66 | “Quite often we find that people don’t realise the big part that the site itself plays in house design around orientation to the sun, constraints around access and council services and so on.” Blank Space Architectural T T Kim Newth Making his mark on his home town The practice is currently working on a terrace housing development close to the town centre. ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN For architectural designer Puka Te Rangi, choosing Pukekohe as the place to establish his own practice - Blank Space Architectural - in 2010 was an easy decision. Pukekohe is his home stamping ground and, through the years, he has been well supported by the town. Looking back, Puka feels fortunate to have had a wise rugby coach who set him on a positive course as a young school leaver, at a time when he hadn’t been sure what he wanted to do with his life. “He introduced me to a local man looking for someone to fill an apprenticeship type role doing architectural design. That’s how I started – I didn’t do a university degree – so I learned everything from scratch. I was with him for six years, learning all the nuts and bolts of the job. It was a great way to train and gave me a big step ahead.” When Puka decided to set up on his own, he and wife Kim had just welcomed their first child but felt confident that having strong local contacts would stand them in good stead. “We were really lucky to have friends and family in Pukekohe with jobs that needed to be done! We started doing work for them and it built from there, mostly through word of mouth.” Puka is a professional member of Architectural Designers New Zealand (ADNZ) who has used his skill and experience to embed Blank Space Architectural as a trusted partner in Pukekohe’s residential architectural housing market. Blank Space Architectural offers high quality design and documentation for residential alterations and additions through to new home projects. Clients planning their new home will have generally purchased their site by the time they approach the practice and will have a broad plan in mind. “Essentially, we work with them to pull together their ideas and put them into a conceptual design set of plans, giving the client the site plan, floor plan, external elevations and 3D perspective views of the house design. Quite often we find that people don’t realise the big part that the site itself plays in house design around orientation to the sun, constraints around access and council services and so on. We piece it all together for them.” For clients needing guidance on who to build with, Puka says they can put them in touch with builders who would be a good fit for their particular project. Blank Space Architectural is evolving in line with the local market, which is fast changing as more developers invest in the area, driving growth in infill housing. The practice is currently working on a terrace housing development close to the town centre. Puka says five dwellings were originally planned for the site before the developer decided to further intensify. “He then approached us to redesign the entire project to accommodate seven homes on the site.” Their largest project so far this year is a 96unit Kainga Ora development in Whangārei, with Puka busy doing all the building consent documentation. This latest contract came via a local building contractor. “It is a great example of how having good local connections can work well for you and lead to opportunities outside your area.” Puka says the practice is also in the throes of developing a range of quality, affordable housing designs for a local housing company, Homes by Nest, that he has worked with previously. This year has seen a significant slowdown in the construction industry with the impacts widely felt and Puka says his own practice has not been spared. He started out originally working from home and is now back to working from home as a sole practitioner, with Kim managing bookwork and administration. “We’ve had to lose three employees this year but I’m relieved to say that the outlook ahead is now looking more promising with activity starting to pick up again. “All of a sudden, clients whose projects were on hold are now pushing the go button.” Contact: Bru Goldfinch 021 215 8368 | bru@homesbynest.nz | www.homesbynest.nz Premium Service | Personalised Solutions | Fair Price That warm feeling of pride and comfort when you drive through your gateway for the first time should last forever. At Homes by Nest, our end goal is for you to enjoy your family home as much as we enjoy ours. We want you to be completely satisfied in your decision to build with us everytime you walk through your front door. Proudly supporting Blank Space Architecture
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