Business South November 2022 Issue

Borrmeister Architects has long been admired for its unique award-winning, high-end home designs, born out of a consistent philosophical approach rather than a pre-determined style. Few may appreciate just how much this practice is also doing behind the scenes for social good projects and to directly enhance the natural environment.

On every design project, Borrmeister Architects has a high emphasis on environmental awareness. Their design practice seeks to connect respectfully to the natural context and is committed to creating environmentally friendly, energy efficient buildings that use natural and sustainable materials. Considering the environment has become a guiding principle that today extends well beyond the design space itself.

Popping up on their Facebook page are regular posts showing their team out and about doing planting and maintenance projects at various reserves and community planting areas around Ōtautahi Christchurch. “We like to do regular clean-ups along the Heathcote River and Estuary too,” says Director Wulf Borrmeister. “It’s something we do as a company, in work hours, because we believe we should give back to the community and the environment. We talk about designing and building for sustainability but want to demonstrate that commitment in other ways too.”

In the area of social housing, Borrmeister Architects is also making an impact both in Christchurch and beyond as a design partner with Kāinga Ora on a number of social housing developments throughout the South Island. “We’re really proud of that and think it’s important work."

“Recognition at this level builds our profile and draws attention to what we can achieve for people. On all our notable projects, we are involved right through to the end.”

These are a mix of standalone homes and multi-unit developments. “Our goal is to create the best outcome possible for future tenants by thinking carefully about site layouts particularly where there are multiple units.

Good access to outdoor space and privacy are part of that. It’s about giving everyone a good sense of community too.” 

This year has brought fresh accolades for Borrmeister Architects, whose award-winning portfolio includes ‘Red Rock House’ (International Architecture Masterprize 2020 + Tida NZ Architect New Home of the Year 2019) and ‘Wings’ (Tida Homes Trends International Design Awards 2020 - Highly Commended).

 The latest award, bestowed at the 2022 Canterbury Architecture Awards, was for ‘Four Winds House’. Seamless transition from inside to out was achieved for this beachside home with ample opportunity for outdoor living with extending architectural features providing shelter and framing views. 

Generous roof overhangs, an extensive colonnade accommodating timber sliding screens and a central courtyard with an outdoor fire blur the boundary between house and landscape as well as passively working to provide the home comfort for all seasons. 

Another gorgeous home design from the Borrmeister team is ‘Pivot House’ in Blenheim that has been shortlisted in the Best Design Awards 2022. 

It features a series of discrete pavilions pivoting around the central kitchen area and main outdoor courtyard, complemented with an elegant ‘floating’ white box above. 

The Borrmeister team has long had a strong working relationship with T&D Construction in Blenheim, which paved the way to the Pivot House project as well as a gorgeous cellar door renovation in Marlborough, currently under construction. “We’re delighted when our high-quality designs are acknowledged,” says Wulf. “Recognition at this level builds our profi le and draws attention to what we can achieve for people. 

On all our notable projects, we are involved right through to the end.” As he observes, the best results are achieved through fostering effective dialogue with client, consultants, contractors and end-users, which in turn paves the way to functional, well-integrated buildings. 

That ethos and approach is no different, whether the project is a high-end new home like Pivot House, or a social housing project, or a group of new townhouses, such as those designed for a site on Durham Street North, Christchurch a few years ago that effectively balanced considered architecture with an urban living environment. 

Borrmeister Architects is currently designing another quality Christchurch townhouse development near the central city.