Established a decade ago, Rogan Nash Architects is a pioneering architecture studio with a knack for new house builds and renovations. Verve sat down with founding directors Kate Rogan and Eva Nash.
“Eva and I met at university, so we’ve known each other for a really long time,” says Kate. “We both always wanted to be architects – we were just two people who knew what our dream was, and we became it.”
Kate has fine design pedigree, her grandfather having been a draughtsman for the Auckland Harbour Bridge, while Eva, as a kid, would “draw plans for all her friends, and rework everyone’s houses”.
“When we met at university, we had so many similarities and were instant friends,” recalls Kate. Eva went off to practise here with Pete Bossley, and later worked in New York, while I worked in London. We always kept in touch and then we both just happened to be at the right place in our lives at the same time and joined together to start a company.”
RARE GEMS
The two women let out a chuckle when asked how common it is to have females helming an architecture studio.
“We’re pretty much unicorns!” says Kate. “It remains a very male-dominated industry, and we hope that others in New Zealand will see what we’ve done and be inspired to try the same thing.”
I ask if they attract a greater proportion of female clients.
“Men and women really value what we do,” says Eva. “We focus mostly on residential projects like new houses and renovations, and I think we bring a certain understanding of what a house might need for one’s family. We believe in collaboration. It’s vital to ensure a space is personal to the owners, that they’re going to have a home they really love. And so we design spaces that relate to people’s personalities, to their own situations, rather than trying to impose something they don’t necessarily want.”
Kate says that Rogan Nash’s guiding philosophy revolves around how “architecture can improve your life”. “It really can improve your day-to-day,” she elaborates. “What it’s like to wake up in the morning, how the space makes you feel when you arrive home. Whether the house feels like a sanctuary. Is there enough cupboard space? Those small things, those small conversations, can really alter an entire design and can have a huge ripple effect. I’m not sure it’s necessarily a female perspective, more just our personality types.”
TWO’S A COMPANY
The pair – along with their tightknit team – collaborate on every single project in the belief that “it’s better to have two minds than one”.
“We come to the design with different ideas, from different angles, to create a design that best suits that client,” says Eva. “When two people are listening they may each hear something different. Kate might pick up on verbal language, whereas I might pick up on body language, which might say different things.”
Can you give us an overview of the design process?
“It varies, but clients usually have a vague idea of what they want,” says Eva. “The initial briefing is one of the most important meetings. We sit down for a couple of hours to really go over things in depth – Kate and I have formulated a list of questions that we believe brings out some of the really important points they might not have considered.”
Meetings at the house or site follow, then Kate and Eva draft a concept design.
“It’s scary for clients who have had no experience with architecture before,” says Kate. “So, we have a real structured way of working which we can throw into place if required. Obviously, Eva and I have our opinions, and we will give them, but if someone’s got a real idea of how they want to do things, we’re listening!”
A lengthy list of returning clients bears testament to the esteem in which the architects are held.
“We’ve got so many repeat clients for whom we’ve done renovations, then built houses in places like Waiheke,” says Kate. “We really care about those relationships and making sure that a person feels comfortable and confident that they’re going to get the design that they actually want.”
The architects’ understanding of their clients’ needs is further deepened through the experience of renovating and building their own homes.
“We know what it’s like,” Kate continues. “We know all those pressures that you have to go through to get construction done, and so, yeah, we’re real believers in design. We’re real believers in the process.”
TOGETHER-ALONE
With more people spending more time in their homes, renovations are on the rise – one of Eva’s favourite aspects of the architectural process.
“Renovations are really satisfying,” she says. “They make a massive difference, particularly over the last few years where homelife has become so important.”
“We’ve been around for quite a while, and seen trends come and go,” adds Kate. “The pandemic has changed people’s mindset quite a lot, but we have a real mainstay of clients, both new builds and renovations. Inherently, New Zealanders love their homes.”
Presumably more people are incorporating home offices now?
“Absolutely,” says Eva, “but the home office has been something we’ve always championed. When we were early in business and had young children, we thought the home office was invaluable, so we’ve always tried to convince clients to incorporate them into projects. It can be so important, a space which we call ‘together-alone’, a sanctuary within the same house as others.”
“The pandemic has also changed the way people look at the exterior of their homes, and really consider what they can get from their properties” Kate says. “So, we’ve had many clients doing extensive pool and outdoor areas, and sometimes standalone buildings which serve as another living space. This ties in with the together-alone idea. It’s really looking at your entire property and thinking, ‘How can I actually make this work for me?’”
“We both always wanted to be architects – we were just two people who knew what our dream was, and we became it.”
“The thrilling part for us is solving design challenges, to really meet the needs for our clients”
GREEN THINKING
Sustainable practice is another pillar of the Rogan Nash philosophy – Eva has master’s in residential sustainability, and it’s something that’s “considered on each project”. “We don’t push it on people, and clients often don’t even realise that some of the choices that we are making are directly related to sustainability,” she says. “We like to just have it ticking in the background to make sure that we’re doing everything that we can to make our projects as sustainable as possible. We have projects in the office that are under the New Zealand Green Building Council Homestar system, which has very stringent sustainable rules.”
Though some can be deterred by the perceived extra cost of sustainable designs, Kate urges that it can save more money in the long run: “Really, as a planet, we should all be moving in that direction, but people shouldn’t be put off by thinking that it’s necessarily going to be heaps more expensive. It doesn’t have to be.”
I ask how the surrounding environment informs the design.
“It’s really important to make sure, for example, if you are doing a renovation in someone’s backyard that you maintain their privacy,” says Eva. “Or it might be maintaining the sea view. And so, the environment and the broader site are really important, and we do consider that every time. It’s also really important to consider the sun and which parts get sun and which parts don’t.”
“Entertainment areas are a huge part of our design,” says Kate. “Outdoor areas, pools, barbecue areas, fireplaces, pergolas, that kind of thing. We need to figure out where people are going to sit. We didn’t study landscaping, so we collaborate with leading landscapers, because those plants and how they interact with the house is hugely important.”
FOUNDATIONS
Part of the women’s fascination with architecture is the immersion in a process that requires so much time – and imagination.
“There’s always a part of the pathway which isn’t as you thought it would be, and that’s where experience comes in,” says Kate. “And having two directors on each project is obviously an extra advantage in that sense.”
“We both have homes under construction, and they’re really exciting houses,” adds Eva. “Obviously, we’re in the exact same position as everybody else is at the moment in terms of timeline and moving targets, so we completely understand what’s going on in the market. How we can use our knowledge to find workarounds and to manage the timelines and the changing environment.
“We recently did a beautiful renovation of a family home out in Glendowie, an extension to create a better visual connection to the outdoor area and the pool. It’s now an effortless indoor-outdoor flow, along with a generous kitchen and scullery, which helps with entertaining and when you’ve got children running around.”
“The thrilling part for us is solving design challenges, to really meet the needs for our clients,” Kate says. “Small projects or large projects, they’re all exciting because it’s all about that challenge, to build something beautiful.”
1/29 Surrey Crescent, Grey Lynn, Phone 09 361 2548
mail@rogannash.com
rogannash.com
