Our Practice

We’re guided by one central principle: our belief that capturing and reflecting identity is key to making places that work for their users. Identity is the understanding of self, grounded in place, culture, heritage and sense of purpose. We know from long experience that the most authentic, successful and enduring projects are those that reflect the shared identity of the community.

What makes us different

Our People

Our People

Our talent originates from dozens of countries, giving us an extraordinary diversity of perspectives and expertise. We draw together sector specialists and multi-disciplinary experts, enriching our work with both international best practice and cross-sector insights.

Our Partnerships

Our Partnerships

We work in close collaboration with clients, communities, government and industry. We have an extensive network of designers and consultants around the world, allowing us to bring in the best talent for your project, whatever the location.

Our Process

Our Process

We are many people in many locations, working together as one studio. Underpinned by advanced technology, our processes encourage agility and precision. Our 4Ds – Discover, Define, Design and Deliver – ensure our focus stays user- and client-centred.

Our Provenance

Our Provenance

We are proudly of, and from, Aotearoa and the Pacific. We’re the product and the influence of the vibrant cities, rich cultures and powerful landscapes that have made us who we are. We’re proud to be taking our adventuring Pacific spirit to the world.

Our values

These are the principles at the heart of our culture. They guide our decision-making, shape our relationships and inform our work at every step.

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Togetherness

We work as one studio, and in partnership with our clients, to deliver extraordinary outcomes. Together we weave individual endeavour into a stronger whole.

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Adventurousness

We’re curious, courageous and future-focused. We lead the way in technology and sustainability, and solve complex challenges with creativity and ingenuity.

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Clarity

We seek brilliant unifying ideas that deliver cohesion and simplicity. We communicate clearly, and execute our work with agility and precision.

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Authenticity

We put people at the heart of how we design, and of how we work as a team. That means being open and ethical, true to ourselves and transparent with each other.

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Respect

We celebrate the individual as well as the collective. We seek diverse voices and viewpoints, and relate to each other with empathy and consideration.

Our heritage

Warren and Mahoney is the only third-generation architectural practice in New Zealand. Today it is a multidisciplinary design practice offering architectural, interior, graphic, urban and environmentally sustainable design services. Over the decades we have nurtured some of New Zealand’s finest architectural talent, and our people remain integral to our remarkable history of innovation and design excellence.

College House chapel, 1964
College House chapel, 1964
65 Cambridge Terrace house & offices, 1962
65 Cambridge Terrace house & offices, 1962

Founded in 1955 by Sir Miles Warren and Maurice Mahoney in Christchurch, the firm designed many buildings regarded as the benchmark of New Zealand Modernism. Sir Miles was knighted in 1985 for his services to architecture and in 2003 named one of ten inaugural ‘Icons of the Arts’ by the Arts Foundation of New Zealand. Today we have teams in Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland, Tauranga, Queenstown, Sydney and Melbourne, who work seamlessly together under our ‘one studio’ structure.

Sustainable design leadership

Warren and Mahoney is proud to be a leader in the field of Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD). We were one of the driving forces behind the establishment of the New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC) and are actively involved in the technical development and piloting of the Green Star tools.

Sustainable design leadership

We were involved in the design of one of the first 5 Green Star office buildings in New Zealand, the first 5 Green Star Built rated building, and more recently the first two 5 Green Star education buildings. We have won numerous awards for our work in the area.

We set similarly high standards for our own environmental performance. In 2007 Warren and Mahoney became New Zealand’s first Toitū carbon zero certified architectural practice. In 2009 we were recognised by the United Nations as one of the first hundred organisations in the UN Climate Neutral Network.

Certified standards

Our Integrated Management System (IMS) has been audited and certified compliant with ISO9001– Quality Management; ISO45001 – Safety Management; and ISO14001 – Environmental Management. These internationally recognised best-practice standards allow us to mitigate risk through improved processes, technologies and legislative changes.