Table of contents for Interior Dec/Feb 2019 in Interior

In this issue, there is a small, aerial photo of central Christchurch (p. 50) which shows the cathedral – the lower end of its cruciform ruptured and cordoned off – with the imposing, rectangular new central library to its left. The beauty of this image is not just that it captures the architectural difference and the spatial relationship between the buildings but that it also shows the flow of history and a sense of temporal tension between the two structures. The Gothic Revivalist cathedral is all symbol. Its crucifixion metaphor is capped by a massive plane tree above the cross’ head; is it a halo, a crown of thorns or an approximation of the text on the tablet that, according to the Gospels, read ‘I.N.R.I.’? This cathedral and library are…

Winner Best Bar Design Designer Sans-Arc Studio Location Adelaide, South Australia Jury comment — Malt & Juniper is a small Adelaide bar that maximises a compact space and tight budget through a cohesive vision expressed in considered details. Even as the jury assessed and appreciated the design elements – the rich wood playing off the green marble, the textured concrete, the chamfer on the end of the banquette – it was a compelling feeling that “we want to be there” that made Malt & Juniper such a strong candidate. Though intimate, the space feels convivial and a pleasing interplay of expanse and cosiness is expressed, for example, in the theatre of a sliding bar ladder, which creates verticality, or the secluded high-backed booths. A sense of welcome is crucial to…

What was your brief? The original brief comprised a new facility made up of three parts: the first was a new reception zone to showcase everything Rocket Lab is about, from high-end design to creating a bespoke product to deliver the specific requirements for each small satellite launch client. The second zone was to support Rocket Lab’s most important asset – its people. This zone would be more than just office space – rather, it was about creating a workplace environment to enhance connectivity and creativity. The third zone was the production incubator – a high-end rocket factory where ideas were to be transformed into reality and constructed to the highest international standards. Designgroup Stapleton Elliott (DGSE) worked in close partnership with Rocket Lab for the first zone, with the…

BCI New Zealand is and has been tracking 101 projects comprising rest home care facilities, nursing homes and retirement villages commencing construction in 2017 and 2018 with a value of $759 million in 2017 and $932 million in 2018. The most active companies, in terms of numbers of projects, include: DEVELOPERS • Ryman Healthcare• Summerset Group• Oceania Healthcare• Metlifecare• Arvida Group ARCHITECTS • Foley Group• ASC Architects• Bell Kelly Beaumont Team Architects• Chow:Hill Architects• IKON Architects BUILDERS • Livingstone Building• Armitage Williams Construction• Mike Greer Commercial• Gibbons Construction• Maycroft Construction…

AARON PATERSON Writer WHAT DID YOU THINK ABOUT THE ROCKET LAB SPACE (P.58)? Two things I love are big sheds for making cool stuff in and science fiction. The combination here was heaven for me – I was enthralled. IS IT DIFFICULT GIVING BIG, OPEN SPACES LIKE THIS A PERSONALITY? Not if you fill it with 17m-high rockets! The open plan of mission control will come alive when it is full of people watching a launch. HAS YOUR FIRM WORKED ON A PROJECT SIMILAR TO DGSE’S ROCKET LAB? We recently designed a wedding venue in a warehouse full of wine. The key was to make the open space feel more intimate – in this instance, by designing a light canopy and curtain to surround a dining table. It was very…

PROJECT: Tuūranga CLIENT: Christchurch City Council LOCATION: Christchurch DESIGN: Architectus with Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects PROJECT TYPE: Civic FLOOR AREA: 9,500m2 IF YOU HAVE set foot in a library in the last 20 years, you may have noticed a change. Gone are the shushing librarians, the rows of dusty shelves and the stagnant atmosphere; conversation is now welcome, technology is everywhere and, perhaps strangely to some, books, while still very important, are no longer the sole focus. The library has become the ‘third place’: a place anyone can go to for whatever reason, be it to study, to research or to seek haven and rest as a parent, traveller or homeless person. Tūranga, designed locally by Architectus in association with Danish library specialists Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects, is the new central library in Christchurch, replacing the…

What are some of the largest changes you see happening in the aged-care business? With the baby-boomer generation now reaching retirement age, there is more demand for an active-aging approach to life and, indeed care. The boomers are independent and want to remain that way for as long as possible. Retirement (or ‘non-retirement’) is considered a new and exciting chapter in their lives, with new experiences and ideas to be explored and enjoyed. Aging is no longer seen as a medical issue; rather, it is more about a person’s well-being. We now look at ‘person-directed living’ and participatory care models, where individuals tell us what they need and require for their personal well-being. As a result of the changing requirements of those moving into retirement villages and residential care, we…

Tell us a bit about thinkstep and the work it does. Thinkstep Australasia works to enable companies to succeed sustainably. We are locally owned and part of the global thinkstep group. We started out doing life cycle assessment (LCA) in the early 1990s. LCA looks at the full environmental performance of a product or service, or even of a whole company. This is called either cradle to grave, if you are looking at the ‘take, make, waste’ linear model of the economy, or cradle to cradle, if you’re talking about how you can design products for a circular economy. Our work involves taking a systems-based approach, thinking about products and systems as a whole and focusing on the needs they meet and the functions they fulfil. If you think about…

Winner Best Café Design Designer Ritz & Ghougassian Location Fitzroy, Victoria Jury comment — There is so much in this project to like. The jury appreciates the way the design is a response to the space, first and foremost, embracing the heritage of the building with sensitivity and giving it new life, without being beholden to trends. Detaching the new entity from the shell creates tension and interest, while the tones, textures and layers are embracing and soothing. The raw materiality of the brickwork harmonises with the rich leather tones, bringing a sense of richness and comfort, along with little surges of curiosity. Linking indoors with outside adds to the considered, holistic feel and helps anchor the café. There’s a lovely balance of the gridded and structured, the soft and…

PROJECT/CLIENT: Rocket Lab Auckl and Production Complex LOCATION: Auckland DESIGN: Designgroup Stapleton Elliott PROJECT TYPE: Workplace “OPEN THE pod bay doors, Hal”. So goes one of the most famous lines in cinema, when HAL 9000, the sentient computer in 2001: A Space Odyssey, has gone rogue. I hear the line when I walk through the portal into Rocket Lab’s brand-new head office. It’s no surprise to find out that Rocket Lab chief executive Peter Beck is a fan of the Stanley Kubrick movie and science fiction in general. Rocket Lab’s new facilities in Mount Wellington, Auckland, were opened by none other than Star Trek’s William Shatner. As part of the New Zealand/American company’s plan for aerospace dominance in the delivery of small satellites into low Earth orbit, a new rocket-building factory, together with research…

• Statistics New Zealand estimates that, by 2028 the proportion of the population aged 65 and older will increase from 15 per cent to 19 per cent – an increase of around 350,000 people. By 2068, the proportion of people who are 65 and older is forecast to reach 28 per cent of the population. • The Salvation Army has estimated that, between 2025 and 2030, “the numbers of people requiring some form of residential care will grow by over 20 per cent or by more than 2000 people per year, perhaps to 57,000 or 58,000 beds by 2030. • A total of 38,621 ARC beds was operated by the 668 ARC facilities that provided Quarterly Bed Survey data on 31 March 2018. In March 2018, occupancy stood at 87.9…

TON SANTIAGO COLLECTION AT STATEMENT ID A fresh, comfortable and robust aged-care collection, designed and tested to respond to user-specific challenges The Santiago collection is designed for people with reduced mobility and is suitable for both home and professional care settings. The Santiago Table has no apron to make it easy to pair with armchairs and standard wheelchairs. The tabletop is HPL and the underside is grooved to assist diners pushing themselves back and rising from the table. The Dining Chair is light and easily stackable with two variations of seat pad thickness for comfort plus ergonomic armrests for easy rising. The Relaxation Chair with height-adjustable headrest is elongated at the bottom to provide support for people of short stature. It is made from a combination of foams to ensure…

What are you working on at the moment? At work, there are some fantastic projects on the boil, including a sculptural white concrete house. Outside of work, I have a neat little ‘upcycling’ project where we are creating a family home on the west coast of Auckland. With a volatile housing market and high building costs, we had to get a bit creative. So, we’ve bought a couple of 1960’s state houses for a song and linked them together and punched a few extra holes in and out. It’s pretty cool seeing your house turn up on the back of a truck in the middle of the night. Is there an architectural style that inspires you? No, not any ‘style’ in particular but I did spend some time in Brazil…