Cheshire Architects is a practice that does special projects. Nat and Pip Cheshire run their studio of two dozen designers in Auckland city, operating across a huge breadth of project types and scales. Nat leaps daily from graphic design to light fittings to basement cocktail dens to luxury retreats to whole chunks of the inner city. Amongst this work, Nat has spent the last couple of years building and fitting-out much of the new Britomart, and inventing the City Works Depot. He attacks everything with equal energy and aggression, seeking the extraordinary rather than the perfect in the pursuit of a new architecture and a new city.

After studying Industrial Design at Wellington Design school Mike started a role with Fisher and Paykel in Auckland working on laundry and refrigeration products. After learning the ropes he then moved down to Fisher and Paykel’s Dunedin site where he looked after the Industrial Design team designing cooking and dishwashing products. After 17 years of working on appliances Mike felt the need for a change and took up a role with Altitude Aerospace Interiors, designing interior furniture for both commercial and VIP aircraft. A couple of years later Mike returned back to F&P and now looks after the Industrial Design across the Auckland and Dunedin sites.

Greg Olsen started with Fisher and Paykel Healthcare after completing a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering degree at Auckland University. Here he worked for three years on breathing apparatus for premature babies. Greg then lived in London for 2 years where he worked for a product design consultancy. This involved designing products such as; Helmets for fighter jet pilots, minimally invasive surgical tools and consumer electronics.

Upon returning to New Zealand, Greg again worked for Fisher and Paykel Healthcare, but this time in the home healthcare department designing CPAP masks. Greg now runs a mask development team, and their latest mask, the Simplus, was recognised with the purple pin for product design at the 2013 Best Design Awards.

Osborne Shiwan is a design studio focussed on strategically led creative. As Creative Director, Shabnam has considerable experience, working with clients such as Fisher & Paykel, ASB Bank and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise. Her design work has been recognised in New Zealand’s Best Awards, for which she has also been a judge, as well as internationally, in the Red Dot Awards (Germany), ADC (USA), TDC (USA), AIGA (USA), AGDA (Australia) and One Show (USA). Her typographic design has been exhibited in Objectspace and published in both Graphis and I.D. magazines. Recent work includes rebrands for some of New Zealand’s most iconic creative brands including Deadly Ponies, Atamira Dance Company and Karen Walker.

Callum is an associate at Jasmax Architects.
After a year’s spent gardening, selling paint, studying engineering, blending oil, washing dishes, snowboarding, selling skateboards, attending music festivals, supplying construction materials, DJing, selling snowboards, partying, travelling, and working in construction, Callum finally did the one thing his father told him not to, decided to go to architecture school.
He didn’t get in.
After having his application reviewed, Callum was accepted and became the annoying ‘mature student’ who slept through lectures. Eventually he finished with top marks in design studio in both fourth and fifth year, and made the selection for the Architectural Student design awards.
Where he didn’t win.
His final year project was however, successful enough to gain employment at Jasmax Architects in the middle of a recession.
Since then Callum has worked in the schools team, on a range of projects including gymnasium, technology departments, traditional cellular classroom blocks and modern learning environments, special needs units and the refurbishment of a splendid toilet block at Epsom Girls Grammar School. Currently he is working on a new theatre, library and music department.
Outside of work Callum has presented his Folding Whare project as part of the ‘Cottage to Cutting Edge: Prefabrication in NZ’ exhibition at Puke Ariki, in New Plymouth, built light sculptures for Art in the Dark, created two bike shop fit outs, refurbished a kitchen, over designed a chicken coop, and done a lot of Mullet boats racing.
Currently he is compiling case study information for his architectural registration, and designing and documenting a house to replace the sub-optimal box he lives in with his wife.