10 Questions with Architect Guy Tarrant

9 September 2024

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We've enjoyed working with Guy Tarrant and Debra Millar on some of their recent projects and been great admirers of the archtitectural works that have come from their studio. With these 10 questions we delve into the background and inspirations behind one of Auckland's most successful architects.

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Point House by Guy Tarrant Architects with furniture from Good Form – N-CT01 Coffee Table and N-S01 Sofa by Karimoku Case

Point House by Guy Tarrant Architects with furniture from Good Form – N-CC01 Lounge Chair by Karimoku Case

Point House by Guy Tarrant Architects with furniture from Good Form – N-CC01 Lounge Chair and N-CT01 Coffee Table by Karimoku Case. Photography by Simon Wilson

What’s your background and how did you end up doing what you do? Have you always had an aesthetic eye?‍

I was a late-comer to architecture, gaining entry to the Auckland University School of Architecture after completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and spending a few years being a painter. I didn’t do well at school and at that time maths and sciences were a pre-requisite for entry to architecture school. I loved art school but didn’t enjoy the solitary life of a painter.

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What is a typical day in your studio like?

The small scale of our practice allows us to adopt a bespoke approach for each project which means there is really no such thing as a typical day. We spend a lot of time considering our approach to each project and then carefully crafting every building, so a lot of time is invested in the design and documentation stages. I am especially interested in the way that buildings are assembled and always enjoy getting to site to see projects realised. It’s a thrill to see something you have dreamt and drawn being built and then occupied.

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What is sustainable in your eyes?‍

We are committed to creating enduring buildings that serve successive generations of users well. All of those involved in the architectural process have a duty to build wisely and we take our responsibilities in this regard seriously. I’m interested in working with materials that have a permanence and would hope our buildings are working well in another 100 years.

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How does your home reflect you?

We currently live in the Courtyard House which occupies a reasonably prominent corner site in Point Chevalier, Auckland. It’s a specific response to a particular set of design challenges and opportunities arising from the triangular-shaped site and a busy corner location. The house is conceived as a walled garden, providing enclosure and privacy but also a very intimate connection to the streetscape. It’s quite an urban response and a pure expression of the courtyard form that I’ve found works well on sites lacking an outlook.

I am especially interested in the way that buildings are assembled and always enjoy getting to site to see projects realised.

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Point House by Guy Tarrant Architects with N-LC02 Armchair by Karimoku Case

What are you currently working on?

I’m excited to see our first rammed earth building taking shape, a restaurant on the outskirts of Wānaka, and we have our first small apartment building on the boards.

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What principles are essential trademarks of your visual language and aesthetic? And why?

My fine arts background probably informs my approach to architecture, particularly when it comes to harnessing light and shaping volume and space. Our buildings tend to be highly-crafted responses to the lives of their occupants and the environments in which they are located. I particularly enjoy the story-telling aspect of architecture and would hope there is a meaningful narrative associated with every building I design.

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How do you push boundaries within architecture?

A common theme of late has been challenging perceptions of how large a house needs to be. We’ve completed a couple of projects recently where we’ve successfully reduced the footprint of a house for budgetary reasons and in the process managed to create a sense of generosity by carefully manipulating volume and light, and setting up internal views and creating adaptable outdoor rooms. It’s the most successful way to reduce costs and it can also be a liberating way to live.

Courtyard House by Guy Tarrant Architects

Which creators, artists, designers inspire you?‍

My time as a painter means I’m always interested in the work of artists and I enjoy following a number of New Zealand contemporary painters, in particular. On a recent visit to Japan I was inspired by that country’s highly-crafted traditional architecture and its links to European modernism. I was fortunate to start my architectural career working with Marshall Cook, who remained a constant critic and mentor.

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If you hadn't devoted your career to architecture, what else would you be doing?‍

Let’s just say that I’m glad I found architecture!

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What are your top 5 picks at Good Form right now?

Karimoku Case N-CT03 Coffee Table

Karimoku Case N-S01 Sofa

Dilana Leaf + Stick Rug by Martin Poppelwell

Alvar Aalto Savoy Vase

Ercol Utility Bar Stool