Our building code is completely inadequate – it doesn’t guarantee warm, healthy homes. Even new houses are sub-standard because they’re built to minimum code by construction companies offering cookie cutter house and land packages in subdivisions where competition is high and margins low.
The market doesn’t help. Estate agents and developers perpetuate the myth that value is linked to the size of a house, rather than its design and comfort. The truth is, less is often more and quality matters more than size.
I’m not interested in doing the bare minimum, I want your home to be the best it can be
It’s lovely having a warm home. Our previous house was a beautiful old home, but it was cold. In our new home with double glazing, insulation, and underfloor heating, the warmth is one of the lovelier things about it. We moved back in the middle of winter, but we couldn't believe how pleasant it was moving around from room to room.”
The homeowners, Fendalton Build, Christchurch
I’m here to design and build your forever home
Architecture is more than drawing up plans. It’s designing high-performance spaces where you can live your best life, so you’ll never want another house.
Building is hard. I've been in your shoes. I know you’re navigating a complicated process that costs a lot of money, and it’s normal to feel nervous. I’m here to help. You can always come to me for advice.
I welcome being challenged. And I promise to challenge you too. The thing about design discussions is they're not about winning or losing. They’re about uncovering what's important to you.
In every build there are choices and compromises. Robust discussions help you make better choices and the right compromises.
I like designing with people on the same page in life
We work together to design the intimate spaces where you eat, sleep and bathe, to build you a home that truly fits the way you want to live. So, it's always a bonus if we’ve things in common beyond a love for architecture.
Often, I end up working with people who’ve similar sensibilities. Outdoors people, who like getting out in the beauty of New Zealand. People who travel and read, who appreciate design and art and a nice handmade pot. People who care about waste and want their home to sit lightly on the earth.
We may not even realise we have these things in common until we’re well into designing your home. And sometimes all we have in common is a shared enthusiasm for high performance homes, and that’s grand too.
I’m here to design and build your forever home
Architecture is more than drawing up plans. It’s designing high-performance spaces where you can live your best life, so you’ll never want another house.
Building is hard. I've been in your shoes. I know you’re navigating a complicated process that costs a lot of money, and it’s normal to feel nervous. I’m here to help. You can always come to me for advice.
I welcome being challenged. And I promise to challenge you too. The thing about design discussions is they're not about winning or losing. They’re about uncovering what's important to you.
In every build there are choices and compromises. Robust discussions help you make better choices and the right compromises.
I like designing with people on the same page in life
We work together to design the intimate spaces where you eat, sleep and bathe, to build you a home that truly fits the way you want to live. So, it's always a bonus if we’ve things in common beyond a love for architecture.
Often, I end up working with people who’ve similar sensibilities. Outdoors people, who like getting out in the beauty of New Zealand. People who travel and read, who appreciate design and art and a nice handmade pot. People who care about waste and want their home to sit lightly on the earth.
We may not even realise we have these things in common until we’re well into designing your home. And sometimes all we have in common is a shared enthusiasm for high performance homes, and that’s grand too.
I became an architect because I love making things
I remember designing Lego houses as a little kid. I always liked making with my hands and worked as a carpenter through university. My dad built most of our family house, and he was a third-generation taxidermist, so craftsmanship is a family tradition.
I may have started out more hands-on than a designer, but I grew up in a mid-century Christchurch concrete block house. My parents had an appreciation of Danish design and my uncle lived in a house designed by the architect Andrew Barclay. I met architects growing up, and the job appealed.
Practicality goes a long way
I’ve 30 years’ experience in all aspects of the building industry from carpenter to construction manager, draftsman to architect, and I don’t mind getting my boots dirty on site.
The first firms I worked for gave me lot of responsibility quickly. That made me a practical architect who handles all phases of a project with confidence. Working in Australia on big commercial projects made me realise my heart lay in residential, so when I opened my own practice, I focused on homes.
Houses are more complex than commercial buildings and I love detailed projects where I can draw on my years of experience. I’ve built or renovated more than 160 homes, updating heritage buildings, remediating leaky homes, and earthquake damaged properties in both urban and rural settings.
I know it’s a cliché, but I really care
I care about the way you live, your comfort, and your budget because I know what it feels like to be in your shoes. I’ve renovated two houses and built two from scratch. I’ve had to compromise on design because of budget, wrestled with lengthy consent processes, and spent eyewatering money with builders.
Today, I design high-performance homes and upgrade character buildings to deliver charm and comfort. I do work I love; with people I enjoy. So, if you’re a discerning person who appreciates beautiful, comfortable, healthy homes, maybe I’m the right architect for you.
I love getting out in wilderness. I’m a skier, climber, and tramper and I’ve been a member of the Canterbury Mountaineering Club for 40+ years.
Two years ago, I took over managing our properties. The Club owns two lodges, along with eight backcountry huts. Maintaining them can mean anything from digging a long drop to replacing lead nails so keas don’t snack on them. Several huts are a good 10-12 hours walk from the road.
We’re also looking at doing a couple of hut rebuilds in the next year. I hope I’ll get to design the new huts, and if I do, they’ll be real legacy projects. It’s a great privilege to build in such spectacular landscapes.
“If you work with an architect, make the most of them. There's no point engaging a professional unless you're going to listen. We could have hired a draughtsman to translate our ideas into drawings, but we wanted to be challenged. Working with Graeme has brought unexpected pleasures.”
Steve Lester, Avonhead Build, Christchurch
“There’s a lot of joy in this house. It feels very personal. There are all these surprises as we walk around. And we haven’t got to the end of our surprises because we haven't had winter here yet. It will get even better.”
Sari Lester, Avonhead Build, Christchurch
“Graeme is one of the most knowledgeable architects we know. We used to come away from meetings with him and comment on how experienced and wise he was, because he’d answer all our questions, and come up with other options.”
The homeowners, Fendalton Build, Christchurch
“Right at the very end of our build, Graeme went around and checked everything. He had a list with dozens of tiny little meticulous fixes, things we would never have noticed. It reflected his personal commitment to the project. Certainly, we had the feeling that he had a vested interest in the project. It never felt like it was just another house that he’d designed.”
