I am a Registered Architect, Senior Associate, writer, and all-round creative. I have a wealth of experience in practical, research-based and technical outputs, delivering high quality, people-centric projects of various typologies, scales, and complexities. My expertise in interior built environments, workplace design, new construction, and adaptive reuse is vast, guiding clients and collaborators through emerging design thinking, brand strategy, and user-focussed outcomes.
I am interested in the profound impact that the interior environment has on those who inhabit it — that presents incredible opportunities for me as a designer (and a responsibility to get things right). Spaces create memories — perhaps a single moment or detail, but those are the things we hold on to. A rich and appropriate architecture is about leaning into the contexts that surround a project. Some may be uglier or more confronting than others, but with each context comes a new trajectory for a design response.
I strive to express ideas from a viewpoint of craft with a focus on assemblage. I look at the materials, but I also look for a common thread that speaks to the essence of a project.
Qualifications
Registered Architect (ANZIA)
New Zealand Registered Architects Board
2022 - Present
Master of Architecture (Professional)
Victoria University of Wellington
2016 - 2017
Graduate Diploma in Designed Environments
Victoria University of Wellington
2015
Bachelor of Architectural Studies
Victoria University of Wellington
2013 - 2014
Diploma in Interior Design
Universal College of Learning
2012
National Diploma in Architectural Technology
Waikato Institute of Technology
2009 - 2011
Practice
Designgroup Stapleton Elliott
Senior Associate
2022 - Present
Designgroup Stapleton Elliott
Associate
2021
Designgroup Stapleton Elliott
Graduate Architect
2018 - 2020
New Vision Architecture
Architectural Technician
2012 - 2017
A rich and appropriate architecture is about leaning into contexts that surround a project. Some may be uglier or more confronting, but with each comes a new trajectory for a heightened design response.
Experience
My early work with clients such as New Zealand Police, Civil Aviation Authority, and Callaghan Innovation proved immensely formative in distilling my passion for considered architectural and interior environments. This was a poignant time in my career which I nurtured and built upon. To demonstrate my body of work, my portfolio presents a collection of diverse creative pursuits, showcasing my strengths and passions for all things design.
I have been fortunate to have been part of some significant projects for Aotearoa. One that stays with me is the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. As project architect, I was tasked with delivering a highly bespoke fitout, comprising a hearing space, gathering, and survivor support facilities. Drivers included cultural storytelling, user equity, and affirming open-mindedness — responding to the diverse and often traumatic backgrounds of the people who inhabit these spaces. Through stakeholder engagement, zones were composed to convey softness, clarity, and order. For me, this project highlights the essence of what architecture is about — shaping positive, safe, and uplifting places for people to have a voice.
Cultural expression continues to be at the forefront of contextually appropriate design. My involvement in numerous cultural processes reaffirms the importance for an inclusive and empowering architecture. As a project architect this has manifested in many scales and complexities. For the Human Rights Commission, we embarked on a co-design partnership with Mana Whenua. A series of bespoke design interventions were curated to explore the principles of Te Kawa Ora (the spiritual journey of new life). More recently, I led the development of a holistic large-scale architectural response for Waka Kotahi NZTA’s national premises, through a focus on sustainability, user wellbeing, and sense of place — shaped by a bespoke narrative Ki Uta Ki Tai (from mountains to sea).
Accolades
NZIA Local Architecture Awards
Te Kāhui Tika Tangata — Human Rights Commission
Winner
NZIA Local Architecture Awards
Te Kāhui Tika Tangata — Human Rights Commission
Resene Colour Award Winner
NZIA Local Architecture Awards
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency — National Premises
Winner
NZIA Local Architecture Awards
TSA Management — Auckland Office
Shortlist
Interior Awards
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency — National Premises
Finalist
Best Design Awards
Te Kāhui Tika Tangata — Human Rights Commission
Gold Pin
Best Design Awards
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency — National Premises
Silver Pin
Best Design Awards
TSA Management — Auckland Office
Bronze Pin
NZIOB People Awards
Consultant category — Project Architect and Design Lead
Finalist
NZIOB People Awards
Collaboration category — Lead Consultant (Project Architect)
Finalist
Publicity
Architecture Now
‘On the Rise’ series
Digital Feature
NZ Architecture
‘Material Focus’ series
Print Feature
Affiliations
New Zealand Institute of Architects
Architect Member (ANZIA)
CoreNet Global
New Zealand Chapter Member