Pac Studio

24/02/2026

Storage that makes a statement at Rocket’s House .built

25/10/2025

20/10/2025

The final project in our 10-year anniversary series is Lava Flow.

Recognised with a 2025 NZIA Auckland Architecture Award, and shortlisted for both the upcoming Habitus House of the Year and NZIA National Awards - we felt this project was a fitting final chapter in our look back at the last decade of design.

Perched on the edge of a volcanic escarpment, this villa extension replaces a disconnected 1980s addition with a new three-level design that steps naturally down the slope, reconnecting the home to its lush, tree-lined backdrop.

A reconfigured kitchen is the bridge between old and new, while living spaces open to the canopy beyond. Above, a pyramidal skylight brings shifting light deep inside, and a central hangout, affectionately called the ‘DJ Booth’, creates a relaxed gathering point along the way.

Throughout, bold colour and expressive materials celebrate the home’s volcanic setting and creative owners - a palette that earned this project the Dulux New Zealand Supreme Colour Award earlier this year.

20/10/2025

At Pac Studio we enjoy taking on the intricate design challenges of heritage renovations, where layers of history meet contemporary life - Split House, being a prime example of this.

This extensive reworking of a traditional villa carefully restores the original fabric while introducing a bold new addition at the rear. Stepping down through three split levels, the new wing includes a kitchen, living and dining areas, a media room, and a purpose-built G&T nook — all designed for modern family life and stronger indoor-outdoor connection.

A soaring cedar-lined ceiling with a dynamic split-hip roof brings warmth and drama, while bespoke walnut cabinetry shapes intimate spaces throughout. Beneath the primary living area, a cellar and bike workshop are tucked in with equal care.

Heritage principles guided the restoration of the original villa, paired with significant environmental upgrades including insulation, central heating, rainwater harvesting, and a grey water system.

Recognised with an NZIA Auckland Architecture Award back in 2022, Split House reflects the best of both worlds — heritage character and crafted, contemporary living.

20/10/2025

Eighth in our 10-year series is Verdant House - a home that is both a private retreat and a space for making, surrounded by the impressive Wanaka landscape and lush perennial garden that inspires the artist-owner's work

Designed as a balance of comfort and utility, the project brings together a cozy family home, a working studio, and a collection of secondary buildings for firewood, bikes, and seedlings — all carefully arranged to suit the rhythms of daily life and the surrounding landscape.

The house sits at the centre of the site, oriented east–west to frame mountain views. A nine-square grid guides the plan, carving out inviting courtyards and pathways through the garden. Its folded deep-red metal roof draws on vernacular forms while giving the building a bold, contemporary character.

At its heart, a sunken living space with a compact fireplace anchors the home — a warm winter centre that opens to the outdoors. Durable materials like concrete block, ply, and timber were left exposed inside, forming a robust, textural backdrop for the client’s vibrant floral canvases.

Last year, this project was named as an NZIA Southern Architecture Award Winner in the Housing category - a recognition of both its quiet complexity and crafted restraint.

20/10/2025

As we look back over the last decade, we can't help but mention one of our earliest projects, Point Wells Gable House - awarded the NZIA Auckland Architecture Housing Award in 2017, this project helped establish our love of crafted, site-specific architecture.

Perched beside an estuarine branch of the Omaha River, the house is composed of three gabled volumes - two wings and a guest pavilion, all linked by an east–west boardwalk. Inspired by rural barns and outbuildings, the forms are familiar yet abstracted, refined into a memorable and distinctive whole.

Raw, weathering timber defines both interior and exterior, with every joint, sill, and truss designed as a tactile celebration of craftsmanship and material honesty. While outdoor spaces are carefully positioned between volumes, allowing the occupants to follow the sun and shift seamlessly between shelter and openness.

20/10/2025

Sixth in our 10-year anniversary series, and spotted in the pages of Homestyle and Sage Journal, this heritage renovation holds special meaning to Pac Studio, as it was designed for one of our own team.

Mt Eden Garden House, takes a 1910 transitional villa and transforms it into an accessible, joyful family home. The reworked layout shifts living to the rear, while four front bedrooms are defined by a playful, 17-colour palette inspired by Le Corbusier’s polychromy, adding depth and warmth throughout.

Yellow-trimmed light wells draw sun deep into the home, while orange steel columns celebrate structure. A small extension bridges the old and new, and a living area's wide sliding door leads you through to a gently ramped garden, alive and ever-changing with seasonal colour.

Thoughtful, vibrant, and deeply personal - this Pac Studio project is a celebration of adaptation.

20/10/2025

Fifth in our 10-year series - Wanaka Crib is a compact family retreat that reimagines vernacular architecture with warmth, playfulness, and precision.

Three courtyards shape the experience of this 150m² home, creating a strong indoor-outdoor connection and a social heart where cooking and dining become a performance tied to the landscape.

Sleeping up to ten, the crib balances intimacy and generosity, crafted from a rich palette of natural materials—southern beech, recycled kauri, rimu, terrazzo, and local stone.

Awarded the NZIA Southern Architecture Award in the Housing Category back in 2020, Wanaka Crib celebrates crafted detail and relaxed living, with every element designed to enrich everyday moments.

13/10/2025

Early in our studio’s journey, Akaroa House marked a significant moment—exploring how contemporary architecture can both respect and reimagine a heritage setting.

Set on the Akaroa waterfront, the design draws from the village’s French-inspired timber vernacular, but with a quietly contemporary twist. A series of steeply pitched gables break up the mass of the home, giving the impression of several smaller forms—each with its own character, united by materiality, colour, and detail.

Timber shutters, vertical panelling, and carefully placed skylights bring rhythm, softness, and maritime character, while playful touches of colour make a nod to the surrounding context.

Shortlisted for the NZIA National Architecture Awards, and recipient of both the NZIA Canterbury Architecture Award and the NZIA Resene Colour Award, Akaroa House remains a meaningful project in our studio’s early development - shaping how we approach context, detail, and identity.

13/10/2025

For the last 10 years heritage renovation projects have become a special interest to our studio.

Waka Huia blends history with modernity, preserving the spirit of the original home while introducing new character in ways that elevate its aesthetic. This substantial renovation was guided by a complete reorganisation of the plan. Detail and materiality were key, where colour, and texture give each space its own distinct character.

Evolving over the last several years, Waka Huia's most recent addition wrapped up construction this month - with finishing touches being put in place we look forward to sharing this new phase of Waka Huia with you soon.

We’re also especially proud to share that Waka Huia will be one of the locations for Objectspace and ECC's sold out Auckland Collector’s Night Out tomorrow evening!

13/10/2025

After being named Here Magazine's Best House Aotearoa and a NZIA National Architecture Award Winner in 2022, it is easy to see why Waimataruru is one of the projects we are most proud of at Pac Studio over the last decade.

Designed in collaboration with owner , this is a home that responds to the site, cascading down the landscape, with a reimagined colonnade opening up to the seaside views, blurring the edge between indoor and out.

You can see more of Waimataruru and Crinkle Cut on the latest episode of New Zealand’s Best Homes with Phil Spencer - which can be viewed on TVNZ + .official

08/10/2025

It’s been 10 years since Pac Studio began, and we wanted to take a moment to look back at some of the projects that have helped define our journey.

We're kicking off our 10-year anniversary series with Crinkle Cut - this NZIA National Architecture Award winning home was built around the spectacle of light and shadow.

Situated in a picturesque coastal setting, Crinkle Cut aims to epitomise perfect summer living, with louvres adding a dynamic edge to the home that allows it to be precisely fine-tuned for airflow and light, prospect or privacy, openness or shelter.

Catch a glimpse of Crinkle Cut as well as Waimataruru on the upcoming episode of New Zealand’s Best Homes with Phil Spencer - airing this Sunday 7.30pm on TVNZ 1 & TVNZ+