The undertaking of designing and building can be a daunting task, but ultimately can be one of the most rewarding endeavours also. At CSA, we engage with the client to work with their ideals and aspirations to question what it is to live in New Zealand in the twenty-first century. We encourage our clients to engage with the process of design throughout their project, so that the experience of the design process is an enriching and rewarding one.

At CSA we believe as architects it is our social responsibility to deliver spaces which resonate & connect with the individual, the landscape, culture and society. To that end we’re excited about being back in our homeland, bringing the wealth of experiences learnt whilst working overseas back to New Zealand.

As kiwi’s are world renown for our sense of humility and like our flightless namesake, we like to retreat from the world should the need arise. Perhaps this comes from our isolation as an island nation at the bottom of the world, but this could also be seen as an enduring quality born of our natural environment. In New Zealand we live in some of the most special landscapes in the world. Our engagement with the landscape is one of a reflective connection to place, yet we still build and live in houses which have no relation to their place and are merely a conglomeration of whimsical fleeting fashions and styles.

CSA’s approach to every project is unique. We look at relationships to landscape, history, society and place to ground the building in the world, and to give it a timeless quality. Not just how it looks aesthetically (although this is also important), but drawing together all things which truly make a building belong.

Each project looks at a holistic approach to design through the careful consideration of sustainability at it’s core. Passive design principles not only save the environment but also considerably reduce the running costs of your project. The consideration of these at the earliest design stage to create a holistic solution is at the core of our design principles.

We ask what it means to dwell within or occupy a space. Such architecture is a human oriented architecture grounded in the senses which engages us and fosters our imagination. At CSA we look to engage the senses with materials which display an honesty and integrity, to create and arrange spaces which display meaning and to create memorable encounters.