Under Construction: Here, there & everywhere

Projects Opening and Completing Before Christmas

As we head toward the end of the year, much of our work in commercial interior design sits across a mix of stages. Some projects have just opened, others are mid-construction, and some are in early concept, carrying us into January, February and March. While there is still the familiar pre-Christmas rush in a few places, this year has felt more balanced. Not everything is racing to the finish line, and that has allowed for thoughtful delivery. Speed, not haste.

An exciting opening right on our Britomart doorstep is a brand new Tank Juice Bar. This is a flagship location in every sense, sitting in an epic precinct and introducing a new approach to how the brand traverses the interior and exterior shopfront as part of a carefully considered retail fit out.

The garage-style window opening creates a more open, accessible shopfront that connects directly with the movement and energy of the Britomart causeway, from Les Mills through to Tiffany’s. It is a confident, highly visible expression of the Tank brand and a strong visual statement that opens this week.

Our new daily routine will be: Tank for breakfast and lunch, Slattery & Sons for afternoon drinks and into dinner. Not a bad way to test your own work.

In Palmerston North, a high-end office project has recently come together that we are quietly very proud of. The client came with a clear vision and a willingness to push for quality, and our lead designer met that energy head on. The result is a workplace where planning, proportion and materiality do the heavy lifting. It feels resolved, considered and calm, reflecting the strength of workplace design when it is approached with clarity and intent. We are looking forward to sharing this one properly very soon.

In Orewa, our design work at Maygrove is currently under construction and set to be completed and handed over in the final week before Christmas. This is stage 2 of a wider project and includes an upgraded reception area, balustrades, planting and floor-level lift lobby designs. The earlier stage included the café, bar and restaurant area. Projects like this are always hugely satisfying, as they involve creating environments that are true extensions of people’s homes. Finishing a project of this nature at year end feels like a meaningful way to close out 2025.

We also continue to deliver a steady stream of projects for 2degrees across the country. These sites require consistency, pace and clarity of execution, often delivered in live environments and under tight timeframes. Achieving Tōtika accreditation for this programme has been an important milestone, reinforcing a shared commitment to health, safety and responsible delivery across every site and region. This type of work demands disciplined commercial fit out processes and strong coordination.

Looking south, another Tank store at Christchurch Airport is progressing, moving the brand from a kiosk format into an inline retail site. This shift allows for a more immersive experience in a fast-paced travel environment and marks the next chapter for Tank in the airport context.

Alongside this, we have recently delivered new MediaWorks radio studios in Christchurch and Hamilton. These environments sit at the intersection of technical performance and human experience, balancing acoustics, flexibility and function with form. Through a strong push to innovate, we were able to deliver these studios at roughly one sixth of the original square metre footprint, without compromising performance. These are complex projects, delivered through a highly collaborative design and build approach, and deeply satisfying when everything aligns.

Alongside these specific projects, our teams are currently working across Waitangi, Whangārei, Marsden Cove, Auckland, Waiheke, Hamilton, Cambridge, Mount Maunganui, Tauranga, Rotorua, Taupō, Palmerston North, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch, Timaru, Queenstown, Dunedin and Invercargill. This breadth of work reflects the reach of our studio as commercial interior designers and architects working across multiple sectors and regions.

We like to say we are global, just New Zealand global. That means early flights, long drives, too much airport coffee, and the privilege of working in places that each bring their own context, character and challenges.

It is a spread that reflects how we love to work across retail, hospitality, workplace and aged care, across regions, and grounded in strong relationships wherever we are. As we move into the new year, these projects will continue to take shape. Some will be finished and shared, others will remain works in progress, and new ones will begin.

It is a rhythm we know well, and one we are grateful to continue.