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About

The Pacific is our home, our place to stand. We believe architecture, interior design, landscape architecture and urban design are a social responsibility. Our work should lift the human spirit, it should tell stories, it should be beautiful and generous, sustainable, and inspirational.

People are at the heart of the design process. We believe that great design expresses the narratives of people and place, ultimately providing space for society to enjoy and flourish. Our work responds to the unique culture, context and climate of Aotearoa New Zealand, drawing inspiration from our landscape, its forms, textures and quality of light. Our ‘Why' statement, values and ethos, guide us in enhancing the social, cultural and environmental outcomes of not only our projects but also our practice.  

As people of Aotearoa New Zealand, we acknowledge the bicultural foundation enshrined in Te Tiriti o Waitangi (Treaty of Waitangi). Māori tikanga is increasingly embedded in our process and guided by the principles within Te Kawenata o Rata. Our partnerships with mana whenua ensure the built environment is meaningful for Māori – reflecting their ancestral knowledge, whakapapa, and sense of place. These collaborative cross-disciplinary relationships mean that we work from multiple perspectives bringing richer innovative thinking and problem solving to the design process. 

And as the health and well-being of people relies on the quality of the natural environment, we are on a mission to decarbonise our buildings through sustainable design. Bringing great care, craft and expertise, our collective creativity has led to a portfolio of transformative projects around the country based on a diversity of ideas over a singular stylistic expression. 

Sustainability is one of the main priorities of the work we do. We’re determined to improve the communities in which we live in and create environmentally sustainable places and spaces.

That’s why, in our projects and practice, we are taking steps through ambitious reduction targets and an internationally relevant environmentally sustainable design framework across our projects, to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas and carbon emissions – aligning us with New Zealand’s 2050 net zero carbon goals. We’re raising our own standards to embrace transparency in carbon footprint reporting, supply chain ethics and materials traceability. 

We are able to provide a full Life Cycle Analysis with Carbon Budgets for all our projects. We also have the capability to provide Green Star Accredited Professional services for any project where a Green Star rating is a project requirement.

We are active members of the Life Cycle Association of New Zealand and we are working on building an extensive project carbon database. We are also members of the New Zealand Green Building Council.

Studio Pacific are a Toitū carbonzero architectural practice and a signatory to the international Aotearoa New Zealand Architects Declare.

Featured Projects

As tangata whenua, Māori have a long history of shaping the built environment of Aotearoa – one that is reflective of their cultural and historic connections to place. Studio Pacific are guided by the principles within Te Kawenata o Rata and te Tiriti o Waitangi (Treaty of Waitangi) for projects that are significant to mana whenua. We see ourselves as amplifiers and conduits whereby Māori are the storytellers, and our mahi is to listen and reflect their identity, narratives and whakapapa in the built environment through a co-design process.  

We support Māori and Pasifika design students through financial scholarships and work opportunities, bringing greater diversity and emerging talent to the architecture industry. For more than a decade, we have enriched our understanding of te reo Māori and Māori tikanga, folding these into our everyday practices at Studio Pacific.

Workshops that give context and understanding to te Tiriti o Waitangi are a key part of our team’s professional development. And our people maintain meaningful relationships with mana whenua clients and consultants to ensure outcomes important to them are tangible in our projects and practice.

Innovation is essential in an industry with a large social, economic and environmental footprint. Research into new methodologies, technologies and materials, as well as new work, life and learning patterns, leads to better solutions and enables our clients to achieve their vision in smarter ways. A continuous and iterative process, innovation in our studio spans theory and practice, bringing about new design solutions to building efficiency, buildability and sustainability. 

We have partnered with Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington for more than a decade to bring in specialist knowledge and third-party assessment. Focus areas have included: design and project management; social, physical and mental well-being; contemporary workspace planning; urban design, people mobility and transportation; timber construction and technologies; and building energy performance and materials. This important research partnership underpins a commitment to innovate in all possible areas. It also assures clients there is sound evidence informing our work.

Selected Research Projects

We have a passion for creating inclusive and thriving communities by working collaboratively and creatively. Listening, sharing knowledge and co-designing are fundamental to how we deliver projects, so the clients and communities we serve see themselves reflected in their buildings, urban spaces and landscapes.

By placing people at the heart of the design process, we ensure that needs and aspirations can be voiced, ideas and insights are shared, and more people have a say in the successful outcomes. True collaboration – across our studios, consultants, stakeholders, occupants and visitors – leads to richer thinking, broader perspectives and more effective problem-solving. It enables us to design and work smarter, so our mahi and spaces endure and provide value. 

Learn more about our culture of collaboration and why you'll love working at Studio Pacific.

Our studio was established in 1992 by friends and colleagues Evžen Novák, Nick Barratt-Boyes, and Stephen McDougall. After working in the UK and Europe, the three architects were drawn back home by a shared desire to form a collaborative and innovative practice in Te Whanganui-a-Tara – Wellington.

They opened an architecture studio ‘of the Pacific’, applying their creativity to projects that engaged with, and elevated, context and culture. Over the years, this has grown into a compelling manifesto to shape our collective Pacific future, where people and the planet are at the heart of our built environment.

Today, we are a team of around 100 – including architects, urban designers, landscape architects, interior designers and business professionals. We bring diversity in thinking and design, and a democratic culture ensures clever ideas come from all corners of the practice, not necessarily from those who have been here the longest.

Open-minded, collaborative and creative, our practice has evolved into a leading and award-winning business, working on a wide range of exciting projects that seek to make Aotearoa New Zealand a better place.