architecture + design

THE LEADER - September 7 2015 by Phyllis Macgraw THERE are two essential qualities to look for when choosing an architect: integrity and creative skill. That's the advice architect Craig Taylor of Red Blue Architecture and Design has for people considering using the services of an architect. "If an architect has integrity, he will always have your best interests at heart and will never put his desires above yours," Mr Taylor said. "But integrity can mean nothing if the archit

THE LEADER - October 29 2014 An architect who sets out to design a sustainable house can control its design and fabric but not how the building is to be used. Your building may be the most efficient building ever built, but if you leave windows open in winter, your heating costs will be high. If you use inefficient appliances, your bills will be high. If you run an airconditioner every day, irrespective of the temperature, guess what - your bills will be high. Get advice from

Fairfax Media asked us for comments on the rise of Media Rooms and what the future trends in housing are likely to be. Walk through any housing display village and it's obvious that a media room is the 'must have' in every modern dwelling. But is this just another fad? Architect Craig Taylor said new trends were already emerging in masterplanned estates. "In the 1970’s, the ‘wow’ factor in houses was created by the introduction of wet bars and saunas." he said. "In the 80’s a

Very pleased to have been asked by Fairfax newspapers to comment on the growth of masterplanned communities. If you have decided that you going to build within a new planned estate you then need to be careful in selecting which block to purchase and whether you wish to use a home builder or build yourself. You need to consider how you live today and then try and envision how you would like to be living in the future; do you need a large outdoor space, are your parents likely

Very pleased to have been asked by Fairfax newspapers to comment on the growth of masterplanned communities. Building a new house will be one of the largest purchases you will ever make and it deserves to be well considered and well researched. The choices of what to build and where to build can seem endless. For many purchasers, the option of buying into a master planned estate relieves them of a lot of the worries about buying into an unknown environment. Estates can promis