Smith Architects

We have spent more than two decades striving to understand what makes some buildings more attractive than others, in the anticipation that it can help us design better buildings.

Recent advances in neuroscience and psychology have enabled scientists to unlock some of the reasons why we find certain works of art, objects and environments more attractive than others, and at the heart of it is simple Darwinian theory: if we find something attractive we will be more likely to choose that thing over another – be it a painting, a piece of music, a landscape or even a building.

At Collingridge and Smith, we use these learnings to inform our designs, striving to create beauty in everything we do, in the belief that beautiful spaces create better environments for human beings or ‘beautiful human spaces’.

Our architecture is unique, innovative and sustainable. We carefully integrate architectural, landscape, interior and furniture design skills to ensure projects achieve an holistic integrity that meets our client’s needs.

At the core of our design rigour, we believe that modern, sustainable, research-based design delivers a successful project with innovative solutions that work for our clients.

We believe that architecture is more than just a building. It is about a complete concept that delivers our clients’ aspirations. To do this, we integrate architectural, landscape, interior and furniture design skills to ensure projects achieve an holistic integrity that meets our client’s needs.

Sustainability has been a core value of Collingridge and Smith for more than ten years.

For us, sustainability means delivering the purpose of the building through the integration of its cultural heritage, its environmental setting and its economic boundaries.In 2007 our director Phil Smith was invited to be an assessor for the New Zealand Green Building Council and in 2008 was appointed as their technical advisor, leading the team who created the NZ Green Star Education rating tool.

Since then Phil has also become a NZGBC Homestar Practitioner, and Michael Wang, one of our Architectural Designers, became a Homestar Assessor in 2019.We have continued to innovate in environmentally sustainable design, with our design for the Te Mirumiru early childhood centre in Kawakawa receiving numerous international and national awards, culminating in 2014 with the World Green Building Council’s Leadership in Sustainable Design Award, the only building in the whole of the Asia Pacific region to receive such a title.

In 2016, we established a research partnership with Massey University in New Zealand, to understand what built environment/s make great human buildings that are sustainable economically, socially and environmentally.

We believe that architecture is more than just a building. It is about a complete concept that delivers our clients’ aspirations. To do this, we integrate architectural, landscape, interior and furniture design skills to ensure projects achieve holistic integrity that meets our client’s needs.

To us, urban design is about creating an environment that builds local communities within which everyone can thrive. To achieve this, we believe urban design must be ‘of the place’ to reflect the local cultural context with amenities and infrastructure seamlessly integrated.

Best Design Awards Finalists 2019
Three Trees Learning Centre
New Shoots Whenuapai
Three Trees Learning Centre

DINZ Best Awards 2018 - Won Gold Pin
Little Doves Early Childhood Centre

Best Awards 2017 - Won Gold Pin - Creators Centre
We have won a Gold pin at the 2017 Designers Institute of New Zealand 2017 Best Awards for the Creators Early Childhood Centre in Hamilton, taking out the top prize in the healthcare sector.

Finalists in the Timber Awards 2018
The Rainbow Corner Early Learning Centre in Takanini and The Willows Early Learning Centre in Christchurch have been selected as finalists in the 2018 NZ Wood Resene Timber Awards! Both projects are finalists in the Innovative Interiors category, which celebrates the use of timber to create ambience and give flair and practicality to an interior space.

Chrysalis Childcare Centre Wins Gold at Best Awards 2016
We are very excited to have won a Gold Award in the healthcare sector at the Designers Institute of New Zealand’s Best Awards 2016, for our design for the Chrysalis Childcare Centre in Avondale, Auckland.

Green Building Excellence Award
New Shoots Children’s Centre & Source Café Pakuranga

Phil Smith
Director
Phil is the Director of Collingridge and Smith Architects Asia Pacific and he leads the practice’s sustainable design. Phil studied at De Montfort University, Leicester England, gaining a BA honours degree in 1996 and a Graduate Diploma with Distinction in 2000. Phil became registered with ARB and RIBA in 2001 and achieved a further Post Graduate Diploma in Practice Management in the same year. Phil was featured in Building Design magazine’s Top 100 Students of 2000 and was shortlisted for the RIBA Presidents Medal of 2000. Upon graduating in 2000, Phil was invited to join Foster and Partners, where he followed his passion for sustainable design, working on prestigious environmental projects such as the Hearst Tower, New York’s first ‘LEED’ Gold-rated office building and leading the design of several City Academies, low-energy high school buildings, the first of their kind in the UK. While at Foster and Partners he also designed Z2, a concept scheme for a new city quarter of London achieving zero carbon and zero waste, which helped form the criteria for the sustainable initiatives of the London Olympics. In 2006 Phil emigrated to New Zealand seeking a more sustainable life. In 2007 he established his own practice with the sole purpose of creating beautiful human spaces. 

He completed his own sustainable home in Auckland and was invited to be an assessor for the NZ Green Building Council. In 2008 he was appointed as their technical adviser, leading the team who created NZ’s first Green Star Education rating tool. Phil also designed the NZGBC HQ and in 2016 was appointed to their Advisory Group. In Spring of 2012, Phil joined with Graham Collingridge in the UK to form Collingridge and Smith Architects (CASA) to build on their collective expertise and take the first steps towards a global practice. Phil continues to innovate in sustainable design, with his design for the Te Mirumiru Early Childhood Centre receiving 11 international and national awards, culminating in 2014 with the World Green Building Council’s Leadership in Sustainable Design Award, the only building in the whole of the Asia Pacific region to receive such a title. In 2019, Phil became a qualified NZGBC Homestar practitioner. Under Phil's guidance, CASA has strived to produce beautiful, sustainable spaces, with the practice completing over 90 early childhood centre designs in 3 different countries, winning 25 international and national awards to date. In 2020 the practice will complete its first Early Childhood Centre in Australia, which will be certified as a Living Building Challenge building, possibly the highest ‘green’ building standard in the world.

Graham Collingridge
Director
Graham is Director of Collingridge and Smith Architects Europe. He studied at De Montfort University, Leicester England, gaining his BA in 1996, his Graduate Diploma in 2000 and qualifying in 2001, with a further Post Graduate Diploma in Practice Management. While studying, Graham worked for Studio BAAD, mainly for the ‘commercial’ wing on a wide range of projects, including Warrington Arts Centre and Chavasse Park shopping centre, collaborating with Philip Johnson and Cecil Balmond. Graham was invited to join Foster and Partners in 2000. In 2005, he was promoted to Associate and in 2006 Associate Partner. Graham has worked on many office buildings, residential buildings and mixed-use developments across Europe and the US, including No. 1 London Wall, Hermitage Plaza, a 600,000ft2 mixed-use project for Hammerson's in Hackney England, and the Patent Office Building Roof Enclosure project for the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C., designing with Gustafson Guthrie Nichol as Landscape Architect. In Spring of 2012, Graham joined Phil Smith in New Zealand to form Collingridge and Smith Architects to build on their collective expertise and take the first steps towards a global practice.

Tiffany Smith
General Manager
Tiffany is the General Manager of Collingridge and Smith Architects and leads the practice’s research design agenda. Tiffany is a chartered accountant through the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) and sits on the Auckland CIMA committee. In 2015, she gained a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration with Distinction from Otago University in New Zealand. Tiffany is passionate about understanding the influence of our built environment on our wellbeing and development. This has led to a research partnership being established with Massey University New Zealand in 2016, where Tiffany enrolled as a Master of Philosophy in Science student, researching how well our building projects support wellbeing. Prior to joining Collingridge and Smith full time in 2015, Tiffany was also the Corporate Sustainability Manager for Chorus New Zealand and achieved a Ministry for the Environment Green Ribbon award and a Project Litefoot Shield in 2013 and 2014 respectively. Before Chorus and Spark, New Zealand demerged, Tiffany was the Corporate Sustainability Manager for Spark and prior to this, she was the Decision Support Manager for Spark Wholesale Capital Investment. She joined Spark after returning to New Zealand from the UK where she spent eight years. While in the UK, she was a Financial Business Consultant for Shell Oil International and the Shell Marine Finance Manager for the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands and Russia. Other roles included Project Accountant at Worldcom UK, Financial Analyst/Systems Accountant at World Telecom UK and a number of finance roles with Stocklink Distribution New Zealand in the late 90s. Tiffany returned to New Zealand in 2006 seeking a more sustainable life, establishing the practice with Phil Smith in 2007, and completing their own sustainable home in Auckland later that same year.

Evan Crighton
Senior Associate
Evan is Senior Associate at Collingridge and Smith Architects. Evan studied at Unitec, gaining a Certificate in Architectural Design in 1990, then became a New Zealand Registered Licenced Building Practitioner in 2013. Evan joined Collingridge and Smith Architects Asia Pacific in 2014 to manage the building consent process for many projects, including Kristin Little Doves and Fletchers Residential Master Planning. Prior to joining Collingridge and Smith Architects, Evan was a senior architectural draughtsperson at a number of high-end residential practices, including Hulena Co Architects, Kensington Properties and Property Partners.

Yolande Kromhout
Senior Designer
Yolande is a Senior Designer at Collingridge and Smith Architects. Yolande studied at the University of the Free State, Bloemfontein in South Africa, gaining a BA honours degree in 2011 and a Magister Architecture (Professional) in 2013. Since joining the team in 2016, Yolande’s experiences and contributions have made her a valuable asset to the team with her a broad range of knowledge and experience, from conceptualising and following through design, to the internal functions and services, and ergonomic applications, to detailing structural and finishing elements. She is an interactive and creative person always looking for practical solutions and enjoys working with clients and key stakeholders.

Nathalie Samuelian
Senior Designer
Nathalie is a Senior Designer at Collingridge and Smith Architects. Nathalie gained her Bachelor of Architecture in El Salvador and has since worked on projects in El Salvador/Central America and in California before arriving in New Zealand to join us at Collingridge and Smith Architects. Nathalie joined the team in 2018, bringing with her extensive knowledge and experience in both residential and commercial projects.

John Moran
Senior Designer
John is a Senior Designer at Collingridge and Smith Architects. John studied at Queensland University of Technology, Australia, gaining a Bachelor of Architectural Design (Hons) in 2014 and Master of Architecture in 2015. John has since worked on a variety of projects in Australia, ranging from residential new-builds and renovations to multi-residential projects and commercial office fit-outs. John joined Collingridge and Smith in 2018, bringing with him skills and experience in the design process from concept development through to documentation that make him a valuable member of our team.

Anita Chin
Designer
Anita is a Designer at Collingridge and Smith Architects and joined our team in 2018. Anita studied at the University of Auckland, gaining her Bachelor of Architectural Studies in 2015 and Master of Architecture (Professional) in 2017. During this time Anita was involved in a range of model making projects including work New Zealand’s ‘Future Island’s’ exhibition at the Venice Biennale. Her thesis was selected as an NZIA Top 12 finalist.

Akash Kumar
Designer
Akash is a Designer at Collingridge and Smith Architects. He studied at Unitec, gaining a Bachelor of Architecture in 2015. Since joining the team at the beginning of 2016, Akash’s highly motivated approach to life has made him a great addition to our team. He is a great believer in Muhammad Ali’s quote about champions. Especially the last line which reads ‘But the will must be stronger than the skill’. No matter what the skill set, greatness can be achieved by drive, desire and determination.

Zena Gerrard
Designer
Zena is a Designer at Collingridge and Smith Architects. Zena joined the team in 2018 as an architectural intern, and upon completing her thesis joined the team full time in 2019.

Michael Wang
Designer
Michael is a Designer at Collingridge and Smith Architects. Michael studied at the University of Auckland, gaining a Bachelor of Architectural Studies in 2016 and a Master of Architecture (Professional) with honours in 2018. In 2019 Michael became a qualified Homestar Assessor. Since joining the team at the beginning of 2019, Michael’s skills and contributions have made him a valuable member of our team, particularly in conceptual design. Michael’s architectural interests lean broadly towards both domestic and commercial scales, with a focus on urban design and community. His final year thesis was a large housing complex nestled within the existing structures of an abandoned stadium in Christchurch; reintegrating a historic site back to the public and urban landscape, and in 2019 Michael won a Gold Pin at the DINZ Best Awards for this project. He’s a creative, cheerful and curious person who enjoys working with people driven by architecture and is a great fit to our strong team-oriented design firm.

James Browning
Designer
James is an Architectural Designer at Collingridge and Smith Architects. James studied at Victoria University of Wellington, achieving his Bachelor of Architectural Studies in 2015 and Master of Architecture (Professional) with merit in 2018. He entered his thesis in the Cities for our Future competition run by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and was selected as the South America regional winner, and one of 12 global finalists out of the 1,200 participants. Cassandra Francis, president of the regional jury, said: “All the ideas of the participants were fantastic examples of innovative thinking, but ​​James’ idea stood out for its scalability, simplicity and foresight". James joined Collingridge and Smith in 2019, bringing with him an enthusiasm for sustainability and a keen eye for detail.

We are a member of the New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA), the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC), Site Safe New Zealand, and the Sustainability Business Network.