Our Focus
As New Zealanders we naturally feel a strong connection to our landscape. We love to live outdoors! Our homes, our land and the sea are fundamental aspects of our lives. Our landscape is beautiful and varied, and our weather conditions are dynamic, so our buildings need to work hard to be both embracing and protective.
The way we occupy our landscape is predominantly informal and relaxed but with an underlying respect. At Wallace Architects we attempt to encapsulate this in our designs. Each project is an authentic response to the unique aspects of the site and the daily routines of the people who occupy it. We try to avoid imposing a “big idea” but rather let the idea emerge through the process. In this way our projects become anchored to the unique place and personalities of the people who live there. You will however see some recurring features in our designs, just as we see commonalities between the way we live.
At Wallace Architects we are committed to reducing the environmental footprint of our work so sustainability is also a primary focus of ours. We would encourage our clients to consider options such as aiming to achieve a Home Star rating.
Our more general approach to the sustainability of our projects begins with broader considerations such as the project's size, location, and climatic conditions. We would firstly engage in thorough planning to ensure the building is not too big! Then analyse the building's orientation, how it is constructed, insulated, and serviced to come up with an overall solution to enhance the comfort, quality, and sustainability of the project.
Our History
Formerly Tse: Wallace Architects founded in 2007 by Rochelle Tse and Liz Wallace, Wallace Architects is now directed solely by Liz Wallace.
Growing up in a culture of architecture, her father was an Architect and her mother a draughts-person, it seemed inevitable that Liz would pursue a career in Architecture. After graduating from Victoria University in 1997 with honours, she gained invaluable experience working in one of Auckland's top architectural practices Pete Bossley Architects.
It was a dream come true when she was able to set up her own practice with Rochelle, her long-time university friend. The practice was featured early on in Architecture Now. Since its establishment, Liz has been engaged in the challenge of juggling a busy architectural practice and family life but believes that this has provided her with greater insight into the needs of busy modern families!
Liz is a NZRAB registered architect and a licensed building practitioner.
Over the years, we have been fortunate to have collaborated with some excellent clients on some wonderful projects and have accumulated a great deal of experience. With such extensive experience in bespoke residential new builds and renovations, Wallace Architects has established a reputation for award winning projects and have had many articles published through various media outlets.
Our Process
Wallace Architects is a registered NZIA Practice and follows the process in stages outlined by the NZIA for a typical Architectural process. We recognize that embarking on a building project is potentially the largest financial investment a person will make and therefore we strive to ensure our clients are fully informed and comfortable with the decisions they will need to make along the way.
To help with this we use the latest in 3d technology to communicate our ideas very early on, this is then easily converted into the necessary construction and compliance documents with no additional expense. Examples of this technology can be viewed in the projects page.
Alongside the use of this cutting edge technology, we have also been known to sit down at the table with our clients, a pen and paper and a glass of wine!
We recognize that obtaining building approvals and awarding construction contracts can be complex. Our experience in navigating a way through this increasingly complicated and ever changing regulatory and contractual environment makes the design and building process so much more enjoyable!
Wallace Architects will build a team of experts tailored specifically for your project. Over the years we have built valuable industry relationships and can call on trusted expertise from structural and hydraulics engineers, land surveyors, quantity surveyors and building contractors to provide a reliable chain of delivery for the highest quality outcome for your project.
“Liz managed to make a process that seemed daunting & scary to be very enjoyable and rewarding. She is very professional, exceptional at what she does and very easy to work with.”
— Nathan & Annette Flett
