Christmas comes early for five new associates at Context Architects

This is a supplied media release.

Context Architects has promoted five new associates in its mission to be the best architects to work with in the country. The new associates will help ensure excellent client experiences for Context’s customers and manage all aspects of projects to make sure they run on time and budget.

Operating nationally from offices in Auckland and Christchurch, the 63-person practice has grown by seven people this year, after doubling the size and turnover of the business between 2014 and 2016. Recent new appoints include architects, interior designers, a business development manager and even a gamer turned virtual-reality specialist.

“The appointments and promotions reflect the growth and development of our people and the business,” explains director and managing principal Stephen Voyle. “We’ve seen particular growth in housing, hospitality and retail this year; as well as exponentially increasing our use of virtual and augmented reality to design and consult.

The five newly-created associates Alex Petersen, Craig Birch, Dasha Tarasova, Madeline Sharpe and Rachel Venables will provide a primary point of call for clients and coordinate projects to make them run efficiently and achieve strong results. It will also encourage more creative and technical excellence as team members focus on particular roles.

Project lead and interiors specialist Alex Petersen manages nationwide fit-out for national retail brands. Architect and Green Star sustainability expert Craig Birch leads remediation projects to add value to buildings through design.

Architect Dasha Tarasova leads teams on large residential developments, while Madeline Sharpe creates masterplans for large-scale developments that sensitively deliver on community and financial aspirations. Next year she will lead a series of national hospitality and tourism projects. And Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Architects Rachel Venables is driving innovation in design and consents to improve the efficiency and performance of housing developments and improve time to market.

“We’re delighted to recognise the contribution that our newly promoted associates make to our clients, the business and their colleagues,” concluded director Stephen Voyle. “We are determined to produce thoughtful design that makes a visible and positive difference to clients and communities. The new associates will help us do that.