Design stories
Entries close on Monday for New Zealand's timber design awards, which have added a multi-storey category and extra judges this year.
Rising demand for homes, jobs and green space is driving multi-billion-dollar city makeovers from Paris to New York and Cairo.
Auckland households can now check whether rooftop solar will pay off, using a free calculator that maps shading and roof angles.
Low productivity in construction is pushing firms towards robotics, 3D printing and modular building as McKinsey says the sector lags on R&D.
Better safety and quality control in prefab building could speed up cheaper, more durable projects as Victoria unveils a world first code.
A 220-metre timber tower could clean contaminated reservoir water while opening one-eighth of Central Park to swimming and sailing.
The faster method could help ease Auckland’s housing shortage, though Fletcher says the first panelised homes will not yet cost less.
A Montreal university team’s net-zero house could cut heating and cooling demand by up to 90 per cent in the 2018 Solar Decathlon.
Luxury marketers may boost sales by matching ads to shoppers’ beliefs about whether personality and taste can change, research suggests.
Coastal homes in Hawke’s Bay won praise for stretching modest budgets, with two beach designs taking top honours at the awards.
Mass timber is gaining traction because it can match concrete on strength while cutting build times, waste and carbon emissions.
The 2020 opening is set to bring more than NZD $320 million in economic benefit to Canterbury over eight years and support local events.
The 52-metre scheme would replace the Leader’s Building and could briefly make central Wellington home to a record-breaking timber tower.
Architects are increasingly choosing engineered wood as it can cut costs, speed builds and improve occupant satisfaction in commercial projects.
Smaller homes are drawing praise for packing stronger design into tighter budgets and sites, judges say ahead of the 2017 awards.
The free online resource offers architects and designers guidance to make Auckland buildings and public spaces usable by people of all abilities.
Jonathan McAlpine has emerged as the night’s standout designer, collecting multiple honours for Tauranga homes at the Bay of Plenty regional awards.
Each extra hour of direct sunlight a house receives daily can lift its market value by 2.4 per cent, a New Zealand study finds.
Home owners and developers will get free expert advice on permits, costs and planning as Jalcon opens a new Design and Build Hub.
Up to 40 per cent of PLN Group’s revenue now comes from overseas clients as it eyes expansion into Europe and North America.
