Andre Laurent

I started my career in the early 90s when, not having any real idea about what to do, I took a job as a chippy on a building site in Tauranga. It didn’t take long before I noticed there was a real lack of respect for designers and architects. Simply because the plans they gave us were often inaccurate or lacked any proper detail and information, leaving us to try and figure things out for ourselves on site.
I knew there had to be a better way and could already see back then the problems this was potentially going to cause. So, while continuing to work full time as a builder, I completed the architectural design degree and took up contract drafting work at night. My drive throughout was to bridge the gap between the office and the work site.
I quickly established a reputation for supplying highly accurate information and critical details that my friends and colleagues back on the building site fully appreciated. From this starting point, I established Creative Space Architectural Design Ltd in 2003.
My focus on design accuracy and highly detailed plans has then led me into exploring the idea of simplicity. I began to wonder how far we can push this perceived boundary of simplicity into the space of design excellence. I had the opportunity to really test out my ideas when I bought a big piece of land sitting at the top of the Wairoa Valley hills.
By keeping the basic structure and design as simple as possible, we were able to achieve a high specification architectural home for the same cost as an entry level brick and tile. However, the simplicity of the structure is part of its beauty too. The home has a 2.7m stud height, feels spacious and gets as much sunshine or breeze as we want.

• Residential
• Commercial
• Renovation
• Multi-Unit