Houses: Did you want to be an architect when you were growing up?

 Matt Barbour: I grew up on the family farm, so was exposed to a variety of outdoor experiences associated with a rural lifestyle by the sea. I enjoyed many aspects of the practical nature of work on the farm and spent many a day creating play huts and shelters with my brothers.

The farmhouse itself was a source of inspiration growing up and it still fascinates me today. It’s an architect-designed, mid-century post-and-beam-style house, with expressed structure and interesting construction details. I recall searching out the blueprints on separate occasions and being intrigued at how those hand drawn plans illustrated the house we lived in.

The lifestyle afforded by rural living was certainly appealing but I knew from an early age that I was interested to head towards an alternative career path. At high school I particularly enjoyed drawing and graphics as well as design and technology subjects so I decided to pursue my studies in architecture, where I could combine my interests in design, construction and technology.

Houses: Can you describe your architecture career thus far?

MB: I have been with Mason & Wales Architects in Dunedin since I graduated in 2007. While studying, I worked part time at a large architectural office in Wellington.

Mason & Wales is one of the largest NZIA practices in the South Island and has a good mix of people; some young directors as well as a core team of highly experienced architects and designers who have been with the firm for more than 30 years.

The office is very busy with a wide variety of projects all over New Zealand, from small alteration projects to high-end residential, commercial and large-scale master planning projects. Mason & Wales has a long and successful history of residential work – especially in the south island – which I particularly enjoy being involved in.

Houses: What are you working on at the moment?

MB: Personally, I am involved in a wide range of projects within the office, taking responsibility for some exciting residential projects that are at various stages. These include a large-scale soft-modern-styled holiday house at Beacon Point in Wanaka that is nearing completion; a contemporary studio space addition to an existing house on the Otago Peninsula; and, a small, clifftop family house overlooking the Otago coastline, which is currently under construction. There are also some projects in developed design stage including a guesthouse for a foreign client to complement their holiday house at the head of Lake Wakitipu, as well as a large house to be built in Scotland.

In my spare time I’m working on alterations to my own 90m² 1950s brick-and-tile which we purchased at the start of the year. Overall, I’m fortunate enough to be working on a wide range of interesting projects, each of which brings their own challenges.

Houses: What do you enjoy most about working in architecture?

MB: Building relationships with clients and the project team is hugely rewarding, as well as having the opportunity to be on site during construction. Being able to follow the construction process and witness months of design work becoming tangible, knowing that you have been involved in a key element that will enrich your clients’ way of life, is very satisfying.

Houses: If you could choose to design a house anywhere in New Zealand, where would it be?

MB: I’ve been fortunate to have been involved with some great projects, on some incredible sites around the South Island, but I would love to design a place of my own, to share with friends and family.
A simple, soft and comfortable bach off the beaten track, where it’s not so much about the architecture but a real get-away in the true sense of the word. A place to spend holidays near a lake surrounded by native bush.