How long have you been working in the design industry?

We have been working in the design industry both in a manufacturing capacity and a design capacity since 1994.

How did you get started?

When Todd became interested in metal sculpture and design as an 18 year old he did a welding course and then went to work for designer Tim Ord in what used to be the old stable Lane in symonds st. Back then it was a hotbed of creatives working in the old converted stables. In 1994 Todd established our company Powersurge.

Why metalwork?

Metal is an incredibly strong and durable material which often has connotations of rigidity and inflexibility. As we both manufacture and design our products ourselves it is true that there is a lot of muscle and sweat involved, but we really enjoy surprising people with the lyricism and dynamism you can create with steel and pushing the material to its limits. Are there many other New Zealand designers working in this field? There are a lot of designers who use metal in their work, furniture, lighting and so on but there probably aren’t many that work across the spectrum as we do and who manufacture all their products themselves.

What kind of projects do you work on?

We design our own products but we also work on a huge variety of projects in both the commercial and residential fields. We have been fortunate to be involved with the Burger Fuel brand for the last 17 years, making all their front of house furniture and lighting, which we have also been exporting in the last few years as Burger Fuel undergo their big expansion into the Middle east. It’s also been really cool to work with some visionary restaurateurs like Luke Dallow of Sale St and Red Hummingbird, and sam Ansley of Pack and Company. Being given an open brief like we had with designing the lighting at Sale St was a dream project for us. Todd was able to go all out creatively and we had Luke’s support the whole way - the four metre high birdcage we made for Red Hummingbird was a lot of fun too - especially getting it onsite! Working with sam Ansley on snapdragon and more recently The Imperial has also been exciting. It’s wonderful working with people who have such clear vision about creating distinctive and unique spaces for everyone to enjoy.

Is there a piece or a project that you have worked on that stands out for you?

Designing our Evolute range has been an absolute highlight, although we did develop a rather unhealthy obsession with Rococo curves for some time! Todd had always wanted to combine the rich aesthetics of the Rococo period with the state of the art technology we have Andrea Harradine & Todd Stevenson •powersurge Metalworks• today. We pushed it really far to get that sumptuous look. When they see the fluidity of the lines people tend to be amazed that they are made out of steel.

What do you most enjoy about working in the design industry?

The constant buzz of interesting minds. Because we work with people in all facets of the industry we are always having fascinating conversations with creative people, and being stimulated by their energy and enthusiasm for not only the design field but for life itself! Are there other New Zealand designers whose work you admire? All of the designers we work with do wonderful things - Fletcher Vaughan, Bob McDonald, and simon James to name a few. We also love James McCarty for his jewellery and Liv and Toni of ‘Material Creative’ for their inventive and quirky design interiors. And although he’s not a New Zealander it wouldn’t be right not to mention the American artist Albert Paley for his influence on us. His remarkable steelwork and extraordinary skill has always been a major source of inspiration.

www.powersurge.co.nz
www.evolute.co.nz