The Architects of Arch Hill Dixon Wild has been located in Arch Hill for many years. Arch Hill is a great place to have a workplace. It has a lot to offer, from cafes to art galleries. We thought we would compile a list of our favourite activities and landmarks in the area, have a…
Covered Outdoor living areas: The summer months are prefect for outdoor living. An outdoor living space can be anything from a patch of grass to a covered deck. Decks are great for outdoor living, but if they are in constant sun they can become too hot to enjoy; not to mention the risk of sun…
House Renovations – Getting Started House renovations can be a great way to increase the value of your home. If you don’t know where to start, check out some of our tips below. Initial Concept and pre-design Figuring out what you want done to your property is a good starting point for any project.…
Making a site model is a useful exercise for architects during the preliminary design stage. It allows us to experiment with forms on the site; and to figure out what does or does not work. We recently created a physical model for our Whangaruru project. We documented the process with photos below. Step 1: Site…
The building envelope is the ‘skin’ of a building. It consists of the walls, windows, roof and floors that make up a building and separate internal spaces from external conditions. Why is the Building Envelope important? The main purpose of a dwelling is to is to provide shelter to its occupants from external environmental…
There are two types of consents in New Zealand; resource consent and building consent. The local authority (council) grants both consent to allow building work to proceed. Resource Consent Written approval from the local council to carry out building work that may impact the environment or other people. Altering the overall form or character…