Home New Zealand August - September 2021

When we started putting this issue together, the obvious first question was: what does ‘green’ mean when it comes to our built environment? The answer? Well, it was vast and varied, as seems to be the case when considering sustainability in any context. Of note was discussion around sustainability certifications. In some instances, for example, achieving passive house certification is a clear answer, while in others avoiding certain certifications and simply using locally sourced materials, clever design methodologies, and a reduced footprint makes more sense. It’s those considerations that we traverse in this issue. On page 82, we explore a certified passive house on the hills of the Kapiti Coast that cleverly mimics the unmistakable low-lying form of Kapiti Island in the distance. On page 60, we look at a different…

Sarah Lods and Belinda Merrie Our guest stylist and photographer duo were responsible for the styled photo shoot (page 38) in Judy Darragh’s recent exhibition, Competitive Plastics, at Objectspace. What attracted you to Judy Darragh’s exhibition as a location for this photo shoot? Sarah: Our brief was sustainability, or green for colour, and new, emerging design talent, and I’d just gone to the opening, at Objectspace, of Judy’s exhibition. It instantly resonated with the topic, predominantly in the sustainability area. Judy reuses plastic — the ultimate bad guy in the recycling story — and utilises it in a visually strong message. [The exhibition] is bright and engaging, with materials used in surprising ways, bringing several points of view to the narrative. Judy’s show is a must-see, and is expected to…

At the heart of photographer Anne Noble’s 2019 exhibition Conversātiō and her upcoming book of the same name is a cabinet where a colony of bees lived during the duration of the show. Anne writes for HOME about the curious residence and what, if anything, this architecture for bees might say about designing for humans. Humans have lived with bees for thousands of years, and many cultures have developed hives or skeps that keep the bees close by and enable people to share in the outcome of their productive lives. Conversātiō: A Cabinet of Wonder, had a different purpose altogether. It wasn’t created to be able to harvest honey. It was designed solely to enable observation of a complex living system and to experience the beauty of an evolving living…

Gardens of Babylon DESIGN:03 Living art is the hallmark of a new Auckland destination for design and plant enthusiasts: Babylon Store in Saint Heliers. The lofty space is the brainchild of the talented team of landscape designers behind some of Auckland’s best residential landscapes: Babylon Gardens. Here, a tapestry of green covers this former industrial space with a voracious collection of indoor and outdoor plants, kokedama, and other botanical sculptures, as well as an enviable collection of handmade ceramics and luxe planters from artisans around the globe.babylonstore.co.nz The artist behind the lens DESIGN:04 Taking inspiration from the work of South African artist William Kentridge, where the studio is the artist’s castle — a place where they can play king or buffoon — a new exhibition entitled A Safe Place for…

There has always been a certain stillness to the work of Douglas and Bec (D&B); a quiet depth that sometimes bubbles up and surfaces, making itself visible through small gestures in materiality, colour, form, or otherwise. Throughout the years, there have been hints at river stones — pounamu-like colourations on lamp bases and glass shades. There have been art-deco allusions. There’s been an unabashed femininity and a serious penchant for balance and proportion. The work has often hinted at Bec Snelling’s original profession as a visual artist. Take, for instance, D&B’s 2016 collection, its colour palette inspired by the regionalist art movement and, in turn, reflecting a little of what it is like to spend any time in the isolation of rural New Zealand — as if viewed through the eyes of…

If there is one thing the visual arts and architecture have in common it is their need to manipulate light. So, when Aspect Architecture’s lead designer, Katie Gunn, was asked to work on a painter’s studio, the match seemed perfect. “Artists need light but not too much direct light,” says Katie, cognisant of the fact that unregulated sunlight can not only distort the artist’s perception of colour and shadow but also damage materials such as oils and acrylics. The solutions included clerestory rather than eye-level windows. The ceiling was covered in a natural pine, its interesting curvature providing refracted light into the space. According to Katie, the material was also chosen as it is reminiscent of the “dry summer vista of the region”. “I also knew that the absence of…