Solari Architects

04/10/2026

25/09/2026

Set into the hillside, this mirror-image duplex pair is part of the 60-home Tiketike Way development.

Designed to work with the natural topography of the site, it makes most of the elevated position with living spaces and generous balconies designed to capture Wellington's sunlight and views.

Photography by Andy Spain Photography

20/09/2026

This beautiful standalone home was designed for a retiring couple's future needs, providing space for visiting their family and the flexibility to accommodate guests or short-term bed and breakfast stays.

Upstairs, two bedrooms form a private sanctuary, while the ground floor is open and connected to both the rear garden and a sunny courtyard at the heart of the plan.

11/09/2026

Sitting comfortably on the edge of a steep slope, surrounded by native bush, Korokoro House's two-storey gable form was orientated to take advantage of the views to the north, south and west on both levels.

The west facing window seat creates a sunny private hideaway with views of the bush clad hills. This beautiful project was completed in 2017.

14/08/2026

Some projects begin with a vision for change. This began with a deep appreciation for what was already there.

During our first visit, it was immediately clear how much Gail & Allen loved this site. In fact, Gail had admired this property for more than 30 years before it became theirs. Preserving the qualities that made the house special was just as important as introducing something new.

We carefully retained many of the home's defining characteristics: a sunny spot by the window, the proportions of the bedrooms, the distinctive full height windows. These seemingly small details were central to the way this house was experienced and treasured.

Photography by Hayley Paul

29/05/2026

The contrast between designing with flood risk in mind, versus not. Two projects we are involved with highlight this clearly.

The first is a new build opportunity where we knew the risk and designed for it. Allowing us to design for both tsunami risk and general inundatuon flooding. Raised floors and resilient foundations is a pragmatic response to flooding risks. Hence the front door and living being 1.5m above the footpath.

The second is a refurbishment of an existing building, which was a victim of the recent storm in Wellington. In this picture, it was still trying to dry out. There is work to be done on this yet as we can't just lift this building up, so we are exploring other options.

Hazards exist, and as architects we have to find different ways to tackle them. At Solari, we like to take these challenges head on!