AYRES ARCHITECTS

Ayres Architects is a NZIA registered architectural practice, led by Architect Nic Ayres, whose aim is to enrich lives through good design.

We specialise in residential architecture. Delivering the design, detailing and overseeing of construction of new-build houses, multi-unit housing and renovation projects.

Good design, to Ayres Architects, transcends aesthetics alone; it means supporting the inhabitant in what they want to do in life, providing a place of comfort, joy, and tranquillity that is in touch with its surrounding environment, while being well-functioning, efficient, and long lasting.

Our values mean we have an empathetic, yet practical and thorough approach to the practice of architecture which ensures that good design is considered from the outset of your project, and is carried on through to its construction, completion, and inhabitation.

Director | Architect, NZRAB, M.Arch, B.AS

nic@ayresarchitects.nz

+64 (0)22 504 1139

Nic is a NZRAB Registered Architect with over nine years of professional experience working on a range of residential projects in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. With project experience from house renovations and new-builds, to multi-unit residential buildings and a 400+ lot subdivision, Nic knows the value of good design across a wide range of scales and budgets.

Nic was raised and educated in lower North Island, New Zealand, before moving to London, and later Auckland, where he resides today. Having moved between rural, regional and city environments throughout his life, Nic has a well-rounded perspective of architecture enriching lives across the various landscapes and environments of New Zealand.

Nic completed his registration as an Architect while working at the award-winning Strachan Group Architects (SGA) where he gained valuable insights into construction, communication, and the integral role of site and its conditions in creating well-functioning buildings.

Nic's considerate, inquiring, and can-do attitude underpins everything we do at Ayres Architects. His vision for the business is to make good design commonplace in New Zealand and accessible for all to appreciate.

Dave

- Director at Strachan Group Architects

"Nic was a valuable team member at SGA for almost 6 years. He has a friendly and considerate manner, is extremely thorough with his work, communicates well with clients, contractors and consultants, and is highly competent with computer systems. We wish him well in his new venture starting up his own practice." 

Jane & David

- house designed, detailed & construction overseen by Strachan Group Architects, completed in 2022.

"We engaged SGA in February 2020 to design us a beach house for our section at Langs Beach. Nic Ayres was appointed early on as the lead architect at SGA for our project, and from the outset Nic was an absolute pleasure to collaborate and work with. He was 100% invested in designing us something we could feel proud of, understood our vision and specific requirements and designed us a house we now love enjoying with our friends and family.

We faced some supply challenges as we were building during covid and lockdowns, but Nic professionally liaised with the builders and handled any issues with ease and true professionalism. He was highly competent in overseeing all aspects of the project and worked alongside the builders to make thoughtful decisions and unplanned changes when necessary.  

Nic is an open and clear communicator and is very empathetic. He is great to work with and is detail orientated – which was comforting as we always knew exactly where things were at. His attention to detail is faultless and we could always trust his advice to be the best option for us. We are delighted with the results and now regularly enjoying the various spaces and features designed by Nic and the team."

Andy

- house designed by Nic Ayres, (detailed & construction overseen by others), completed in 2023.

"When Nic designed our house he seemed to instinctively understand how to marry the form and function to the end user and the environment. We explored various iterations but ultimately came back to the original design that Nic presented. Now that it's built I couldn't be happier with how the space feels, the layout, how it fits the section. Nic knew how to make the house feel and function in a way that was attuned to our lives and the way we wanted to use the site." 

We also recognise communication as being the glue that holds a project together. We encourage open communication and transparency throughout every stage of the project to ensure you get what you want, that the design is built correctly and to avoid costly mistakes.

Nic is based in Auckland but maintains connections across New Zealand, frequently traveling to Tauranga, Taupo, Wellington & Central Otago. He would be excited to hear about your architectural aspirations next time he is in town.