With the open borders, many of us are looking to head overseas to visit friends and relatives; for exotic adventures and relaxation. Wherever we go, we experience a variety of architecture whether we seek it out or not. For those of us that enjoy new architectural experiences, here are a few buildings and places that I have visited over the years that resonated with me and may pique your interest.

With a life-long love of learning, restoring Acland House – the boarding and dining facility for Christchurch Girls’ High School – could not have been a more appropriate project for Dalman Architects’ Associate Jennie Lee.

The design of retirement villages and aged care facilities has evolved over recent years. As we age, we are looking for fresh adventures, new ways to enjoy life, and the opportunity to let our spirit thrive. As designers for senior living developments, we have noticed a number of trends including a focus on lifestyle, community, design, and environmental sustainability.

While architecture is a three-dimensional discipline, architects are often called upon to create decorative patterns for two-dimensional surfaces such as building façades, roofs, and interior surfaces. Where do the ideas for these patterns come from?

I was looking at old photos of Christchurch last week with a friend, and we were trying to identify and remember what some of the now-demolished buildings were. I couldn’t remember the names of a few, but I could remember who the architect was!

Since the quakes, we have seen the construction of many new churches around the city. While today’s architecture sees some still designed as pure worship spaces, ranging from simply minimalist to grand and inspirational, most new churches are also designed as a hub to support their local community.

If we were to design a new museum to celebrate our nation’s sporting feats, where would we start, and how would it look? Sport is a dynamic, daring endeavour of ever-changing parameters, yet it often requires a cool calmness of being in control.

“To really immerse yourself into a haven of natural tranquillity, away from the everyday world, there is no better place than the Glacier Hot Pools in Franz Josef. Further to travel, but worth it. When designing these pools and associated buildings, we were careful to ensure as little of the natural rainforest was disturbed as possible. All of the major trees and even the fallen logs were plotted by GPS, and the pool shapes and positions crafted around them. The pools are seamlessly nestled amongst the lush rainforest, at one with the environment.”

A holiday dwelling provides a stunning outlook across the Canterbury foothills and beyond, all while being a mere golf-swing away from the Pegasus Golf Club.

“How can the design of remotely located buildings make our experience more meaningful? Successful architecture in the natural environment allows us to appreciate the place in an authentic way that responds to the specific location.”

“I have often been asked how architects come up with our design ideas. While I would like to say they are all flashes of pure genius, to be honest, they are usually a combination of deriving inspiration from the history or immediate environment of the site and the need to solve a particular problem with the associated constraints around this.”

A considered and pragmatic approach from Dalman Architects means Presbyterian Support’s new home Te Korowai can ‘cloak all who enter with safety, strength, and connection’.

Thanks to the success of their work on The Welder, Three Sixty Architects have won a Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA) Local Architecture award (Canterbury) for the commercial space category.