By Chris Tate
Built on a major inner city road, the challenge has been to create privacy and connection to the cityscape. While the building footprint is modest, the future of the property is anything but. Part of the project has been to create a native forest within the city, with two thirds of usable land being planted with regenerating forest species.
Chris Tate creates an experience in his buildings. The priority on site is discovering and maximising a building’s potential for beauty. Without a stunning site, there will be no building. He assumes an unconventional approach to architecture where function follows form, prompting adaptation for occupants.
In 2006 he created Chris Tate Architecture and completed his first project, Forest House, a glass box in Titirangi. He has since created buildings throughout New Zealand exciting emotion in viewers and occupants. Stealth, black buildings and pure white interiors, he contrasts the soft with the formidable.