| 87 T T Richard Loader Portfolio encompasses broad range Gravity Architecture undertakes projects mostly around Christchurch and the wider Canterbury region. Gravity Architecture ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN Christchurch practice Gravity Architecture has been providing its services for over 30 years and director/designer Rob Nicholas believes the company’s longevity comes down to having a unique approach to a broad range of architectural projects. “We listen, we research, we evolve with the times and we design with an end goal in mind – whether it’s a forever family home for a private client, a profit-driven development for commercial clients, or simply adding housing stock for our social housing providers,” says Rob. “The end goal is always discussed with the client up front, and the budget is always discussed well ahead of any discussion around design styles and aesthetics. Our repeat clients and word-of- mouth marketing have really driven the success of the company.” Gravity Architecture was founded by Michael Cousens in the mid-’90s, and Rob became a shareholder in 2015. With a team of six, Gravity Architecture undertakes projects mostly around Christchurch and the wider Canterbury region, but currently has projects all around the country – from Hanmer Springs to Ashburton, Timaru, and also Katikati in the Bay of Plenty. “In the early years we were busy designing a wide variety of projects, but we had a particularly busy workload designing motels. Throughout the early 2000s we designed around 27 motel complexes for the Bella Vista chain. For the last five years, medium-density multi-unit housing currently caters for around 80% of our workload. “We have a deep understanding of the myriad of council rules and regulations for medium-density land and have really good relationships with all of our clients.” Rob observes that in recent times there has been a distinct shift from clients to provide fewer one- and two-bedroom units, and more three- and four-bedroom units, and always having at least a car park, but preferably a garage. “Maximising our clients’ needs on small parcels of land around the hubs of the city will start to get easier now that Christchurch City Council finally voted in agreement on changes to the district plan, which will allow for higher-density development. “We think these incoming changes will trigger another burst of new development from early 2025. It seems there’s still strong demand for the product, so while these multi-unit houses are still selling our clients will keep designing and building them.” Providing a scaled, hand-drawn sketch to give an idea of numbers of units and typologies that could realistically be consented and built on a piece of land is one way in which Gravity Architecture supports its developer clients. “When developers are looking at buying land they often have a very short amount of time to assess the site and determine a value for it. “They turn to us for a very high-level summary of the site, and we can usually turn this around on the same day of the enquiry to ensure they can act quickly. “Sometimes, we might need to try six different sites with a client before they can secure a parcel of land amongst the fierce market competition. “The service we provide needs to be quick and accurate; at the end of the day our clients are aiming to make a return on their investment.”
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