100 | A Studio Architects T T Karen Phelps Expertise in integrated consulting The practice has developed particular expertise in integrated consenting – combining land development and housing design simultaneously. ARCHITECTURE A Studio Architects specialises in the front end of the architectural design process for development projects, which is how it adds significant value for clients, says director Jennifer Hanson. “Our company specifically focuses on the feasibility, concept and preliminary design stages of projects, including resource consent. We specialise in unlocking how our clients can get the most out of their land development project,” Jennifer explains. A Studio Architects is led by Jennifer and fellow director Kendon McGrail, both registered architects, and together they bring over 65 years of combined experience to the practice. Jennifer says A Studio Architects has cultivated a reputation for its collaborative approach with clients, particularly in responding to shifting market demands. “We can respond to the market and look at how the land our clients own can best be utilised to respond to that as well.” She says what sets A Studio Architects apart is its informal, agile approach during the early development stages. “We like to work with developers in a way that we can assist them at the front end of projects via hand-drawn sketches to quickly turn around figures and enable them to do their own feasibility to work out if the land is a viable purchase. “It’s about getting our clients the information they need, when they need it, before progressing to more detailed designs.” The practice has developed particular expertise in integrated consenting – combining land development and housing design simultaneously. “The advantage is our clients can often get larger footprints on the lots, and maximise yield by designing houses in a way that demonstrates good urban design outcomes to the council,” says Jennifer. “Things like privacy, adequate sunlight, quality outdoor living, passive surveillance, and the look and feel of the street environment are demonstrated in the consent documentation. We find that our clients generally prefer this approach to selling land as vacant sites where the developer and purchasers are then subject to the standard council requirements, which can greatly reduce the density and the size of the future homes to be built.” While A Studio Architects has historically done a significant amount of work for developers building homes for Kāinga Ora in the social housing sector, it has adapted as that market has contracted. The firm is now working with the same clients to explore other opportunities with them and, in some cases, assisting with iwi-led projects, which is an area of development that seems to be experiencing rapid growth, Jennifer says. Due to the drastic reduction in consent applications that A Studio Architects and similar architectural firms have been involved with over the last 12 to18 months, Jennifer predicts that as the housing market shows signs of recovery there will be a potential depletion of housing stock in the next 24 months, which could be a contributing factor to rising prices. “What will be interesting this time is that when things pick up, where they will pick up. The traditional answer to housing shortages has been to increase density around urban centres, which means building vertically on a smaller footprint, but our clients tell us anything over two or maybe three levels is too costly for them to build. “Without the density, the land costs in Auckland are too high, so we are seeing they are looking outside the Auckland urban areas.” With both directors maintaining hands-on involvement in projects, Jennifer says A Studio Architects aims to continue to deliver quality design, producing affordable yet dynamic and inspiring spaces for developers and private clients across New Zealand. INTEGRATED PLANNING, SURVEYING, ENGINEERING, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS THAT WORK. 09 524 7029 auckland@ckl.co.nz www.ckl.co.nz
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=