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…
The Architectural Drawing Architectural drawings of the past An architect’s drawing can be a sketch that illustrates an initial idea or a technical drawing that demonstrates how a building will be constructed. Architectural drawings in the past were done on large sheets of paper with drawing boards. LA studio circa 1956, MSU Quonset Huts.…
Tamaki Drive Design Proposal In 1998 Bruce Wild proposed to develop the Tamaki Drive shoreline. His proposal encouraged pedestrian access to the shoreline, recreating a forgotten beach below Tamaki Drive. The proposal shown in the sketch above, 1998. Proposed Site Takaparawha Point sits between Okahu and Mission Bays. Tamaki Drive hugs Takaparawha Point.…
The Architect’s sketch Architects use sketching to explore concepts and ideas. A single sketch can govern the overall form of a building. As was the case for one of our recent projects; a Kainga Ora (Housing New Zealand) walk up apartment in Mangere. We developed the initial concept, taking the project to the resource consent…
Taking a visit to McCahon House History Last year Dixon Wild visited the McCahon House. The house sits amongst native New Zealand bush in the leafy suburb of Titirangi. It provides an insight into how the artist Colin McCahon lived when he moved to Auckland from the South Island. McCahon lived in the house with…
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…
ROAD TRIP! Last month the DWA team visited one of our sites in the beautiful northern town of Whangaruru. The sunny weather was too good to stay indoors, so we left the office and headed up north for the day. The Journey: Whangaruru is a town just outside of Whangarei, about 3 hours from our…
Welcome to Dixon Wild Architects’ new blog! Follow our blog to gain insight into our architecture practice. We will showcase current and past projects, office field trips and provide information about the design process.