The Future of Form

While many architects start with form, materials or site, Tom starts with people. He sees every project as a collaboration shaped by personality and purpose, where the architecture becomes a physical expression of the lives inside it. That human lens, he believes, is what transforms a building from a structure into a story. Life stages, lifestyles, personalities, morning rituals … it’s all inspiration for compelling architecture.

“I think you need a little bit of everything in the architecture industry and work as a team with others who have diverse skills. I sit in the human and creative end of architecture – I love talking to people and finding out about how they live,” he says.

"If you have a house made for yourself, you can’t hide who you are, and that is represented in build form. That’s the joy of architecture.”

 

This innate curiosity in people and their lives is perhaps why Tom was deemed the perfect fit to take on the presenting role for TVNZ’s Grand Designs New Zealand in 2022. Despite juggling a full schedule running his architecture firm Webster Harding Architects with wife Anna, Tom couldn’t pass up the opportunity to front one of NZ’s top-rating TV shows.

The latest season of TVNZ’s Grand Designs New Zealand has taken him from one ambitious building project to another, following the processes of innovative architecture and feats of engineering from the top of the North Island to the South. But while the landscapes and challenges vary, the homeowners share one common goal of creating the Kiwi dream.

“We’re very much a property nation in NZ, and there’s so much opportunity to build in stunning locations,” he says. “It’s one of the prettiest countries in the world with mountains, beaches and lakes. There aren’t many places where you can ski and surf on the same day – I’ve been here 10 years now and that still amazes me."

“I would love to design homes in any of those locations: either a coastal or alpine environment, somewhere in the Central Plateau or on an island. All would have a very different design approach but ideally centred around long views.”

Originally from the UK, Tom, also a qualified car designer, fell in love with NZ on a working holiday visa, before returning home to complete his architecture training, following in his father’s footsteps. The lure of Aotearoa remained strong, however, and Tom, Anna and their two sons packed up their lives to move across the world to Auckland, where he initially worked for Cheshire Architects.

“I'm not alone in being a sucker for mid-century design,” he says.

“For me the best parts of mid-century are the use of quality materials, natural light, connection with the outdoors and integration of built-in furniture and storage. There are some great houses from the 50s and 60s in NZ, but they don't necessarily perform very well as comfortable homes to live in. I live in a beautiful 60s house – well, I can’t say beautiful just yet as we’re renovating – but it will be one day.”

A high-profile project that Tom worked on before starting his television career was the award-winning Hotel Britomart, NZ’s first 5 Green Star hotel. The environmental credentials of the development in downtown Auckland reinforced his interest and commitment to sustainable design; no greenwashing, just logically and responsibly incorporating true longevity and eco-conscious measures to help make buildings healthier and happier.

“I think we're on the cusp of understanding that we've got to build better,” he says. “We know the human impact of a house that doesn't breathe right, is cold at times, or too hot. We're not quite there yet, but we will rapidly get to a point where people realise the value of making their homes perform well. It's just whether the market responds to that. I think it will happen – buyers are more astute now.

“We need to build healthier homes and not just follow minimum building code standards. The Homestar certification scheme created by the New Zealand Green Building Council is a much better standard, aimed at delivering healthier, comfortable, more energy-efficient homes.”

Similarly, the role of contemporary architecture has evolved in the past decade, particularly post-pandemic. The Covid years not only made us reconsider our locations, homes and careers; it sparked an increased yearning for nature and a desire to revamp aesthetics in our living spaces.

“Architecture is an experience and it has such a big role in bringing us closer to nature, bringing our everyday lives closer to nature,” says Tom. “That's the big thing I think we'll see in the future, with more people opting to live in natural, not artificial, environments.”

The combination of architecture and nature has also been a theme in Tom’s new TVNZ show, launching later this year. The upcoming series sees him travel internationally to follow the adventures of homeowners constructing on coastlines around the Pacific, as well as in NZ. Travelling and filming two TV shows and stepping into the lives and homes of strangers might not be an easy task for some, but for Tom it comes back to his ‘people person’ attribute.

“Looking back, I think the way I initially coped with learning to be on TV was to pretend to myself that it was a bit of a side hustle,” he says. “I had already made a career in architecture, so I approached the presenting aspect with less pressure than someone determined to have a career in television.” Instead, it’s a pleasure, he says, to come along for the ride on what can often be one of the most complex, stressful and exciting periods of someone’s life.

“I’ve met some amazing people and seen some incredible houses,” he says.

New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty is a proud partner of the new season of TVNZ's Grand Designs New Zealand, Sundays 7:30pm on TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+