Ō Rua
In the latest instalment of Practice in Profile, supported by Resene, Matekitātahi Rāwiri, Renee Smith-Apanui and Matangireia Yates-Francis, founding directors of ŌRUA, discuss their hopes and aspirations for the new practice.
Meet your 2026 Interior Awards jury
Providing extensive experience across a wide range of markets and disciplines, including residential, hospitality, commercial, civic and education, meet this year’s Interior Awards jury.
Outside In wins eight honours at International Plantscape Awards
The New Zealand interior plantscape design studio, Outside In, has received eight awards across multiple categories at the 2026 International Plantscape Awards (IPA) in Florida, positioning the studio among the world’s leading practitioners in biophilic design.
Protecting Canterbury’s taonga
A cornerstone of the Ōtautahi Christchurch cultural precinct and wider Canterbury region, Canterbury Museum houses 25 per cent of Aotearoa’s taonga.
Ignite. Adapting In the Age of AI: A review and kōrero with Dr Deidre Brown
Elisapeta Heta attended the first event in the University of Auckland’s speaker series Ignite. Adapting in the Age of AI, this panel discussed cultural Intellectual Property and the impacts of AI on the workforce.
News
Commonwealth Association of Architects celebrate 60th year in New Zealand.
The Commonwealth Association of Architects (CAA) is marking its 60th anniversary in 2026 with a programme of events and digital initiatives.
Cohousing + passive housing at Peachgrove East
A new development in the Waikato, designed by Smith Architects in collaboration with Greenbridge, promises to make home ownership possible with low deposits and sustainable payments.
2026 Outlook: Stabilisation arrives, but architects face harder feasibility tests
New Zealand’s construction pipeline is entering 2026 with its first signs of stability in two years.
Making Menopause Work
Making Menopause Work by the Ministry for Women is a free, flexible and practical guide for workplaces to support their people through peri/menopause.
Projects
Houses Revisited: The Pines
From the new book, Patterson: Houses of Aotearoa: we celebrate a beautiful beachside bach by Andrew Patterson. First published in 2018.
Protecting Canterbury’s taonga
A cornerstone of the Ōtautahi Christchurch cultural precinct and wider Canterbury region, Canterbury Museum houses 25 per cent of Aotearoa’s taonga.
Of quadrangles, cloisters and corbels
Ian Lochhead examines the blending of the new with the old in Athfield Architects’ strengthening, conservation and refurbishment of Christchurch Boys’ High School’s Main Block.
Review
Ignite. Adapting In the Age of AI: A review and kōrero with Dr Deidre Brown
Elisapeta Heta attended the first event in the University of Auckland’s speaker series Ignite. Adapting in the Age of AI, this panel discussed cultural Intellectual Property and the impacts of AI on the workforce.
Darklight: The Edge of Light
Riding the success of Darklight: A Descent into Colour, Angus Muir and Dan Move returned with a new sensory experience on Auckland’s waterfront.
Itinerary City Guide: Porirua
In this Itinerary, supported by Dulux Colours of New Zealand, Andrew Barrie and Maya Haydock highlight 14 Porirua buildings.
Practice
Ō Rua
In the latest instalment of Practice in Profile, supported by Resene, Matekitātahi Rāwiri, Renee Smith-Apanui and Matangireia Yates-Francis, founding directors of ŌRUA, discuss their hopes and aspirations for the new practice.
Conserving memory and culture through virtual reality design
Research from Auckland University of Technology explores how photogrammetry and virtual reality support hybrid workflows for conserving at-risk cultural heritage.
Essay from India: 2
Five years after his first Essay from India, Jeremy Smith continues the conversation about the country’s reductive approach to architecture, seemingly coming full circle to life and building as it was before tech and WiFi.
Awards
Outside In wins eight honours at International Plantscape Awards
The New Zealand interior plantscape design studio, Outside In, has received eight awards across multiple categories at the 2026 International Plantscape Awards (IPA) in Florida, positioning the studio among the world’s leading practitioners in biophilic design.
Meet your 2026 Interior Awards jury
Providing extensive experience across a wide range of markets and disciplines, including residential, hospitality, commercial, civic and education, meet this year’s Interior Awards jury.
People
Taking notes from Japan
The New Zealand government’s Minister of Housing, Chris Bishop, has very publicly professed admiration for the Japanese urban planning system. Matthew Paetz looks at what might be lost in translation.
To draw is to err
Karamia Müller considers how drawing is more than proof. It is a practice of negotiation: wrestling with ideas, with clients, with materials, with time.
On storage and stuff
Anthony Vile discusses spatial minimums, consumerism and life in medium-density housing.
Burn the house down
Editor of Architecture NZ Chris Barton discusses a bonkers idea about ownership of New Zealand’s social housing assets.