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Since establishing his practice in 2007, Auckland-based architect José Gutiérrez has developed a design approach that is both bold and sensitive — driven by collaboration, open exchange of ideas, and a constant push to think beyond the obvious. His work spans contexts from heritage to contemporary, always balancing materiality, light and form to create spaces that feel intimately connected to the people who live in and experience them.
This philosophy is mirrored in his High Street studio, where he and his team have worked for over 15 years. Set within a century-old concrete building with soaring ceilings and expansive steel-framed windows, the space is neutral yet full of character — a working environment where ideas are sketched, tested, and refined. Much like his architecture, the studio is authentic and unpretentious, a backdrop that encourages imagination to flow freely.
We visited José in the studio to talk more about how his architecture responds to people, place, and the everyday moments of living.
Hi José! What first inspired you to set up your own practice, and how has that vision changed or grown over the years?
I returned back from London in 2007 and was very keen to ensure that I went into a job or set up my own studio that allowed me to have some creative freedom and really put across my point of view on things architecturally. I feel that there's no such thing as a bad idea, collaboration is a big part of what we do on a daily basis. Our studio is design-led, I think it's super important for me to have input from the other architects in the studio, this creates better outcomes with different points of views and challenges our thinking. The big idea is to try and create innovative and interesting work.
Your work is bold and innovative but also sensitive to context. How do you find the balance between pushing creative boundaries and meeting client needs?
Architecture is all about people, we need clients to stay on side with us, without them there wouldn't be any work! I think every project we do is a balance between creativity and client needs. First and foremost, we address the client’s needs, then from there we look to question and rethink the traditional or obvious responses to these. We’ll present the client with a very basic suggestion that answers the brief but then propose other new ideas that they may not have even considered. It's not just about understanding a need, it's about questioning the rationale behind the need and that’s how the project evolves and takes shape. Ultimately it takes a lot of trust from the client; it's a long journey for each project.
When you start a new project, what’s the first thing you look for or think about?
We start to understand and get to know who the client is, their personality and what they're about. We visit them at the site and see how we can envisage them living there and then on top of that we start to draw on other forms. We always look for light and the orientation of the sun. We’re not thinking about specific details, moreover big gestures or forms. We also think about how we can challenge their brief and think differently about how the architecture can improve and enhance the way they live.
I’d love to touch on materials for a moment – what factors influence your choice of materials and design strategies, especially in heritage-sensitive projects?
Materials are a massive part of architecture, they can really make or break a project. Textures and the way natural light hits them plays a big part in buildings because they evoke certain feelings that influence the way you interpret and perceive spaces. In heritage sensitive projects it's about unveiling the original materials and putting them at the forefront; letting them breathe and putting them on show. From there we select the new insertions into the building, the contrast between old and new can be the essence of the project. We try to make the materials project specific, which means looking at the local area, understanding what the building’s functions were and introducing materials that give clues about the building’s history. This makes for a more successful project with more substance.
And more specifically to timber... from your perspective, what do timber finishes bring to a project that other materials might not?
Timber brings familiarity, warmth, texture and subtle colour into projects. Particularly here in New Zealand, Timber is such a big part of who we are it's an omni-present building material.
At the end of the day, how do you want people to feel when they’re inside one of your spaces?
I'd like people to feel comfortable and interested, welcomed and also slightly amazed, without quite being able to pinpoint what it is that makes them feel the way they are feeling, I think that's a sign of good architecture. It's not an architecture that's shouting or in your face, but something that sits as a framework and creates a backdrop for you to live in. Architecture is nothing without people.
Imagery: Scott Hardy
