The award winning Lake Okareka House is a modern lakeside residence inspired by the mid-century Californian architecture of Richard Neutra and Frank Lloyd Wright. Defined by strong horizontal lines, deep overhangs, and a restrained palette of cedar, stone, and expansive glazing, the home is carefully oriented to frame panoramic views of Lake Okareka and Mt Tarawera. Extensive indoor–outdoor connections and passive design principles enhance solar gain, ventilation, and a seamless relationship with the landscape. Grounded in organic architectural ideals, the project balances modernist clarity with sustainable, low-maintenance materials to create a refined home deeply connected to its natural setting in Aotearoa.

Eagars Funeral Services is a carefully considered building designed to support people through some of life’s most difficult moments. Guided by simplicity and restraint, the architecture creates an environment that is calm, natural, and deeply respectful. A palette of warm timbers and honest stone grounds the building in a sense of permanence, while generous natural light gently animates the interiors, connecting occupants to the passing of time and the rhythms of nature.

Water, planting, and expansive glazing are woven into the design, softening the building’s edges and blurring the boundary between inside and out. Thoughtfully planned private family rooms provide quiet refuge away from public spaces, while large overhangs offer shelter and welcome. The result is a serene, dignified place—an enduring gift to the community that offers comfort, compassion, and care when it is needed most.

The Waterloo Place project involved additions and alterations to a 1970s family home, reworking the existing footprint to create a more open, light-filled living environment with a strong connection to the surrounding landscape.

Externally, new cedar cladding references the warmth and texture of the original era while giving the home a renewed, contemporary expression. Generous new openings dissolve the boundary between inside and out, framing garden views and drawing natural light deep into the interior living spaces.

Internally, a cedar-lined ceiling follows the geometry of the offset gable roof, bringing material continuity and warmth to the main living areas. A sculptural curved wall, finished in Otsumigaki plaster, subtly separates the open-plan kitchen and dining from the lounge, providing spatial definition without compromising the sense of openness. The result is a calm, tactile interior that balances contemporary living with the character of the original home.