Zin Architecture Limited

25/10/2026

We recently visited Lion Grove Garden (Shizilin) in Suzhou, China. It was founded in 1342 by a Zen Buddhist monk.

The first photo shows how carefully the garden is composed in layers. A timber railing sits in front, then lotus leaves, a zigzag bridge and a six-sided pavilion. Behind them are rocks, a stone arched bridge, white walls and tall trees.

The water runs from the railing to the arched bridge in the distance, and the eye follows it back through each layer. Together, the layers and the water make the garden feel deeper and larger than its actual size.

The layers also make the view attractive and beautifully harmonious. As our other photos show, the same principle is used throughout the garden, and it is common in many other traditional Chinese gardens.

This approach could also guide the design of a garden for a New Zealand home.

19/10/2026

We spent a few days walking around central Shanghai. Among countless skyscrapers, we enjoyed the building designs, but also noticed that many traditional homes have been replaced by tall apartment towers.

Their narrow lanes once supported daily life and close communities. Now the streets between towers mainly serve cars and motorbikes.

We felt déjà vu, because Tokyo has the same story. Developers replace small old houses with large buildings for profit, and the community goes with them.

We believe a city should support the daily life of its people, not only its economic activity. Many Asian cities face this question.

11/10/2026

To streamline key documentation workflows in architectural practice, we have developed custom AI agents.

This video, created using Claude Opus 5.5, demonstrates how these agents operate so that our team and anyone interested in building or applying them can quickly understand their functionality.

04/10/2026

We sometimes prepare sequential 3D details to illustrate the proper resolution of complex cladding junctions

27/09/2026

A well-designed garage can offer much more than car parking. In a new home, planning for flexible use allows the garage to become a comfortable second living or rumpus space when vehicles can be parked on the driveway.

Useful provisions include additional power points, TV and data outlets, generous ceiling lighting, and a large window to bring in natural daylight. Insulating external walls, and the garage door where budget allows, can further improve comfort.

With simple additions such as rugs, furniture and home appliances, the space can adapt easily, particularly in medium-density homes where internal living areas may be more compact than standard suburban homes.

20/09/2026

In the past, streets were more than places for cars. Neighbours talked, children played, and everyday life naturally spilled into the street.

Today, many suburban residential roads are designed mainly around vehicle access, parking and bin collection. But there is an opportunity to rethink this.

By moving vehicle access to the rear of properties and separating cars from pedestrian spaces, neighbourhood streets could become safer and more social. Children could play more freely, walking and biking could feel safer, and small neighbourhood intersections could create natural places for people to meet.

Good residential design is not only about individual houses. It is also about creating places where communities can grow and everyday life can happen.

14/06/2026

I uploaded the full 200-page Building Code E2/AS1 in PDF format into the brand new Claude Fable 5 and asked a basic question about roof eaves flashing. It answered directly from the figure—reading the drawing rather than just the surrounding main text.

That distinction matters more than it sounds; most details in a building code live within figures and tables with notes, not the main text.

Other models such as ChatGPT and Gemini I tested could parse the words in a PDF but skipped the diagrams and their notes, leaving me to cross-check everything by hand.

Having a tool that reads a technical document the way a practitioner actually does is a real step forward for design work.

29/05/2026

Exploring what a neighbourhood could become — this conceptual master plan was generated with AI to test ideas quickly and push design thinking further. Brick, green corridors, water, and community.

24/05/2026

From reference images to AI-driven architecture. Brainstorming new shipping container house prototype typologies.

27/04/2025

While AI transforms architectural practices, Yale's Phillip Bernstein reminds us that our professional responsibilities—ensuring public safety, interpreting client needs, and bearing liability—remain uniquely human. Technology augments our work, but the architect's judgment remains irreplaceable in creating meaningful spaces.

https://news.yale.edu/2025/04/23/how-might-ai-affect-architects-yale-expert-weighs

What will advancements in artificial intelligence mean for architects? Yale School of Architecture’s Phillip Bernstein, an expert on the technology’s influence on the field, discusses the possibilities.