Residential architect in Tauranga — Arkhē Architecture, Bay of Plenty studio

Arkhē's founding studio operates from Pāpāmoa Beach, working across Tauranga, Te Moana-a-Toi the Bay of Plenty and the wider North Island. The practice has designed homes in the region for a decade — on dune land, in regenerating bush and within the suburban fabric.

The Bay of Plenty sets its own conditions: dune ground and a high water table along the coast, salt-laden easterlies, strong summer sun, and subdivisions that reward restraint and privacy. Each brief starts with the site — sun, prevailing wind and the ground itself — and with the people who will live there.

Much of the practice's built work stands in the region: Kuroi Ma House within Pāpāmoa's suburbia, Kokako Heights House at Matatā — an ADNZ regional award winner and national finalist — and coastal houses from Pāpāmoa Beach to Ōhiwa Harbour, each a measured response to its ground.

The work is modest in footprint and long in life — honest materials, clarity of form, carefully controlled light. From new homes to renovations and interiors, the studio takes projects from first sketch through to construction observation.

Every project starts with a conversation — about the site, the brief and what is essential.