Creating spaces for home, work & play
The urban design and architecture team is integral to Woods. Like the final piece in a puzzle, it enables us to deliver complete projects — from greenfield subdivisions to residential and commercial developments.
Urban design is about making the best use of land and creating pleasant, liveable places. Though aesthetics is important, it is often how a place feels that makes the most impact — the spaces between buildings and civic areas that create a city’s character.
Connected urban environments
Over time, societies and lifestyles change. So, as urban designers and architects, we are forward-looking and aware of the changing nature of suburbia and the urban pressures caused by the larger issues of transport, sustainability and housing affordability.
Much of the sub-divisional development during the 1960s and 1970s lost its way — there were lots of cul-de-sacs and separate residential and commercial zones. As a result, urban environments in many parts of New Zealand are disconnected. People can’t go anywhere without a car, and they find themselves isolated within their communities.
We take a new urban approach and strive to create well-designed urban spaces, with greater choices for living and working available, where people can walk to work and engage with their neighbours.
Professional standards
Everyone in the Urban Design and Architecture team holds a degree in architecture, with different staff members having Masters in Architecture, Urban Design & Sustainability, or work experience in brownfields development and retirement village design.
We keep our expertise up to date through continuous professional development (CPD). Senior staff are members of the Urban Design Forum, and we frequently liaise with councils through submissions and hearings processes in conjunction with our planning team.
