Between The Walls

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In this episode of Between the Walls, we dive into the world of engineered bamboo with Ingrid from Plantation Bamboo, exploring how this rapidly renewable material is reshaping modern construction and interior design. 
From high-performance decking used in extreme climates to durable flooring solutions suited for busy family homes, we unpack why bamboo is gaining traction among architects, designers, and builders across New Zealand and beyond. 
We also discuss sustainability credentials, real-world performance, and how thoughtful material choices can reduce environmental impact without compromising style or longevity. 
If you're planning a renovation, building new, or simply curious about smarter material choices, this episode offers practical insights and inspiration. 
In this episode, we cover: 
What makes engineered bamboo different from traditional timber
How bamboo performs in demanding environments
Sustainability credentials and certifications explained
Flooring and decking options for residential and commercial projects
Why designers and builders are increasingly specifying bamboo products
Practical considerations when choosing bamboo for your project
 
Are you feeling overwhelmed by all the decisions you need to make for your new build or renovation and have no idea where to start. The Architecture + Design Library is your answer. A one stop 'shop' for finding designers and trades, sourcing materials and products and gaining education on those items so you know you are making the right decisions.

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What happens when you pause long enough to reflect before charging into a new year?
In this candid first episode of the year, Verity sits down with Penny and Rebecca for an honest conversation about where AD Library is heading and what they want 2026 to look like — both professionally and personally.
From the realities of business ownership and growing pains, to burnout, delegation, work-life balance and learning to celebrate wins, this episode offers a refreshingly real look at running a creative business while trying to maintain energy, purpose, and connection.
The team shares what challenged them in 2025, what they’re changing this year, and how AD Library continues to evolve as a space built around community, collaboration, and helping people feel confident in their building and renovation journeys.
If you’re stepping into the new year feeling excited, uncertain, or simply trying to figure out what comes next, this conversation might feel very familiar.
Show Notes
The start of a new year often comes with pressure to hit the ground running — but sometimes the most powerful move is to slow down first.
In this episode, Verity, Penny and Rebecca take a moment to reflect on the whirlwind year behind them and share what’s ahead for AD Library in 2026. From expansion plans and new systems to personal goals and learning to delegate, the conversation moves between laughter, honesty and practical reflection.
They explore questions many of us are asking ourselves:
 • What actually gives us energy at work?
 • What drains it?
 • Is work-life balance real or just something we chase?
 • And how do we make space to celebrate progress instead of only focusing on what still needs fixing?
Listeners also get a behind-the-scenes glimpse at what’s happening inside AD Library, including space expansion, the upcoming Dunedin location, new brands joining, improved systems, and a growing community of creatives and renovators using the library.
Above all, this episode is a reminder that growth doesn’t have to come at the expense of wellbeing — and that reflection and intention-setting are powerful tools, whether you’re running a business or simply navigating a new season of life.
What We Cover in This Episode
• Reflecting on the challenges and wins of 2025
 • Learning to delegate and build better systems
 • The reality of work-life balance in business ownership
 • Identifying work that gives energy vs. drains it
 • Why celebrating wins matters
 • Expansion and growth plans for AD Library
 • The importance of community in creative industries
 • Personal and professional intentions for the year ahead
About AD Library
AD Library is a shared workspace and architectural sample library designed to support architects, designers, builders, and anyone building or renovating. It brings resources, expertise, and community together in one accessible space.
Visitors can browse and borrow samples, attend educational sessions, connect with industry professionals, and gain clarity on their projects — all under one roof.
How can you help us?
If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone starting their year with big plans or big questions.
And if you’re working on a build or renovation, come visit AD Library to browse and borrow materials, connect with industry experts, and find inspiration for your next project.

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In this Season 2 episode of Between the Walls, Janey and Penny sit down with Lydia from Sage Doors — a family-owned New Zealand business that has been crafting doors for over 40 years.
Known for their consistency, thoughtful design, and support for cabinet makers and designers across the country, Sage Doors brings a mix of heritage, innovation, and genuine care to every project.
From roller doors and flexible panels to laser edging, vinyl wraps, and the brand-new J Handle, this conversation opens up the story behind a company that has quietly shaped how New Zealand homes look, feel, and function.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

The Sage Doors story
• How a small family business grew into a trusted national supplier.
 • What it’s like working alongside siblings — and why the dynamic works.
 • The family values that have shaped the culture for more than four decades.

Supporting makers, designers & real homes
• Why helping small cabinet makers thrive is central to what they do.
 • How their products open up opportunities for makers without large factories or machinery.
 • The impact Sage Doors has had on businesses across Aotearoa.

Innovation, systems & the behind-the-scenes magic
• The journey behind OptiCoat — a three-year development focused on quality and longevity.
 • What actually causes vinyl wrap delamination — and how Sage Doors has solved it.
 • How automation, software, and smart systems keep lead times short and consistent.
 • Why their custom-built ordering system is such a game changer for cabinet makers.

The product range
• Roller doors reimagined — from sculleries to laundries and small-space solutions.
 • Laser edging options across melamine, acrylic, matte and gloss.
 • Veneer alternatives that look stunning and outperform natural timber in durability.
 • Flexible panels for curves and custom profiles for more detailed design.
 • OptiCoat — their coated door range, including the new J Handle.

Choosing the right door
• What homeowners often overlook when choosing materials.
 • Melamine vs veneer vs acrylic — durability, cost, performance and replacement.
 • Why laser-edged doors can be a smarter, budget-friendly alternative to lacquer.
 • The difference a shallow vs deep shaker profile makes in stability and longevity.

Partnership & working well together
• What a great collaboration looks like between designers, cabinet makers and suppliers.
 • Why clear communication and consistency build long-term trust.

Lydia’s advice for homeowners & designers:
Don’t assume you need the most expensive product
Melamine and laser-edged doors can outperform lacquer in durability and consistency.
Think about practicality early
 Durability, cost, colour consistency, and replacement flexibility matter long-term.
Explore veneer alternatives
 They’re often more resilient, less prone to colour variation, and easier to match later.
Stay curious
 Ask questions, explore samples, and understand the “why” behind each material choice.

Connect with Sage Doors:
Website: www.sagedoors.co.nz
 Instagram: @sagedoors

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 a project. Visit during Open Days or book an appointment to explore the sample library, co-working space, and industry events.

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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.

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Wishing you a very happy holiday. Over the break, we’re bringing back a few of your favourite Between the Walls episodes for you to enjoy. Thank you so much for your support this year. Have a beautiful holiday, and we can’t wait to be back with Season 2.
In this episode, Janey sits down with her co-hosts — and co-founders of the Architecture + Design Library — Penny and Verity for a warm, honest, and often very funny kōrero about what co-creation really looks like when you’re building something meaningful together.
They unpack what it means to work closely with someone who sees the world differently, creates differently, and responds differently — and how those differences can become your biggest advantage. From trust and tension to shared vision and letting go of control, this episode dives into the real, human side of partnership.
Whether you’re about to launch something with a partner, bring on a collaborator, or you’re simply curious about what makes strong creative relationships work, this one offers so much wisdom and heart.

What you’ll hear in this episode
How Penny and Verity first met — and why not starting as friends actually helped

Co-creation as a dance between dominance and surrender

Why working with someone different elevates your thinking and your work

Navigating creative tension without taking it personally

Why they’ve never had a full-blown argument (and don’t expect to)

What trust really looks like in business — action over perfection

Staying in your lane, dividing roles, and knowing when to let go

Why aligned vision matters more than matching styles

Designing and building in a male-dominated industry — and how they hold their own

Myths about female partnerships — and why their dynamic works

The importance of shared goals and flexibility along the way

Reflections
“We weren’t friends when we started — and that gave us a clean foundation.”

“Trust is knowing it’ll get done, even if it’s not in your time frame.”

“We debate constantly — not to argue, but to create better outcomes.”

“You don’t have to agree on everything, but you do need to want the same result.”

“We’ve built something based on respect — and that gives us room to be ourselves.”

“You don’t need to think alike. You need to listen well.”

Questions from AD Library Members
Penny: What does success look like to you?
Verity: If you weren’t doing what you’re doing now, what path might you have taken?
Penny: What design rule would you love to break — and why?
Verity: What part of the industry do you feel is still stuck in the past?
Connect with AD Library
Instagram: @adlibrary.nz
Website: adlibrary.nz
Follow the podcast on Instagram: @betweenthell_lls