Stunning design finalist: Sheppard and Rout

A prominent site adjacent to the Memorial Avenue Gateway Bridge called for a memorable design, and the judges of the NZIA 2021 competition agreed that Sheppard and Rout exceeded that brief with its stunning FMG Office building project, selecting it as a finalist in the NZIA national competition.     The client required a building […]

Making sense of asbestos: MBC Ltd

Five years ago the Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations came into force and the Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) for the management and removal of asbestos was first published. Mark Hamilton of MBC Environmental Solutions, asbestos removal specialists, looks back over those five years and has some salient messages for anyone that may […]

Doing your home work: Ferg Waddell Homes

If there’s one piece of advice Fergus Waddell would give to Generation Y looking to buy their first home, it would be to be realistic and start thinking about where their work is and building close to that. “It pays to be geographically smart these days and consider the wider Canterbury district rather than concentrate […]

Modern style from heritage roots: Stockman Builders x Engco

The new three-story office building at 135 High St is a tale of two companies – Matt Stockman of Stockman Builders and Josh Watkins from engineering company Engco. Their combined effort really is a feat of engineering, which took around 12 months to complete on the site of the original heritage building which could not […]

Magnificent mountain cabin: Johnston Architects

Carefully considered materials and a simple yet elegant design have come together to create a striking mountain cabin siting boldly amongst the native tussock and kanuka on the sunny, north facing lower slopes of Mount Iron. The Wanaka home by Johnston Architects connects occupants to the environment from a calm and comfortable interior.     […]

The Influencers: Lianne Dalziel

Is there a building that you’ve walked past and wondered what it is like inside? This month, for one weekend only, the doors to 46 of the city’s buildings will be thrown open to the public as part of a new festival of architecture, Open Christchurch.     The festival on May 15 and 16 […]

A very hard shell

The fossilised remains of a turtle that lived between 25 and 35 million years ago have been found inside a pillar from an historic Christchurch church. Christchurch sculptor Paul Deans recently discovered the fossil embedded in the limestone core of a pillar from the Oxford Terrace Baptist Church, which was built between 1881 and 1882. […]

Tru timber never lies: Timber Tru

Not having enough storage space, having the wrong kind of storage space, the wrong shape or size can be one of the most frustrating things in your home or business. Stop pulling your hair out and have a chat to Tony van der Plas at Timber Tru.     He says they’ll come up with […]

Mid-century, modernised

It’s no secret mid-century modern aesthetics have been trending for some time now, with natural woods and modular forms a popular choice for those wanting to inject sleek and timeless elements into living spaces. Defined by craftmanship and rounded shapes, mid-century furniture is functional and simple, and is the perfect accompaniment to more modern interior […]

Awarding local architecture: NZIA

Spectacular homes, striking commercial buildings and artistic community facilities are among 42 Canterbury projects shortlisted in the 2021 Canterbury Architecture Awards. The projects signal the start of the highly anticipated annual Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects awards programme.   The shortlist was compiled by the Canterbury branch of the national industry body, […]