People

From community buildings, houses, hospitality and commercial spaces and even the Giraffe House at Auckland Zoo, Aaron has designed an extensive and diverse range of buildings. In the field of residential architecture, both multi-unit housing and single dwellings, he is widely recognised – as well as widely published and awarded – for his architectural insight and acumen.


Aaron has received many of Aotearoa New Zealand’s highest design honours, including several New Zealand Architecture Awards – recognition of design at the highest level. 


In 2021, he served as jury convenor for the Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects Auckland Awards, and as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Auckland School of Architecture and Planning, he enjoys helping a new generation of architects learn how to realise ideas in the world.


Sarosh has a wide array of experience in residential architecture, as well as specific experience in heritage and civic architecture projects. 

After graduating at the top of his class from the University of Auckland in 2008, Sarosh has led projects awarded by both the New Zealand Institute of Architects and the Designers Institute of New Zealand. 

He has completed a PhD in Architecture by Practice at The University of Auckland, where he was a Doctoral Scholar. And, alongside his academic endeavours, he led the funding and construction of the Longbush Eco Sanctuary, harnessing the varied talents of a team of 88 volunteers and sponsors.

Sarosh maintains an active art practice and is a member of the Auckland Council Public Art Advisory panel. Sarosh remains one of very few architects from Aotearoa New Zealand to have exhibited his work at the Guggenheim Museum in New York. He continues to explore architectural ideas and innovations through exhibitions and installations.

Liz Tjahjana

Principal

Liz is a Registered Architect and peerless architectural maven. As our interior design team lead, she has exceptional architectural drafting and visualisation capabilities complemented by an unsurpassed product knowledge and discerning taste – all skills that allow her to provide an exemplary design service to clients. (Her eye for detail is further evidenced through the design and manufacture of bespoke jewellery.)


Liz holds a M.Arch (prof) degree with first class honours from the University of Auckland, where she continues to be a regular visiting architectural critic. Through participation at international conferences she maintains involvement with architecture and academia at the highest levels. 


Eric Abba

Associate

Eric has twin architectural passions – sustainable design and the richness of natural materials and textures. Both guide his approach to architecture. 


He has a thorough grounding in practical and intellectual aspects of the profession – he has worked as a sole practitioner on residential and light commercial and interiors projects, and completed his M.Arch (prof.) degree (first class honours) at the University of Auckland with a thesis investigating sustainable building materials and the suitability of international accreditation frameworks (e.g. Living Building Challenge) in New Zealand. 


On every project, Eric seeks to respond sympathetically and creatively to a site’s unique conditions and context. He continues to contribute to the development of architecture in Aotearoa New Zealand as a guest critic and tutor at the University of Auckland.


Fritha Hobbs

Registered Architect

Fritha is deeply interested in the rich and broad-reaching functions of architecture in society – from how communities engage in urban space, to the intimacy and nuances of domestic life. This ongoing interest and a desire to actively engage the public in discourse and discussion about the value of architecture led to her role as co-director of the Festival of Architecture in 2016 and 2017. She has also served on the NZIA Auckland Branch committee as Events Coordinator.

 

Fritha is especially passionate about the architecture of the home and the garden – and how these spaces are enriched through the experience of the senses. Many aspects of Fritha’s personal life mirror the interests of her professional life – in her spare time you’ll find her in the garden, biking the city with her kids, or seeking out the best swimming holes for a plunge.

Bhavina Patel

Registered Architect

After completing a MArch (Prof) (First Class Hons) at the University of Auckland School of Architecture & Planning, Bhavina spent three years in London working on predominantly high-end residential projects, including new builds in the English countryside, and interior refurbishment projects within listed buildings in London.

Time abroad heightened Bhavina’s expertise in finely resolved interiors and provided greater access and exposure to European furniture and lighting designers, along with detailed knowledge of materials, finishes, internal detailing and construction techniques.

Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland based for several years, Bhavina has continued her passion for creating beautiful spaces and forms, working predominantly on large residential projects and concentrating on well-considered spatial planning systems, and the accentuation of space through warm, tactile material palettes and bespoke detailing. As a keen runner who is passionate about health and wellbeing, Bhavina is interested in how different architectural strategies and compositions of materials, colours and textures can contribute to a more holistic spatial experience.

Cara Webster

Architectural Graduate

Cara’s architectural experience is at once broad and very focused. With a Bachelor of Design (Spatial), a Bachelor of Architecture and a Master of Architecture(professional), and an impressive portfolio of residential architecture projects that span varied scales, settings and typologies (including off-grid homes, inventive minor dwellings and larger family homes), Cara continues to deepen her knowledge of building science and innovative, sustainable building methods. 

 

Of specific interest to Cara’s practice are new building technologies, including Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) and other prefabricated solutions that aid and hasten the creation and quality of bespoke, high-performance architecture. 

 

If not at work in the studio, you’ll most likely find Cara either out on the hockey turf, or out in the environment, camping, tramping and off-roading.