About Parsonson architects ltd.

Our Story Parsonson Architects was established in Wellington in 1987 by the current director, Gerald Parsonson. Gerald started the practice after working at Craig Craig Moller Architects in Wellington and a period travelling overseas with sketchbook in hand. The direction was driven by an excitement and passion to create an architecture that responded to our uniquely New Zealand context. The practice has evolved into a multi award winning studio that consistently demonstrates an ability to execute projects to high levels of excellence. In the period 1995-2005 Gerald was joined by senior staff Craig Burt (B. Arch, ANZIA, Registered Architect), Sam Donald (B. Arch, ANZIA, Registered Architect) and Andreas Cherry (B.Arch, B. BSc, LBP) who have between them over 60 years industry experience and they have added unique and wide-ranging skill sets to the practice. Over the past 10 years a growing number passionate and engaged architectural graduates have joined the team bringing a range of fresh ideas and with a deep passion for architecture.  The practice was initially focused on individual houses and more recently projects have included multi-unit residential, community, commercial, hospitality, education and competition entries across a variety of building typologies and project scales. We enjoy working on a mix of project scales as each has different challenges and offers varied opportunities to explore unique and creative responses. Collaboration Collaboration is fundamental to the way we work. The studio fosters a willingness to collaborate with a range of designers, from other architects and landscape architects to specialist consultants and stakeholders. We have recently been involved in community-led participatory design processes that proactively seek opportunities for collaborative design to increase individuals sense of agency while also increasing awareness of the design process and building a sense of community from the outset. Creativity We approach every project through fresh eyes. Every site, location, client and set of circumstances creates a unique set of relationships and readings. We work very hard to identify and understand these, where they can form a seed for the design to spring from. Gerald in particular is interested in the similarities between the creative processes of art, music, literature and architecture. Once a ‘project story’ is created it forms a conceptual structure that guides decision making and is a way of achieving creative consistency through a finished building. Sustainability We believe in sustainability being one of the cornerstones of design, which we look to explore from the urban scale right down to the smallest detail. We have designed and built several ‘Passive House’ projects and have a Certified Passive House Designer within our practice. We believe in comprehensive design solutions that recognize and respond to global concerns regarding climate change, our limited natural resources, environmental pollution, health, and biodiversity. The process of building by its very nature consumes large amounts of resources and generates large amounts of waste. With elegant design, creative thinking and careful construction, buildings can be made to consume less and last longer. A building that functions well, delights the mind, and pleases the eye will remain farther from the wrecking ball. In addition, the integration of sustainable technologies like planted green roofs, solar power, water collection, recycled materials, above-code insulation and air tightness, heat recovery ventilaionand passive solar design don’t need to look or feel like an experiment. Thoughtful incorporation of these elements and principles early in the design process can produce buildings that are rich, appealing and most importantly, responsible. Our ethos We work in a collaborative and creative studio environment, where we enjoy searching for and unlocking the unique potentials in each new project. We look to explore a ‘design story’ that is often multi-layered and poetic, forming a guiding structure or spine for the creative evolution of a project.  We are architects who are passionate about both the natural and the built environments, from the city scale down to the crafting of individual details. We are drawn towards an architecture of excellence and have developed different approaches for achieving this across all budget levels. The creation of a high quality architecture is an exciting and joyful process that springs from the seed of optimism. We are particularly interested in community based projects and how they benefit the city. We have recently linked in with others and set up our own Wellington based co-housing group. " It’s all about art as far as I’m concerned. It seems to me that when you’ve finished with all the functional tasks – the practicalities in which you can have a fine time – to touch people with a building is what it’s about ."   David Mitchell. 2005 “We shape our buildings. Thereafter, they shape us.”    Sir Winston Churchill.