New Zealand's distinctive state houses from the 1930s and '40s are an enduring symbol of this country's egalitarian values. Modest houses, they were built from quality materials and with an emphasis on family and community. More than seventy-five years since the first state houses appeared, they are enjoying a renaissance as new generations of homeowners find ways to adapt their sturdy form for a more contemporary way of living. Beyond the State pays tribute to the New Zealand state house - and explores what it still offers us today.

Author Biography

Andrea Stevens practised architecture for 10 years in the commercial, education and residential fields. A recommendation by a friend prompted her to write her first design article for the Australian magazine Habitus in 2007, which has led to a career in writing and editing. She is currently the New Zealand Contributing Editor for Habitus and Indesign, and Editor for the Design Guide. Beyond the State is her third book. Bill McKay is an Associate Head of the School of Architecture and Planning at the University of Auckland. He writes extensively on New Zealand architecture in books, journals and magazines and has won awards for his work, including his commentary and criticism over the last decade in Architecture New Zealand. His research focuses particularly on the areas of New Zealand modernism and Maori architecture, most recently with extensive contributions to the books Long Live the Modern: New Zealand's New Architecture 1904-1984 and Group Architects: Towards a New Zealand Architecture. Simon Devitt is a photographer of architecture. Since 1999 he has focused exclusively on this genre, and he now works for many of the leading New Zealand architectural practices. His work takes him around the country to some of our most beautiful cities and landscapes. He studies this context as closely as the building itself to capture its sense of place. Simon's images have been featured in more than a dozen books and many more local and international magazines. He exhibits with McNamara Gallery.