Front page article on the Dominion Post today, faithfully reporting that there is a good chance that Wellington may indeed have a chance at getting a light rail system. That’s quite amazing – not that we have a chance, but that the DomPost hasn’t immediately been sneering about it. Maybe they have a different attitude to it now that Celia has gone. But what is even…
Although this is a Wellington-focused blog, there are some matters in Architecture that go further afield than our small corner of the world, and sometimes we venture forth. One of these, looked at today, is the Auckland Architecture School Library and Archive, an integral part of the Arch School at University of Auckland. It is, it has to be said, the best architecture Library in the…
Not in Wellington, I know, and not about housing as I had promised, but this sad tale has got me intrigued. Multiple deaths and no doubt multi-million dollar lawsuits to come, but it is worth looking at in closer detail in case Wellington ever decides to go down the overpass route again. We used to have quite a few. Not so many now. So, let’s recap…
The time has come, it seems, for Prefab. We here at the Eye of the Fish have long been ardent fans of Pre-fabrication of things, in order to build faster, cleverer, betterer, and more out-of-the-weatherer than doing it all on site. After all, when you buy a new car, you don’t get a truck delivering a box of bits to your driveway to assemble, now do…
The quest for a rapid transit system in Wellington continues apace. With everyone, that is, except for LGWM itself, who prefer to travel the time tested manner of luxury upon a snail’s back. Even the Dom Post has got into the act, with an editorial extolling the need for some bloody ACTION on the Get Welly Moving front. Just for that, I’m going to post up…
Well, that was fun! Nothing quite like a good old blow. It’s still dark as I write this, but the coming dawn are going to show us a fair bit of damage. “A wet and windy day for most areas” as they say. I’m picking that some of our well-loved buildings may have been damaged, possibly beyond repair. The Boatshed in Nelson for instance – damaged…
The following is a Guest post from Dominic Kelly, the Director of Hashigo Zake: For a year and a half, the conversion of the Manthel building on the Taranaki/Wakefield St corner into Xero’s headquarters caused substantial damage to my business, Hashigo Zake, and to that of our fellow tenant, Zibibbo restaurant. During the period of the work, both businesses suffered a significant downturn in trade, which…
If you’re in the world of architecture and construction then, like me, you’ll be stunned and horrified at the extent of the pile of bad news coming out of Fletcher Construction. Having declared a loss of $292 million last year, and $660 million this year, the total combined loss is $952 million over the last two years – almost a billion dollars. Coming from New Zealand’s…
In a move that surprised nobody, Mr Blinglish announced his resignation yesterday, potenshully removing the millstone that currently hangs around National’s neck. Clearly the Nats won’t win with the current team of Blinglish, Gerry Brownlee and Stephen Joyce as front runners, so an entirely new lineup needs to be put in place. Curiously, Nick Smith hasn’t put his hand up yet, as he is clearly the…
After what seems like the longest of times, the new building for PWC on Site 10 at Kumutoto (by Athfield Architects) is now progressing well. Strong advances on the cladding front, with the end of the cantilever now glazed and looking reasonably interesting, with the massive braced cantilevered box projecting out above the south end of the building. The top two floors are expressed as a…