CoLab Architects

CoLab Architects are a small practice of two directors Tobin Smith and Blair Paterson based in Christchurch. With a belief that the best architecture is conscious of the local climate and environment – CoLab have created designs fitting this brief from traditional New Zealand cottages to groundbreaking 1960s Christchurch modernist buildings.

Director Tobin Smith’s design of this Christchurch townhouse is an example of density done well. When his friend Jeremy Williams asked him to design a bachelor pad, they knew it had to be small: the site was just 10 metres wide and 46 metres long. Smith focused on creating fluid, flexible spaces. Williams likes to entertain, so Smith designed the second bedroom with full-height, moveable walls that slide back to work as an extension of the living area. And the six-metre-long garage is adjacent to the living space and can serve as an overflow area when parties get underway.