Melling Architects

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Melling Architects

Information

  • Practice: Melling Architects
  • Website: www.mal.nz/
  • Firm Location: Wellington
  • Country: New Zealand
  • Year: NA

(“Text as taken from the website”)

Gerald Melling (Principal Architect)

Gerald Melling needs no introduction to those who have an interest in New Zealand architecture. Since arriving in NZ from the UK in 1971 Gerald became an authority on architecture in this country and developed an approach and attitude to his work that resulted in an ability to realize projects that were conceptually challenging, cost effective, met the needs of their clients and were uniquely NZ in character. Gerald sadly passed away at the end of 2012 but his philosophy and spirit endure in the work of Melling Architects.

David Melling (Principal Architect)

After graduating from Victoria University in 1993 with a Bachelor of Architecture (Hons), David worked for architecture practices in San Francisco and in London. David became a UK registered architect in 2002 having gained a Part 3 Diploma from The Bartlett School of Architecture in London. In 2005 David returned to Wellington with his wife Angela and setup Architecture Central, becoming Melling Architects in 2012. David is a member of both the Royal Institute of British Architects and the New Zealand Institute of Architects.

Practice Ideology

Melling Architects was formed in 2012 by father and son architects Gerald and David Melling. A short time later at the end of 2012, Gerald passed away. Gerald was a multiple award winning architect, a writer and a poet, and as one half of Melling:Morse Architects, an important contributor to the architectural landscape in New Zealand. The progression in Gerald’s work is very evident. He firmly believed in his ideas, developing them further in each project. Gerald was devoted to architecture and his enjoyment of and passion for his work was irresistible to David who was destined to follow in his father’s footsteps.  David set up in practice in New Zealand in 2005 having returned from 12 years in San Francisco and London working for two larger architectural firms. David has a wide range of experience in mixed use, community, commercial and residential projects during his 26 years of work.

Melling Architects is a design focused practice benefiting from hands-on experience with building that informs material choices, details and methods. As David says: “we believe this sets us apart and enables our clients to achieve the best possible outcome for their projects. Our approach to design is one of simplicity. The simpler we can make things the better they will be. We are focused on efficiency and eliminating waste – which to us means good planning and clever design. We prefer materials to speak for themselves and favour substance over surface. We want our designs to have a story behind them or a ‘narrative’. Every project is unique and requires a unique response.

We see each project as an opportunity to solve a ‘puzzle’, whether it is reorganizing a house or creating a multi-storey building. Continued increases in construction costs has made architecture less attainable for many people. We try to be innovative wherever possible to find better solutions for less cost. There is an opportunity for architecture in any project, regardless of scope”.

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