Living better, closer and more affordably together: Space Craft Architects

How can we live better, closer and more affordably together? New Zealand young architecture studio Space Craft are one of the winners of a recent competition to design the housing of the future for New South Wales. The state called for designs of cost effective but beautiful apartments that could be repeated at scale. The state has - like New Zealand - a major housing shortage. New South Wales needs to build 370,000 homes over five years. Space Craft are now refining their winning designs for inclusion in a housing pattern book, expected to launch this year. Pattern books - a kind of template drawing set - aren't used in New Zealand, but there's been a call for them. A response to what is seen as the need for classier, cheaper and more sustainable solutions to our housing shortfall. Critics here say we are building too many bland and insufficient townhouses. Space Craft's Caro Robertson and Tim Gittos have gained a reputation for inventive affordable design solutions for small sections. Their passion began with their own needs when they wanted an affordable first home as a couple. They are also advocates of cohousing, where basic infrastructure and common areas are shared between home owners. Their cohousing project Block Party in Wellington won a 2023 New Zealand Institute of Architects Multi-Unit Housing Award. Caro and Tim have just built a new home for themselves far from Sydney or Wellington. They joined us from north of Whangarei, in Ngunguru.