| 71 T T Kelly Deeks Focus on smart design and healthier homes Highly experienced in residential, commercial, and education work around Invercargill and into Gore and Te Anau, VMA’s project diversity has kept the business strong. ARCHITECTURE Varcoe McMillan Architecture Invercargill architectural practice Varcoe McMillan Architecture is gearing up to move into new premises later this year – a goal set when co-owners Gordon McMillan and Cory Varcoe launched the firm. Gordon says owning their own building has been a long-term goal, achieved through hard work, loyal clients, and a strong local team. “It’s a really satisfying and exciting milestone for us.” Gordon and Cory established Varcoe McMillan Architecture (VMA) in 2020, just two weeks before the first Covid-19 lockdown. Both had long careers at KGR Architectural Design, where Gordon had worked since 2004. “When I decided to go out on my own, we spoke about me taking the staff with me and continuing to do their work,” Gordon says. “It meant nothing really changed except the name. We had the same team and the same great service.” That continuity proved vital when lockdown hit. “We already had work lined up and we could keep going online,” he says. “Testament to things like being able to meet on Teams, we were able to hit the ground running and haven’t looked back since.” The practice has continued to grow with Invercargill’s steady building demand and the region’s resilience through economic cycles. Highly experienced in residential, commercial, and education work around Invercargill and into Gore and Te Anau, VMA’s project diversity has kept the business strong. Gordon’s background includes 11 years as an architectural designer with School Support, bringing valuable commercial and educational expertise to the practice. Cory adds extensive residential experience from his time as principal designer for David Reid Homes Southland. “Our team can take ownership of their projects and deliver quickly,” Gordon says. “That experience gives us the flexibility to push projects through when needed.” Gordon and Cory say their focus is on looking after VMA customers and designing homes that perform beyond building-code minimums. “The building code is really just the lowest standard you can legally build to,” says Gordon. “We want to help people design healthier, more comfortable homes that don’t come with high energy costs or health costs. There’s a shocking number of asthma sufferers in New Zealand, and a lot of that comes down to poor housing.” He says while the insulation requirements in the building code have improved, its ventilation standards haven’t improved, and this is a growing concern for the industry. “We want to design smarter homes that perform well within realistic budgets.” VMA is currently working on a high-performance home in Pisa Moorings, featuring a full-house ventilation system, thermal mass design, and passive heat transfer between rooms. The project, developed with thermal engineer Michael Sauter of Circular Project, focuses on “better design rather than expensive products”. “Any building is a large investment,” Cory says. “Our goal is to make it the best it can be through smarter spaces, smarter products, and smarter design.” Services Include: • Seismic Assessments & Retrofit Strengthening Solutions • NZBC Based - Fire Engineering Solutions • Civil • Structural 173 Spey St, Invercargill P: 03 218 7936 M: 027 403 3773 E: darryl@kensingtonconsulting.co.nz Paul McHaffie and Steve Gibson | p 021 684 181 | e admin@mchaffiebuilding.co.nz FOR RENOVATING OR BUILDING YOUR NEW HOME WITH US, VISIT www.mchaffiebuilding.co.nz DESIGNED + BUILT WITH INTEGRITY PROUDLY SUPPORTING VARCOE MCMILLAN ARCHITECTURE Grant Smith 027 788 9808 grant@firesafetysolutions.co.nz Nigel Smith 027 735 1031 nigel@firesafetysolutions.co.nz Fire Design Specialists Practical, cost effective design solutions
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