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PODCAST

Design Principles Pod

Sam Brown, Ben Sutherland and Gerard Dombroski

Architecture. A hot topic, a buzz word, a realm for the rich and famous, or the thing that your step uncle does? We will be unpacking the good, the bad and the downright reality of the architectural and construction industry. With insights from industry professionals and personal anecdotes from our three hosts Ben, Gerard and Sam, you will be given a look behind the closed pages of those fancy looking moleskins. Tune in and redline out.

arts design

All Episodes

31:09

Buzzers Ready!: In:situ Q&A

Design Principles Pod ·

2026/09/28

Send us Fan MailTwo architects walk into a conference and we hand them a mic. What comes out is a fast, honest look at how New Zealand architects make decisions when nobody has time for fluff. We’re joined by Hamish McLachlan (Bowen and McLachlan Architects, also Architecture Zero Zero) and Rob Paulin (Paulin Studio), the two winners of our In:Situ ticket giveaway, for a quick-fire Q&A that turns into a surprisingly deep conversation about the design process and the built environment in

en-nz

41:09

Vā, Architecture Of Relationships: A Conversation...

Design Principles Pod ·

2026/09/21

Send us Fan MailIn this episode we are talking with Dr Albert Refiti, professor at AUT and co-director of the Vā Moana Research Centre, about Vā: the relational space that holds people, culture, hierarchy, and belonging together. Once you hear Vā described this way, Pacific architecture stops being a set of shapes and starts reading like a living map of relationships across time.We dig into why key forms and spatial rules have stayed so consistent for roughly 3,000 years across Polynesia, and how

en-nz

45:25

D.I.Y Density: F. Gordon Wilson Fellowship...

Design Principles Pod ·

2026/09/14

Send us Fan MailIf 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

en-nz

46:59

Shared Ground: Architects, Interiors & Better Buildings

Design Principles Pod ·

2026/08/31

Send us Fan MailLate 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

en-nz

46:28

The NZIA: Supporting The Value Of Architects

Design Principles Pod ·

2026/08/17

Send us Fan MailArchitects 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

en-nz

50:16

Stop Being Beige: Branding For Designers

Design Principles Pod ·

2026/08/10

Send us Fan MailYour projects might be exceptional, but if your studio looks and sounds like everyone else, the market won’t always give you the chance to prove it. We’re joined by Emily Konwiak Stevens of Emily Stevens Studio, an architecture brand designer and strategist, to talk about what branding really means for architects, interior designers, and other design-led businesses, especially in a competitive New Zealand and Australian landscape where the DIY instinct runs deep. We get practical

en-nz

43:11

How Much Wood Would Chuck, Chuck?: NZ's Treated...

Design Principles Pod ·

2026/07/27

Send us Fan MailA pile of treated timber offcuts looks harmless until you ask the awkward question: where does it actually go, and what does it do once it gets there? We get interviewed by Toby, a University of Otago Master’s student researching timber circularity, and we go straight at the uncomfortable parts of New Zealand construction. We talk about how NZS 3604 and stick framing shape almost everything we build, and how a quiet “fear of liability” can lead to over-spec framing, more thermal

en-nz

44:24

A Bit Of This, A Bit Of That: Year-End Design Debrief

Design Principles Pod ·

2025/12/09

Send us a textYear-end is when the honest stuff bubbles up: what we built, what broke, and what we’ll try differently next time. We raise a glass to the community that’s carried this show and jump straight into the craft and chaos of design life—part celebration, part hard-won field notes.We start with the real costs and protections behind small studios: trusts, liability, and why construction firms fold faster than architects who keep overheads lean. From there, the stories turn tactile. A shaky

en-nz

57:56

Your Beam Is Too Big: Architects & Engineers

Design Principles Pod ·

2025/11/12

Send us a textStart with a flooded hotel room, end with a four‑metre cantilever, and in between unpack the messy, creative space where structure meets form. We sit down with structural engineer Joel Marsh of Pocket to map out how architects and engineers can move beyond transactional deliverables and into a truly design‑led process that saves money, reduces RFIs, and produces cleaner, more elegant buildings.Joel opens the playbook: meet early, sketch by hand at 10–15%, and use those concept drawings

en-nz

56:38

The Narrative Power: Architecture & Film, Take Two

Design Principles Pod ·

2025/10/23

Send us a textWhat if a building could be more than an object on a pedestal and instead feel like a living character on screen? We sit down with two architectural filmmakers, Nikolas Struger from ravens At Odds and Veeral Patel who show how to move beyond glossy hero shots and capture the heartbeat of design: process, people, and emotion. From software and cycling photography to architecture practice and brand strategy, their varied paths lead to the same conclusion—storytelling is the missing

en-nz

55:40

Cultivated City: Designed Solutions vs. Organic Growth

Design Principles Pod ·

2025/10/01

Send us a textA city can make you breathe easier—or grind your teeth—before you’ve even named why. We follow that feeling from a flimsy townhouse hinge to the rhythm of a street that forces a ute to crawl, exploring how materials, widths, and mixed uses quietly choreograph daily life. In this episode we pull apart modernism’s big promises, tip our hats to classical street smarts, and ask what a genuinely New Zealand urban vernacular might look like—one with corrugate, brick, and crafted facades that

en-nz

50:49

Capturing Architecture: Moving Image and Storytelling

Design Principles Pod ·

2025/09/18

Send us a textWhen we consume architecture, which speaks louder - the frozen moment or the flowing narrative? This question sits at the heart of our fascinating conversation with Clare Chapman, editor of Home Magazine, and Simon Devitt, renowned architectural photographer.Despite both guests being masters of still imagery, our discussion reveals how moving image is transforming architectural storytelling in ways that complement rather than replace traditional photography. As Simon eloquently

en-nz

56:44

Growth Through Design: An Architectural Evolution

Design Principles Pod ·

2025/08/29

Send us a textThe path to finding your architectural voice isn't a straight line—it's a series of experiments, failures, resets, and breakthroughs. Sam Brown, founding director of Arête Architects, takes us on a candid journey through his evolution as a designer and the growth of his practice.Starting with foundational experiences at Victoria University, Mason Wales, and Foster Melville Architects, Sam reveals how these early influences shaped his approach before launching his own practice

en-nz

53:51

Mass Timber Construction: A Woody Renaissance

Design Principles Pod ·

2025/08/06

Send us a textStep into the revolutionary world of mass timber construction with our enlightening conversation featuring Jordan Robinson, Head of Business Development at X-Lam. What begins as a reunion of old architecture school friends quickly transforms into a masterclass on how engineered timber is reshaping our built environment.Remember when timber was just for stick framing houses? Those days are rapidly disappearing as Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) and other mass timber products demonstrate

en-nz

55:42

Design With Intent: A Conversation with Architects,...

Design Principles Pod ·

2025/07/23

Send us a textThe seemingly effortless elegance of minimalist architecture masks the extraordinary attention to detail required to achieve it. Tom Seear-Budd and James Ross, founders of Wellington-based Seear-Budd Ross Architects, pull back the curtain on this process, revealing the meticulous thought behind their refined residential designs.Having established their practice nearly six years ago after departing larger commercial firms, the pair sought greater autonomy and the opportunity to create

en-nz

48:22

Hydroforming the Future: Gerard Dombroski's...

Design Principles Pod ·

2025/07/07

Send us a textWhat happens when steel becomes soft? When industrial materials take on organic forms? In Gerard Dombrowski's debut solo exhibition "Inflation" at Season Aotearoa Gallery, steel transforms into something unexpectedly fluid and inviting.We turn the microphone on our own Gerard Dombrowski as he shares the journey behind creating "Inflation"—a collection of hydroformed steel objects that challenge our perception of what's possible with metal. The exhibition

en-nz

52:34

Form and Function: Exploring Programme in Design

Design Principles Pod ·

2025/06/12

Send us a textEver wondered what architects mean when they talk about "programme"? In our latest deep dive, we crack open this fundamental concept that shapes everything from the tiniest apartments to sprawling civic buildings.This episode begins with a seemingly simple question: what exactly is program in architecture? We explore how program operates simultaneously at multiple scales—a house within a street, a road within a city—creating nested relationships that influence design

en-nz

64:51

Feel Good, Look Good: Performance vs Aesthetics in...

Design Principles Pod ·

2025/05/29

Send us a text What happens when award-winning architects and builders challenge the notion that sustainable, high-performance buildings must sacrifice aesthetics? This thought-provoking conversation brings together Passive House experts who are transforming New Zealand's built environment through buildings that are both beautiful and functional. Architect Rafe Maclean shares how client feedback about a poorly-performing design prompted his journey into building science, while Joe Lyth revea...

en-nz

62:52

Outside Influence: Has the Architectural Pilgrimage...

Design Principles Pod ·

2025/05/14

Send us a text What happens when architecture becomes more accessible through images than through physical experience? This question forms the backbone of our conversation with Nina Boyd, a New Zealand architect currently working in Paris. The traditional architectural pilgrimage—traveling to see important buildings firsthand—has fundamentally changed. Where Alvar Aalto's visit to Italy completely transformed his design approach, today's architects arrive at celebrated buildings having alrea...

en-nz

58:23

Where Craft Meets Design: Exploring Material...

Design Principles Pod ·

2025/05/01

Send us a text The conversation with Raimana Jones from Atelier Jones Design delves deep into the heart of what makes good design truly exceptional—craftsmanship. Drawing inspiration from architectural legends like Alvar Aalto and Walter Gropius, we explore how the most revered designers extended their vision beyond buildings to encompass furniture, lighting, and complete environments. Raimana shares his journey through fabrication and making, revealing the powerful feedback loop between cra...

en-nz

41 results

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