62 | Crafting experiences The Choice Architecture team (from left): Jadyn Cooke, Joe Armitage and Lisa McLaughlin. Choice Architecture T T Richard Loader ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN Joe Armitage, a founding director of Rangiora architectural design practice Choice Architecture says his passion for architecture” is the belief that it is not just about buildings”. “It’s about crafting experiences, and I’m fascinated by how architecture can transform the mundane into the extraordinary. What really drives me is the constant exploration of new ideas and the desire to make the world around us a bit more functional and beautiful. I find it really rewarding to take someone’s vision and turn that into a tangible space. “The blend of art, science and architecture is what captivates me. The intersection of creativity and technical knowhow, and the balance of that is where the magic really happens. My clients’ needs, the context of a place and finding the right mix of form and function is an ongoing puzzle that I quite enjoy solving.” Founded just six years ago, ignited by a determination to uphold the spirit of innovation, Choice Architecture is neatly nestled in Rangiora’s bustling Conway Lane — a perfect playground to stimulate those creative juices and meet clients in one of its cafes. “We have a close-knit team of creative designers, who bring fresh innovative ideas to our projects. An office manager also helps streamline daily operations. “We continually invest in the team, and foster a culture of learning, collaboration and growth. We’re not just experts in our field; we’re actually passionate about what we do.” The team’s primary focus lies in the South Island with specific emphasis on serving the Waimakariri, Hurunui and Christchurch regions. “I like to think that the regional focus allows us to establish a strong presence, delivering our services with a deep understanding of the needs and characteristics of those specific areas, and that they have played quite a significant role in our journey. “Architecture plays a pivotal role in shaping the regions in which we operate, and particularly in Waimakariri. It’s not really about an individual project — it is about the broader impact that our architecture has on the entire community, the region’s visual character, functionality and the quality of life. It is about the sense of community, the vibrancy of the region as whole, the inclusivity of diversity, and adding to the region’s character.” From residential new builds and renovations to medium density housing, light commercial and fitouts, Choice Architecture has a broad range of projects. But it is the high-end residential new builds including hill-site homes, where the client really wants to explore the boundaries of architecture that the team really excels, creating unique and exceptional spaces. Architype: Toiora Co-housing Development The family has got involved with working bees to get the finishing touches done, such as fencing and pergolas. “From a Passive House point of view, it’s surreal having a home that stays at the right temperature. We barely need heating. From a co-housing perspective, living here is really lovely. Our boys can run straight out the back and play with other kids. “There are always things going on like games on the lawn and barbecues. We used to live in an old villa and you’d hear kids playing on the other side of the fence on their piece of grass. We always thought, ‘wouldn’t it be better if the fences came down?’ “One of the biggest surprises for us has been how much we’re enjoying common meals here. You can rock up and have a home cooked meal once or twice a week - it’s really good.” In designing Toiora Cohousing, Tim ensured there would be a good balance between privacy and social connection. “The living areas in the downstairs units are organised so the kitchen faces the common Modular design selected T T from page 60 area, but where you’d watch TV is more private. A key co-housing design principle is that people do need spaces to retreat to.” Sustainability is a recurrent theme in this passive cohousing project that also includes EV charging facilities. All roofing faces north to allow for installation of solar panels in future. Finished externally in James Hardie fibre cement products and Axon Titan Panel, the cohousing blocks present a smart, low maintenance exterior. A modular design was selected for each block to suit a range of unit sizes from one- to five-bedrooms. In the end, with demand stronger for smaller units, the five-bed option was converted to one-bedroom units downstairs and two- to three-bed units upstairs. Buyers had a modest choice of options on flooring, benchtops, splashback and other interior details. With several co-housing projects appearing in this year’s Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA) awards, it is clear there is a growing appetite for it. “While it is a tricky building environment right now, co-housing is definitely an idea that has attraction for a lot of people,” Tim observes. The group development approach allowed for greater housing density while making best use of available space to create a shared, sheltered central green space. 0800 434 287 | 5merchants.co.nz We are proud to be associatedwith the Toiora High Street Co-housing project. Suppliers of high performance ventilation, windows and air and weather tightness components. Anderson & Co Resource Management is pleased to have provided resource management services for the Toiora Co-housing Development designed by Architype. For local and experienced planning & resource management advice, contact the RMA professionals: Conrad Anderson 027 252 0141 conrad_a@xtra.co.nz www.RMApro.co.nz Proudly supporting Choice Architecture 027 328 9187 quiksandltd@hotmail.com New Builds Renovations Decks & Fences Proudy supporting Choice Architecture CONTACT 027 656 9699 jbbuild.ltd@gmail.com
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=