new spaces 10 EN

38 Sights and Scenes Partners in spirit Nicholas Stevens and Gary Lawson have been working together since the mid-1990s to create an independent architecture for New Zealand. A room with a view The interior design of Herne Bay House 1 is also consistently clear and modern, with large glass surfaces off ering fabulous views of the green landscape. The two architects are exploring the question of what it means to live in a boundary area between Western Anglo-Saxon culture and the South Seas. The architectural practice has an unusual history. In the mid-1990s Gary Lawson became an intern in the offi ce where Stevens, who was ten years older, worked as an architect. The two of them got along so well and complemented each other so eff ectively that they soon began to work on projects together. In 2002 they set up a practice of their own. Since then, the two have designed every project collaboratively. Stevens’ drawing skills and his interest in art com- plement Lawson’s affi nity with the outdoors. New Zealand is a country that unites many cultures, landscapes and lifestyles. That’s why it’s so fortunate that Stevens and Lawson come from completely different backgrounds. This makes it easier for them to integrate and discuss this region’s many contradictions. Nicholas Stevens grew up near Auckland and graduated from the Auckland School of Architecture before embarking on an extended tour of Europe from England to Greece, “tracing the history of Western architecture to the source”, he says. Gary Lawson, who hails from the

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