Buchan NZ

06/04/2023

In Build NZ this month Buchan Principal Rob Guild questions if urbanisation is delivering the design quality that supports the health and wellbeing of our communities. And, how we should move forward under increasing pressures, including extreme weather events.

The piece features Buchan Principal Raylene McEwan who shares insights on designing for disaster. With over 20 years experience working in resilient design, Raylene warns against ignoring the past.

Rob also acknowledges densification done well relies on more than quality housing design. It relies on good planning and urban design. Working alongside planners, we can positively influence the quality of our housing design and our communities. Michael Campbell shares his perspective.

You can read the full story in the latest issue of NZ Build Magazine: https://www.buildmagazine.org.nz/articles/show/checking-the-pulse-of-aucklands-densification

09/12/2022

Buchan New Zealand Regional Operations Leader and Christchurch Principal Raylene McEwan reflects on a career in design with Buchan.

Raylene joined in 2000 when Buchan set up an Ōtautahi Christchurch studio on the back of winning the competition to design the Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū. A bold architectural landmark, it survived the earthquakes and remains a much-loved symbol of the city. Raylene now oversees a growing team, delivering retail, commercial, mixed-use and public projects that have had a defining influence on many of Aotearoa New Zealand's urban environments.



https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/reflecting-career-design-buchan-buchan/?trackingId=ETyS9RGrElEn37wv2Zyq6w%3D%3D

30/11/2022

Buchan has welcomed the addition of two new senior appointments to its global design team.

Scott Inverarity joins the Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland studio as a Senior Associate, whilst Ōtautahi Christchurch welcomes Associate Crispin Schurr.

Aotearoa New Zealand Regional Operations Leader and Christchurch Principal, Raylene McEwan, says the New Zealand appointments support Buchan’s broader strategic vision. “We’ve just celebrated 30 years in New Zealand but we’re a 130-year-old business overall. As custodians of the practice, we’re putting in place a team of great people with great skills to bring Buchan forward for the next generation and beyond.”

https://buchangroup.com/news/new-appointments-at-buchan-bolster-international-team/

Photography of Crispin Schurr by Jes Lindsay, Scott Inverarity by Lightchasers NZ

30/11/2022

Buchan recently celebrated 30 years of Design in Aotearoa New Zealand with our colleagues, clients and industry partners.

Our heartfelt thanks to the many people that have supported us on this journey as we have evolved over the last three decades. We are proud of our local story, and our global history as an international design firm of more than 130 years.

With our Ōtautahi Christchurch and Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland Studios continuing to grow and welcome new faces, the future is looking bright.

https://buchangroup.com/news/buchan-30-years-of-design-in-nz-wrap-up/

Celebration events captured by Lightchasers and David St George.

06/11/2022

What does resilient architecture look like now? Buchan Principals Raylene McEwan and Rob Guild share their knowledge with Architecture Now as we celebrate 30 years of design in Aotearoa New Zealand this year.

One of NZ’s longest-standing architecture firms says the country has entered “a new era of disaster-resilient design.” Raylene McEwan and Rob Guild explain.

04/10/2022

Property Council New Zealand members are invited to Join Phil Schoutrop, Principal and Sector Lead – Precinct at Buchan and Randy Galang at CallisonRTKL for the upcoming PCNZ Retail Design Trends webinar on Wednesday 19 October 2022.

Keep ahead of the curve with an eye on trends in retail-driven, mixed-use developments all around the world.

Register here: https://www.propertynz.co.nz/event/member-webinar-retail-design-trends

04/10/2022

Buchan is celebrating 30 years of design in Aotearoa New Zealand this year.

Over the last three decades, Buchan’s designs have become integral to daily life in New Zealand – from the world famous Christchurch Art Gallery and Re:START ‘container mall’ to The Hub at Hornby to Coastlands, Northwest Mall, Brickworks and Sylvia Park upgrade, to the recently opened Invercargill Central and luxury Horizon apartments, to the new town centre for Mangawhai, and the highly anticipated Five Mile precinct in Queenstown.

In October, we're looking forward to you joining us for our '30 years of Design in Aotearoa New Zealand' celebration events across Ōtautahi Christchurch and Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.

https://buchangroup.com/news/celebrating-30-years-of-design-aotearoa-new-zealand/

11/08/2022

Buchan is a proud supporter of New Zealand Institute of Building and National Association of Women in Construction NZ - NAWIC, and last week co-sponsored the joint NZIOB/ NAWIC Construction Panel exploring the topic of construction risk.

The expert panel including Ann Williams, Laurie Corbett, Donald Gardner, Gary Walker and Colin Corsbie shared their perspectives, and a few war stories, on some of the current procurement risk challenges facing the construction industry in New Zealand. The lively discussion was expertly compèred by Richard Johnstone.

24/03/2022

While the need for more housing is urgent, New Zealand is at a crossroads. Buchan Principal Rob Guild spoke with Radio NZ last week, sounding the alarm about the way New Zealand is approaching housing intensification, which risks poor design and a lack of amenity.

Listen in: https://lnkd.in/gSddV_DS

With a boom in medium-density housing developments expected once some resource consent requirements are dropped in August, Rob Guild says New Zealand, and Auckland in particular, needs a more coordinated strategy for how density occurs to ensure proper amenities which serve the community.

He suggests New Zealand look to Australia for guidance in how planning is managed. Australia has a network of Government Architects, which set best practice for the design of good quality buildings and public spaces. Last year, the state of Victoria also established the Central Melbourne Design Guide to revitalise the city, including requirements for inner city design projects to be people-centred, with a special focus on street-level design.

“As architects, we can’t really influence a site’s location and natural amenity. But we can push for good design and more diversity within a complex to result in more amenity. We need to design in a way that creates a sense of community for our people.”

Auckland-based architect Rob Guild is sounding the alarm about the way New Zealand is approaching housing intensification; which risks poor design and a lack of amenity.