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If you’ve ever wondered why New Zealand can’t seem to build medium density housing that feels calm, green, and genuinely liveable, this conversation puts a spotlight on the real blockers and the real opportunities. This episode we’re joined by Wellington architects Tim Gittos and Caro Robertson from Spacecraft Architects, fresh off winning the F. Gordon Wilson Fellowship for their research project DIY Density.

We get specific about what “DIY” actually means here: not people building their own houses with their hands, but everyday owners and small groups having the tools to lead development decisions, rather than settling for developer-led products. Tim and Caro explain why the three-storey walk-up is such a powerful missing-middle typology, how it can replace “sausage flat” backyard infill, and why facing the street while going up can preserve light, privacy, and neighbourhood character. We also talk about what matters beyond the dwelling: arrival, shared outdoor space, fewer driveways, stronger streetscapes, and keeping trees and permeable ground so our suburbs don’t bake and flood.

The big theme is certainty. We unpack why risk and unknowability around consenting, cost, and process stops good housing before it starts, and how replicable models, precedents, and even pre-consented pathways could make affordable housing more achievable. Tim and Caro share insights from their work on the New South Wales Housing Pattern Book, including what it takes to make pattern books useful in the real world, and who might administer something similar here as planning rules evolve.

If you care about urban design, housing affordability, walkable neighbourhoods, and building better cities in Aotearoa New Zealand, hit play, share it with a mate, and subscribe so you don’t miss what comes next. After listening, what would convince you that medium density could be a better way to live?

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Late decisions are the real budget blowouts, and they’re usually a symptom of the wrong team structure. We’re joined by Verity Lawrence and Lou Stringer, two interior designers working across Central Otago and Queenstown, to unpack what genuine architect interior designer collaboration looks like when it starts early and stays respectful. The conversation moves past glossy “before and after” talk and into the practical mechanics: when designers get brought in, who builds the consultant team, and why overlap between disciplines is where the magic often happens.

We also get honest about the messy side of the building industry in New Zealand. Verity and Lou share renovation horror stories where projects go sideways, clients are traumatised, and designers end up doing far more than finishes and furniture. We talk about trust, communication, and how dropping ego (and the old guarded approach to ideas and IP) can lead to smoother builds and better outcomes that everyone is proud to put their name on.

From there, we zoom right in to the intimacy of interior design. The best homes come from understanding daily rituals: storage habits, morning routines, family life, and the little details that make a space feel like it fits. We tackle trends without snobbery, asking how to borrow what you love while still designing for longevity, proportion, and material quality so you’re not stuck regretting today’s “hot” choice tomorrow.

Finally, we dig into what “interiors” even means, why the public still mixes up interior designer, decorator, and interior architect, and how ethics, ongoing learning, and clear value help clients make safer decisions. If you care about better residential design, smarter renovations, and a built environment that feels coherent, hit play, then subscribe, share the episode with a mate, and leave a review so more Kiwi clients and designers can find it.

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Follow us on @designpriciplespod on Instagram and if you wish to contact us hit our DMs or our personal pages. We love to hear from you it really encourages us to keep going and the ideas and feedback we get from the listeners is awesome!

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Architects shape how we live, move, and feel in our towns and cities, yet they’re often missing from the public conversation when housing, infrastructure, and the built environment hit the headlines. We’re joined by Mark Abbott (Chief Executive, New Zealand Institute of Architects) and Kevin Ptak (Manager of Marketing and Communications, NZIA) to unpack what the NZIA is doing to speak with a single, clearer voice and put architects back in front of the public.

We talk candidly about why the profession can come across as introverted, how “architectural discourse” can get in the way of real-world understanding, and why the message needs to land in everyday terms: comfort, warmth, light, smarter layouts, better streets, stronger communities, and projects that run with less pain. We also dig into the cost versus value trap, including the reality that only a small slice of residential builds involve a registered architect, and what changes when an architect is brought in early with a clear brief and honest budget guidance.

Kevin shares how client interviews and richer video storytelling from the NZIA awards programme are creating stronger proof points, while Mark outlines a more proactive advocacy approach that includes better media relationships and cross-party engagement on housing and construction issues. We also preview the InSitU conference in Auckland, with international perspectives, built environment voices, and selected sessions recorded for people who can’t make it in person, plus a listener giveaway to top it off.

Subscribe, share this with someone planning a build or renovation, and leave a review so more people can find the conversation. What’s one place you want architects to speak up more loudly in New Zealand?

Please Like and Subscribe it really helps :)

Follow us on @designpriciplespod on Instagram and if you wish to contact us hit our DMs or our personal pages. We love to hear from you it really encourages us to keep going and the ideas and feedback we get from the listeners is awesome!