| 83 ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN Stufkens & Chambers Architects Collective strengths bring flexibility Steven Chambers says his view of architecture “is about predominantly how you feel in a place”. T T Sue Russell “If we secure a contract which is going to be worked on over a considerable period of time then, as necessary, we’ll bring in more heads around the table and we find the flexibility of this approach works well.” Market challenges can provide opportunities to develop in a new way, and such is the case with architecture practice Stufkens & Chambers. As Steven Chambers explains, “I had a practice here in Tauranga and my business partner Marcus had one in Christchurch. The practice was born out of the collective strengths of the two individual practices to form an entity that positioned itself strongly after the GFC. We did that for a couple of years and then formed a new entity about 14 years ago.” The Tauranga office has a team of five and in Christchurch there are seven professionals, with a satellite practitioner in Dunedin. “We maintain ourselves as a boutique practice, but within it we operate quite a diverse portfolio,” Steven says. “Because of the multi-studio nature of the practice, there’s a strong collaboration thread between the three, so depending on the skill-sets required around the table on any given project, there can often be input from professionals from all studios. We really act as one studio with three locations. “If we secure a contract which is going to be worked on over a considerable period of time then, as necessary, we’ll bring in more heads around the table and we find the flexibility of this approach works well,” he says. In Christchurch there is a strong thread of multi-unit and educational projects, while in the Bay of Plenty, there is a lot of work undertaken for the tourism sector and a number of master-planned developments. “We do a lot in the holiday park environment and have just recently completed a large, 350sqm swimming pool landscape for a park in Papamoa, along with some accommodation suites. I really enjoy the variety and how we can apply the diverse skill sets we have across a whole range of genres.” Steven says commercial and residential projects are poles apart in terms of approach. Commercial work, he explains, has a lot of input in terms of return on investment, site criteria, and time constraints. “With commercial work, people are largely making decisions outside of their personal preferences. They look at a range of options and make the best decision then move on. There’s less ruminating over the array of options in the world of business and commerce.” He says he equally enjoys the residential work, given its personal nature and the relationships built with clients over time. This year, Steven’s work on his own home was recognised in the Bay of Plenty ADNZ awards, for homes of 150sqm or less. As often happens, homes with a smaller footprint come with a range of challenges, and in this case the site itself called for imagination, and an understanding as to what it could best accommodate. “It was a very engaging project, given we needed the home to work well for our children with special sensory needs. We had the section for over four years before we settled on the design we felt would meet our family’s needs best. It went through multiple iterations before settling on the final design,” says Steven. The history of the site, he explains, drove the design aesthetic and a strong desire to build with minimal environmental impact and use locally sourced products and people helped frame the design. “My view of architecture is about predominantly how you feel in a place. I’m more interested in that, than the aesthetic of the space. Our children have heightened senses and experience of the world, so I wanted the spaces to be able to facilitate these needs.” The challenges were met through careful treatment of timber, chosen for its ‘fragrant’ quality. Even the rhythmic quality to the sound of rain falling on the home’s exterior informed decisions as to what cladding and roofing the home would have. “We did a lot of background research into sensory perception, and designing for neuro-diversity is something I feel that we’re only beginning to understand and apply in design treatment. The knowledge gained certainly transfers over into a lot of projects as we must accommodate the human condition in every project.” Steven is also passionate about ultimately building homes with smaller footprints, as a way to support sustainability: “What can be achieved in a minimal space, yet still give a sense of enough room to live well in.” On November 1, Steven’s home received further commendation from ADNZ, chosen as the national winner in the house up to 150sqm category. Building Architectural Legacies totaraconstruction.com From new builds to renovations, we work closely with architects and clients to deliver results that stand the test of time. Totara Construction is a locally owned and operated construction company servicing the wider Tauranga area. 027 213 5012 matt@totaraconstruction.com K A I M A I R OO F I N G Get in touch with Ben: kaimairoofing@gmail.com 021 025 45880 kaimairoofing.co.nz
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