New Zealanders take a national pride in their built environment, whether it is a Maori Pa, a beach bach or an important piece of civil infrastructure. As New Zealand’s architectural typography is continually evolving, it’s not surprising that the sophistication of its built environment is now globally recognised.

Above: Victory Church, AUckland by DKO

“An Auckland office was established as a response to major architectural commissions in Auckland and Christchurch,” says DKO Principal, Koos de Keijzer. Current DKO Architecture projects include apartment and terraces in Stonefields in Mount Wellington, housing at Hobsonville Point and a major masterplan for Fletcher Living at the 3 Kings, Auckland.

Sketches of their Three Kings project

In Christchurch DKO Architecture is currently designing a $20 million dollar church and creative arts centre at Cranmer Square. DKO are also working on a number of innovative housing projects in Christchurch as part of the post earthquake rebuild. Together with Fletcher Living they are working on Awatea Village a masterplanned community in the south-east of Christchurch.

We talk to Associate. Senior Design Architect Ed Hosken about DKO’s new move.

Please tell us about the recent opening of the DKO office in NZ:

IDL What is most exciting about this new chapter for DKO?

EH Along with our contemporary design approach and office culture, I believe we have a wealth of diverse residential and master planning experience unseen in New Zealand. We look forward to sharing this with the New Zealand market.

IDL What do you hope to see for the future of DKO in NZ?

EH In Australia and South East Asia, DKO has already gained an enviable reputation for meticulous planning of living environments that meet the contemporary lifestyle.

For the future of DKO NZ, I hope to build upon this reputation by bringing our international experience to a New Zealand context and demonstrate our ability of knowing what matters, our innovative design and effective delivery.

IDL What do you look forward to about working in a smaller country?

EH From a professional point of view, I look forward to developing the great relationships within the industry that we have already forged. I equally look forward to creating and foster new ones.

From a personal point of view, I look forward to exploring the beautiful New Zealand landscape with my young family who will be joining me in Auckland. What has endeared us about Auckland so far is its proximity to the sea. We really look forward to spending a lot of time by it.

IDL What do you think will be most different for DKO compared with working in AU?

EH Recently whilst walking through the streets of Christchurch with one of my colleagues – a Christchurch native he waved to a number of people on the street and in the shopfronts who he either knew or whom were just genuinely friendly towards us. What it demonstrated to me was that the degrees of separation in New Zealand are much less compared to the capital cities in Australia. And that people just seem a lot more friendlier. I see New Zealand as a tight knit community and we have to be conscious of that.

On a lighter note, the conversations at the coffee machine wont be about AFL any longer. It will be about rugby union. At last someone who speaks my language!

IDL NZ project you look forward to most?

EH In New Zealand, we are lucky to be involved in a broad range of projects ranging from diverse master planned communities, apartments and contemporary churches. The New Zealand project I particularly look forward to is the next one. What that may be is up to us to go get it.

DKO
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