Feature Articles

The home sits on top of Mt Pleasant in Christchurch with views to a natural landscape of mountain and the waters of the estuary. With the environment front of mind, the owners were mindful of the impact of building and vice versa in this setting. It was critical that the form of the building was...

It was to be a project without limits. Very early on, architectural designer Nathan Shearing knew his biggest challenge would be not “taming” his clients’ bold wishes of their vision for a new home.

From the get-go, owners Andrew and Linda Gunn wanted something different and produced an...

The “Olde Beach” area of Waikanae is a tightly held group of baches and permanent homes located in a microclimate created by Kapiti Island, an hour north of Wellington. There is a French bakery, a couple of convenience stores, three excellent restaurants and a great beach. It is a very desirable...

It sits on the crest of a hill, overlooking valleys with Mount Taranaki and the Kaitake Ranges in a direct line of sight and the Tasman Sea in the distance: Kowhai House, with its views in all directions, maximises the experience of the green hues of this undulating rural Taranaki site. 

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Having already developed a home in Wanaka’s Bull Ridge subdivision, builder Nathan Simon had firm ideas about the sort of house he wanted to construct on a neighbouring section. 

“We had developed and lived in the house next door on the street, so buying the neighbouring section allowed...

When Gerald and Lorraine McCormack briefed their architect, it was to have the scale of their expansive 300m2 home broken up with several mono-pitched pavilions – each one providing outdoor entertainment spaces.

This was to be their forever home, so retired farmers Gerald and Lorraine...

Metalcraft Hamilton needed a bigger factory to deal with increased demand and provide them with an increased ability to produce longrun cladding, including Metalcraft’s new Kāhu® and Metcom 965 profiles.

“We grew to the point where we could not manufacture and store stock safely,” says...

 
For architect Charles Thomas, designing the Our Lady of Victories Catholic Church was a dream commission. 

He had started up his own practice in 1960 and then in 1965 he was approached by a member of the parish who said they wanted to build a church to replace the old one in...

Even before the Christchurch earthquakes Paul Ward and his family were having issues with their house, namely a leaky roof. He and his wife, who had design input, had built the house 18 years ago and used an asphalt shingle product imported from Canada for the roofing.  
“We had issues with...

With $150m of planned development including 400 new standalone homes and a community centre, Levin’s new ‘Speldhurst Country Estate’ promises to be much more than a retirement village.

Developer and prominent local Wayne Bishop is not only passionate about providing the best possible...

Architectural designer Sally Turnbull began her working life as a medical technologist but a stint as a builder’s labourer while building her first home gave her a taste for architecture.  She went on to study architectural technology and started her own company Architectural Draughting &...