76 Small Rooms

Welcome to Episode 074! This is our second interview from Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects In:Situ 2026 + CAA General Assembly conference. Tash, Mat and Arch spoke with acting New South Wales Government Architect Jillian Hopkins shortly after her keynote on the first day of the conference. Jillian was a key contributor to the recently released Housing Pattern Book, and we discussed how it's used to create and facilitate great housing design, whether Aotearoa needs a Government Architect, and what it takes to make 'fair dinkum' houses. Our thanks to Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects for arranging our interview with Jillian. You can learn more about the NSW Pattern Book here - https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/government-architect-nsw/housing-design/nsw-housing-pattern-book Theme Music: The Cosmic Wheels

Welcome to Episode 073! This is our first of three interviews at Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects In:Situ 2026 + CAA General Assembly conference. Tash, Mat and Arch spoke with Brendan MacFarlane ahead of his keynote talk on the first day of the conference. Brendan is a graduate of SCI-arc and holds a masters from Harvard Graduate School of Design, and in 1998 he and Dominique Jakob founded Jakob+MacFarlane, a Paris based practice with work that’s both formally and regionally expansive. We talked with Brendan about context, metaphors, and how architects do their best work when their 'backs are to the wall' Our thanks to Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects for arranging our interview with Brendan. Jakob + MacFarlane - https://jakobmacfarlane.com/en Theme Music: The Cosmic Wheels

Welcome to Episode 72! We were very lucky to sit down with founding director of RTA Studio and this year's Gold Medal winner, Rich Naish for a very special chat about what it means to receive the award, his entry into architecture, and the ongoing quest to make something that's "nearly good". A big thank you to Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects for arranging our interview with Rich, as part of their support of this year's in:situ conference. Theme Music: The Cosmic Wheels Cover photo: Patrick Reynolds

Welcome to Episode 71! The full team met to chat with the inexhaustible architect, writer, and academic Dr Andrew Barrie. Fresh off the back of two NZIA Local Awards - for the St Luke's Anglican Church Hospitality Centre, and the Oxford Terrace Baptist Church - Andrew talked with us about his early career in Japan, the invigoration he gets from teaching, and the high stakes work of having your wife as a client. We've been wanting to meet with Andrew for a long time, and hope you enjoy this wide ranging and insightful conversation. Theme Music: The Cosmic Wheels Cover photo: St Luke's Anglican Church Hospitality Centre, Sam Hartnett

Welcome to Episode 70! Arch, Jeremy, and Tash had the pleasure of chatting with Tom Kundig during his recent visit to Aotearoa. We first spoke to Tom all the way back in Episode 06, and it was great to catch up again. Tom was here for the launch of his new compendium Complete Houses, and we had a great talk about his broad (and apparently still accelerating) career, having built on every continent except Antarctica. With a background in science and physics, our chat covered climbing, climate, and his famous gizmos. Tom Kundig Complete Houses: https://www.unitybooks.co.nz/products/tom-kundig-complete-houses Theme Music: The Cosmic Wheels Cover photo: 76 Small Rooms

Welcome to Episode 69! This is another chat from our time in Ōtautahi during OpenCHCH, where we had a tour of One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha and spoke to the project architect and Warren and Mahoney's Sport and Recreation Sector Lead Matt Body. Te Kaha is a project of immense scale and complexity and we were lucky to see the public and player areas in detail. The building was also open for very well attended open days during OpenCHCH. We talk with Matt about the complexities of the design process, the impact of Aotearoa's first inner city stadium, and the science and technology behind the outcome. Before our talk with Matt, we remember Pip Cheshire who passed away in February. Our thanks to Finn and Nat Cheshire, who allowed us to feature the clip from Pip Cheshire's service. Theme Music: The Cosmic Wheels Cover photo: 76 Small Rooms

Welcome to Episode 68! We're back from a brilliant weekend in Ōtautahi taking part in OpenCHCH, and we kicked off the festival with a live event. Recorded on the evening of Friday 1 May at Warren and Mahoney's 1963 masterpiece - the Harewood Crematorium - we discussed some of our bucket list buildings on a night titled "I'd Die Happy Once I Saw That" Featuring four talented guests, Juanita Hepi (Kāi Tahu, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngātiwai, Ngāpuhi), Andrew Just (Field Studio), Sarah Rowlands (photographer) and Dr Jessica Halliday (Te Pūtahi Director). Huge thanks to Dr Jess Halliday and the OpenCHCH team for hosting us over the weekend. We've got more to come from our visit so stay tuned! Many thanks to everyone who came, and our gratitude to Arran Eley, who recorded and mixed this live episode. xx for Matt xx Theme Music: The Cosmic Wheels Cover photo: Natasha Markham

Welcome to Episode 67! Today's episode is a fireside chat with the team around the recent book 'Messy Cities - Why We Can't Plan Everything', edited by Dylan Reid, Zahra Ebrahim, Leslie Woo, and John Lorinc. We discuss the key questions the book poses, “Have our rules and regulations squeezed too much of the life out of our cities? But also how do you plan and design a city that is safe and functional while also leaving room for spontaneity and serendipity?” with local and international examples. Bloomberg interview with authors of 'Messy Cities' - https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2026-02-03/in-messy-cities-a-call-for-some-healthy-urban-disorder Theme Music: The Cosmic Wheels

Welcome to Episode 66! To close out our year, we huddle with just the core team and forty smooth minutes of reflecting on our collective highs and lows for 2026. We wish all our listeners and supporters a very happy Christmas and summer break, and thank you for your support of this little pod. We've got exciting things planned for next year and are looking forward to what it gives us to talk about. Photo: Barry Tobin Theme Music: The Cosmic Wheels

Welcome to Episode 65! Today we talk with a true icon of Aotearoa's built and natural environment - Rachel de Lambert. Urban designer and landscape architect, consulting partner at Boffa Miskell, and Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects, Rachel has been involved in some of our most significant and transformational placemaking outcomes over a career spanning over 40 years. The whole team chatted with Rachel about her career highlights and reflections, how travel inspires and centres her, and the collaborative relationship between architects and landscape designers. Theme Music: The Cosmic Wheels