Architecture Week is back! This year the event will run concurrently in New Zealand’s three main centres from 19 – 25 September. Architecture Week is a vehicle for a wide range of mostly free events that aim to promote discussion and debate about the future of housing design, quality and provision in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington.

New Zealanders’ homes are their castles — Aucklanders are in the midst of a housing crisis, and our urban built environment is becoming increasingly complex. Castles, crisis and complex — we need a map to navigate, a pause to celebrate and a chance to understand the architecture around us.

There will be a wide range of daily free events, including lunchtime lectures, debates, panel discussions, keynote speakers, photographic exhibitions, online competitions, open studios, site tours and more ways to learn about the buildings and landscapes that you see every day. All ages and levels of architectural curiosity are welcome!

All centres will host keynote speaker Stuart Harrison from Melbourne architecture firm Harrison and White. Auckland has something for everyone with conversations on medium-density housing, exhibitions, the annual student-led competition, and a brush with TV architecture through The Block NZ and The New Zealand Home.

Also in Auckland, ArchitectureNZ magazine and Resene have teamed up to bring you the “Fringe Benefits” event on 23 September, where a great line-up of built environment professionals will discuss new and future apartment developments on the edges of the city, the history of apartment living in Auckland, and the effects this will have on the wider urban environment.

Wellington has a fun line-up showcasing local coffee shops and their architects, disruptive young designers, local examples of community-led medium-density housing, a sneak peek into architecture studios, a waterfront walk for families, and a photographic celebration of women in construction.

Christchurch has a range of open studios, a discussion on ‘humble beginnings’ that looks at what happens when architects and graduates design their own homes, a showcase of local medium-density-housing architects, and a hands-on future housing workshop resulting in an exhibition.

A range of fantastic sponsors and collaborative industry organisations have enabled Architecture Week to be brought free to the public to celebrate architecture. 

For more information, event listings and images, see the Architecture Week website.