Architectural Designer on Auckland's North Shore
From the harbour to the Hibiscus Coast
OTO Group Architecture designs homes, renovations, and minor dwellings across Auckland's North Shore. Our Auckland studio is on Chancery Street in the CBD, and our Mangawhai studio puts us closer to the northern Shore suburbs than most Auckland practices. We travel to every site.
The North Shore covers a lot of ground. A villa renovation in Devonport is a completely different proposition to a new build on a lifestyle block in Dairy Flat, and both are different again to a coastal site up at Orewa or Whangaparaoa. What connects them is that most North Shore sites involve some combination of views, slope, boundary constraints, and neighbours. That's the kind of complexity that rewards careful design thinking.
The North Shore covers a lot of ground. A villa renovation in Devonport is a completely different proposition to a new build on a lifestyle block in Dairy Flat, and both are different again to a coastal site up at Orewa or Whangaparaoa. What connects them is that most North Shore sites involve some combination of views, slope, boundary constraints, and neighbours. That's the kind of complexity that rewards careful design thinking.
Devonport, Takapuna, and the inner harbour suburbs
The older suburbs along the harbour, from Devonport and Bayswater through Belmont, Takapuna, and Milford, have some of the best residential character in Auckland. Established trees, generous sections by Auckland standards, and views across the Waitematā. They also have heritage overlays, character controls, and neighbours close enough that every design decision affects someone else's outlook.
We enjoy working in these conditions. A renovation in Devonport or Takapuna isn't about making a statement. It's about understanding what the existing house does well, what it doesn't, and how to rework it so the spaces connect to the light and the views without losing the character that makes the street worth living on. We've worked on renovations in established Auckland suburbs and understand the Unitary Plan rules around height to boundary, outlook, and site coverage that shape what's possible.
We enjoy working in these conditions. A renovation in Devonport or Takapuna isn't about making a statement. It's about understanding what the existing house does well, what it doesn't, and how to rework it so the spaces connect to the light and the views without losing the character that makes the street worth living on. We've worked on renovations in established Auckland suburbs and understand the Unitary Plan rules around height to boundary, outlook, and site coverage that shape what's possible.
Birkenhead, Northcote, and the middle suburbs
The middle band of the North Shore, from Birkenhead and Northcote through Glenfield and Hillcrest, offers a mix of post-war housing stock and newer infill development. Many of the houses in these suburbs were built in the 1950s-70s and are reaching the point where the question becomes: renovate or start again?
We can help you work through that decision honestly. Sometimes a renovation is the right call, keeping what works and reworking what doesn't. Sometimes the existing house is too far gone and a new build makes more sense financially and spatially. We'll tell you what we think, and we'll explain why.
Minor dwellings and granny flats are increasingly popular on North Shore sections, and we design these with the same care as a larger home. A well-designed 60 square metre minor dwelling can be a genuinely good place to live, not just a box tacked onto the back of a property.
We can help you work through that decision honestly. Sometimes a renovation is the right call, keeping what works and reworking what doesn't. Sometimes the existing house is too far gone and a new build makes more sense financially and spatially. We'll tell you what we think, and we'll explain why.
Minor dwellings and granny flats are increasingly popular on North Shore sections, and we design these with the same care as a larger home. A well-designed 60 square metre minor dwelling can be a genuinely good place to live, not just a box tacked onto the back of a property.
Albany, the Hibiscus Coast, and further north
The northern reaches of the Shore, from Albany through Silverdale, Orewa, and up the Hibiscus Coast, are where Auckland starts to feel like something else. Sections are bigger, the landscape opens up, and the building opportunities are different. New subdivisions in Milldale and Millwater sit alongside established coastal communities at Red Beach, Stanmore Bay, and Army Bay.
From our Mangawhai studio, these northern suburbs are a short drive. We know the Hibiscus Coast conditions, the coastal exposure, and the council requirements. If you've got a section up here and you're thinking about a new build, or if you've bought an older bach that needs rethinking, we'd be a good fit.
From our Mangawhai studio, these northern suburbs are a short drive. We know the Hibiscus Coast conditions, the coastal exposure, and the council requirements. If you've got a section up here and you're thinking about a new build, or if you've bought an older bach that needs rethinking, we'd be a good fit.
Why work with us on the North Shore?
Nicholas trained at the Aarhus School of Architecture in Denmark, where design is rooted in material honesty, human proportion, and working from the inside out. We work with hand drawings and physical models, bring builders in during the design phase, and build custom details in our own workshop. We're upfront about fees from the first conversation.
Meet us at our Chancery Street studio in the city, or we'll come to your site. Either way, the conversation starts the same way: with your land, your life, and what you want to build.
Meet us at our Chancery Street studio in the city, or we'll come to your site. Either way, the conversation starts the same way: with your land, your life, and what you want to build.
Nicholas Dunning, Architectural Designer, OTO Group Architecture Auckland Studio: Chancery Street, Auckland CBD Email: [email protected] Phone: (+64) 022 309 0531 Web: otogroup.nz