Studio Pacific Architecture

27/01/2026

How do you rebuild an airport terminal while flights keep operating? ✈️

The Manawatū Standard shares a behind-the-scenes update on Palmerston North Airport’s new terminal, being delivered in two stages so operations can keep running while construction progresses.

The new 5,000m² terminal is designed to support future passenger growth, with a double-height central space for check-in and departures, and a full-length airside corridor to keep passengers covered in all weather.

Studio Pacific is working closely with Palmerston North Airport and Rangitāne o Manawatū through a co-design process to bring local iwi narratives and pūrākau into the terminal design, reflecting the mana whenua of the Manawatū.

Ngā mihi nui to everyone across the airport, consultant, and construction teams for your incredible mahi, it’s exciting to see the new terminal taking shape.

Read the full story on The Post: https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/360930710/airports-new-terminal-building-rise

Project Partners: Palmerston North Airport Ltd., Rangitāne o Manawatū, Beca, 335_NZ, Ignite Fire, Acoustic Engineering Services Ltd, Colliers Project Leaders, Ortus International, LT McGuinness Ltd.

19/01/2026

This month, we celebrate 15 years with Patrick Thompson – a Principal and registered architect whose calm leadership and practical creativity have shaped a wide range of projects across Aotearoa.

Patrick’s portfolio includes work on 133 Molesworth Street, Prefab Eatery, 12 Jessie Street, Brandon House, and a workplace design for Ministry of Social Development. More recently, he led the design and delivery of Air New Zealand’s Hangar 4 at Auckland Airport – the Southern Hemisphere’s largest single-span timber aircraft hangar.

As a project lead, Patrick is known for being solutions-focused and collaborative. He also plays a key role in supporting our efficiency and quality assurance across the studio.

Ngā mihi nui, Patrick – thank you for your contribution over the past 15 years.

13/01/2026

A revolutionary new building made from NZ timber is taking shape at Parliament.

Newsroom takes a behind-the-scenes look at the Museum Street Building at New Zealand’s Parliament, a new six-storey office building designed with a strong focus on environmental performance and seismic resilience.

A standout feature of the project is the extensive use of mass timber, a renewable material that significantly reduces the building’s carbon footprint. The project’s “world leading” 6-Star Green Star design includes energy-efficient systems, rainwater harvesting, external vertical fins for solar shading, and a large photo-voltaic panel array on the roof.

With seismic technologies including base isolators and viscous dampers, it’s designed for resilience, along with flexibility of use over the long term.

We are proud to be the architects in a highly collaborative team designing and delivering this key project for Parliamentary Service.

📑 Read the full story on Newsroom: https://newsroom.co.nz/2026/01/10/how-to-build-a-green-parliament/

Project partners:
Parliamentary Service, RCP, RLB, Aurecon, Holmes ANZ, AES, Len Hetet (Baked Design), Fire HQ, Oculus, LT McGuinness Ltd.

📸 Marc Daalder

11/01/2026

Congratulations to MOTAT (Museum of Transport and Technology) on the opening of Ngā hau a Tāwhirirangi – Forces of Flight ✈️

This new exhibition takes over the mezzanine in MOTAT’s award-winning Aviation Hall, a building we designed in 2011, and we've been honoured to return as spatial designers for this newest chapter.

Go check out the sculptural “flight path” overhead and the incredible displays from the Air & Space collection. It’s a joyful, hands-on experience that celebrates the wonder of flight, made for curious kids and grown-ups too.

Special thanks to photicforms.nz, threesixty, and oneframe for bringing our ideas to life.

23/12/2025

He rā ki tua.

Thank you to our clients, collaborators, and community for your support this year. It’s definitely been a full and busy 2025, and we’re looking forward to what’s ahead in 2026.

Our team is taking a well-deserved break over the summer and will be back in the studio from 12 January.

15/12/2025

We’re celebrating 10 years with Rachel Painter – a Senior Designer whose calm, considered approach continues to support the delivery of projects across the studio.

With over 16 years of experience in architecture and interiors, Rachel brings a clear and consistent focus to documentation and design delivery. Her work spans commercial buildings, workplace fitouts, residential developments, and bespoke homes, always with a careful eye for buildability and detail.

Ngā mihi nui, Rachel. Thank you for your contribution and the clarity you bring to your mahi.

09/12/2025

High-density living in the heart of Wynyard Quarter 🏙️

30 Madden Street is a multi-building residential development by Willis Bond, overlooking one of the world’s most beautiful harbours. Completed in 2021, the project delivers 153 homes across a full city block, including apartments, duplexes, and townhouses, alongside ground-floor commercial spaces. Every element is designed to reflect the waterfront context, support long-term community living and meet ambitious sustainability standards.

The design balances scale with fine-grain detail, using a restrained palette of metal, glazing, timber, and native planting. Layered façades acknowledge mana whenua narratives, while integrated artwork and planting reflect close collaboration with mana whenua partners and Tātaki Auckland Unlimited (formerly Eke Panuku Development Auckland).

Each home is planned to optimise daylight, ventilation, and views toward the Waitematā. The development holds a 7 Homestar rating, supported by sustainability features including:
❇️ Low-carbon design
❇️ Stormwater systems designed for future weather extremes
❇️ Rainwater harvesting for irrigation
❇️ Infrastructure ready for solar photovoltaic installation
❇️ Landscaped communal courtyards and dedicated bike parking

30 Madden is one of several new buildings contributing to the ongoing transformation of Wynyard Quarter into a connected, sustainable urban neighbourhood.

📍 Wynyard Quarter, Auckland
📸 Jason Mann
Project Partners: Willis Bond, LT McGuinness, Dunning Thornton, Mott MacDonald, Holmes Fire, Protech Fire Protection, Beca, 335_NZ (formerly E-Cubed), TPC, Marshall Day Acoustics, Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, and mana whenua groups.

03/12/2025

Te Maru o Tawatawa – Britomart Street Social Housing

📸 Andy Spain

Project Partners: Kāinga Ora, TBIG, RLB, Dunning Thornton, Blackyard Engineering, Pacific Consultants, Marshall Day Acoustics, Holmes Fire, Tonkin + Taylor

30/11/2025

Ko te wai māori te oranga o ngā mea katoa
‘Water is the life of all things.’

Waiwera Thermal Springs reimagines one of Aotearoa’s most iconic geothermal destinations as a world-class bathing and wellness experience, grounded in its natural setting and cultural history.

“Our vision is to create a destination that reconnects people to Waiwera’s geothermal heritage, culture and lush native landscape,” says Brandon Batagol, Director of Waiwera Thermal Springs.

Set on the Hibiscus Coast, north of Auckland, the new Waiwera Thermal Springs will be woven seamlessly into the landscape, where pools, saunas, reflexology walks, gardens, and buildings form a series of spaces. These range from lively social areas to tranquil, contemplative retreats framed by native planting and hill views, in a coastal setting.

Central to the design is a layered bathing landscape of 27 pools and wellness experiences that invite movement, exploration and connection. Waiwera Thermal Springs will be an inclusive experience, encouraging guests to slow down, immerse themselves in nature, and engage with the surroundings at their own pace, fostering moments of solitude, social connection, and sensory restoration.

We have led the masterplanning, landscape, and architecture design in close collaboration with Waiwera Thermal Springs Property LP. With the support of Ngāti Manuhiri as mana whenua and development partners, the project is guided by care for the land, water, and whakapapa.

This new chapter for Waiwera invites people to return – to the land, the water, and a renewed sense of wellbeing shaped by place.

Read more about the project on our website: https://www.studiopacific.co.nz/news/2025/november/waiwera-thermal-springs/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=Waiwera+Thermal+Springs&utm_id=WTS

Images produced by OTOH

Project Partners: Waiwera Thermal Springs Property LP, Resero Property, Ngāti Manuhiri, Dobbie Engineering, ENGEO, Morphum, Maven, HFC: Structures Ltd, Jensen Hughes, Traffic Planning Consultants, Williamson Water & Land Advisory, Tattico, Rhodes & Associates, Policymaker, Wynn Williams

26/11/2025

Kāpiti Coast District Council has confirmed Naylor Love as the main construction contractor to build Te Ara Whetū – Waikanae’s new Library Hub.

We’ve enjoyed working alongside Naylor Love as we’ve delivered the design for Te Ara Whetū . It’s a great milestone to have them now confirmed as the main contractor, and we’re looking forward to continuing the mahi together as construction gets underway.

We’re excited to confirm Naylor Love as our lead contractor to build Te Ara Whetū, the new library hub for Waikanae.
As our Early Contractor Involvement partner, Naylor Love were invited to price the project once the designs were finalised, and with their quote coming in on budget, we’ve been able to lock in the construction contract.
Main construction will follow on from the early works that began in September, with the new library expected to open in late 2026.
Head to our website to see the project timeline, final design plans, and an updated fly-through video of the new library hub.
kapiticoast.govt.nz/TeAraWhetu

24/11/2025

First Principles Constructors' new workplace in Martin Square brings together robust detailing, warm materiality and a strong sense of place in central Wellington.

Housed within an existing industrial structure, the fitout balances openness and focus. Natural light streams into the building, while generous social hubs foster collaboration and connection. The workspace is grounded, adaptable and made for people.

The completion of FPC’s new workspace also is a sign of a growing momentum in Wellington’s CBD as more teams return to the city, investing in purposeful, long-term environments. It’s great to see a renewed confidence taking shape.

Welcome to the neighbourhood, First Principles Constructors!

19/11/2025

We’re celebrating the release of ‘Mr Ward’s Map: Victorian Wellington Street by Street’ – a beautifully crafted new book by our friend and Wellington historian Elizabeth Cox, capturing Te Whanganui-a-Tara at a turning point in its history.

Elizabeth has crafted a remarkable work that brings the city’s past vividly to life. Drawing on 88 beautifully detailed council survey sheets prepared by engineer Thomas Ward, she traces the social and architectural character of Wellington from 1890 to 1900.

It’s a valuable resource for anyone interested in how the city grew into the place we know today – and for us at Studio Pacific, a reminder of the city where our journey began in 1992. While we now work across Aotearoa and have a growing team in Tāmaki Makaurau, Wellington will always be our home.

You can find the book here: https://www.masseypress.ac.nz/books/history/mr-ward-s-map