OPINION: As New Zealand embarks on a programme of rebuilding after decades of underinvestment in housing and infrastructure, the growing narrative that we can do without architects is not just short-sighted – it’s dangerous.
In the rush to cut costs and deliver “basic” infrastructure, we risk repeating the very mistakes that have left us with cold, leaky homes, schools that fall short of modern learning needs, and public buildings that aren’t fit for future generations.
When did “architecturally designed” go from being a positive to a punchline? Somewhere along the way, it’s become shorthand for expensive, unnecessary – a nice-to-have for glossy magazines, not for real people or real problems. But that perception couldn’t be more wrong.
Yes, we need to build faster and more affordably. That’s exactly why we need architects. Their job isn’t to gold-plate – it’s to make sure our homes, schools and hospitals are functional, durable and fit for purpose. When architects are sidelined, we don’t just lose design – we also lose efficiency and long-term value. Good design isn’t a luxury. It’s what keeps bad decisions from costing us more later.
The narrative that we can’t afford to build the schools we need because they have been “architecturally designed” is frankly wrong. The Marlborough school merger project, Te Tātoru o Wairau, was cancelled after costs escalated from $63 million to over $400 million. This was down to scope creep, shifting priorities and site constraints, not the design. In fact, the scaled-back $70 million solution still involves architects, as design expertise is essential to achieving fit-for-purpose, cost-effective outcomes.
As a profession we may have done ourselves a disservice by tending to celebrate the high-end, attention-grabbing design that wins awards. The reality is that the vast majority of our members are not “starchitects” working on prestige projects. Instead, they’re working every day at the heart of New Zealand’s most pressing challenges: housing affordability, delivering resilient infrastructure like classrooms and hospitals, supporting climate adaptation and the need for liveable, inclusive communities.
Good design isn’t expensive – bad design is.
We’ve all seen the consequences of poorly thought-out developments that become unliveable within a generation. In contrast, well-designed spaces, using the right materials and even including modular or pre-fabricated elements, are more efficient, more comfortable and more enduring.
Architecture is not just about aesthetics. It’s about making sure homes and buildings function properly, having the foresight to see how they could be adapted in future as needs and communities change, and ensuring value. Architects are not only trained in design, but in planning, procurement, stakeholder engagement and cost optimisation. They understand how to get the most from a constrained budget, how to adapt to community feedback without sacrificing quality, how to reuse old buildings to get more out of our existing assets, and how to prevent the downstream costs of poor design.
If we want our infrastructure to last, our housing to serve generations, and our communities to live better, we need more good design, not less. That means involving architectural expertise early, so we get the important things correct from the start. When architects are excluded from the process, we lose more than design – we lose clarity, coordination and long-term value.
Rather than being the luxury option, architecture is an essential contributor to smarter, more affordable decisions, functional and future-ready buildings, and environments people are proud to live in.
It is indeed about getting back to the basics.
Mark Abbot in The Post, 4 August 2025.