Black Pine Architects

Black Pine Architects Architects for Good Ancestors. We šŸ’š designing energy efficient buildings and community spaces that leave a positive legacy.

Proudly Passivhaus and B-Corp certified.

ICYMI: For anyone planning a garden (of any kind), our chat with Sam Moore, Garden Designer and Consultant is well worth...
07/08/2026

ICYMI: For anyone planning a garden (of any kind), our chat with Sam Moore, Garden Designer and Consultant is well worth a read this w/e.

He’s super-knowledgeable about planting and landscape design and offers valuable perspective on things most people probably don’t consider.

It’ll make you think — and probably save you heaps of time!

https://blackpine.co.nz/2026/07/27/behind-the-design-sam-from-considerate-design/

We’re stoked to be part of the first Festival of Design Aotearoa taking place across Whanganui & Palmy this October. Mus...
07/08/2026

We’re stoked to be part of the first Festival of Design Aotearoa taking place across Whanganui & Palmy this October.

Music, art, talks, workshops, and heaps of free events — check out the program and lock in your calendar! šŸ“…

If you're keen to chat about architecture and design, Black Pine will be hosting a studio open day on October 18 — all are welcome!

Beautiful design only comes to life through skilled construction, and for The Avenue Hotel / Glasshouse rebuild, Shane S...
06/08/2026

Beautiful design only comes to life through skilled construction, and for The Avenue Hotel / Glasshouse rebuild, Shane Stone Builders Limited played a key role.

They were on site getting it done every day, and did an amazing job executing the design brief and plans to the high standards required (special shout-out to Adam, Warren and Pete — thanks for the hard mahi! šŸ’Ŗ).

To round out this Behind the Build series, here’s 3 quick questions with the SSB team…

1. What part of your work on The Avenue/Glasshouse are you most proud?

For us at Shane Stone Builders, the proudest moment was seeing The Avenue come back to life after such a devastating fire and watching the new Glasshouse Restaurant take shape. It was a challenging project, particularly blending the old building with the new design while the hotel remained open. Seeing guests enjoying the finished space, and knowing we handed it over on schedule, made it especially rewarding for our team.

2. Who from your team would you like to highlight?

This project was a genuine team effort. Adam, our Site Manager, deserves special recognition for coordinating the day-to-day work onsite and keeping such a busy and complex project moving. Warren, our Quantity Surveyor, played a key role throughout, managing the pricing, budgets and costs while working closely with the wider project team as the work progressed. Pete, our Construction Manager, oversaw the construction programme and quality throughout.

We also valued the strong working relationship we developed with Duncan and the team at Black Pine Architects. Their collaborative approach and willingness to work through challenges alongside us played an important part in bringing the design to life.

We’re incredibly proud of our SSB building team and grateful to the many skilled subcontractors and suppliers involved. The finished result reflects the care, commitment and workmanship of everyone who contributed.

3. What would you love guests at Glasshouse to notice?

We’d love guests to notice how naturally the old and new parts of the building come together. There are so many details that took careful planning and skilled workmanship, even if guests don’t realise what went into them. Most of all, we hope people walk in, enjoy the atmosphere and feel as though Glasshouse has always belonged there.

Great architecture isn't just about nice buildings — the landscape around it plays a MASSIVE role in shaping how a place...
05/08/2026

Great architecture isn't just about nice buildings — the landscape around it plays a MASSIVE role in shaping how a place feels, functions, and connects with nature.

In this Behind Design feature, Whanganui-based garden and planting designer Sam Moore, Garden Designer and Consultant shares some thoughts on how garden design and architecture work together (or, perhaps, don’t…).

It's a wide-ranging interview that covers missed opportunities and wasted time, the versatility of plants, why layering may be better than bark, soil health, a need for more shade, the never-ending nature of landscaping, and heaps more.

We're very grateful to Sam for taking time to share his deep knowledge, and highly encourage you to have a read:

https://blackpine.co.nz/latest/

🌱

We're immensely proud of Reshma for getting up on stage at today's Passivhaus conference and sharing the story of how th...
29/07/2026

We're immensely proud of Reshma for getting up on stage at today's Passivhaus conference and sharing the story of how the Black Pine team worked with some wonderful clients to design their family home in TaupÅā¤ļø

It's a neat story involving Mount Tauhara, an awesome family, and a whoooole lot of building science — we'll try to pop a version of the presentation up on our website so you can check it out!

This time next week the BPA team will be in Auckland for the big Passive House Institute New Zealand conference, where R...
24/07/2026

This time next week the BPA team will be in Auckland for the big Passive House Institute New Zealand conference, where Reshma will be presenting the story (PechaKucha style!) of a recently completed Passivhaus project we worked on in Taupō.

Been loads of fun digging through the original project files and being reminded how designs develop and directions change from a few rough sketches & models to become what’s now a beautiful home.

Bring it on!!

There’s a good chance you’ve seen (and used) Grind & Polish - Your Concrete Flooring Experts work without even realising...
23/07/2026

There’s a good chance you’ve seen (and used) Grind & Polish - Your Concrete Flooring Experts work without even realising it. Since 2014, these guys have made an art of creating beautiful, polished concrete floors across Whanganui and surrounding regions.

Their work is a not-so-hidden feature of the new Glasshouse restaurant, so we invited Nick from G&P to offer some thoughts on their contribution to the project…

1. What part of your work on The Avenue are you most proud of?

I’m most proud of the quality of the finished floor and knowing it’ll be something hundreds of people walk across every day. One of the biggest challenges was delivering a flawless finish while working around other trades and a tight construction schedule. It took a lot of planning, precision, and teamwork to achieve the result, and I’m proud of what we’ve delivered.

2. Who on your team would you like to highlight?

The whole team deserves recognition because everyone played an important part in getting the project over the line. From the preparation through to the finishing work, every person took pride in doing the job properly. It’s that attention to detail and willingness to help each other that made the final result possible.

3. What would you love guests to notice (even if they don’t realise it’s your work)?

I’d love people to walk in and simply think the place feels clean, modern, and high quality. Most people won’t stop and look at the floor, and that’s actually a compliment — if we’ve done our job well, it blends seamlessly into the overall design while providing a durable, attractive surface that will last for years. It’s satisfying knowing our work helps create that first impression, even if people don’t realise why.

We're heading outside for today's Behind the Build story where Sam Moore, Garden Designer and Consultant  has been worki...
17/07/2026

We're heading outside for today's Behind the Build story where Sam Moore, Garden Designer and Consultant has been working some gardening & landscaping magic at The Avenue Hotel / Glasshouse restaurant.

This aspect of creating a welcoming space for guests is VERY different to the rest of the project — while all the construction is done and the interior looks nicely polished, the garden is only getting started. Out here, the big payoff won’t come for a few years as the spaces (literally) grow and change.

It’s a unique skill to be able to imagine what a future garden *could* look like, and this is how Sam sees it …

1. What part of your work at The Avenue are you most proud of?

ā€œThe lobby gardens. The planting in these beds is heavily layered to ensure that there is some form of interest throughout the year. This could be a colour or a textural combination.

The challenge was to ensure that even in the most dormant times of the year there was something that would catch the eye, something that would give people the opportunity to pause and take a moment.ā€

2. What would you love guests at Glasshouse to notice?

ā€œI'd like people to notice that effort was put into creating continuity of form across the site. Specifically, how curves were integrated into the garden elements without becoming too heavy-handed.

The shape of the pots and planters needed to reflect the curves found throughout both the new and older parts of the building. I think this has worked out particularly well.ā€

For today's 'Behind the Build' on The Avenue Hotel / Glasshouse restaurant in Whanganui, we're featuring Excel Refrigera...
16/07/2026

For today's 'Behind the Build' on The Avenue Hotel / Glasshouse restaurant in Whanganui, we're featuring Excel Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Ltd.

The work these guys do isn't always visible, but it's SUPER important for a commercial hospitality project like this!

They take care of indoor climate control and anything to do with HVAC (heating, ventilation & air conditioning), so their role in the rebuild was critical in helping create a comfortable environment for staff and guests alike.

Thanks to Kieran Whitham from the Excel team for answering our 3 quick questions...

1. What part of your work on The Avenue are you most proud of?

Managing change and the proactive problem solving with the Shane Stone Builders team.

2. Is there anyone from your team you'd like to highlight specially?

John Munro, one of our newest team members who championed this job, came from an engineering background, so there was lots of new learning for him.

3. What would you love guests at The Avenue / Glasshouse to notice?

The autonomous blending of fresh air as and when required in the dining room.

Last month we were approached by Caroline Thalund from Ōtautahi based sustainability/ESG consultancy, S360, who was laun...
02/07/2026

Last month we were approached by Caroline Thalund from Ōtautahi based sustainability/ESG consultancy, S360, who was launching a new ā€˜B Inspiredā€˜ series that shares good news stories about New Zealand B Corps doing positive things in their part of the world.

It was a pleasure (and honour!) to help kick off the series with a chat about our wildflower project, and some background about Black Pine's path to becoming a B Corp 🌻🌻

You can check out the article below:

https://www.s360.solutions/post/how-black-pine-architects-turned-a-suburban-footpath-into-a-community-gathering-point

Thanks Caroline!ā¤ļø

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