Upoko Architects

Upoko Architects is comprised of two prominent architectural figures; James Warren and Peter Shaw.

Warren has been involved in the industry for over 25 years and has worked on a number of award-winning projects during his career. With a natural ability at his craft, he believes the key to his success has been his patience and ability to listen to clients so that he can successfully translate their values into buildings.

Shaw also has over 25 years experience behind him and has worked as a carpenter before his career change to architecture. Having construction knowledge from his previous trade enables him a unique understanding of construction that he can apply to his architectural designs.

Focusing on the residential space, they have produced some inspiring designs. This tiny cabin shows the skill and precision that they are able to bring to their work, and although small homes are challenging – this little cabin does it with ease. Designing something at its most concentrated tends to offer a lot of value. But making sure the house had a generous sense of space was important. The building is positioned in a clearing the client had made. The bush is quite thick, so the vegetation acts like a wall. They used a lot of glass on the ground floor, which visually extends the internal space out toward the forest edges.