Meet Ben Sutherland
“We want to do densification really well. To do that, we have to think holistically about the whole development; good design, from start to finish, is the key.”
“Higher-density residential developments are still not very common in New Zealand, even though the international residential market has relied on them for a very long time,” says Ben Sutherland, Director of Bare Architecture and Bare Construction
“We want to do densification really well. To do that, we have to think holistically about the whole development; good design, from start to finish, is the key."
“Higher-density residential developments are still not very common in New Zealand, even though the international residential market has relied on them for a very long time,” says Ben Sutherland, Director of Bare Architecture and Bare Construction. “A lot of that stems from the idea that they’re profit-driven, packing in as many homes as they can, while skimping on quality spaces and materials.”
This should not and does not have to be the case, Ben says, and Bare Architecture is working hard to change the minds and hearts of everyday New Zealanders about medium- and higher-density housing. “We want to do densification really well. To do that, we have to think holistically about the whole development; good design, from start to finish, is the key. You may not have the traditional 600sqm or 1000sqm of land, but everything is thought out, and there’s no wasted space.”
Builder-turned-designer Ben has crafted a career in the overlap between design aspiration and practicality. “I started off building when I was 16. It felt like a stepping stone at the time, but ended up being such a useful foundation for my design and architecture practice. Those building skills have been really useful, and I enjoy the ability to work across both sides of the industry; I get bored without variety. The goal is to marry function and aesthetics as much as possible and use that balance to create really thoughtful spaces that we develop, design and build ourselves.”
The trick, Ben says, is to bring his practical expertise to the constructability and budget of his projects, without letting it limit his vision. “It can be a blessing and a curse,” he admits, “so I’m working hard to steer my focus into the design process a bit more this year. I’ve just returned from a six-week trip to Europe, where they’re so far ahead on higher-density residential design. It was great to experience some of those older cities and draw inspiration from how other people live, particularly in denser cities in places like Italy.”
Ben enjoys being hands-on at every stage in the development, design and build process. “I love the front-end feasibility studies and running the numbers - that’s what helps me lay out the requirements of a project and draw out the potential of the site. Recently, I’ve enjoyed working on the marketing aspects of the practice as well. When you’ve got properties for sale, it’s hugely important to know how to describe your homes as a product. And understanding your brand and what you want it to look like in the future is quite an important part of the process.”
Bare currently has one residential development on the market and several more big projects in progress. “Eleven Coates is on sale now in Auckland and has five new homes available. It provides an opportunity to experience high-quality design and luxury living in Ōrākei, with some diversity available in the size and stories of the homes. We also have a 10-home development getting rendered this month for a project in St Heliers, and a 2000sqm medical centre just coming through the resource consent process. Both the St Heliers development and Hobsonville Medical Centre are being delivered in collaboration with Gerard Dombroski, one of my co-hosts on Design Principles Pod.”
Design Principles Pod podcast is a forum for co-hosts Ben, Gerard, and Sam Brown to share their passion for architecture and design through a range of topics and discussions with inspiring industry guests. “What started as a pub chat a few years ago has become a way for us to learn from each other’s very different perspectives and share those conversations with the world. I bring the practical, financial side, which I think people don’t always put enough weight on in our industry. I always come out of those recording sessions feeling so energised, and the feedback has been that people both in and beyond the industry find those conversations really interesting as well. Our listeners have prompted us to continue making episodes even when the temptation comes to get distracted by everyday problems, and I’m really glad that we have.”
Ben is already hunting for his next development property, with a goal to get another two up and running this year. “I’ve definitely got the sense that now is the time to get stuck in, while the industry is starting to pick up again after a slower time over the last few years. We want to set ourselves up well for what’s ahead and put ourselves in a good position moving forward. I also want to lean a bit more into hands-on projects by creating a workshop space for our practice. My builder background makes me crave that kind of creativity, and I think that it will be good for our team culture as well. It’s hard to find that when you’re sitting at your computer all day, and I think that creative aspect is pretty important.”
To learn more and connect with Ben, visit https://www.barearchitecture.nz/ and https://www.bareconstruction.nz/, follow the Bare team on Instagram and LinkedIn, and check out their latest development at elevencoates.nz.
