82 | KLT Architects: Rob Blick Building “We are doing everything, from designing the home to taking care of all the internal design elements.” ARCHITECTURE Multi-skilled team take on design challenges To Keryn, passive home and energy efficient design is integral to her practice. T T Sue Russell In July 2021 Marlborough architect Keryn Thompson went out on her own, having worked in an architecture practice in Wellington for over 20 years. Joining her in her practice is Wendy Brehaut, currently working two days each week. Her background is in marketing and project management, and she keeps the practice ticking over. Another colleague, spatial designer Abi Balasoglou, contributes her design & documentation services 4 days a week. “I’m very fortunate with the team I have. Collectively, we are multi-skilled around a project and I like the fact that we’re a small team. The practice is based at my home, given I have a young child,” Keryn explains. Keryn’s father was a builder and she has two brothers in the building industry. Asked if she concentrates on a particular market Keryn says she does a little bit of everything, and enjoys maintaining a broad range of projects. “I like the variety. From residential new builds and alterations, some school work, mainly primary and early childhood along with some commercial work.” Keryn received acclaim from the NZIA when she won an award for a small office building for Fairfield Construction of Blenheim in 2022. It was the first commercial building in the South Island to gain Passive House Institute certification as a Low Energy Building. This certification means that the building will be about 7 times more efficient than the standard building code. To Keryn, passive home and energy efficient design is integral to her practice and she is very invested in growing and developing this knoweldge base. Asked to explain her design process, Keryn says its very much dependent on individual clients, and takes on its own rhythm, depending on initial ideas the client brings to the table. “Some come with quite a lot of detail, others are more a blank page. Sometimes it is good they come with a strong brief and sometimes its a case of paring this back in those early conversations.” Working with a local QS is also an important step to bed down the design costings and bring a sense of reality as to whether the budget and vision align. “Sometimes you get the concept pretty well spot on right from the start. At other times you’re working with more complex sites with constraints, especially in the Marlborough Sounds.” KLT Architects were commissioned by new home owner clients to design a substantial home in Marlborough Ridge, Fairhall, extending some 600m2, and being constructed by Rob Blick Building, a well established and highly regarded local builder. Currently on site with roof on and exterior cladding being installed, the house is designed to be a noble but contemporary form of simple gabled construction in a relatively grand scale. Keryn assigned modern materials like corten steel to accentuate and contrast with more classic elements. The double height entrance and cathedral ceiling in the living and kitchen areas, give the interior a sense of formality which is softened with engineered timber floors, ceilings, bespoke joinery and textured wall papers. A bold entrance facade features powdercoated aluminium fins and window shrouds, to lift the southern aspect of the building. This allows the floor plan to open up along the north side living, and provides first story views across to Marlborough’s surrounding ranges. From the get-go on this project, Abi’s interior skills have been well applied alongside Keryn’s expertise. “We are doing everything, from designing the home to taking care of all the internal design elements, like taps, lighting, door handles, so its been a great project to be involved in,” says Keryn. As well as new builds, Keryn says she enjoys alteration work. “It brings a different challenge, and can often be more complex, and generally takes more time in the designing phase than starting with a blank canvas.” A lot of work comes by word of mouth with just a small number of architects based in Blenheim. “We’ve recently started a Practice Support Group, where we can undertake professional development and share thoughts. It is a supportive space where we can sound off our ideas.” As 2024 starts to ramp up, Keryn is looking forward to seeing the end result on the projects currently underway and looking forward to beginning a varied selection of new projects. Your one-stop professional building service in Blenheim. GET IN TOUCH WITH THE TEAM TODAY FOR: • New Builds • Renovations • Property Inspections • Re-clads & Repairs 03 578 5810 info@robblickbuilding.co.nz www.robblickbuilding.co.nz Servicing Picton and the Marlborough Sounds for over 30 years. 03 578 6999 | office@totalelectrix.co.nz | 42 Dublin Street, Picton
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