About

Solarei Architecture was born out of a passion to deliver well designed, creatively focused, collaboratively based, budget conscious, environmentally responsive house designs to our clients.

Solarei is an architectural design practice established in New Zealand by Duncan Firth during 2011.

We are located in New Zealand and Thailand, with Duncan based in Bangkok, Thailand and team member Peter Grant based in Northland, New Zealand. This keeps things interesting!

Solarei Architecture was born out of a passion to deliver well designed, creatively focused, collaboratively based, budget conscious, environmentally responsive house designs to our clients.

What we design combines client aspirations with a creative environmental response, using clever design strategies to achieve this. Our objective is to creatively design homes which are based on environmental sustainable design principles, and the human experience.

Environmental sustainable design principles take into consideration a meaningful engagement with environment and climate. Design principles we use are based on smart orientation, passive solar, passive design strategies, natural warmth, passive cooling, cross ventilation, and stack effect. High performance building materials, energy efficiency, smart green technologies, and healthy building materials are some of the ingredients we use to achieve this.

By using this design approach, we are able to design a house which is naturally warm in winter, naturally cool in summer, gets the most of unique site features, and is always enjoyable to live in.

Fostering engaging relationships with clients, based on listening, honesty, and mutual exchanging of ideas has resulted in many successful award-winning projects, with national (NZ) and international recognition of our work.

Currently we are working on projects in Australia, New Zealand, and Thailand. Please get in touch if our work interests you.

TEAM

We are a small personalised team working closely with our clients, advising and delivering.

Duncan Firth

Duncan began his architecture career working for 'CPRW Fisher Architects', then 'Jones Architects' in Auckland, New Zealand. He then ventured to Southeast Asia, enthusiastic to broaden his horizons, and worked for highly recognised architectural practices such as 'DWP', 'SODA-THAI' and, 'HB DESIGN', all based in Bangkok, Thailand. In 2011 he established Solarei Limited (NZ).

“I wanted to offer people modern, creative, architectural designs for houses full of natural warmth, natural cooling, healthy comfortable living, and sunlight. The designs had to be based around some form of sustainable economy. How houses related to people and nature, worked with the environment, would naturally heat and cool, was always going to be how I approached design.”

Solarei is the recipient of multiple sustainable architecture awards and has been featured in publications in Australia, China, New Zealand, Thailand, and the United States of America.

Licensed Building Practitioner (LBP): Design Two, BP121392
Allied Professional, New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA)
Homestar Practitioner, New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC)
Bachelor of Architecture (UNITEC, NZ)

Peter Grant

Peter Grant has worked in various sectors of the design and construction industry over the past thirty years. He started as a carpenter on skyscrapers in Wellington, then London before becoming a UK based architectural photographer, been published in 'The Guardian', 'The Times' and 'The World of Interiors'.

Peter bought a yacht in the USA and sailed with his family back to New Zealand over three years qualifying as a Yacht Master on the way.

In 2016 he designed and built an eco-house which inspired him to go and get a 'Diploma in Architectural Technology'.

New Zealand Diploma in Architectural Technology (Open Polytechnic, NZ)
Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, Victoria University, Wellington, NZ
Regenesis Design Practitioner, Regenesis Group, USALRPS,
Licentiate of the Royal Photographic Society

CONTACT

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SUN PATH NEWSLETTER + THE 12 ENVIRO-PRINCIPLE Ebooklet

Hear about our latest projects in the Sun Path Newsletter, and get access to the 12 Enviro-Principles eBooklet. Solarei Architecture has developed a set of 12 key Enviro-Principles we incorporate into our projects, and we would like to share this useful information.

We will email the 12 Enviro-Principles eBooklet to you within 24 hours.

Sign up to receive access.

ENQUIRY AND SIGN UP

New Zealand Studio- SOLAREI NZL
Peter Grant
137 South Rd, Waipu, 0582, New Zealand
+6421686820

Thailand Studio- SOLAREI BKK
Duncan Firth
29 Chai Ya Pruk, Yeak 39, Ramkamheand 118 Road,
Sapan Soong District, Bangkok
10240, Thailand
+66878108906

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