New Zealand design

This is the latest in a series of houses we have designed based on the idea of “encampment”, which develop the contours to create open kiwi versions of a walled garden.  Caption The large footprint generated by the client’s requirements is divided into three separate buildings surrounding an “open courtyard” which draws the space of the beach up the valley and into the overall composition.  The gathering of elements complements the poetic form of the bay and enhances the context.  Caption Brief: a generous house to accommodate extended family and friends without feeling cramped. The largest element contains the family living and bedroom areas, whilst the medium element accommodates gu... More

The brief was to design a space which delivered an authentic experience, that showcased New Zealand.  The space needed to be functional and flexible to provide a home for New Zealand companies to connect with China and host clients and conduct day-to-day business.  The Center is divided into two wings, business (office, meeting rooms, hot desks) and event/greet (entrance, cafe, demonstration kitchen, event space). At the street entry, a mix of native NZ and Asian tree ferns is showcased on a living plant wall before heading up to the main floor. Coming out of the lift you are instantly welcomed into a New Zealand space where the naturals colours from timber and stone evoke New Zealand’s iconic landscapes. The custom chevron... More

Elenberg Fraser love Auckland. We have long admired the city and its exports in culture and business and the arts. Almost 20 years ago we published the works of the great Rewi Thompson in Transition magazine, it is powerful work that we have absorbed and never forgotten. So our response to the Federal Street site is a personal and complex one. In contemporary architecture, landscape is often reduced to view lines and decoration. But we have sought to evacuate the ground plane and to reinstate the traditional forests of the New Zealand Taraire. We see this as a gift to the city, a visceral tactile forest experience with waterfalls and rocks and moss and layered dense vegetation – a real, living forest experience for residents and visi... More

Hannah Churchill of hcreates worked with the team at Cantina Agave to create a bright and playful refit of the popular Mexican cantina. The design uses pops of pink, peacock green and rustic timber to bring warmth and colour to this compact interior. A new open kitchen gives more sense of depth to the space and brings the action to the dining experience.  Hannah said "it was a great project to bring to life as the food and essence of Mexico have such a following around the world, So it was great to be able to bring it to China and do it in a slightly more designed and creative way" More

Hidden in a large tree plantation in the suburbs of Hangzhou is a prefab prototype house that the wellington firm Bonnifait + Giesen designed in collaboration with Jimu, a Chinese design and manufacturing company.MiniHut feels grander than its 36 square metres, thanks to a high stud that contains living areas in the main volume and sleeping areas on a mezzanine. Additional modules, meanwhile, have been designed to serve as entrances, utility sheds and covered decks. And, with one side of the 3×8-metre structure filled with windows, the hut can take advantage of views and have a connection to the outdoors – benefits one might associate with something much grander than a small prefabricated timber building.The idea was presented at the Green... More