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InteriorInterior

The Creative Art of Downsizing

JTB Architects creates a light-filled retirement retreat with views on an unlikely site in Whakatū Nelson.

Protecting a Charred Timber Façade in the Harsh Wānaka Climate

When the original protective coating of the facade started to wear sooner than expected, the owners turned to CUTEK’s Extreme CD50 coating with double-strength Colourtone, Punga to restore the striking black finish and ensure long-term protection.

September 2026 feature

Wet Area Design

Products and systems designed to protect wet areas and manage internal moisture in bathrooms, kitchens and laundries.

Taking the Guesswork Out of Bathroom Extraction

By running continuously and boosting automatically as humidity rises, the Vent-Axia dMEV C helps reduce one of the biggest variables in bathroom extraction: occupant behaviour.

Managing Water Movement Before It Becomes a Problem

Managing Water Movement Before It Becomes a Problem

A high-performing wet area is not achieved through waterproofing alone. It requires consideration of the complete system, including drainage, waterproofing interfaces, floor transitions and how water is managed during both everyday use and unexpected events.

Designing Wet Areas Without Compromising Structure

Designing Wet Areas Without Compromising Structure

Planning for wet areas early can help avoid costly compromises later. By considering the floor system upfront, designers can simplify service installation, reduce on-site modifications and support more efficient construction.

Specify with Certainty: Tested E3-compliant Engineered Timber Flooring for Wet Areas

Specify with Certainty: Tested E3-compliant Engineered Timber Flooring for Wet Areas

Forté is the first and only timber flooring supplier in New Zealand with CodeMark certification across its full wood flooring range, giving architects a tested, membrane-free pathway to E3 compliance in wet areas.

A Pre-finished Interlocking Soffit Panelling System That Streamlines Construction

Ribon’s coil-coated steel roll-formed soffit panelling system ensures greater efficiency on site, and a sleek, low maintenance finish for both standard and sloping soffits.

Making the Most of the Hume Pine Pineclad and Pineclad TMT CodeMark

Using CodeMark and the Hume Pine Specification Guide to reduce your proportionate liability risk in a simple and streamlined process. 

Delivering Coordinated Balustrade and Screening Solutions for Loxley Apartments

Over 500 lineal metres of UNEX balustrade and screening systems across two five-storey buildings at Loxley Apartments, Takapuna, coordinated from design through to installation.

Optimise Space in the Kitchen with New Slimline Steel Range of Storage Pull Outs

FIT’s ESSENTIO range, hand-picked to suit the Kiwi market, includes tall pull outs, under bench pull outs and corner options, and is an exciting mix of tried-and-true models in a new style and brand-new concepts.

APL Introduces Premium New Liquid Metal Finishes for Plasma Entrance Doors

APL Window Solutions has released a distinctive new finish option for its Plasma entrance door range — a genuine liquid metal surface, custom applied in a range of tones and textures by Auckland specialist, Elemental Finishes.

Solving Tile Instability on a High-Traffic Restaurant Terrace

Nurajack adjustable pedestals and Nuragrid panels replaced a failing tile system, improving safety, stability and long-term performance for this busy hospitality venue.

Medium-Density Housing: Orientation and Topography

A residential building’s orientation and its surrounding topography aren’t, and cannot sensibly be, regulated by the NZ Building Code and yet these two factors have very significant effects on the internal thermal performance of each dwelling within the building, no matter if they are terraced or part of an apartment block. The same applies to standalone homes.

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24 August 2026

Sprout Architects’ Office: Precision and Performance with J-Frame

J-Frame LVL enabled a highly accurate, panelised construction approach, helping Sprout Architects achieve both design ambition and building performance.

A Guide to Designing Pools for Compact Residential Sites

As residential sections become increasingly compact, architects are being challenged to deliver outdoor spaces that maximise both function and visual impact. While space may be limited, thoughtful pool design can transform even modest backyards into highly usable extensions of the home.

A Home Built for Family: Mangawhai Beach House

For this Auckland couple, their Mangawhai beach home is where much of life happens now, it’s a special place to create as a talented artist, or to play the region's stunning golf courses and to gather with extended family...

Designing Bathroom and Laundry Cabinetry for Moisture, Durability and Finish

Designing Bathroom and Laundry Cabinetry for Moisture, Durability and Finish

Selecting the right decorative panel, substrate and edge treatment helps bathroom and laundry cabinetry withstand humidity, splashes and everyday use without compromising the interior design.

Mecca Collection, Now in New Finishes

Mecca Collection, Now in New Finishes

Nero Tapware’s Mecca Collection expands to nine finishes with the introduction of Rome Bronze and Tumbled Antique Brass, giving designers greater freedom to create cohesive, material-led interiors.

Achieving Thermal and Acoustic Performance at Christchurch Stadium

Achieving Thermal and Acoustic Performance at Christchurch Stadium

One New Zealand Stadium's state-of-the-art design demanded an insulation product that would meet a single roof-build up and high acoustic and thermal performance without affecting the aesthetics of the building. Knauf Insulation delivered a bespoke roof blanket that delivered.

Creating a Distinctive Architectural Feature with Mario Romano Walls

Creating a Distinctive Architectural Feature with Mario Romano Walls

Mario Romano Walls brings together art, technology and material performance to create striking three-dimensional surfaces for residential interiors, such as this feature wall in an Orbit design, adding texture and movement to the home.

From Steel Structure to Roofing and Cladding: Steel & Tube Supports 4WD Warehouse Taupō Expansion

From Steel Structure to Roofing and Cladding: Steel & Tube Supports 4WD Warehouse Taupō Expansion

Steel & Tube supported the expansion of 4WD’s Warehouse in Taupō with ST963 roofing, Plumbdek wall cladding and a wider steel product package, including reinforcing steel, HST purlins, girts, fasteners and accessories. Together, these products helped deliver a practical, efficient building solution for a growing New Zealand business.

From Coastline to Alpine: Rethinking How New Zealand Specifies Aluminium

From Coastline to Alpine: Rethinking How New Zealand Specifies Aluminium

Performance only has meaning in context. For façades, that context begins with place.

Creating a Therapeutic Environment at the Mason Clinic with Belgotex Gerflor Vinyl Flooring

Creating a Therapeutic Environment at the Mason Clinic with Belgotex Gerflor Vinyl Flooring

More than 5,000 square metres of Gerflor vinyl flooring was supplied by Belgotex New Zealand for the new E Tū Wairua Hinengaro – Mason Clinic in Auckland, providing an institutional design that supports patient wellbeing and recovery while meeting the rigorous performance demands of a forensic mental health facility.

The Motor Does Not Belong in the Bathroom: Quiet Yet Powerful Bathroom Extraction by Amore

The Motor Does Not Belong in the Bathroom: Quiet Yet Powerful Bathroom Extraction by Amore

Moving the extraction fan motor out of the ceiling and onto the roof or an external wall ensures extraction of moisture at a powerful rate, without compromise.

What a Bridge Designed for 100 Years Can Teach Us About Residential Flooring

What a Bridge Designed for 100 Years Can Teach Us About Residential Flooring

A highway bridge designed for long service life offers a simple lesson for homes. Structural plywood should be specified for strength, stiffness, stability and confidence in use.

A Second Line of Defence: Protecting Interior Substrates from Water Ingress

A Second Line of Defence: Protecting Interior Substrates from Water Ingress

Key considerations when waterproofing beneath tiles, sheet vinyl, LVT and timber flooring.

Resort-Style Wet Areas Built to Last at The Botanic Retirement Village

Resort-Style Wet Areas Built to Last at The Botanic Retirement Village

The complete ARDEX Solution was required to protect the apartments, high-traffic clubhouse and pool house at Auckland's premium 8-hectare retirement development.

Managing Bathroom Moisture Without Compromising Interior Design

Managing Bathroom Moisture Without Compromising Interior Design

This Tauranga renovation integrated concealed Mitsubishi Electric ventilation with custom grilles for seamless bathroom moisture control.

Set Your Clients Up for Life with PDL's Professional Electrical Design Service

Set Your Clients Up for Life with PDL's Professional Electrical Design Service

PDL's Electric Home Design Service can help you create a perfect home with professional guidance and a detailed plan tailored to your clients' needs.

Vynco's Trifecta: Performance, Aesthetics and Safety

Vynco's Trifecta: Performance, Aesthetics and Safety

Designing wet spaces demands a careful balance. Products need to perform, look good and, above all, keep people safe. It's a trifecta Vynco prides itself on delivering, backed by a full suite of heating, ventilation and electrical solutions.

Designing Wetrooms That Last

Designing Wetrooms That Last

Get the substrate, drainage and joins right and a commercial wetroom performs for decades — here's how a full-system approach removes the risk.

Tailored Water Drinking Solutions for new Beca headquarters Targeting 6 Star Green Star

Tailored Water Drinking Solutions for new Beca headquarters Targeting 6 Star Green Star

Zenith Water delivered sustainable chilled and boiling filtered water systems to the new Beca headquarters, working closely with the design team to deliver a specification tailored to the needs of different areas.

Polyflor: Designing Wet Areas That Prioritise Safety, Hygiene and Long-Term Performance

Polyflor: Designing Wet Areas That Prioritise Safety, Hygiene and Long-Term Performance

Explore how the right safety flooring can help create wet areas that prioritise slip resistance, hygiene, moisture management and long-term performance.

Ravenscar House Museum: Warm Roof, Tanking and Waterproofing Solutions

Ravenscar House Museum: Warm Roof, Tanking and Waterproofing Solutions

Nuralite worked closely with Patterson Associates throughout the developed design phase to provide a complete waterproofing solution across all three areas of the building.

Palliser Downs Showhome: TMT Taxon Cladding and Interior Panelling

Palliser Downs Showhome: TMT Taxon Cladding and Interior Panelling

JSC TMT Taxon was used across the exterior cladding and interior panelling of this Wainui showhome, providing dimensional stability and a consistent timber finish.

A Welcoming First Impression at the New Zealand International Convention Centre

A Welcoming First Impression at the New Zealand International Convention Centre

Advance Flooring supplied its ExtraTread entrance matting system to support this first impression — delivering performance at scale while integrating seamlessly with the architectural language of the building.

Samsung Auckland Office Fitout Uses Heritage Carpets to Shape Flexible Neighbourhoods

Samsung Auckland Office Fitout Uses Heritage Carpets to Shape Flexible Neighbourhoods

In Samsung’s new workplace, commercial carpet tiles from Heritage Carpets helped create distinct zones for collaboration, focus, training, and connection.

A New Tone of Luxury: Billi Unveils Sable Bronze

A New Tone of Luxury: Billi Unveils Sable Bronze

Characterised by its deep, muted bronze undertones and subtle brushed texture, Billi's new Sable Bronze finish integrates seamlessly alongside charcoal cabinetry, warm concrete surfaces, and natural stone.

Art & Matilda Green's Forever Home: The Hidden Design Choices Behind the Renovation of New Zealand's Reality TV Stars

Art & Matilda Green's Forever Home: The Hidden Design Choices Behind the Renovation of New Zealand's Reality TV Stars

The project showcases how thoughtful specification, including integrated Hideaway waste, recycling and laundry solutions, can help create a home designed for modern family living.

Dumawall: A Grout-Free Wall Lining for Wet Area Design

Dumawall: A Grout-Free Wall Lining for Wet Area Design

Dumawall provides an impervious, grout-free wall lining for bathrooms, showers, laundries and other interior wet areas, supported by clear waterproofing requirements, practical detailing and technical guidance to help architects and builders achieve durable, easy-care results.

When Acoustics Meet Wet Areas, Think in Systems

When Acoustics Meet Wet Areas, Think in Systems

Acoustics and waterproofing don’t always play nicely together. SoundDown Endurabase brings them together in one coordinated flooring system.

Designing Internal Drainage Systems to Meet NZ Codes in Wet Areas

Designing Internal Drainage Systems to Meet NZ Codes in Wet Areas

Using a system approach to meet acceptable solutions, and plumbing standards will ensure a durable install.

See the Design, Not the Joint

See the Design, Not the Joint

An edgeband is a small detail, but it can elevate or degrade an entire interior. REHAU's Laser-Welding Certification Program supports joiners in providing consistent, high-quality zero-joint edging.

J-Frame Certified for Truss Systems

J-Frame Certified for Truss Systems

J-Frame 08 and 11 support easier truss specification with Pryda and MiTek software integration, engineering tables and NZS 3604-aligned design guidance.  

Warmup's Integrated Shower System Delivers a Continuous, Impervious Moisture Barrier

Warmup's Integrated Shower System Delivers a Continuous, Impervious Moisture Barrier

Designing a durable, luxurious tiled shower requires more than just careful tile selection; it demands an uncompromising approach to moisture management. Specifying the right products from the outset can simplify construction while enhancing the finished result.

Building New Zealand’s Next Generation of Data Centres

Building New Zealand’s Next Generation of Data Centres

As New Zealand’s data centre sector continues to expand, every decision impacts programme, performance and long-term reliability. KOROK fire and acoustic wall systems are engineered to simplify the construction of critical infrastructure while delivering the fire performance data centres demand.

Multi-Dwelling Roofing Solution Balances Durability, Cost and Speed on Molley Green Development

Multi-Dwelling Roofing Solution Balances Durability, Cost and Speed on Molley Green Development

Chancellor Construction specified Dimond Roofing's Veedek profile on ColorCote ZinaCore steel for its corrosion resistance, consistent finish and efficient installation across multiple dwellings.

IBS FutureFloor: A Moisture-Resistant Flooring Panel for New Zealand Construction

IBS FutureFloor: A Moisture-Resistant Flooring Panel for New Zealand Construction

Independent Building Supplies (IBS) has introduced IBS FutureFloor, a moisture-resistant flooring panel designed specifically for the New Zealand market.

Enko's Slimbox Soft Close Drawer System: Premium Storage for Modern, Minimalist Cabinetry

Enko's Slimbox Soft Close Drawer System: Premium Storage for Modern, Minimalist Cabinetry

With slim 14mm walls and a mechanism that sits largely out of view, Enko Group's Slimbox Drawer System supports a minimalist internal aesthetic while freeing up genuine internal drawer width in kitchens, wardrobes, vanities and entertainment units alike.

Recycling Insulation Waste Right from the Site

Recycling Insulation Waste Right from the Site

Over the past six months, Mammoth’s “Take Back” initiative recovered 7,818kg of insulation offcuts and waste from job sites across the country. That’s nearly 8 tonnes of material diverted from landfills, all shredded and remade into brand-new Mammoth polyester insulation.

Fenta Ceiling Tiles Showcase Freshness in Supermarket Delicatessens

Fenta Ceiling Tiles Showcase Freshness in Supermarket Delicatessens

When specifying for fresh food retail, Fenta Ceiling Tiles deliver the high light reflectance and antimicrobial performance required to meet both consumer expectations and New Zealand Building Code standards.

AvanTech YOU Illumination: Customisation in a New Light

AvanTech YOU Illumination: Customisation in a New Light

Hettich’s AvanTech YOU drawer system is one of the most customisable drawer platforms available, offering you the flexibility to create cabinetry that is both highly functional and beautifully refined.

A Warmer Approach to Aged Care Starts With Better Insulation

A Warmer Approach to Aged Care Starts With Better Insulation

Improving insulation in aged care facilities delivers more than energy efficiency; it supports better health, comfort, and care outcomes for residents.

Bathroom Ventilation and Natural Daylight: An Integrated Approach to Better Wet Area Design

Bathroom Ventilation and Natural Daylight: An Integrated Approach to Better Wet Area Design

Combining natural daylight and mechanical ventilation in a single ceiling system helps architects create brighter bathrooms while supporting effective moisture management, cleaner ceiling design and improved occupant comfort.

Designing Indoor Pool Buildings: Why Vapour Control Matters

Designing Indoor Pool Buildings: Why Vapour Control Matters

Indoor swimming pools and aquatic facilities create one of the most demanding moisture environments a building envelope can face. While managing bulk water is important, a significant challenge comes from water vapour generated within the building itself.

Why the Architectural Equivalent of a Three-Dollar Haircut Will Always Cost You More

Why the Architectural Equivalent of a Three-Dollar Haircut Will Always Cost You More

There is an old business adage that perfectly explains the danger of buying on price alone: if you pay for a three-dollar haircut, you should not be surprised when you leave the salon looking ridiculous. It is a simple lesson in value that applies directly to the New Zealand construction sector, where we are seeing a sudden rush to apply this exact low-cost logic to structural and architectural materials.

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