Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
Architecture Workshop is an ideas based architecture practice located in Wellington Aotearoa and Melbourne Naarm, providing design thinking at each of the Landscape, Urban and Architecture scales. We set out to make uncomplicated environments tailored to the client and derived from the context and social heritage of each specific location. The collaborative workshop nature of the practice integrates other specialist disciplines within a clear Design Intent Framework for each project. Visit www/archwksp.co.nz. Contact Christopher Kelly +64 21 707057. See our instagram https://instagram.com/archwksp/. Registered Architect NZ, NSW, VIC, RIBA. 2009 -Fellow New Zealand Institute of Architects. 2017 Industry Fellow - Monash University, Melbourne - 5th/4th year Architecture Masters Studio. @andrewbarrie describing his kiwi 'hi tech' itinerary In ArchNZ FebJan2026 comments: “Christopher Kelly brought serious High Tech bona fides, honed on high-profile projects at Renzo Piano Building Workshop, including the Kansai International Airport near Osaka(1994) and the Aurora Place Tower in Sydney (2000). The wildly photogenic Peregrine winery project is keyed to the scale and drama of its Gibbston valley alpine setting. A vast translucent canopy twists gently over enclosures for the making, storage and selling of wine that are embedded in the ground below. The covered space generated between the two is for hosting events. The construction is technologically expressive out economically savvy, skilfully combining custom-made elements with off-the-shelf systems. See Monument 68 (Aug/Sept) 2005. Waitomo Glowworm Caves Visitors Centre. This groundbreaking project follows a similar parti to that of Peregrine - a light roof floating over embedded functional spaces - but dissimilar geometries, materials and context conjure a distinctly different result. It presents a version of High Tech that feels more locally grounded, with most of the building, including the spectacular lightweight grid-shell frame for the canopy, being made from timber and incorporating subtle references to a variety of local built and crafted forms. It won the NZIA Architecture Medal in 2011: see Architecture NZ Jan/Feb 2011.Architecture Workshop's The Lindis (1490 Birchwood Road, Ahuriri Valley, 2014) completed a trilogy of remarkable canopy ground projects
Christopher Kelly has been an architect for 40 years, returning to Aotearoa‘s best city in 1992 after his apprenticeship abroad, to found Architecture Workshop in Poneke, Wellington. He is published sporadically in Architecture NZ, the most recent being #architecturenzohvienna proffering 10 supply and demand led solutions to Aotearoa’s housing inequity. Christopher has served on the NZIA National Executive and the Awards Jury. Architecture Workshop has been recognised by its peers, winning the NZIA Gold Medal in 2011 for the Waitomo Caves Visitors Centre and in 2019 WAF Hotel and Leisure Category for Lindis Lodge in the South Island’s magnificent Ahuriri Valley. In joint venture with Tonkin & Taylor and Isthmus,the Oriental Bay Enhancement won the Prime Minister’s Built Environment Award in 2006. The Otago Peregrine Winery was a co-winner – along with Japanese architects Tezuka – of the 2004 International Emerging Architect prize. At the invitation of ‘Architecture Review’ editor Peter Davey, this entailed a presentation of AW’s work at the 2005 RIBA Spring Lecture Series in London. Other keynote speaking events include the AIA National Conference, Sydney 2003 and the Stadelschule Alumni Conference Frankfurt 2008. In that same year Christopher was one of the international judges of the inaugural World Festival of Architecture in Barcelona. www.architectureworkshop.co.nz Ref Prof Andrew Barrie ArchNZ Jan Feb 2026 'Soft tech' building tour itinerary- 'Peregrine, Waitomo and the Lindis Lodge complete a trilogy of remarkable canopy ground buildings'
Architect with Kansai Air Terminal project team in Genoa and Osaka. 1987-1990. Project architect Aurora Place, Sydney CBD 1997 -2000