Elevator Pitch, brought to you by Flick
Elevator Pitch: Romer (watch)
In the latest instalment of our Flick Electric Co. Elevator Pitch series, Emily Heazlewood, stands in an elevator and explains why – and how – she's created an app called Romer that helps match people to unique and personalised experiences around them, from finding the best cocktail in town to the coolest waterfall walks.
Child's play
How St Andrew’s College's award-winning playground design is helping kids learn as they play
St Andrew’s College in Strowan, Christchurch, has been awarded a Learning Environment New Zealand 2018 accolade for Excellence in Educational Facilities in Landscape/Outdoor Learning. We talk to Jasmax about the thinking behind the design, how it helps teach social sustainability values to the children using it and more.
Opinion
Back to the future: Preserving heritage buildings in post-quake Christchurch
Christchurch's rebuild is in full swing with the recent unveiling of the public library, Tūranga. But where do the city's heritage buildings fit into all this new construction underway? Warren & Mahoney principal Richard McGowan reflects on how they can be managed in the post-quake era.
Obituary
One of New Zealand's pioneering figures in modernist architecture, Warren & Mahoney co-founder Maurice Mahoney, dies aged 89
Maurice Mahoney, the co-founder of New Zealand architectural firm Warren & Mahoney and one of New Zealand’s most distinguished post-war architects, has died in Christchurch today aged 89.
Firm foundations
Christchurch debuts its new earthquake-resistant public library, Tūranga
New Zealand firm Architectus has joined forces with Danish library design experts Schmidt Hammer Lassen to deliver Christchurch a new quake-resistant library called Tūranga. The building opened this month and has a self-centring mechanism that allows it to sway and return to its original position, meaning that it can withstand structural damage during a large earthquake.
Cultural preservation
Calling all videographers and photographers: help Realityvirtual recreate the old Christchurch Cathedral in VR
Realityvirtual’s Simon Che de Boer recently had a hand in documenting one of the world’s most ancient civilisations in VR. And now, he’s keen to get to work on his passion project: local cultural preservation work of the Christchurch Cathedral. He wants to resurrect the old Cathedral in VR using publicly sourced photography, so is putting out a call to the public to submit any photos or videos they have of the building pre-earthquake, and using deep learning, a company can fill in the missing data and build a VR experience around this.
Solid foundations
Building the best: our favourite 2018 Architecture Awards winners
Regional winners for the 2018 Architecture Awards have been announced. Here are some of our personal favourites.
Regeneration
Christchurch Cathedral Square’s ambitious new design unveiled
Regenerate Christchurch has released its plan to redesign the quake-damaged centre of the Christchurch city – Cathedral Square – to the public. It says its aim is to ensure the space is transformed from being seen as “damaged and uninviting” and returned to its original purpose – a gathering place for locals and visitors alike.
Big ups
Christchurch's The Hub Hornby snags top architecture award
It may be a ways from the central city, and even further from the sea, but there's quite a bit happening in the Christchurch suburb of Hornby these days. For proof: The Hub Hornby, which has won top accolades at the recent New Zealand Property Council awards.
