92 | Having graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture from Auckland University and working for other practices for a few years, Jason Bailey decided he wanted to be his own boss, and so he set up his own architectural firm in 1999. Then in 2020, he and architect Pashtrik Hoxha launched Hoxha Bailey Architects together, working out of Three Lamps in Auckland’s Ponsonby. Five years later, Jason and Pashtrik’s collaboration continues to work well, both for them and for their clients. Jason made the move to live in one country (Australia) while working in another, not long after they joined forces, perhaps made easier by the zoom culture that sprang up through the pandemic. Pashtrik had worked with Jason as a graduate for a few years before doing postgraduate studies and working in classical architecture in the UK, and their easy familiarity means the physical distance is irrelevant to the way they manage the different projects that come through the door. “As a partnership we tend to work on every job together, collaborating very closely from concept onwards,” says Jason. “We set up the parameters of what the site and the brief entail, and we each draw up a few concepts before comparing ideas and critiquing each other’s designs, discarding some ideas and running with what we think are the better design options. “So, the interrogation of the design is more collaborative, which is typical of the way we run our practice and work with our clients as well, who frequently want to be very involved with the process.” Hoxha Bailey currently has a small team of four, including the directors, having grown and shrunk in parallel with the economy. With up to 20 projects in different stages at any one time, collectively they are conscious of making every project unique and deliberately not having a signature style, being guided instead by what comes out of the site, together with the client’s brief. A recent Remuera project, which is well through its construction phase, could be a sign of things to come, even for architects who, like Jason, have historically worked on standalone houses, often with a heritage overlay. Aligning with the new medium-density guidelines for Auckland, the Remuera brief was to design three free-standing houses: two would be built to sell (they are now on the market) on the rear of the 820sqm section on Upland Road, with the larger front house (still under construction), to be lived in by the clients, Jason explains. “We knew the client was interested in a quality outcome, and the beauty of it was that we could control the design both across the site and for each house. “We were able to ensure everybody has amenity and sunlight and an outlook with private outdoor space, while still maximising the parameters of the land to achieve three goodsized dwellings on what was a conventional Remuera single-house site with a big garden.” The project was different from many of those Hoxha and Bailey undertake, on two key fronts. Whereas they might normally be closely involved with their clients throughout the build, often leaving decisions to do with the interior until the client can stand in the space and get a sense of how they will live there, in this instance, because the clients are developing the section in partnership with a project management team, their involvement diminished as construction began. Secondly, a lot of Hoxha Bailey’s work is with heritage overlay projects in parts of Herne Bay, Ponsonby and Parnell, where the ARCHITECTURE Hoxha Bailey Architects Virginia Wright Partnership thrives despite distance A lot of Hoxha Bailey’s work is with heritage overlay projects in parts of Herne Bay, Ponsonby and Parnell, where the original villa is protected. “We knew the client was interested in a quality outcome, and the beauty of it was that we could control the design both across the site and for each house.” original villa (for example) is protected. “Our reputation has been more about that sort of work, and we enjoy the challenge of working with an old home to restore it and improve it while being held to preserve as much as possible of the original,” Jason explains. Clearly, Jason and Pashtrik thrive on putting what Jason describes as their “front-end skills into play to crack the puzzle”, whether it’s designing three new, high-end builds on a small piece of land while achieving the integrity of all three, or, engaging with the Auckland Council and clients to modernise a heritage house while preserving its history. The target remains to design a truly appealing home that’s a pleasure to live in, achieved while retaining its own unique style, arrived at in close collaboration with both colleagues and clients. Building Homes that Inspire Pride, Precision & Planning Open, Honest & Transparent Frontline have tremendous pride in our reputation for delivering outstanding homes through planning, meticulous detail and quality of construction. This has afforded us the opportunity to build arguably some of the most prestigious residential projects in NZ and also solidify our reputation at the very top of the high-end residential housing market. Our enviable reputation in the industry is the result of years of experience and collaborations with some of the best architects, talented builders, skilled subcontractors and highest quality suppliers that NZ has to offer ensuring your home is built to the highest level of craftmanship and quality. From estimate to completion, the experience at Frontline is about communication and honesty. We make sure that you understand each and every detail of your build in terms of cost, programme and finish. Frontline complete all of their projects using the NZ Certified Builders standard “Cost plus Margin” contracts. We complete a full and all-encompassing construction budget and construction programme prior to construction which forms the basis of the NZCB contract. The NZCB “Cost plus Margin” contract is an open and fully transparent method of construction where you literally see an invoice for every dollar spent on your project. Unit 15. 33 Apollo Drive, Albany, Auckland Jarrett 021 728 331 or Ernie 021 515 854 jarrett@frontlineprojects.net.nz | erniehogg@frontlineprojects.net.nz www.frontlineprojects.co.nz
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