home shape our suburban environment. Building (Under the Volcano)Monday 14 July – Saturday 19 July 2025The Depot’s Whare Toi, Kerr Street, Devonport   Public Programmes Architecture and urban development panel discussion, lectures and films at The Vic are planned over the duration of the exhibition (to be advised).

Click to enlarge Housing build-ups in Dhaka. Image: Jeremy Smith 1 of 11 Marina Tabassum Architects’ Bait Ur Rouf Jame Mosque. Image: Jeremy Smith 2 of 11 Marina Tabassum Architects’ Bait Ur Rouf Jame Mosque. Image: Jeremy Smith 3 of 11 Marina Tabassum Architects’ Bait Ur Rouf Jame Mosque. Image: Jeremy Smith 4 of 11 Marina Tabassum Architects’ Bait Ur Rouf Jame Mosque. Image: Jeremy Smith 5 of 11 Old Dhaka and 45,000 people per square kilometre. Image: Jeremy Smith 6 of 11 Buses collage life on the roads. Image: Jeremy Smith 7 of 11 Lattice-work roofing of the informal settlements, viewed from Salauddin Ahmed’s Atelier Robin Architects studio. Image: Jeremy Smith 8 of 11 The colour and vibrancy of Dhaka life. Image: Jeremy Smith 9 of 11 The colour and vibrancy of Dhaka life. Image: Jeremy Smith 10 of 11 The colour and vibrancy of Dhaka life. Image: Jeremy Smith 11 of 11 Architects Jeremy Smith and Murali Bhaskar go looking for water and hard-to-find buildings in what is already one of the world’s most populous mega-cities, Dhaka. Architecture here is rarely properly lost. Even now, as we navigate a way to higher-density living, we tend not to misplace buildings. There’s still the space to eye-spy our most wayward elevations. At worst, we might GPS a tricky driveway or pull out an Andrew Barrie map to pinpoint some retiring architecture. But what happens if you really diamond-up the density. At our country-wide 19-people-per-square-kilometre or even downtown Auckland’s sky-high 2500, you can see what’s coming and cities mostly plan out as planned. Teleport forward though to 45,000-people-per-square-kilometre and cities accelerate lives of their own. Here, anything and everything can be lost in the crowd, even buildings. So, on a 2024 invitation from the Bengal Institute for Architecture, Landscape and Settlements to share some Unfinished & Far Far Away adventures in “the toughest city in the world”,1 I pack some extra compassing in architect buddy Murali Bhaskar and go architectural orienteering in Dhaka. It’s hot hot; architecture can wait. We start by looking for water. This, after all, is the land of rivers. Following on from Aotearoa in 2017 being the first to give a specific river, Te Awa Tupua, legal rights, Bangladesh in 2019 became the first country to grant all of its some 700 rivers the same legal status that humans have.2 But the count varies. Protections readily miss smaller tributaries and, with all that water pouring out of the Himalayas and delta-ing into the Bay of Bengal, the land is accretional. The colour and vibrancy of Dhaka life. Image:  Jeremy Smith From the million or so starters in a newly independent 1971 Dhaka, today, it is the fourth-most-populated city in the world with somewhere near 25 million people. Whether for disaster relief, economics or just the bright lights, urbanisation draws more than 400,000 new residents annually to the city. Throw in some family time and, with Tokyo and Shanghai shrinking, Dhaka’s population is predicted to be an eyewatering 35 million by 2050 (and outnumbered only by Delhi and, in some books, Mumbai). When every possible place looks inhabited, it’s not just water that can quickly go to ground. Kazi Khaleed Ashraf, who heads the Bengal Institute, has some learned thinkers in tow in trying to keep pace architecturally. Throw in societal and climatic concerns, and questions about how contextualisation might operate at such speed and the inquiry takes global precedence. Kenneth Frampton, Rounaq Jahan, Suha Özkan, Shamsul Wares and, formerly, BV Doshi, sit on the advisory panel and have drawn other such worldly thinkers as Juhani Pallasmaa, David Leatherbarrow and, even, Peter Stutchbury from down our way to come experience an urban existence “symptomatic of the gravest environmental challenges”.3 It’s serious stuff. Ashraf researches “hydraulic flow in which horizontal and vertical movements of water may direct architectural and landscape formations”.4 This ‘form follows water’ mantra isn’t just free planning Le Corbusier’s ‘form follows function’ with some Charles Correa’s ‘form follows climate’ to connect to life outside, it’s a watery warning to the navigations quickly necessitating within our collective future. Ashraf’s timely prompt that “Embankment is a barrier. How can we deconstruct it”5 can be seen in the way we increasingly plan the separation of wet and dry in our cities. Main streets like Queen Street and Cambridge Terrace already run down streams and our remaining water edges risk becoming increasingly marginalised by infrastructure rising with the water. But the steering is different at density and Dhaka’s rapid growth has meant letting go of the controls with which we still understand cities to flow. As Ashraf puts it, “Dhaka builds furiously”. While we dutifully plan buildings as if crawling a length or two at the aquatic centre, architecture in Dhaka must high-dive into a torrent. Its buildings must learn to surface and really start kicking. Anything trying to hold ground risks being swept away. Dhaka has become a river. As if to university-entrance the swimming lesson to densification, we’ve arrived only a few months after an Indian helicopter plucked Bangladesh’s president from a student-led flood of unrest amongst civil rights and corruption demonstrations. We might think of universities as offering time for trying things on but, sink or swim, the students here now run the country. With the parliament dissolved, there’s no chance of us seeing inside Louis Kahn’s 1982 National Assembly Building, which, like many of Dhaka’s institutional buildings, took on something of a freshening in the coup. Remembering our government’s pre-departure, bold-italic travel advisory, we head out to practise avoiding street demonstrations and are rewarded with a fenced-off view of Kahn’s epic, which brought global architectural discourse to post-independent Bangladesh. No such authoritative access issues back at the university, where, amongst the student political murals, we visit Muzharul Islam’s 1953–1956 Fine Arts Institute. Islam introduced modernism to the then East Pakistan6 and, in testament, the school still functions as a school, with its external verandah circulation and louvred ventilating classrooms. The rallying extends to getting around with cars sporting dodgem bumpers. Travelling 10 kilometres takes an hour, a million beeps and some financial socialising out the windows. Public transport may be working hard to keep pace with the kinetic city but it starts at the back of the grid, as the panelwork to the buses visibly collage. Getting to where we want to go takes some effort. An above-ground subway system has been started but not finished and the folk enticingly riding on top of trains typically aren’t off looking for architecture. There’s the three-wheeled rickshaw option, of course: formerly pedalled but, in recent months, souped-up with the allowance of car batteries to the back axle. Even so, manoeuvring further than nearby takes more than any rider is up for. So, as we head out for lunch with architect Marina Tabassum and then beep beep beep out further to her extraordinary Bait Ur Rouf Jame Mosque in Dhaka’s northern expansion, we learn that having everything close helps. Neighbourhoods remain important in megacities. Marina Tabassum Architects’ Bait Ur Rouf Jame Mosque. Image:  Jeremy Smith The mosque deserves the full medley and gently uplifts as all great architecture does, be it for the community or off-the-street visitors like us. Marina Tabassum Architects is, of course, internationally renowned for its architectural stand against globalised buildings that are out of place and context, notably winning an Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2016 and being selected to undertake the 2025 Serpentine Pavilion in London. With the site at 13 degrees to the axis of qibla in Mecca, Tabassum sits the mosque on a five-step plinth with a squared, ventilating brick jali and a circular ceilinged prayer space rotated off centre. In a lesson to building only what you need, the spaces between remain unroofed and the perimeter daylight illumination provides a diminished and equalling light to the prayer space. It needs no explanation: look up and there are constellations in the sky; look outwards and find community; look to the mihrab notching the outside wall and orientate to Mecca. Tabassum’s dive is splashless, for the mosque has self-navigated being enveloped by the city. The entry pond may have gone and the mihrab now reveals buildings rather than fields but the light still shines the way. Four hundred people take prayer several times a day within the inner circle, and the weekend Friday crowd spreads outwards to the borders and plinth. We are two days in at this point and our not-getting-lost-practice is going well. We meet architect Salauddin Ahmed whose Atelier Robin Architects studio and gallery in a former tannery building is so hidden away that it feels both lost and right at home. It’s surrounded by the latticing roofs of informal settlements and, remarkably, feels quiet and yet, genuinely, part of the city. No mean feat in a city, “living”, as Ahmed puts it, “as if this is the last day on earth”. Noise is life in Dhaka; Ahmed’s windows are open and the river is flowing. We talk the same language of architecture understanding existing context and needing to accommodate change in shorter and shorter time frames. Where I say “participate”, Ahmed terms “navigate” and without any sense of overseeing for there is just so much life in Dhaka. We mean the same thing and get there from very different landscapes. The next morning, we go where transport can’t. Old Dhaka’s alleyways require some extra eyes, so Ahmed calls in his friend, photographer Khademul Insan, who has lived this labyrinth. This is the densest part of Dhaka and there’s a lot in the air. “Wear this,” says Ahmed, passing a mask. “Otherwise, you’ll cough for four weeks.” It is deep. There’s so much WiFi that it strands like some kind of underworld sun-shading. Our service provider isn’t expecting this kind of roaming and we have no connection. If our collective Kiwi wayfinding skills might have fluked a way in, we certainly need leading out. As the lanes narrow, the industry broadens into some kind of Mad Max circular economy where everything of anything has value and the fires that keep these people afloat run continuously. Mercifully, it’s not raining or there’d be a different type of river afoot. Fifteen kilometres and all day later, we’ve walked to search for culturally significant mosques, houses, courtyards and schools. Some we locate; others, there’s just no finding. Maybe they are there, maybe they aren’t. Occasionally, there are scripts cautioning against graffiti or carving a name into the stonework at the risk of imprisonment, but there are few clues to any architectural history. In the pinch, buildings jostle to just about every possible place a building might go: on top, under, in front, behind. They infill courtyards, hang over laneways, squeeze into gaps, even penalising what’s left of a football field. Every seat is taken, literally. Whenever we find public space off the street, there are couples dating. There’s a lot of romance in 25 million. Eventually, we exit and finally see a river. I remember the swimming lessons are strictly metaphoric and look but don’t touch. You don’t need to get wet to learn how to swim. As Ahmed guides, and he speaks with Ashraf, Tabassum, Insan and experience to what we must remember in densifying our own cities. “I belong to one of the last generations that truly understand what it means to have neighbours.”7 Context counts no matter the size. Our rivers are not yet streams. REFERENCES 1 Kazi Khaleed Ashraf, ‘Note from the Director General: Land, Water and Settlements’. bengal.institute/about Accessed 29.12.2024. 2 Ashley Westerman, 2019, “Should rivers have same legal rights as humans? A growing number of voices say yes”, National Public Radio. npr.org/2019/08/03/740604142 3 August 2019. 3 Kazi Khaleed Ashraf, ‘Note from the Director General: Land, Water and Settlements’. bengal.institute/about Accessed 29.12.2024. 4 Kazi Khaleed Ashraf, ‘Wet Narratives: Architecture Must Recognise that the Future is Fluid’ in The Mother Tongue of Architecture: Selected writings of Kazi Khaleed Ashraf. ORO Editions and Bengal Institute for Architecture, Landscape and Settlements, China: p. 251. 5 Ibid. 6 Adnan Morshed, 2017, ‘Modernism as Postnationalist Politics: Muzharul Islam’s Faculty ofFine Arts (1953–1956)’, Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, 2017. 7 Salauddin Ahmed, 2024, “Design must not be a superimposed idea, but a logical one”, The Daily Star, Dhaka, 25 December 2024.

Hundertwasser’s home in the Kaurinui Valley, located just 20 minutes north of Kawakawa and less than a three-hour drive from Auckland, is to be the only one of his homes around the world that is open to the public. I was given a tour by volunteers from Living Hundertwasser, including Richard Smart, who worked closely with Hundertwasser for eight years and now represents the non-profit Hundertwasser Foundation in New Zealand. Born Friedrich Stowasser in Austria in 1928, Hundertwasser was a world-famous painter and architect, renowned for his radical views and eccentric approach to design. His childhood, marked by the devastations of World War II, led him to find solace in painting alternative worlds filled with nature, vibrant colours and abstract forms that would later influence the trajectory of his environmentalism and architecture.1 The Eyeslit, Kaurinui, 2025.© Image:  Richard Smart In 1976, he settled in New Zealand, purchasing a dairy farm in the Kaurinui Valley with the intention of setting nature free.2 He did just that: over two decades planting 150,000 trees and widening the Kaurinui Stream that flows through the farm. His philosophy is embodied in every aspect of the property and, despite recent health-and-safety upgrades, Hundertwasser’s dwellings remain as he left them, down to his last shopping list and paintbrushes left on the table. The tour begins at the Eyeslit, a Hundertwasser design built after his death, replacing the old decaying farmhouse. Aligned with his distinctive style, it features vibrant pink walls, colourful mosaics and columns reminiscent of his iconic Kawakawa toilets. The Eyeslit serves as a communal space for a pre-tour introduction to Hundertwasser and his legacy that lives on in Kaurinui. The Bottlehaus, Kaurinui.©  Image:  Richard Smart The tour continues through four of his six idiosyncratic dwellings scattered throughout the property, each reflecting his ecological philosophies. The next stop is The Boatshed, a gabled timber building, home to his boat, La Giudecca. Across a bridge over the Kaurinui Stream is The Cave, a space dug into the hillside, containing a bench and hundreds of wētā. Returning over the stream, we arrive at The Pigsty, Hundertwasser’s primary dwelling, which, true to its name, is a former pigsty converted into a habitable space. Inside, a hallway stretches the length of the home, with the kitchen, dining and living room, and a combined bedroom and bathroom branching off. It is built from recycled glass bottles and natural materials, such as earth bricks and logs laid on their sides, extending from inside to outside, mortared in place with a lime, cement and sawdust mixture. With its spontaneously vegetated green roof, felled tree trunk columns and uneven interior floors, the dwelling echoes his philosophy that buildings, like human skin, should grow and wrinkle over time, evolving alongside nature.3 Mountain Hut, Kaurinui, 1994/95.©  Image:  Richard Smart The Bottlehaus, originally the farm’s milking shed, is Hundertwasser’s other main residence. The interior is filled with natural light from the polycarbonate skylight and bottle walls, providing perfect conditions for painting. Not yet included in the tour because of their distance are the Railway Hut and Mountain Hut. Smart recounts how he and his children would hike up to the Mountain Hut, spending the night in the home, built three-quarters underground. The walls and floor are clay earth and the roof, covered in wild greenery, sits just above the ground’s surface. Hundertwasser’s alignment with Māori culture is reflected throughout his homes; adorning the walls are timber-carved tiki and the koru flag he designed for New Zealand, symbolising a unified national identity. Hundertwasser was inherently nomadic, moving between buildings based on their various functions, inadvertently resembling the organisation of customary Māori papakāinga settlements, where buildings serve distinct purposes. Māori would move between kāinga seasonally, leaving structures built from natural materials to decay and return to the earth. At the tour’s final stop, the Exhibition Building, a letter from Hundertwasser’s friend A. D. Fagan in 1974 describes him as a guardian of the land, a sentiment akin to Māori identification as kaitiaki – guardians of the whenua. Before his death, Hundertwasser expressed his desire for Māori artists to have equal opportunities in New Zealand. This wish was realised in the Whangārei Hundertwasser Art Centre and Wairau Māori Art Gallery, completed in 2022.4 Throughout the property, Hundertwasser’s interventions – from a waterwheel and outdoor bath to timber plank bridges and ladders feeding into ponds – speak to a lifestyle that reinforces his commitment to living in harmony with nature. In contrast to his bold European architecture, Hundertwasser’s New Zealand home is more subdued and organic, blending seamlessly into the forest, indistinguishable from the natural environment. As Living Hundertwasser volunteer Clive Jackson explains, “He wanted to let the colours of nature speak.” He allowed nature to exist in its most wild and natural state, supporting his 1983 Peace Treaty with Nature, where he asserted that humanity must put itself behind ecological barriers so the earth can regenerate.5 As an example, he considered trees to be fellow ‘tenants’ on the property, who ‘paid rent’ through their provision of oxygen, beauty and joy.6 Hundertwasser died in 2000 and, at his own request, was buried under a tulip tree at Kaurinui, his body returning to the earth to nourish the ‘tree tenant’. This final act encapsulates his lifelong philosophy of humanity in harmony with nature and, as such, he lives on through the property. Hundertwasser famously stated, “We are only guests of nature and must behave accordingly. Man is the most dangerous pest ever to devastate the earth.”7 In a world where modern architecture is disrupting the natural environment and climate, Kaurinui offers a blueprint for a return to ‘original nature’ – a more sustainable, symbiotic relationship with the earth, and one that resonates with our country’s indigenous identity and the role we must assume as kaitiaki, guardians, of the natural world. REFERENCES 1 Nir Barak, 2022, ‘Friedensreich Hundertwasser (1928–2000)’, The Architectural Review, 18 October 2022. 2 Andreas J. Hirsch, 2022, ‘Hundertwasser’s “Five Skins” Unfold’, in Hundertwasser in New Zealand: The Art of Creating Paradise. Auckland: Oratia Books, p. 72. 3 Wieland Schmied, 2007, For a More Human Architecture in Harmony with Nature: Hundertwasser Architecture. Köln: Taschen, p. 259. 4 Cooperation Agreement 2016, p. 24. 5 Friedensreich Hundertwasser, 1983, Peace Treaty with Nature, Hundertwasser Foundation. hundertwasser.com/en/texts/friedensvertrag_mit_der_natur 6 Wieland Schmied, 2007, For a More Human Architecture in Harmony with Nature: Hundertwasser Architecture, p. 86. 7 Hundertwasser Foundation. 2016. Hundertwasser Architektur & Philosophie. Germany: Wörner Verlag GmbH, p. 30.

Architects, not Architecture is a renowned global series of conversations that seeks to uncover the narratives, experiences and influences that shape architects, rather than focusing on the buildings that have given them their name. Packed with star power, previous events have featured architectural luminaries from Bjarke Ingels to Elizabeth Diller, from Aires Mateus to Alison Brooks. On an autumnal March evening, the event landed in Tāmaki Makaurau, under the iconic dome of the Auckland Museum in somewhat arctic temperatures. A trio of Aotearoa’s distinguished talents took to the stage: Elisapeta Heta of Jasmax, Sally Ogle of Patchwork Architecture and Christopher Kelly of Architecture Workshop. Each presented a deeply personal exploration of their journey, wrestling with the challenge of discussing what drives them without leaning on their architectural achievements. This very constraint brought forth a compelling question: what is an architect without their architecture?  Heta shared her own narratives of whakapapa, the interwoven threads of ideas, people and events that motivate her to drive transformative change and uplift her community towards a more equitable future. She recounted stories of growing up in Rānui, envisioning a dream home to elevate her family, and the profound cultural responsibility bestowed upon her with receiving her moko kauae. These narratives distilled the driving force behind the impactful, large-scale work she does with Jasmax. Ogle painted a vivid picture of her upbringing in rural Taranaki, where practical knowledge of construction was ingrained from a young age, defying traditional gender roles. This context has shaped Patchwork’s approach: a quest to be competent, through a deep and, at times, hands-on understanding of the craft of construction to ensure economical outcomes whilst earning the respect of the contractors and clients with whom the studio works. Christopher Kelly of Architecture Workshop presents.  Image:  David St George Kelly led the audience on an academic and atypical journey, framed by a series of fundamental questions: What is an architect? What has he (I) inherited? He ended with a series of reflections on the discourse of critical practice in order to prompt contemplation on the very foundations of our profession. His own notable recollections included realising that he identified as an architect only while drawing details for Renzo Piano, and noting the misalignment between client and architect perspectives on the value of architectural services. It is this question of “why an architect?” that resonated deeply, particularly with Heta’s acknowledgement throughout the night that she cannot technically use the title under the Registered Architects Act 2005. This echoed Patrick Kennedy’s 2024 NZIA lecture, where he referenced Elizabeth Farrelly’s article, ‘Architecture’s core dilemma: Beauty versus justice’. In this, she contemplates the disconnect between what the profession thinks of itself and the inherent desire to protect the title of ‘architect’ to imply professionalism, versus the public’s understanding of what we do and whether or not there is an actual demand for this service. She asks “If our protection of the public good is not evident to the public, perhaps we should ask ourselves why not. Is it they who don’t understand us? Or we who don’t understand them?” In a time when Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects, the profession, and the polished media seemingly have an unrelenting focus on award cycles and the promotion of remote, high-end architecture, unattainable for the average New Zealander, we must ask ourselves: are we serving only to reinforce our profession’s irrelevance? What the event, Architects, not Architecture, succeeded in capturing is a discussion on the value of design, whether it be Heta’s reference to Te Puna Hapori Whanganui Courthouse, a project that seeks to employ architecture as a tool to dismantle institutional racism, or Ogle’s response to being questioned on a project being sold one million dollars above CV – evidence that people value good design even if the capitalist system doesn’t. The event served as a powerful reminder that architecture is not only about buildings but about the people, ideas and values that shape them. It served as a call to action for our industry to reconnect to the needs of the public it serves in the hope of creating an equitable and inspiring future for all of us. To watch the talks, visit the Architects, not Architecture website here.

This year marks a special milestone for the Brick Bay Folly programme. It is celebrating 10 years since its launch, when the fantastical, rubber-tyre-clad Belly of the Beast took up residence high on a hill overlooking the sculpture park. Today, a decade on, a folly rivalling the first in both height and presence has appeared on a new site, the third to be activated, extending the lives of the follies on show from two years to three. Yellow Post is a towering, whimsical structure made up of 12 eleven-metre-high, tapering glulam posts, with 24 fabric sheets embedded into the project’s horizontal split-beam members. The origins of the design pay homage to the historic hākari scaffold stages once built by iwi in the Northland settlement of Kororāreka as centrepieces for communal ceremony, celebration and congregation. Folly designers George Culling, Oliver Prisk, Henry Mabin and André Vachias first learnt of these structures in Robin Skinner’s lectures at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington’s School of Architecture. Folly team: Oliver Prisk and André Vachias (both of Jasmax), Henry Mabin (Hierarchy Group) and George Culling.  Image:  Sam Hartnett “What really struck us was how these monumental timber edifices articulated a delicacy and consideration towards temporal building,” says Prisk. “The scaffold structure was often fully erected for only a number of days before disassembly, so the concept responded well to the folly brief in terms of both its temporary nature and it being a place to gather and celebrate.”  Conscious that the illustrations studied in Skinner’s class were representations of an indigenous structure through a colonial lens, the folly team engaged with local iwi Ngāti Manuhiri to learn more about the significance of the hākari. Changes to the initial design were fairly minimal. “On advice from mentor Pip Cheshire, the structure rose from its original planned height of 8.5 metres to 11 metres,” says Prisk. “It was a good move – the increased elevation has resulted in a really strong gesture that holds the corner of the new site well and it is now a real marker in its place.”  Culling points out that the location of the new site, while isolated, is still very visible. “No matter where you are, you will see it and it will greet you,” he says, “and the bright, welcoming hue of the Resene Broom yellow contrasts with the natural hues of the landscape.” As with any folly project, it came with several challenges and many learnings along the way, all of which are intentionally at the heart of the programme. “From the outset, our mentors made it very clear that buildability would be critical to the project’s success,” says Culling. “So, we had a lot of early engagement with mentors Steve Cassidy, Peter Boardman and Gabriela Tufare, really getting into the nuts and bolts of how everything comes together on site.” The team members put the success of the build down to staying on site throughout the process, waking to sheep outside their tents each morning before donning their tool belts and beginning their 10-hour days. They were also very fortunate to have ex-classmate and building apprentice Elliot Western on hand to help with construction, enabling them to avoid a degree of trial and error, and to cut their build time considerably. Yellow Post stands 11 metres tall, an increase over the original planned height of 8.5 metres. Image:  Sam Hartnett Mabin describes a complex scaffolding design, which was critical when navigating the tapered geometry to gain full access to fix the fabric within the split beams. He also points out that the screw pile foundation system, a conscious sustainability driver of the design, required a slight work-around on site, highlighting “the beauty of the process, where you throw away the drawings and rely on critical thinking and problem-solving to arrive at a solution”. The 12 posts coming down to the ground had to align with the 12 screw piles on the grid and be of three different staggered heights because of the slope on which they were working. “They were definitely a challenge; however, they worked and did away with the use of concrete piles,” says Vachias. Another point the team could laugh about in hindsight was the amount of time spent on painting. “We had to paint everything,” says Prisk, “through all of December, leading up to Christmas. Looking back, perhaps we should have grabbed every man and his dog to help out.” We’re talking 20 litres of undercoat and 40 litres of topcoat over about 150 pieces of regular timber. Thankfully, the fabric sheets were supplied ready to go, eyelets included, by a flag company in Christchurch. “The main gesture is the yellow posts but we also wanted a secondary element to complement that,” explains Vachias. “Initially, we had planned to have the fabric sheets attached at the outside edges of the folly but we ended up integrating them within the form itself.” “The original hākari were built with slender sticks of kauri and pūriri, lashed together with torutoru vines,” says Culling. “The structures contained terraced stages, which stored kai for the gatherings. We tried to extrapolate this internal element through the use of the fabric sheets to create that dialogue between structure and what is held within the structure.’’ What first appears as a mass of yellow sticks quickly becomes layers of intersecting nodes, 108 in total. Image:  Sam Hartnett The white, almost iridescent fabric now wraps between the horizontal pieces, giving increased body to the visual mass of the structure and playing with and capturing the light and shadow. The scale, proportion and height of Yellow Post delivers a feeling of what the team describes as ‘structural wonderness’ and a real sense of satisfaction that they were able to realise their design and come in within budget. “The Yellow Post is one of very few beguiling projects that are at once simple, logical and coherent, yet evocative of precedent,” says folly judge and mentor Pip Cheshire. “This has been achieved by, as Sir Miles Warren would say, ‘throwing a double six’ on the first day of the competition: a strong idea pared back to its essentials then exhaustively examined to ensure its realisation does all that is necessary, but no more. The team is to be congratulated on its celebration of the new Brick Bay folly site with a striking project.” This year’s judges were Pip Cheshire from Cheshire Architects, Steve Cassidy from Cassidy Construction, Karmen Hoare from Resene, Peter Boardman from Structure Design, Keith Mann from Unitec, Amanda Harkness from Architecture NZ, Richard and Anna Didsbury from Brick Bay and Jennifer Gao from the 2024 Folly winning team, whose folly was named Femme-ly Velues. Brick Bay Folly is sponsored by Resene, Cassidy Construction, Cheshire Architects, Structure Design, Unitec, Architecture NZ, ArchitectureNow, Sam Hartnett Photography and Brick Bay. 

Click to enlarge Designed by NEBBIA WORKS, a British-based architecture and design firm. Image: Supplied Student Volunteer Army Founder Sam Johnson launches bench seat charitable Trust in partnership Aera Foundation’s Derek Handley and Japanese New Zealander Hideaki Fukutake at the Auckland Art Fair. The project was launched Friday 2nd May, at the Aotearoa Art Fair to a packed audience of over 100 people. The initial idea was from Aera Foundation’s Derek Handley who spoke at the event about the disconnection we have from ourselves and how technology is changing our world so dramatically. “If you think the difference between the last 1,000 years was significant, it will be nothing on what we experience in the next 1,000 with technology embedded into our brains, even into our eyes. Sitting on a Bench, I hope will be a simple act of being human, reminding us of who we are.”   Paererewā—the 1,000-year bench project—has been launched to create thresholds between the everyday and something deeper.  UK Architect of Nebbia, Madhav Kidao, visited New Zealand to speak at the Auckland Art Fair alongside Johnson, Handley and Fukutake. The project learns from the famous Benesse Art Site Naoshima, started by Hideki Fukutake’s grandfather. “Public seating may seem simple, yet it profoundly shapes how we engage with our environment,” Fukutake said. “Paererewā continues the philosophy of place-based impact that has defined projects like Benesse Art Site Naoshima. Each Pae marks a threshold—an intersection of time, history, and human experience, inviting connection between the past, present and future.”  Render supplied. The project will see the creation of 1,000 places to sit or rest, each designed to endure for 1,000 years across Aotearoa. Each Pae promotes a location for reflection on long-term thinking. A charitable trust dedicated to commemorating people, stories, places, and important historical events, Paererewā brings together leading designers, makers, artists, historians, tangata whenua, and a unique model of place-based philanthropy to create a network of places of reflection throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. The core kaupapa is encouraging long-term thinking and reflection. Anyone can initiate a Pae, but a core part of the model is a place-based philanthropic model that supports the Pae into the future with earnings forever paid to a volunteer group to care for the bench.“I’ve organised hundreds of volunteer projects to care for benches, playgrounds or spaces that have been forgotten about,” Johnson said. “The place-based philanthropic model for Paererewā, I hope, will help the Pae and the area around it be cared for in the long-term future. This is an enduring model of giving and a new way to leave a bequest in your will for something very meaningful.  By establishing a sustainable funding mechanism, we ensure that these spaces remain cared for far into the future.”Paererewā will be spread throughout the country, from urban sites to the remote backcountry. Many will be in sites of historical, cultural, ecological or geological significance. Each Pae is conceived through a rigorous curatorial process, ensuring site-specificity, cultural significance and material durability. The independent Curatorial Board, chaired by Heather Harris—former COO of the Australian Museum and Director of Collections at the V&A Museum—ensures the integrity and vision of the project. The board also includes Objectspace Director Kim Paton, a leading voice in contemporary design. ”Chairs and benches are among the most fundamental design objects,” Paton said. “They carry stories of how we live, the ways that we value function and form, and the means by which we gather as communities. Paererewā builds on this tradition, creating spaces that are both practical and poetic—public places with deep meaning that invite us to pause.”  Paererewā has established an initial panel of designers from a wide range of backgrounds and disciplines, including architects, artists, craftspeople, industrial designers, ceramicists and landscape architects. The panel, created with curatorial advice from Objectspace, includes emerging, early-career and incredibly senior designers.  The initial panel of 25 continues to expand and includes: Māori artist Carin Wilson, recipient of the 2025 New Zealand Arts Laureate, known for his cross-disciplinary work in design and furniture-making; Nebbia, an international architecture studio that was supported by the British Council to be involved in the project as a gesture of friendship to Aotearoa; Jaime Jenkins, a sculptor predominantly working with clay, based in Mount Maunganui; Multidisciplinary metal furniture maker Leon McKay, who established top studio SAINTLEO.  Paererewā is backed by STILL—a community of remarkable businesses and cultural enterprises from Aotearoa, New Zealand. STILL embraces new ways of seeing the world and supports initiatives that amplify the human experience, including the World of WearableArt, National Candles and a range of landscape and design companies. Anyone can propose a Pae location. For a site to move forward, it requires the backing of a lead donor, sponsor, landowner or community leader. Thanks to the support of STILL, a number of charitable sites will progress each year in partnership with community groups.  To learn more or suggest a location click here.  More news

Directed by Graeme Murray, the 55-minute film follows the evolution of DCA director Darryl Church’s holiday home, The Chodge, from concept to completion. The project has received international recognition for its unique ‘house within a house’ design, including being named a finalist at last year’s World Architecture Festival in Singapore.  Church says the documentary captures more than just the build — it offers a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the design, the challenges faced and the unique vision that brought it to life. “The film provides personal insight into the journey; it’s a story about family, passion and perseverance,” says Church. Having originally commissioned a videographer to document the design and build of the Chodge for future marketing purposes, the material soon became of interest to the Resene Architecture and Design Film Festival.” Church describes the film as raw, honest and often humorous, “reflecting on 15 years of dedication to building a sanctuary for generations to come.” Set beside Lake Whakamaru in the South Waikato, director Graeme Murray brings the landscape and project to life through authentic storytelling. “It was incredible to witness the build unfold, from the initial ideas, to the creative process, to finally seeing it come to life.” A Q&A session with Graeme Murray and Darryl Church will follow the Auckland screening. Tickets are available through the Rialto Cinemas website. The Resene Architecture and Design film Festival programme is available here.

The first of its kind in New Zealand, Darklight, 2-4 May, invites attendees to experience the art of light through a series of interactive walk-through audio visual installations. This is a journey exhibition, where you can experience light unfolding into its various forms. Step in. Let darkness guide you. Let light transform you. DarkLight unfolds across three stages- The Threshold, A Rift in the Light, and The Unknown The Threshold Step into darkness, where white light hovers in the void, stripped to its purest form. Shifting between states of solid and fluid, it stretches and dissolves into the shadows, inviting you to tune into its structural force. A Rift in the Light Here, transformation begins. White light fractures open, revealing the hidden spectrum within. Deep soundscapes echo as colour starts to bleed into the darkness. The Unknown Descending down the stairs, Light is unleashed in its fullest potential, blossoming from stark white into saturated waves of colour that flood the space. It constructs a fleeting architecture, engulfing you in every direction, building itself into form, only to dissolve back into the dark. Let the light reshape you. Resonate Darklight and Music First are building on the synergy between light and sound, Resonate, 3 May 7:30 pm, at Darklight is a one-night-only audiovisual experience like no other. As you arrive you will journey through immersive artworks that invite you to step inside and lose yourself in waves of shifting light, sound and motion. Arriving downstairs the journey culminates in a powerful fusion of sensory elements with a boundary-pushing lineup of cutting-edge DJs, live acts and visual experiences. Featuring performances by Australian dance legend DJ JNETT, a live hardware techno jam from Borrowed CS, a mood setter from Music First DJs and an opening ambient / bliss-out set from 95 bFMs Psychic Glands. The venue for the event is BRAD’s, 9 - 11 Durham Lane, Auckland CBD, a two-level historic stone building constructed in 1861 and one of Auckland’s most significant heritage buildings.  Exhibition tickets can be found here. Resonate tickets can be found here.

Rachel Venables - Principal Architect “With nearly three decades of experience in design and master planning, Rachel brings a wealth of expertise”, says David Wingate. He continues, “Venables has held leadership roles in top architectural firms, guiding teams to deliver well-considered, commercially successful developments. Known for her exceptional eye for detail, Rachel is passionate about creating highly functional spaces that enrich lives, aligning perfectly with Wingates’ mission of creating places that truly matter”. Venables’ career spans leading practices and her own firm, giving her a strong commercial and management background. She has received industry recognition for her work, including awards for residential and furniture design. Notably, Rachel led the development of standard house types for Kāinga Ora, helping scale up social housing across the country, and has collaborated with community housing providers in both design and review roles. Rachel is also active in governance and education, currently serving on the Board of Trustees for Farm Cove Intermediate and was previously Auckland Director on the NZIA Auckland Branch Board. She is a member of the Institute of Directors, an NZGBC Homestar Assessor, and was made a Fellow of the NZIA in 2010. Left to right: Wingates’ Miguel Hernandez (designer), Rachel Venables - Principal Architect and Ornela Priotti (designer). Image:  Supplied David Wingate said, “Rachel will focus on all design stages of medium to high-density residential developments, strengthening Wingate’s ability to deliver outstanding architectural solutions across Aotearoa New Zealand”. Rachel Venables commented on Joining Wingates: “My wide range of design and on-site experience has given me a broad and deep knowledge of the industry, providing a solid foundation for delivering resolved and sustainable design. I look forward to helping Wingates further develop its highly respected body of work.” David Joyce - Principal Design & Operations Manager “With over 35 years of experience in the building industry, David Joyce brings a deep, practical understanding of diverse construction processes and building types, from luxury homes and commercial fit-outs to high-end apartments, industrial buildings, and specialised facilities”, says David Wingate. Wingate continues, “David will provide strong leadership across all sectors of commercial and large format architecture, drawing on his experience working alongside some of New Zealand’s leading project management and development organisations. Known for his calm leadership and clear communication, he’s well equipped to guide teams and projects through complex design environments”. Wingate further comments “While adding to the growing collective of Davids at Wingates, he also brings the benefit of being based in both Auckland and Hamilton — something that will undoubtedly strengthen our relationships and grow our presence in the Waikato.  Elizabeth Mark, Architect, with Wingates’ new Design and Operations Manager, David Joyce. Image:  Supplied David’s appointment reflects Wingates’ ongoing commitment to creating places that truly matter — spaces that enrich the lives of the people who live, work, and gather in them. His extensive industry experience and design leadership align perfectly with Wingate’s purpose and future direction”. David Joyce says on joining Wingates: “It’s not just about the final product — it’s about the collaborative process. Great design happens when clients, users, designers, and builders bring their ideas together to produce environments in new and meaningful ways. I am excited to be joining an organisation that lives and breathes this approach.” 

The Brick Bay Folly 2026 is now open for entries from architecture students and recent graduates (within the last ten years) to create designs that explore the intersection between sculpture and architecture. The annual competition allows teams to collaborate on the creation of experimental and innovative architectural follies, with the winning team receiving $30,000 in grants towards realising their proposed folly design. Entries are due by 9 am Monday, 16 June 2025. Along with grant and sponsorship money, the selected winning team will receive mentorship and technical support from Resene, Cassidy Construction, Cheshire Architects, Structure Design and Unitec. The finished project is then displayed on-site for up to 48 months and will be photographed by Samuel Hartnett, and featured in Architecture NZ magazine. The competition offers students and recent graduates a rare opportunity to create a conceptual small-scale piece of architecture that, if selected, they can then build. The winning 2024 Brick Bay Folly, Femme-ly Velues, acknowledges the heritage of textile craft among women by referencing the stages of weaving across its three distinct elevations. The team was made up of Claire Ford, Elise Cautley and Jennifer Gao of Yellowhammer Services, Architecture HDT and Jack McKinney Architects, respectively, who joined forces to design a concept based on the fabric crafts they’d been taught by their mothers. Read about their winning submission here. Full submission guidelines and information on how to submit your project can be found at brickbaysculpture.co.nz. The 2026 Brick Bay Folly is supported by Resene, Cassidy Construction, Cheshire Architects, Structure Design, Unitec, ArchitectureNow, Architecture New Zealand, Samuel Hartnett and Brick Bay Sculpture Trust.

As one of Studio Pacific’s founding partners, Evžen Novák helped shaped the direction of the practice since its establishment in 1992. The practice says Novák has led the delivery of significant commercial, civic and cultural projects across Aotearoa over more than three decades, with a strong focus on sustainable design and mass timber construction. Novák portfolio includes the He Tohu Exhibition in Wellington, Aratoi Museum in Masterton and several projects for the Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT) in Auckland. He also led the design of the Nelson Airport Terminal, recognised for its expressive timber structure and environmental performance, alongside multiple projects for Massey University’s Palmerston North Campus. Recent work includes Air New Zealand’s Hangar 4 – an innovative 98-metre span timber structure – and a new terminal for Palmerston North Airport. Alongside his design work, Novák has played a key role in shaping Studio Pacific’s strategic direction. He was appointed managing director in 2020, leading the practice through a period of growth and transition. His tenure helped strengthen Studio Pacific’s governance and internal culture, embedding sustainability across the business. In 2023, Novák stepped down as managing director to focus on environmental initiatives within the studio. The following year, his professional achievements were recognised with Fellowship of Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects. His recent departure from the Board marks the next step in the practice’s governance development. Board Chair Dr Helen Anderson said: “Evžen has brought the same clarity and care to governance that he has shown throughout his architectural career. His leadership has strengthened the Board and supported the long-term resilience of the practice. We thank him for his outstanding contribution.” Novák will continue in a leadership role within the practice, focusing on sustainability and environmentally responsible design. Marc Woodbury brings over 25 years of experience as a registered architect to his appointment as executive director. He joined Studio Pacific in 1999 and currently leads the practice’s Commercial Architecture team. Woodbury’s portfolio includes some of Aotearoa’s most recognised commercial developments, including the country’s first NZGBC 5-Star Green Star office building and the award- winning 20 Customhouse Quay. He is also a longstanding advocate for mentoring and professional development, supporting emerging architects both within the practice and through his work as a New Zealand Registered Architects Board (NZRAB) assessor. Woodbury was named a Fellow of Te Kāhui Whaihanga in 2023, acknowledging his contribution to the profession. Woodbury says he is “honoured to join the Board in this capacity and to continue contributing to Studio Pacific’s direction. I look forward to supporting the team and the practice through the next chapter of its evolution.” Dr Helen Anderson also welcomed his appointment, adding: “Marc’s deep knowledge of the practice, combined with his leadership and governance experience, will be invaluable as we continue to strengthen our Board and look to the future.” Marc Woodbury’s appointment signals a continued commitment to strong leadership, sustainable design and thoughtful governance. His experience will help guide the practice forward, building on the foundation laid by Novák and the wider leadership team.

Sarosh Mulla of PAC Studio.Image: Sarosh MullerFollowing on from the well-attended first two lectures in the University of Aucklands Fast Forward series, Sarosh Mulla ofPac Studio will be speaking tonight on Pacs recurrent design motifs as illustrated by recent projects, focusing on the way fun and levity pervade the way they practice. He will cover what characterises PACs work, the way the studio operates, and how that differs from otherpractices.Next week will see Andre de Graaf and Helen Kerr, both principals of Isthmus Auckland studio, comparing growth challenges in changing environments, using project examples which include adaptation master planning in regional towns with declining populations, and measures of urban wellbeing in rapidly growing city neighbourhoods. The pair will challenge perceptions around what design interventions can make a difference and how to navigate uncertainty and will share their design kaupapa for regenerating communities, with examples of their urban design tools and mahi up and down themotu.In the final week of the series, co-founder ofParlour Dr Gill Matthewson will be presenting the story of her path and an update on her recent research and advocacywork.Waimataruru by Pac Studio.PAC Studio.FunDate: Wednesday 26 March 2025, 6.30pmVenue:Lecture Theatre 342, Conference Centre building 423Speaker: Sarosh Mulla, Pac Studio (Auckland)Bio: After graduating at the top of his class from the School of Architecture & Planning of Auckland in 2008, Sarosh Mulla completed a PhD in Architecture by Practice at The University of Auckland, where he is now a Senior Lecturer. Alongside his academic endeavours, he is a director at Pac Studio, a practice building a reputation across a wide spectrum of architecture-related fields: residential projects, commercial buildings, heritage conservation, as well as innovative exhibition, installation and research work. These projects have been the recipients of NZIA National Awards, Here magazines Best House Award, and a Best Awards PurplePin.Registerhere for your freeticket.Creating demand and meetingdemandVinegar Lane by Isthmus.Image: SUppliedDate: Wednesday 2 April 2025, 6.30pmVenue:University of Auckland Engineering Atrium, Level 3, Building 401, 5 Grafton Road, Auckland CitySpeakers: Andre de Graaf and Helen Kerr, Isthmus (Auckland)Bio: Founded in 1988, Isthmus has staked a position among the nations leading urban design firms. They have expanded their field of operation well beyond traditional planning, urban design, and masterplanning disciplines to include architecture, landscape architecture, infrastructure and graphic design. Their work strives to generate positive social and environmental outcomes through a kaupapa of regenerating Aotearoa by connecting land, people andculture.Registerherefor your freeticket.Dr Gill Matthewson, co-founder of Parlour: women, equity, architecture.Image: SuppliedThe Path toParlourDate: Wednesday 9 April 2025, 6.30pmVenue:University of Auckland Engineering Atrium, Level 3, Building 401, 5 Grafton Road, Auckland CitySpeaker: Dr Gill MatthewsonBio: Recently retired from Monash University in Melbourne, Dr Gill Matthewsonis a graduate of the University of Auckland. After a decade in practice and decades of teaching, Gill completed a PhD at the University of Queensland on womens careers in the architecture profession. Matthewson was a co-founder ofParlour: women, equity, architecture, a world-leading organisation devoted to studying and supporting gender equity in architecture. Her research extended into demographic studies of the Australian architecture profession as a whole. Matthewson also contributes regular commentary and analysis on contemporary issues in architecture to Parlour and other professional publications. As an activist, researcher, and writer, Matthewson has long advocated for women in architecture, Matthewson has been described as the most persistent commentator to date on women in New Zealandarchitecture.Registerhere for your freeticket.

The Te Khui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects Interim Chief Executive and Auckland Branch Chair have announced they are teaming up with the nations largest trade event, BuildNZ, at the Auckland Showgrounds on 15-16 July 2025. They will deliver what they describe as a game-changing, pan-industry future of housing summit, tackling the real issues holding usback.A large media contingent attended the last BuildNZ Housing Summit.Image: suppliedFollowing on from the wide media coverage of the KiwiBuild Summits held alongside BuildNZ 2018 and 2019 the NZIA think it is timely to reset the wider industry conversation around the nations growing need to build affordable homes. Their promise is that The Future of Housing Summit will this time deliver genuine actionableoutcomes.The industry has been clear they want less talk and more actionable outcomes to get things moving and BuildNZ is the natural place for that discussion with thousands of architects, builders, developers and policy makers converging under one roof. says Peter Townsend, Architect and Auckland Branch Chair of theNZIA.Importantly the summit will be entirely free to attend for our member architects and any build or construction professional across any discipline to join in the conversation/debate. saysTownsend.Mark Abbot, Interim Chief Executive of the NZIA, agrees. Im heartened that our industries are getting together to start a new discussion and get new views on solving big challenges like affordable housing. I encourage all our NZIA members to participate in the Future of Housing Summit and contribute toward a pan-industry approach to problem-solving. Im hopeful that well be able to create significant outcomes that can make a realdifference.With a stellar line-up of the biggest industry influencers joining the discussions, attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities ahead-equipped with the knowledge and connections needed to drive meaningfulchange.Image: suppliedSome of those confirmed speakers already include; NZIA President Huia Reriti,Registered Master Builders CE Ankit Sharma, NZIA Strategic Sustainability Advisor Rachel MacIntyre,NZ Certified Builders CE Malcolm Fleming, BCI Central NZ Country Manger Ben Hurrell and Kinga Ora, CE Matt Crockett with more to be announcedshortly.The summit will explore innovative construction methods and how the use of cutting-edge technology, software, robotics and AI promises to speed up construction, reduce costs and minimise environmental impact. New ownership modelssuch as co-housing and shared equity schemes. Streamlined regulations aiming to simplify approval processes for new housing projects. By bringing together policymakers, developers and industry leaders, the summit will facilitate a dialogue on creating a more efficient regulatoryframework.In addition, a BCI Central panel will discuss changes, risks and opportunities in the New Zealand constructionmarket.The Future of Housing Summit at BuildNZ promises to bring together the brightest minds and boldest ideas to ensure New Zealands housing needs are met for generations tocome.Whether you are an architect, developer, investor, or policymaker, this summit is an unmissable opportunity to be part of thesolution.Dont miss out on being a part of the future of New Zealandshousing!All industry professionals canregister now to attend BuildNZ for free atbuildnz.com.Registrations for the Future of Housing Summit will openshortly, the event is free toattend.Video of the 2019 Housing SummithighlightsThis content has been created with support from XPOExhibitions.ArchitectureNow works with a range of partners in the A&D supply sector to create and/or source appropriate content for this website and Architecture NZmagazine.If your brand or clients are interested in similar creative content email mark.lipman@agm.co.nz toenquire.

Click to enlargeCathedral Grammar Junior School (Tezuka Architects and Andrew Barrie Lab, 2016; playground: F3 Design, 2017). Image: Peanut Productions 1 of 7Isaac Theatre Royal (Sidney & Alfred Luttrell, 1908; restoration: Warren and Mahoney, 2014). Image: Peanut Productions 2 of 7Te Ora Hou tautahi (Field Studio of Architecture & Urbanism, 2022). Image: Peanut Productions 3 of 7Canterbury Provincial Council Buildings (Benjamin Mountfort, 185865). Image: Peanut Productions 4 of 7Lyttelton Studio Monastery (Bull OSullivan Architecture, 2015). Image: Sarah Rowlands5 of 7The Court Theatre (Athfield Architects & Haworth Tompkins, 2025). Image: Peanut Productions 6 of 7Korako Whnau Papakinga (Royal Associates Architects, 2023). Image: Sarah Rowlands7 of 7The annual Open Christchurch festival is set to once again celebrate tautahis most exceptional architecture and design at the start of May. Amanda Harkness takes a closer look at whats in store.This years Open Christchurch festival, presented by Te Ptahi Centre for Architecture and City-Making, takes place over three days, from Friday 2 to Sunday 4 May. Throughout the event, visitors will have the opportunity toenjoy 51 buildings, two designed landscapes, five guided walks and more than 40 activities, in what will be the festivals largest programme todate.From the biggest building, Te Kaha Stadium, to the tiniest treasure, Bull OSullivan Architectures Chapel of St Thrse of Lisieux, the programme spans a rich variety of buildings, landscapes and experiences, says Te Ptahi director JessicaHalliday.Two of the themes covered by the festival this year will be design excellence in performance spaces and the works of pre-eminent local Gothic Revival architect, Benjamin Mountfort, in commemoration of the bicentenary of hisbirth.Festival goers will be among the first to experience the latest addition to the citys performing arts space, The Court Theatre, as well as having the opportunity to join an evening considering the enduring power of the wharenui and great hall, take part in youth-led tours of the mixed-use centre the Youth Hub, be hosted by whnau at Rpaki School, Church and the Korako Whnau Papakinga and explore the extravagant Peter Beavan-designed Chateau on the Park with an architecturalhistorian.Halliday says there will also be a number of one-off and special access experiences, such as seeing behind the hoardings during construction on a tour of Te Kaha Stadium, heading into the archives at the Macmillan Brown Library to view Mounforts original drawings with expert Dr Ian Lochhead, and visiting private residences and the Former Wellington Woollen Mills Manufacturing Company, now the hybrid hotel The DrifterChristchurch.Canterbury Provincial Council Buildings (Benjamin Mountfort, 185865).Image: Peanut ProductionsPeople are invited to explore the city in different ways, whether that be experiencing the much-loved Tkaro Poi Margaret Mahy Family Playground in full swing; exploring the joyful Cathedral Grammar Junior School on an architectural or engineering tour; discovering East Frame residential projects or taking in the exhibition, Mountfort and the Canterbury Museum, at Tranga, saysHalliday.A range of whnau-based activities will also be on offer, including an architecture treasure hunt, craft workshops and a youth-based designworkshop.Open Christchurch will begin with a speaker event in the Great Hall at Te Matatiki Toi Ora The Arts Centre on the evening of Friday 2 May, where Te Khui Whaihanga NZIA Gold Medallist Professor Deidre Brown will take guests through the two traditions of the wharenui and the great hall and other speakers will explore what these gathering spaces mean tothem.The full programme continues on Saturday and Sunday, where the 51 featured buildings of different ages, styles and uses will be open for the public to experience for free, with the exception of a small number of limited entry projects and experiences that will require a nominal bookingfee.Halliday says the festivals Saturday night event will offer different ways of thinking about Christchurchs built legacy. At Children of the Christchurch Modernists, children of prominent Christchurch Modern architects will share their thoughts about growing up with the distinctive buildings of the era and their designers, considering both anew as they lookback.The Court Theatre (Athfield Architects & Haworth Tompkins, 2025).Image: Peanut ProductionsFive guided walks will explore different ways of seeing the city, and two designed landscapes will offer alternative ways to consider our urban spaces. Meanwhile, the Court Theatre will provide audio-described, mobility friendly and New Zealand Sign Languagetours.Old favourites will also return to this years programme, including behind-closed-doors access to the Observatory Hotel at the Arts Centre and the university hall of residence College House, and more than 40 activities (talks, tours, exhibitions and workshops) will provide additionalavenues to learn about the citysarchitecture.Open Christchurch is an annual celebration of free access to tautahis best buildings, aiming to make Christchurch more open, accessible and inclusive, says Halliday. Our city has so many fascinating buildings so be nosey, satisfy your curiosity and feel welcome to explore our city through architecture over Open Christchurchweekend.NoteEvent organisers encourage residents and visitors to study the programme and website to create their own itinerary of highlights so that they can discover the city in newways.Buildings are open at different times across the weekend, bookable activities are timetabled and a handful of buildings require advancebookings.Visit openchch.nz for bookings, building-specific accessibility and moreinformation.

Supported by the Italian Embassy in Wellington,tonightslecture forms part of the celebration of international Italian Design Day, the theme being Community design:How to mend the fractures ofhumanity.Speakers fromtwo practices, Ana Heremaia and Jo Walsh forKAU and Nick Officer and Ben Jagersma for First Light Studio, will talk abouthow thoughtful design and committed activism as demonstrated in their projects can foster stronger, more connectedcommunities.KAUiscommitted to collaboration and community engagement fromits Te Tai Tokerau, Kaikohe office. The practices work seeks to transform the lives of tamariki and whnau through a workshop process which connects people with their tpuna stories and provides hands-on learning through architecture and design.Overthe course of 10 years, thestudio has moved from furniture design to contributing toward the new sports hub Papa Hawaiki and new ongoing library project forKaikohe.First Light Studiowill present two transformative projects, each addressing community needs at different scales and stages of development: a small Wellington church that used seismic strengthening as an opportunity to redefine its role and relevance, to a portfolio of public housing solutions for Te huru Mwai, New Zealands largest Mori-owned community housing provider. These projects demonstrate how thoughtful design can foster stronger, more connectedcommunities.How to Mend the Fractures of Humanity: KAU | First LightArchitectsWednesday 19 March 2025, 6.30pmLecture Theatre 342, Conference Centre Building 423, University of AucklandRegisterhereforyourticket.Other speakers in the series arePAC Studio(Wednesday 26 March),Isthmus(Wednesday 2 April) andParlour(Wednesday 9 April). For more information, and to register, clickhere.TheFast Forward lecture series is generously sponsored byGIBand supported byTe Khui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects.10 NZRAB CPD points are available at each lecture. Attendance is free and allarewelcome.

Supported by the Italian Embassy in Wellington,tonightslecture forms part of the celebration of international Italian Design Day, the theme being Community design:How to mend the fractures ofhumanity.Speakers fromtwo practices, Ana Heremaia and Jo Walsh forKAU and Nick Officer and Ben Jagersma for First Light Studio, will talk abouthow thoughtful design and committed activism as demonstrated in their projects can foster stronger, more connectedcommunities.KAU are committed to collaboration and community engagement from their Te Tai Tokerau, Kaikohe office. Their work seeks to transform the lives of tamariki and whnau through a workshop process which connects people with their tpuna stories and provides hands on learning through architecture and design. Across 10 years the company has moved from furniture design to contributing toward the new sports hub Papa Hawaiki and new ongoing library project forKaikohe.Nick and Ben will present two transformative projects, each addressing community needs at different scales and stages of development: a small Wellington church that used seismic strengthening as an opportunity to redefine its role and relevance to a portfolio of public housing solutions for Te huru Mwai, New Zealands largest Mori-owned community housing provider. These projects demonstrate how thoughtful design can foster stronger, more connectedcommunities.Supported by the Italian Embassy in Wellington, this lecture forms part of the celebration of international Italian Design Day, the theme being communitydesign.How to Mend the Fractures of Humanity: KAU | First LightArchitectsWednesday 19 March 2025, 6.30pmLecture Theatre 342, Conference Centre Building 423, University of AucklandRegisterhereforyourticket.Other speakers in the series arePAC Studio(Wednesday 26 March),Isthmus(Wednesday 2 April) andParlour(Wednesday 9 April). For more information, and to register, clickhere.TheFast Forward lecture series is generously sponsored byGIBand supported byTe Khui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects.10 NZRAB CPD points are available at each lecture. Attendance is free and allarewelcome.

A registered architect in Aotearoa New Zealand, Wallace brings more than 20 years of experience in architecture and urban design to his new role. He has worked withStudio Pacific for nearly two decades, helping to shape the practices collaborative culture and design ethos while also showing a strong commitment to social and environmental sustainability, with a particular focus on education and community-driven projects across themotu.Wallaces extensive experience in master planning and architectural and landscape design has seen him foster deep relationships with mana whenua and actively contribute to the integration of te ao Mori in the studios design practice. As a co-founder of Te Waharua, Studio Pacifics Mori design and support group, he has championed design approaches that reflect the principles of Te Tiriti oWaitangi.Beyond design, Wallace has been instrumental in the studios research and innovation initiatives. He co-founded the studios research group, has co-authored papers on building performance and supports technical reviews acrossprojects.Current managing director Nick Barratt-Boyes and Wallace are working closely with the practices leadership group to ensure a seamless transition. Barratt-Boyes co-founded Studio Pacific in 1992 alongside Even Novk and Stephen McDougall, and in stepping down from the managing director role, he will continue to be actively involved in project delivery and serve as an executive director on theBoard.Barratt-Boyes says that while leading Studio Pacific has been an incredible privilege, James passion for architecture, his thoughtful leadership and his clear vision for the future make him the ideal person to guide the practice as we move beyond our founder-led era into second-generationleadership.Helen Anderson, Chair of the Board,saysJames appointment reflects the Boards confidence in his ability to lead Studio Pacific into its next chapter. At the same time, we acknowledge and thank Nick for his outstanding leadership and ongoing contributions to thepractice.This leadership transition aligns with the Studios long-term vision, drawing inspiration from the whakatauk, Whia te iti kahurangi, ki te tohu koe, me he maunga teitei Pursue that which is precious, and do not be deterred by anything less than a loftymountain.With this new chapter, Studio Pacific says it is reaffirming its commitment to design excellence, sustainability and collaboration and the practice congratulatesWallace on his appointment and extends its gratitude toBarratt-Boyes for his dedication andleadership.

The inauguralArchify Sustainable Futures Report 2024surveyed over 700 industry professionals across New Zealand and Australia, revealing that while the industry is making strides, significant challenges remain. The report provides a strategic roadmap for architects, developers, and policymakers navigating the complexities of sustainable construction, highlighting both progress and ongoing barriers to meaningfulchange.Many organisations are integrating sustainability into their operations, with over half employing specialists to oversee project sustainability and a similar proportion focusing on the impact of their organisation, such as reducing their carbonfootprint.However, nearly half have yet to take such steps. While 69% have set carbon reduction targets, 64% measure their footprint and 60% engage in offsetting carbon emissions, gaps remain in carbon accounting, as some companies reduce emissions through renewable energy adoption without formally tracking theirimpact.Sustainability: A priority with persistentbarriersSustainability is widely recognised as crucial, with environmental considerations ranking as the most important among respondents. While 90% of professionals acknowledge its importance, only a fraction report consistently achieving sustainable outcomes onprojects.One of the most significant barriers is cost, cited by 54% of respondents. Other challenges include a lack of client demand, the complexity of sustainability processes and insufficient government regulations. These findings align with industry discussions on embedding sustainability into standard practice rather than treating it as an optionalextra.Climate change is arguably the most critical issue of our time. While progress is underway, it is slower than needed and reversing the trend of rising temperatures will take considerable time, Dr. Lee Jones, Head of Sustainability at Hubexo,said.Jones continues, Globally, the built environment is responsible for around 40% of all global carbon emissions. In Australia and New Zealand, the construction sector emits around 20% of regional carbon emissions thats 98 million tonnes of carbon apportioned solely to construction in ANZ, the same as 0.3 billion flights between Sydney and Auckland. We must do more to reduce ourimpact.Image: SuppliedArchitects, as key decision-makers in project design, are pivotal in advancing sustainability. While clients and financiers are perceived to have the greatest influence over project sustainability, architects and consultants are uniquely positioned to educate stakeholders on the long-term benefits of sustainabledesign.However, sustainable features are frequently removed during value engineering. To combat this, stronger prescriptive specifications and enhanced client education are essential to ensuring that sustainability remains integral rather than anafterthought.The growing focus on embodiedcarbonWhile operational carbon reduction has long been a focus, the report signals a growing awareness of embodied carbon. Despite this, it remains underrepresented in regulations and sustainability requirements. A lack of accessible supplier data further complicates efforts to source reliable information on productsustainability.Encouragingly, 76% of respondents agree that more manufacturers need to provide sustainability performance information to bridge this gap, reinforcing the critical role of material transparency in advancing sustainabilitygoals.David Baggs, CEO, Technical Director & Co-founder of Global GreenTag International.Though we have a long journey ahead of us, achieving a sustainable future depends on a widespread commitment to high-integrity practices that foster resilience, reduce emissions and genuinely support both people and the planet, said David Baggs, CEO, Technical Director & Co-founder of Global GreenTag International.The report identifies a strong expectation for more robust government intervention, with 71% of respondents calling for increased support to transition existing buildings and infrastructure to netzero.As one respondent noted, There needs to be accountability for achieving sustainability standards through government-mandated legislation. Too often, there are ambitious sustainability goals that are never met because there are no consequences for not meetingthem.Although half of respondents believe government policies are moving in the right direction, many feel that current measures lack the urgency and enforcement needed for large-scale industry transformation. The sentiment reflects a growing recognition that sustainability cannot be left solely to market forces and requires regulatorybacking.Moving toward a sustainablefutureThe report underscores the necessity of a collective approach to sustainability. While architects and designers continue to lead by integrating sustainable principles into their work, overcoming financial and regulatory barriers will be key to long-termsuccess.While awareness of sustainability is increasing within the industry, translating this recognition into consistent, tangible outcomes remains a challenge. Overcoming barriers such as cost pressures and client demand will require a shift in mindset one that prioritises long-term environmental and economic benefits over short-termsavings.As one respondent noted, Clients need to buy into the economic advantages of constructing and operating sustainablebuildings.Stronger policy frameworks, early integration of sustainability in project planning and more prescriptive specifications could help embed sustainable practices as standard rather thanexception.Want to learn more about the current state of sustainability in the New Zealand constructionindustry?This content has been created with supportfromArchify.ArchitectureNow works with a range of partners in the A&D supply sector to create and/or source appropriate content for this website andArchitecture NZmagazine.If your brand or clients are interested in similar creative content emailmark.lipman@agm.co.nztoenquire.

Click to enlargeEgyptian-born and Canadian-raised industrial designer Karim Rashid was one of the keynote speakers at the inaugural Auckland Design Week Design Conference. Image: Luke Foley-Martin 1 of 15Te Aroha Grace (Prkei) gave the opening tikanga and welcome. Image: Luke Foley-Martin 2 of 15The Women shaping innovation through technology panel: Jennifer Michtavy (HyperCinema), Laura Ciblich (RUN Aotearoa), Laura Heynike (Pocketspace Interiors) and Lauren Palmer (Fisher & Paykel Appliances). Image: Luke Foley-Martin 3 of 15Beyond AI: Designing with emerging technologies panellists: Martin Varney (MAKE Architects), Matt Watkins (Special Studio), Rui Peng (Critical) and William Harbridge (JPA Design). Image: Luke Foley-Martin 4 of 15Beautiful business B-Corp panellists: Amanda Niu (Eva), Greig Brebner (Blunt Umbrellas), Raphaela Rose (ahha) and Steven Boyd (Deadly Ponies). Image: Luke Foley-Martin 5 of 15Tradition meets tomorrow: New Zealands Design Identity speaker Te Ari Prendergast (Warren and Mahoney). Image: Luke Foley-Martin 6 of 15Simon Wilson (RDT Pacific) interviews Miko Brouwer (RDT Pacific) and Te Ari Prendergast (Warren and Mahoney). Image: Luke Foley-Martin 7 of 15Conference attendees visit designers in the Exhibition Space, including Lyzadie Design Studio, Rockcote, Billi, Eva, Critical and Arlington. Image: Luke Foley-Martin 8 of 15Conference attendees check out the Special Studio 3D printing exhibit. Image: Luke Foley-Martin 9 of 15Conference attendees check out the Special Studio 3D printing exhibit. Image: Luke Foley-Martin 10 of 15Attendees visit designers in the Exhibition Space. Image: Luke Foley-Martin 11 of 15Designers in the Exhibition Space, included Critical. Image: Luke Foley-Martin 12 of 15Design Conference attendees at the end of the day. Image: Luke Foley-Martin 13 of 15Karim Rashid with Design Conference attendees. Image: Luke Foley-Martin 14 of 15Auckland Design Week founder Jen Jones wraps up the conference at the end of the day. Image: Luke Foley-Martin 15 of 15Now in its second year, Auckland Design Week held its inaugural Design Conference last week in Mount Eden. Amanda Harkness reports on some of the key take outs from the sold-out industry event.This years Auckland Design Week HQ was housed in the Life church campus on Normanby Road, hence the tempting rhetorical trope of faith over fear but, word play aside, the light-filled venue turned out to be an inspired choice for its design, amenity andlocation.In the middle of a weekpacked with satellite events, self-guided circuits and design days and labs, the Chance + Change day-long conference invited a host of designers, architects, artists and industry enthusiasts to consider the transformative potential and ethical implications of emerging technologies such as AI, VR, AR, prefabrication, 3D printing, software-generated design andmore.Billed as a showcase of the dynamic interplay between tradition and technology, craftmanship and innovation, we were asked to attend with an open mind as we considered pushing hypotheticals, breaking rules and borrowing from otherindustries.The big-ticket name on the speakers list was the larger-than-life Karim Rashid, whose body of work (at 2-3 seconds per image on the reel) appeared to outlast his 1 hour 30-minute talk and Q&A session perhaps the designer doesnt sleep? On describing the pluralist act of the creator, he did point out that the creator can create almost anything, and so, it would seem, hehas.Industrial designer Karim Rashid.Image: Luke Foley-MartinRashid sees his role as shaping a world around us to elevate our emotions, where beauty is defined by the inner and outer working together in harmony. For such a prolific designer, there was perhaps some irony in his assertion that the less things we have, the more our planet will be able to survive, and that, for him, personally, to not have things is a freedom. But he did share some interestinginsights:1. We are living in the casual age (where neck ties are no longer de rigeuer and more than 50% of shoes sold aresneakers)2. AI is the past, not the future it only documents what weve alreadydone3. With everything today being image-driven, were fast becoming followers, not originators. Where is the diversity, the difference, the disparity? Beware ofbanality.4. Transparency is critical; without it, a business willdie5. Technology can be a beautiful driver fororiginalityAfter a fast-paced talk packed with insights, history, anecdotes and observation, Rashidleft us with a powerful, mindful thought that the ultimate form of human existence is to live in the present. And then he disappeared, stage right, to change into another eye-catching ensemble to dazzle during the cocktailhour.Women shaping innovation through technology panellist Laura Heynike (Pocketspace Interiors).Image: Luke Foley-MartinOther speakers throughout the day shared with us how AI has infused huge efficiencies into their designs (Laura Heynike from PocketspaceInteriors), in terms of both concept generation and site measures, freeing them up to spend more time on diving into the detail that really matters. Talk of pushing design barriers, the benefits of wastage metrics, the endless potential of parametric design, and the ability to put value back on human connection overwhelmingly gave a thumbs up toAI.Martin Varney fromMAKE Architects (designers of the beautiful Karangahake Gorge house) said the only limitations to his studios sustainable prefab designs were in the suppliers methodology of putting the product together. Rui Peng, co-founder of Critical, pointed out that when an interior fitout typically lasts only 57 years, think of the waste. Hence, the birth of his Cleanstone, made from 100% recycled plastics and 100% recyclable at end of life. Varney and Pengs panel were also all tech positivity, describing transforming workflow, client interactions, sustainability and globalreach.Amanda Billing, MC for the Design Conference.Image: Luke Foley-MartinEthics and cyber-security were covered, in terms of intellectual property theft, insider threats and tech giant influence, as were social norms, cloud storage and energy use. Frances Valintine (academyEX founder) was insistent: We suffer from slow adoption of AI here in New Zealand, we have to get over the fear of AI taking our jobs and we need to start using it. In perhaps one of the most prescientstatements of the day, she added: Ethics are under siege, the loudest voices are being heard (citing Musks LLM Grok), we need to be in thegame.Next up a panel of B-Corp certified practitioners, the founders of ahha, Blunt Umbrellas,Deadly Ponies and Eva, spoke of their experience in building strong, sustainable and socially-responsible businesses and the day concluded with Warren and Mahoneys Te Ari Prendergast sharing how design can help restore mtauranga Mori by examining the role of healing, ritual and knowledge in addressing past injustices, restoring connection to the land and revitalising culturaltraditions.Auckland Design Week founder Jen Jones should be buoyed by the initiatives first conference. The day was a manifestation of Rashids proposed future of design: where creativity, technology and human essence merge seamlessly to enhance our collectiveexperience.

Click to enlargeChelsea Sugar Head Office Exterior Colour Scheme by Eleanor Eugster and Alison Gwerder, Beca Ltd. Image: Eleanor Eugster 1 of 28Whitestone Cheese Diner & Deli by Annabel Berry, Annabel Berry Creative Co, winner of the Resene Total Colour Commercial Interior Public + Retail Space Award. Image: Rachel Wybrow 2 of 28Whitestone Cheese Diner & Deli by Annabel Berry, Annabel Berry Creative Co, winner of the Resene Total Colour Commercial Exterior Colour Maestro Award.3 of 28Soda by CTRL Space winner of the Resene Total Colour Commercial Interior Public + Retail Space Colour Maestro Award. Image: Simon Devitt4 of 28WOTSO Takapuna Internal Stairwell by Pauly B winner of the Resene Total Colour Commercial Interior Office Coworking Award. Image: Tosca Christie 5 of 28The Formery by CTRL Space winner of the Resene Total Colour Commercial Interior Office Coworking Colour Maestro Award. Image: Sarah Grace 6 of 28TR Group HQ by ArchInt winner of the Resene Total Colour Commercial Interior Office Company Award. Image: supplied 7 of 28Endoscopy on Clarence Medical Centre by Ces Scott, Sandra Torres and Thomas Brock, APG Architects winner of the Resene Total Colour Commercial Interior Office Company Colour Maestro Award. Image: Amanda Aitken 8 of 28St Hildas Chapel & Whitby Redevelopment by Cameron Grindlay, Dwelling Architectural Design winner of the Resene Total Colour Education Award. Image: Nick Beadle 9 of 28Northcote Intermediate School by Clive Chapman and Iliya Kolesnikov, Pacific Environments NZ Ltd winner of the Resene Total Colour Education Colour Maestro Award. Image: Barry Tobin10 of 28The Village PreSchool by Carter Williamson Architects winner of the Resene Total Colour Education Colour Maestro Award. Image: Katherine Lu 11 of 28Crinkle Cut by Liz Tjahjana, Aaron Paterson and Steven Lloyd, Pac Studio Ltd. and Steven Lloyd Architecture winner of the Resene Total Colour Residential Exterior Colour Maestro Award. Image: Simon Devitt12 of 28Iconic Wellington Apartment by Hannah Ferens and Joneen Rodgers, Hello Home Interiors winner of the Resene Total Colour Residential Interior Award. Image: Anna Briggs 13 of 28Gateways Apartments Replacement Windshields by John Bannatyne, DLA Architects winner of the Resene Total Colour Residential Exterior Award. Image: Paul McCredie14 of 28Shades of Hydrangea by Marlene Hudson, Marlene Hudson Design winner of the Resene Total Colour Residential Interior Colour Maestro Award. Image: Tracey Scott 15 of 28The Jim Wakefield Pavilion by Athfield Architects winner of the Resene Total Colour Neutrals Award. Image: David Higgins 16 of 28Arney Road Residence by Abri Architects winner of the Resene Total Colour Neutrals Colour Maestro Award. Image: Katrina Weidner 17 of 28Antrim House upgrade, Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga winner of the Resene Total Colour Heritage Award. Image: Brayden Mitchell and Jamie Jacobs 18 of 28Palmerston North Crematorium, Chapple Architecture winner of the Resene Total Colour Heritage Colour Maestro Award. Image: Bernadette Peters 19 of 28Te Puawnanga Science and Technology Centre, Jessica Gommers and Ruby Oliver winner of the Resene Total Colour Installation - Experiential Product Award. Image: Richard Ng 20 of 28Always Song in the Water exhibition by The Letter Q Ltd and New Zealand Maritime Museum winner of the Resene Total Colour Installation - Experiential Product Colour Maestro Award. Image: David St George and Blink Ltd 21 of 28Femme-ly Velues winner of the Resene Total Colour Landscape Award. Image: Sam Hartnett22 of 28Pukekawa/Auckland Domain - refurbish band rotunda by Nina Quintana and Richard Bland, Auckland Council winner of the Resene Total Colour Landscape Colour Maestro Award. Image: Supplied 23 of 28Tidal Shift by Stephanie Cartledge winner of the Resene Total Colour Bright Spot Award. Image: Nicole Reed 24 of 28A Colourful, Feminist Vision for Community by Briar Newman winner of the Resene Total Colour Rising Star Award. Image: Render Briar Newman 25 of 28RE: indigenise, vitalise, generate, vegetate, juvenate by Javani Govender winner of the Resene Total Colour Rising Star Colour Maestro Award. Image: Drawing Javani Govender 26 of 28Summit Spas by Omea Hall winner of the Resene Total Colour Rising Star Colour Maestro Award. Image: Drawing Omea Hall 27 of 28Te Kura School, Seatoun, Wellington. Image: supplied 28 of 28The Resene Total Colour Awards winners were announced at a colourful evening as part of Auckland Design Week. The award winners exemplify the role colour plays in accentuating design and how it can uplift our spaces inside and out. The Resene Total Colour Awards winners were announced at a colourful evening as part of Auckland Design Week. The award winners exemplify the role colour plays in accentuating design and how it can uplift our spaces inside andout.TheResene Total Colour Awards marked two significant milestones, the first being the 15th year of the awards and the second celebrating the highest number of entriesever.The judging panel included Sylvia Sandford (colour expert), John Walsh (previous editor of Architecture NZ, architectural writer) and Laura Lynn Johnston (editor of BlackWhite magazine, and previous editor of Habitatmagazine).Resene Total Colour Master Nightingale Award & Resene Total Colour Commercial ExteriorAwardChelsea Sugar Head Office Exterior Colour Scheme by Eleanor Eugster and Alison Gwerder, Beca Ltd.Image: Eleanor EugsterTheResene Total Colour Master Nightingale Award is named after the Nightingale family who founded and still runs Resene today, and recognises excellence in colour and paint use. The Awards went to: Chelsea Sugar Head Office Exterior Colour Scheme by Eleanor Eugster and Alison Gwerder, Beca Ltd.The judges said: Sugar and spice and all things nice, this project speaks in colour. A perfect example of the transformational power of paint and colour, the colour palette does the heavy lifting to take a once unassuming structure and turning it into an eye-catching feature. Each colour in the palette cleverly plays off one another, contrasting and accentuating the next. Its the icing on thecake.Resene Total Colour Commercial Interior Public + Retail Space Award & Resene Total Colour Commercial Exterior Colour MaestroAwardWhitestone Cheese Diner & Deli by Annabel Berry, Annabel Berry Creative Co, winner of the Resene Total Colour Commercial Interior Public + Retail Space Award.Image: Rachel WybrowWhitestone Cheese Diner & Deli by Annabel Berry,Annabel Berry CreativeCoThe jury said: Irresistibly charming, who wouldnt want to go into a caf that looks like this? The fun, playful and nostalgic colour palette draws you in with a sense of anticipation about what lies within. It touches on all the best elements of what makes retro designs charming, neatly packaged into a colourful wrapping that puts a refreshing spin on vintage-inspired hues. An exemplary showcase of the power of colour has turned an overlooked building into a must-visit locallandmark.Resene Total Colour Commercial Interior Public + Retail Space Colour MaestroAwardSoda by CTRL Space winner of the Resene Total Colour Commercial Interior Public + Retail Space Colour Maestro Award.Image: Simon DevittSoda byCTRLSpaceThe judges said: Warm and calming colours come together in this project to build an atmosphere of respite and relaxation for its clientele. The thoughtful application of the colour palette means the colour seems to seamlessly and gracefully flow over every surface, achieving an inviting aesthetic that carefully balances vibrancy with tranquillity. Playing to the senses, its an alluring use of colour that manages to feel effortless through its thoughtful and consideredapproach.Resene Total Colour Commercial Interior Office CoworkingAwardWOTSO Takapuna Internal Stairwell by Pauly B winner of the Resene Total Colour Commercial Interior Office Coworking Award.Image: Tosca ChristieWOTSO Takapuna Internal Stairwell by Paul Bradley,PaulyBThe judges said: An adventure in colour, brimming with the anticipation of not knowing what new surprise awaits just around the corner. This exuberant and unexpected use of colour acts as a free-flowing organic design juxtaposed against the formal structure of the stairs. It fills the space with enthusiasm and optimism. Using a wide palette of hues from dark to light and glimmering touches of metallic, its fast become a favouritefeature.Resene Total Colour Commercial Interior Office Coworking Colour MaestroAwardThe Formery by CTRL Space winner of the Resene Total Colour Commercial Interior Office Coworking Colour Maestro Award.Image: Sarah GraceThe Formery by CTRLSpaceThe Judges said: Infused with a sophisticated air of office space meets corporate club, this project cleverly transforms a workplace into something that feels more like hospitality space. The colours and sheen levels have been carefully selected to play with the lighting and set the mood. The scheme is beautifully harmonious and well-grounded as a means of supporting those engaged in mutually rewarding business discussions. This palette meansbusiness.Resene Total Colour Commercial Interior Office CompanyAwardTR Group HQ by ArchInt winner of the Resene Total Colour Commercial Interior Office Company Award.Image: suppliedTR Group New Commercial Building byArchIntThe judges said: When working with a corporate colour palette, it takes a certain adeptness to apply those colours to best serve their setting. This project does this brilliantly, using the clients daring hero hue for powerful accenting supported by a monochromatic base. Its an immersive branding experience which operates at a commercial level while still bringing out the little kid in all of us. Its bold, bright andbrilliant.Resene Total Colour Commercial Interior Office Company Colour MaestroAwardEndoscopy on Clarence Medical Centre by Ces Scott, Sandra Torres and Thomas Brock, APG Architects winner of the Resene Total Colour Commercial Interior Office Company Colour Maestro Award.Image: Amanda AitkenEndoscopy on Clarence Medical Centre by Ces Scott, Sandra Torres and Thomas Brock,APGArchitectsThe judges said: There is a delightful sense of continuity which extends from the public spaces to the private workspaces in this project. Bringing together a beautiful use of textures and variations of paint colours, it exudes an undeniably soothing calmness that avoids the common obstacle of feeling too clinical. The palette is beautifully balanced with timeless tones that feel supportive and nurturing of the space and its users, radiating comfort and care wrapped up incolour.Resene Total Colour EducationAwardSt Hildas Chapel & Whitby Redevelopment by Cameron Grindlay, Dwelling Architectural Design winner of the Resene Total Colour Education Award.Image: Nick BeadleSt Hildas Chapel & Whitby Redevelopment by Cameron Grindlay, Dwelling ArchitecturalDesignThe judges said: Colour is a powerful tool when wielded well and this project certainly wields it with expertise, using a tasteful colour palette to draw attention to select architectural elements and to set the scene. Perched high on the hilltop, the blue reaches out to the sky, enlivening the building and giving it presence. Its strong, purposeful andconfident.Resene Total Colour Education Colour MaestroAwardNorthcote Intermediate School by Clive Chapman and Iliya Kolesnikov, Pacific Environments NZ Ltd winner of the Resene Total Colour Education Colour Maestro Award.Image: Barry TobinNorthcote Intermediate School by Clive Chapman and Iliya Kolesnikov, Pacific Environments NZLtdThe Judges said: Inspiring students to reach their potential is a cornerstone of education and this colour palette embraces this vision wholeheartedly. Powerful colour choices rise on the vertical, visually reinforcing the strength of the architecture. The colours are ever-so-carefully arranged with a rhythm that plays off the texture and key architectural features, adding energy without overwhelming and infusing it withcharacter.Resene Total Colour Education Colour MaestroAwardThe Village PreSchool by Carter Williamson Architects winner of the Resene Total Colour Education Colour Maestro Award.Image: Katherine LuThe Village PreSchool by Carter WilliamsonArchitectsThe judges said: An exquisite project, this beautiful ethereal palette is totally complementary to the architecture. It feels calm and serene, ready to be injected with the bustling energy of small children. While it may at first glance appear neutral, it cleverly weaves together a complex palette of light coloured hues combined with neutrals to soften the structure. This dreamy colour blend is easy to fall in lovewith.Resene Total Colour Residential ExteriorAwardGateways Apartments Replacement Windshields by John Bannatyne, DLA Architects winner of the Resene Total Colour Residential Exterior Award.Image: Paul McCredieGateways Apartments Replacement Windshields by John Bannatyne, DLAArchitectsThe judges said: The joyful colour selections ingeniously revitalise this prominent building, infusing it with life, energy and positivity through the thoughtfully chosen and ever-so-carefully placed colour palette. It has been transformed into a friendly and visually engaging landmark. The clever installation technique ensures both aesthetic appeal and sustainable maintenance, setting a benchmark for modern architectural rejuvenation. A textbook example of how a little colour can go a longway.Resene Total Colour Residential Exterior Colour MaestroAwardCrinkle Cut by Liz Tjahjana, Aaron Paterson and Steven Lloyd, Pac Studio Ltd. and Steven Lloyd Architecture winner of the Resene Total Colour Residential Exterior Colour Maestro Award.Image: Simon DevittCrinkle Cut by Liz Tjahjana, Aaron Paterson and Steven Lloyd, Pac Studio Ltd. and Steven LloydArchitectureThe judges said: An unexpected soft pink lifts this home out of the ordinary. Surrounded by bush, it would have been ever so easy to paint this house all white, yet the subtle touch of colour brings so much more. Its instantly soothing, creating a relaxed retreat to enjoy as a respite from the busy city. Cleverly combined with crisp white, the pairing helps the eye read the slipper pink hue and appreciate its subtle beauty. A whisper of colour that speaksvolumes.Resene Total Colour Residential InteriorAwardIconic Wellington Apartment by Hannah Ferens and Joneen Rodgers, Hello Home Interiors winner of the Resene Total Colour Residential Interior Award.Image: Anna BriggsIconic Wellington Apartment by Hannah Ferens and Joneen Rodgers, Hello HomeInteriorsThe judges said: Colour makes this space, celebrating the essence of mid-century modern design with a well-balanced and vibrant colour palette that adds joy and interest without overwhelming the senses. Every detail harmoniously supports the palette. The curated application of colour on the open shelving transforms groupings of personal treasures into museum-worthy displays. Tailormade for the client, this home is ahaven.Resene Total Colour Residential Interior Colour MaestroAwardShades of Hydrangea by Marlene Hudson, Marlene Hudson Design winner of the Resene Total Colour Residential Interior Colour Maestro Award.Image: Tracey ScottShades of Hydrangea by Marlene Hudson, Marlene HudsonDesignColour transforms this house into a welcoming family home by creating an open, light-filled space complemented by beautifully contrasting features. There is a strong connection between the interior and the surrounding environment as if elements of the outdoors have been invited inside. Thoughtful planning has ensured it is both functional and inviting, perfectly suited for a busy life. Colour has helped make this house an easy-to-live-inhome.Resene Total Colour NeutralsAwardThe Jim Wakefield Pavilion by Athfield Architects winner of the Resene Total Colour Neutrals Award.Image: David HigginsThe Jim Wakefield Pavilion by AthfieldArchitectsThe jury said: When it comes to the traditions of colours associated with games, you cant go far past the tradition of white in cricket. Nestled in park land that moves through the colours of the seasons, this project has embraced the essence of cricket whites. This understated neutral palette stands out amongst the natural tones of the park and allows the continuity of the sweeping forms to be the hero. In a landscape of colour, white becomes anaccent.Resene Total Colour Neutrals Colour MaestroAwardArney Road Residence by Abri Architects winner of the Resene Total Colour Neutrals Colour Maestro Award.Image: Katrina WeidnerArney Road Residence by AbriArchitectsThe jury said: So often homes are painted all white, but this home brings a little something extra to the palette. Enhanced with a refined neutral palette of grey, the classic cloudy colours ensure that this home holds its own even on the brightest of summer days. Combined with a range of textured surfaces, the colour palette provides just the right touch of variation. Neutrality highlights this homes architecturebeautifully.Resene Total Colour HeritageAwardAntrim House upgrade, Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga winner of the Resene Total Colour Heritage Award.Image: Brayden Mitchell and Jamie JacobsAntrim House Upgrade, Heritage New Zealand PouhereTaongaThe judges said: With such a high-profile building to decorate, there is always the pressure of expectation. This project has risen to this challenge with much thought into not only which colours will be used but also where they will be used to best flatter the many stunning architectural details. It leads by example, showcasing how taking the time to respect and celebrate the past through refurbishment projects will ensure our heritage buildings remain a treasured part of our architecture into thefuture.Resene Total Colour Heritage Colour MaestroAwardPalmerston North Crematorium, Chapple Architecture winner of the Resene Total Colour Heritage Colour Maestro Award. Image: Bernadette PetersPalmerston North Crematorium, Chapple Architecture, SusieElmsThe jury said: With a serene and dignified approach, this colour palette honours the buildings iconic architecture. The uplifting treatment of the arches lifts the spirits, while the restrained interior colour palette provides a calm and soothing backdrop, allowing the architectural elements to shine. As a building that is used in challenging times, its tranquil and reassuring in all the rightways.Resene Total Colour Installation - Experiential ProductAwardTe Puawnanga Science and Technology Centre, Jessica Gommers and Ruby Oliver winner of the Resene Total Colour Installation - Experiential Product Award.Image: Richard NgTe Puawnanga Science and Technology Centre, Motat, Jessica Gommers and RubyOliverThe jury said: Wow! This transformational treasure trove of colour palettes draws your eye to each area of the space. The colour is cleverly used to designate zones of activity, to bring human scale to what could have seemed like a cavernous space and offer a collection of themed areas to explore. The palette is extensive yet is so well integrated that the colours both coordinate and contrast. Colour makes this space comealive.Resene Total Colour Installation - Experiential Product Colour MaestroAwardAlways Song in the Water exhibition by The Letter Q Ltd and New Zealand Maritime Museum winner of the Resene Total Colour Installation - Experiential Product Colour Maestro Award.Image: David St George and Blink LtdAlways Song in the Water exhibition by The Letter Q Ltd and New Zealand MaritimeMuseumThe jury said: Like ripples of water, this exhibitions colour palette feels like youre passing through layers of ocean. Colour is an undeniable hero, immersing each visitor into the exhibition and encouraging them to explore more and linger that little bit longer to truly take in all the curated treasures. Playful and whimsical as it transitions from space to space, the flow of colour isfaultless.Resene Total Colour LandscapeAwardFemme-ly Velues winner of the Resene Total Colour Landscape Award.Image: Sam HartnettFemme-lyVeluesThe jury said: Picking a bold palette of colours that works well together is one achievement; weaving those same colours together into a giant folly is an even greater one. This ambitious project catches the eye with its novel colour combination and structure. Towering above the land, the open weave gives the sense that the colours are playing with their surroundings. Its a hand-crafting of hues taken to a whole newlevel.Resene Total Colour Landscape Colour MaestroAwardPukekawa/Auckland Domain - refurbish band rotunda by Nina Quintana and Richard Bland, Auckland Council winner of the Resene Total Colour Landscape Colour Maestro Award.Image: SuppliedPukekawa/Auckland Domain - refurbish band rotunda by Nina Quintana and Richard Bland, AucklandCouncilThe judges said: Theres something delightful about when old is made new and its even more satisfying when bland becomes beautiful. The complementary palette feels at one with its environment yet refined and elevated. The judicious use of colour highlights the architectural detailing while the repetitive placement of colour helps each hue feel like it truly belongs. Colour has not just refreshed this rotunda, its revived it from top tobottom.Resene Total Colour Bright SpotAwardTidal Shift by Stephanie Cartledge winner of the Resene Total Colour Bright Spot Award.Image: Nicole ReedTidal Shift by StephanieCartledgeThe judges said: With a fusion of colour and community, this work energises its surroundings with a vibrant palette and thoughtful symbolism inspired by the local environment. Boldly painted graphic elements broadcast a universally understandable message and invite passersby to pause, reflect and connect. Its a striking example of how colour and design can inspire and engage usall.Resene Total Colour Rising StarAwardA Colourful, Feminist Vision for Community by Briar Newman winner of the Resene Total Colour Rising Star Award.Image: Render Briar NewmanA Colourful, Feminist Vision for Community by BriarNewmanThe judges said: This project boldly reimagines space through a feminist lens, using a dynamic pink palette with supplementary hues to empower and nurture. By thoughtfully manipulating colour, the design transforms the area into a supportive haven, celebrating life and femininity. The skilful integration of colour creates a harmonious environment that invites women to confidently claim their space. This colour palette exudes courage andtenacity.Resene Total Colour Rising Star Colour MaestroAwardRE: indigenise, vitalise, generate, vegetate, juvenate by Javani Govender winner of the Resene Total Colour Rising Star Colour Maestro Award.Image: Drawing Javani GovenderRE: indigenise, vitalise, generate, vegetate, juvenate by JavaniGovenderThe judges said: Masterfully integrating health and community, this project emanates warmth and a sense of grounding that resonates with the land. In a world searching for well-being and mindfulness, the colour palette deftly achieves both. Drawing inspiration from traditional whare blended with subtle Japanese influences, the concept connects to the environment to evoke an inviting space that welcomes each and everyone. A colour palette for all toenjoy.Resene Total Colour Rising Star Colour MaestroAwardSummit Spas by Omea Hall winner of the Resene Total Colour Rising Star Colour Maestro Award.Image: Drawing Omea HallSummit Spas by OmeaHallThe judges said: The epitome of alpine sophistication, this project blends seamlessly with the strength of its surrounding mountaintops while maintaining a lovely lightness. Theres a perfect fit between the breathtaking design and the carefully chosen colour palette. The meticulous attention to specification of this ambitious project reflects a level of care associated with professionals. Its a stunningly beautiful space, perfect forrelaxation.Winner - LifetimeAchievementPeter Beaumont of TEAM Architects Wellington, Winner - Lifetime Achievement.Peter Beaumont, TEAM ArchitectsWellingtonThe judges said: Peter has an innate ability to not only use colour in a practical way that supports the architecture, defines spaces and guides movement intuitively, but also to delight those who interact with and admire his projects from near and far. Its a delicate balancing act to select colours that are both fitting and thoughtful yet expresse and sensory and its a skill Peter has wellmastered.Peters colour selections run the gamut of neutrals through to pastels and brights, with each colour carefully considered to best suit the needs of each project. No two projects are alike. Peters passion for colour is most evident in the education sector with many schools and students of all ages benefitting from his thoughtful work and delightful and novel colour selections. Peter has also generously shared his knowledge over many years as a lecturer, inspiring those that dream to follow his architecturalpath.After a successful career spanning more than four decades, which has seen him win multiple colour awards, Peter has developed a deep understanding of the subtle ways colour benefits and conditions how people interact with and use space. One of his lasting legacies is passing on this prowess, as well as his passion, knowledge, bravery and confidence in colour to countless colleagues and architecturalgraduates.This Resene Lifetime Achievement in Colour award celebrates Peters tenacity, skill and flair as an architect who isnt afraid to experiment withcolour.