Athfield House, Wellington. Photo: Grant Sheehan
### radionz.co.nz 3 March 2013
Radio New Zealand National
Sunday Morning with Chris Laidlaw
Listen on 101 FM or online at radionz.co.nz
10:06 Ideas: Re-imagining the Urban House
Arguments for intensifying the density of housing tend to fall into two categories: Affordability and putting a halt to urban sprawl.
Ideas talks to two architects who advocate higher density housing not just for those reasons but because they believe, if done right, it will result in more livable houses and communities.
Robert Dalziel, the co-author of A House in the City: Home Truths in Urban Architecture, has traveled the world looking at traditional models of high density housing and come to some interesting conclusions; and Ian Athfield, one of New Zealand’s most celebrated architects, talks about the lessons he’s learnt from building his own house which now combines living quarters for 25 people with office space for another 40.
Audio | Download: Ogg Vorbis MP3 | Embed (49′59″)
A House in the City http://www.rationalhouse.com/the_book.php
Ian Athfield: http://www.athfieldarchitects.co.nz/
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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr
What if? Dunedin... 
Radio New Zealand National
Sunday Morning with Chris Laidlaw
Listen on 101 FM or online at radionz.co.nz
10 March 2013
10:08 Ideas
In the second part of our look at the case for higher density housing, Ideas talks to: Jane Quigley one of the people behind the Viva Housing project that has just been shortlisted in Christchurch’s Breathe – Urban Village Competition; Jukka Noponen a Finnish planner behind an energy-efficient housing project; Brady Nixon who is developing Auckland’s Vinegar Lane project; and the Auckland Council’s urban design specialist Ludo Campbell-Reid.
Audio |
Download: Ogg Vorbis
MP3 | Embed (47′57″)
Email received from John Balasoglou, Aalto Books.
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A House in the City: Home Truths in Urban Architecture
Robert Dalziel – $89.95
Published by RIBA, Jan 2013, paperback, 176pages, 9781859464526
For those who heard Robert Dalziel on National Radio the other day or for those of you who missed it, here is the chance to purchase the book. However, when ordering please be patient with me as the book is proving a bit difficult to get – however, I will win.
What makes a great house in the city? This title examines what has worked well in some of the most successful housing types throughout the world – from old to new, high rise to low rise, innovative to conventional. Authors Robert Dalziel and Sheila Qureshi critically examine what they believe are the most significant elements of urban housing design: adaptability and flexibility, construction and sustainability, space and light, appearance and threshold, and density and urban form. A House in the City concludes by proposing a pioneering approach to the town house: incorporating insights from these most important elements of urban housing, culminating in an aesthetically-pleasing family home that can adapt to changing needs. Illustrated with aerial views, plans, sections and photographs, A House in the City will be of use to all who strive to deliver high quality urban housing for the 21st century, including architects, planners and developers.
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El Croquis 165 Sean Godsell – $159.95
Published by El Croquis, March 2013, paperback, 25x34cm, 232pages, 9788488386748
In 2002, ‘Wallpaper’ magazine listed Australian architect Sean Godsell as someone destined to change the way we live. His ‘Future Shack’ (1999), constructed from shipping containers, drew international attention, and he has since garnered numerous awards. This long-awaited monographic edition of ‘El Croquis’ explores Godsell’s work, which is primarily rooted in his belief in the power of architecture to help the less fortunate. A craftsman at heart, the fact that he is demanding and exacting in both the logic and execution of his designs is clear. Besides an in-depth focus on ten significant projects, the issue includes an interview with Leon van Schaik and a critical text by Juhani Pallasmaa.
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For more information and how to order, contact John Balasoglou at http://www.aaltobooks.co.nz
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