Atkinson Harwood Architecture

Atkinson Harwood Architecture Atkinson Harwood Architecture // AHA // Hawkes Bay based, NZ focused Architecture and Sustainable design

Atkinson Harwood Architecture is an Architectural Practice based in Napier, New Zealand. Building design with sustainable principles is what drives our company. We endeavor to educate and encourage our clients to incorporate as many energy-efficient methods and materials into their design to achieve increased building performance and quality. The New Zealand Green Building Council's Homestar frame

work is a holistic tool for quantifying a home's performance and Sol Atkinson is a Certified Homestar Assessor. We have been operating since July 2016, and have since gained an extensive portfolio in a wide range of residential and commercial projects. We offer the full architectural design process to our clients from Concept Design through to Contract Administration and Observation. Our services are offered to both the local Hawke's Bay area and the wider North Island.

04/09/2026

Looking back at our decade of work!
✨ with this bespoke interior fitout, delivered for our corporate clients in the Hastings Tribune Precinct.

We thrive on variety - from residential design to commercial and everything in between. Not just Napier, but the wider Hawke’s Bay region and beyond.

02/09/2026

We ❤️ Ahuriri!

Over the past decade, we’ve been lucky to work on some incredible projects right here in our local village. On Ossian Street alone, that’s included working with the team at Fergus George, the beautifully revitalised Husheer Building, and The Doctors Napier renovation — plus a DIY project or two for Port Ahuriri Playcentre 🌻🥰

A big part of what we do is honouring the character and history of these spaces, while making sure they’re set up to thrive for years to come.

You’ll find us just around the corner on Mahia Street - for all things architecture, design and sustainable development.

20/08/2026

Celebrating 10 years - Te Manukura - NZIA Architecture Awards Winner 2024 🌿

Te Manukura is a new learning space at Taikura Rudolf Steiner School in Hastings - purpose-built for teaching te reo Māori and te ao Māori to all students.

Designed to reflect Rudolf Steiner philosophy, Taikura’s distinctive campus style, and traditional wharenui design, Te Manukura blends indoor and outdoor learning into one harmonious space. Large doors open onto a covered porch, drawing students out into the gardens and exploration areas beyond - encouraging hands-on learning and connection with nature. Beyond the classroom, Te Manukura is also a gathering place for the wider school community, hosting pōwhiri, mihi whakatau, and the Waiata mai group.

More than a building, Te Manukura reflects Taikura’s commitment to te reo Māori, tikanga, and respect for the natural world - a space designed to inspire the next generation.

A full-circle moment for architect Sol Atkinson - a former Taikura student from kindergarten right through to the end of high school - returning to the campus to bring this project to life. Completing the circle, we’re excited for our own 6-year-old to begin his school journey in Te Manukura when he starts Class One in 2027.

The icing on the cake: Te Manukura won the Education category at the 2024 NZIA Regional Architecture Awards.

18/08/2026

10 Years, Countless Transformations 🏡✨

Celebrating a decade in business, we’re looking back at some of our favourite residential addition and alteration projects.

Honest confession: this isn’t necessarily our favourite type of work 🫣 renovating and building around an existing home comes with its own unique challenges. But seeing the before-and-after is always a rewarding process

Turning our 3D digital models into physical prints takes a fair bit of trial and error — but these cottages are looking ...
14/08/2026

Turning our 3D digital models into physical prints takes a fair bit of trial and error — but these cottages are looking pretty cute! Based on our affordable A3 home design, with cottage-inspired details to suit the surrounding area. Coming soon to Napier Hill.

13/08/2026

🏉Celebrating 10 years - One from the archives 🏉
The Hawke’s Bay Rugby Training Centre is the product of another team effort, collaborating with Architect Graeme Weaver. This project was completed by Atkin Construction HB Ltd in 2019. The facility includes an internal sprinting track, full gym and office facilities for the head office team. A project built to give local players, coaches, and communities a home to train, grow, and connect for generations to come.

11/08/2026

Celebrating 10 Years with the Napier Catholic Parish Mission Centre and Administration building. Completed in 2024 - A new heart for the Catholic Parish of Napier, built on the footprint of the former two-storey villa that once stood here, this purpose-built facility honours the past while welcoming the community forward.

Sitting centrally on site and opening onto the church grounds, the space fosters a strong connection between indoors and out, and to the wider parish community.

Preserved stained glass windows from the original building were carefully repurposed into the new design - providing a thread of continuity by linking old and new. ✨

The design also features a striking barrel dome roof, echoing the form of the existing church building. The dome’s graceful curve carries through into the interior too, where large arched glazing floods the communal space with natural light, creating a welcoming venue for gatherings, events, and parish support programs.

Grateful for the collaboration on this project - working alongside Architect Graham Weaver, developing the initial layout, and delivered by contractor Atkin Construction Ltd.

🙏 A space designed to bring people together.

06/08/2026

10 years. 270+ affordable homes.

For a decade, AHA has worked on affordable housing projects across Hawke’s Bay, Gisborne and CHB - from single-bedroom units to four-bedroom standalone houses, built for the full range of needs and family configurations.

This isn’t work chasing architectural awards. It’s work that demands sharp planning, honest detailing, and design that gives every inhabitant a home they can be proud of.

270 dwellings is a small piece of the puzzle against what government and community housing providers have invested in nationally, but it’s a piece we’re proud to have contributed towards.

04/08/2026

The Criterion Hotel project, completed in 2025, transformed a Category 1 heritage building from a run-down backpackers into luxury accommodation through extensive renovation and reconstruction. Undertaken in close consultation with Heritage New Zealand, the design approach centred on a dual commitment: meticulously protecting and restoring the building’s existing historic fabric, while sympathetically introducing new fixtures and finishes where required. This balance ensured that necessary modern interventions were carefully considered to complement, rather than compete with, the original architecture.

The result reinterprets the building as a contemporary expression of its Art Deco heritage, respecting its status as an iconic landmark within Napier’s CBD while equipping it for a new life as a high-quality hospitality destination.
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17a Mahia Street
Napier
4110

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Monday 8:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5pm
Friday 8:30am - 5pm

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