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Between The Walls
A podcast by the Architecture + Design Library
Step Between the Walls and into the world of design, creativity, and connection. Brought to you by the Architecture + Design Library, this podcast explores the stories, ideas, and collaborations shaping New Zealand’s built environment — and beyond.
Join us as we talk to architects, interior designers, builders, makers, and industry leaders about their processes, challenges, and the spaces that inspire them. Whether you're a seasoned professional or simply design-curious, Between the Walls offers honest conversations, fresh insights, and a look behind the scenes of the creative industries.
Welcome to your new favourite place to listen, learn, and be inspired.
Between The Walls
Designing with Story, Culture & Climate with Virginia Barlow Architecture
In this Season 2 episode of Between the Walls, Janey and Penny sit down with Virginia Barlow, the architectural designer behind VBA Limited — a practice known for creating homes that honour land, hold culture with care, and feel genuinely good to live in.
Virginia brings a thoughtful blend of Māori values, high-performance design, and grounded storytelling into every project she touches.
From passive principles and thermal envelopes to the deeper meaning of manaakitanga, connection, and how a home should welcome people in, this conversation offers a warm, insightful look at designing with respect — for people, climate, and place.
What you’ll hear in this episode:
The VBA story
• How Virginia’s lifelong love of drawing led her into architecture.
• The quiet ways Māori values weave naturally through her work.
• The influence of her upbringing, her whānau, and the storytellers who shaped her.
Designing with culture, connection & care
• What manaakitanga looks like in architecture — generosity, welcome, belonging.
• Honouring whakapapa, land, and place in design decisions.
• How storytelling strengthens communication, connection, and trust.
Reading the land
• Why Virginia always visits a site before committing to a project.
• Listening to the land: views, sun, wind, orientation, and the small cues that guide design.
• Designing small Wānaka sites with clarity, efficiency, and intention.
Passive principles & high-performance homes
• What makes a home genuinely warm, dry, and energy-efficient in Aotearoa’s climate.
• Why the building code is the minimum — not the goal.
• Why slabs, insulation, and thermal envelopes matter more than “flashy” finishes.
Motherhood, time & shifting priorities
• How becoming a mum has compressed time — and sharpened what matters.
• Balancing design, business ownership, and whānau life.
• Why she now chooses projects and clients more intentionally.
Central Otago vs Waitaki
• Designing across two contrasting landscapes — coastal and alpine.
• How climate awareness shifts region to region.
• Why every site is treated as its own unique story and place.
ADNZ Resene Architectural Design Awards
• The story behind her award-winning Heights Whare project.
• Designing a 120 m² home on a compact Wānaka site with simple, timeless forms.
Clients, trust & long-term thinking
• The clients she loves working with — curious, values-driven, open.
• Why trust is everything in an architectural relationship.
• Conversations around budgets, must-haves, and non-negotiables that protect long-term performance.
Current work & what’s ahead
• The passive and high-performance homes VBA is working on across both regions.
• Why she’s excited about where the industry is heading.
• Her hopes for the new year — more meaning, connection, and beautiful homes built with intention.
Virginia’s advice for homeowners & designers:
Listen to the land
Let climate, orientation, light, and landscape guide you.
Warm, dry, healthy homes should be the foundation — not the upgrade.
Connect with Virginia Barlow Architecture:
Website: www.vbalimited.co.nz
Connect with AD Library:
Website: www.adlibrary.nz
AD Library brings materials, brands, and expert guidance together under one roof — making design and building simple for professionals and anyone planning their next project. Visit during Open Days or book an appointment to explore the sample library, co-working space, and industry events.