Brett Hulley Architecture

Brett Hulley Architecture Architecture shaped by its environment. We design architecture through careful response to site, climate, and client lifestyle.

Homes that sit naturally within their environment, perform well year-round, and feel effortless to live in.

Working up a small hexagonal home design at the moment.There's something about strong natural geometries that really get...
26/08/2026

Working up a small hexagonal home design at the moment.

There's something about strong natural geometries that really gets me going. Having those moments when things 'click' together when designing - practical spaces aligning with unique geometries - it feels like putting the final puzzle piece in, or finding space in a full fridge for that box of leftovers you can't bring yourself to throw out.

Maybe I just played too much Tetris as a kid.

Oh, and before you blame the AI render tool for getting carried away with the amount of interior plants - that's on me. I said "lots of interior plants please." 😅 (Ignore the obvious fire hazard of putting a Monsterra on top of your fireplace).

In architecture, there's something way more important than good design, budget management, and detailing...It's asking t...
19/08/2026

In architecture, there's something way more important than good design, budget management, and detailing...

It's asking the right questions to begin with.

So cliché right, but it's actually true!

Every client has a dream, and the brief is how that dream gets from their head into the architect's.

Trouble is, most clients aren't experts at translating dreams into nuanced briefs that truly capture what's important to them, and how they like to live - that's our job.

It's easy to get the number of bedrooms, the size of the kitchen, and the color of the benchtops right.

It's much harder to know whether they enjoy looking at the view while sitting in a comfy chair, leaning on a balustrade with a beer, or standing in the kitchen. Or if they'd rather their bedroom felt like a cosy nook to snuggle in to or an open expansive space to stretch your arms wide and breathe deeply.

If you don't ask the right questions, you won't fully understand the dream - and no amount of good design, budget management or detailing will magically solve that.

Oh, and just to throw a little spanner in the mix - the best questions vary from client to client!

Even though I'm a massive introvert, this is honestly one of the parts of the process I enjoy the most. Getting to understand the client, what's important to them, and how they ACTUALLY want their home to feel.

There's something really satisfying about getting on the same page as them.

When I designed this home I didn't account for this...This ruru has been using the verandah lights to hunt pƫriri moths ...
05/08/2026

When I designed this home I didn't account for this...

This ruru has been using the verandah lights to hunt pƫriri moths and huhu beetles at night.

It's cool to watch, but not if you're a huhu beetle or pƫriri moth...

Time will tell whether the beetle/moth populations take a hit - but it's a good lesson about the impact that our buildings can have on sensitive environments.

Something that sticks with me when designing for rural or forested sites.

Canopy House had been announced a winner ar the Biophilic Design Awards for the Building Scale Category!Still can't beli...
03/07/2026

Canopy House had been announced a winner ar the Biophilic Design Awards for the Building Scale Category!

Still can't believe it! To have this modest little design recognised, and in an award focused on biophilic design - something that's so close to my heart - is a huge milestone in my career.

Thanks to Living Future Oceania and everyone behind organising the awards, spreading awareness about biophilic design is really hearty work.



www.bharchitecture.co.nz

It sounds odd, but architecture in rural and remote locations needs to connect AND disconnect from the elements.This was...
28/06/2026

It sounds odd, but architecture in rural and remote locations needs to connect AND disconnect from the elements.

This was on my mind the other night looking while back at our little home tucked up all snug in the trees like that after putting our new chooks to bed in their coop (suuuurely they'll figure it out for themselves one day).

You see a lot of buildings that do one really well, but not so much the other.
- A high-country cabin that hunkers down beautifully, but doesn't let you soak up the sun on the good days.
- A coastal retreat that lets the cool breeze through the spaces, but is uninhabitable when the cyclones roll through.

The key is to have both - the opportunity to connect with the outdoors when the weather's good, and to provide shelter and comfort when things turn sour.

That can be easier said than done.

But if you're planning a home somewhere rural or remote, just make sure you properly consider your site's specific climate, prevailing weather, sun paths, etc - and design to capture those moments (along with everything else of course - views, access, services, etc).

👍

What if your house was designed around your site, rather than the other way around?By understanding the land, the sun, t...
21/06/2026

What if your house was designed around your site, rather than the other way around?

By understanding the land, the sun, the vegetation, the weather, and the views before design begins, it's possible to create homes that feel deeply connected to their surroundings.

Framing views. Capturing the winter sun. Sheltering from the wind... Working WITH the site, not against it.

It just makes sense.

Another project that's starting construction!Set among native forest near Whangārei, this project was a real treat to wo...
17/05/2026

Another project that's starting construction!

Set among native forest near Whangārei, this project was a real treat to work on.

The client values nature more than most - so there was a real focus on...
- strong indoor/outdoor connection
- natural materials (earth, clay renders, reclaimed timber beams/posts)
- minimising environmental impact
- and a home that works with the local climate/passive design to minimise energy use

Really looking forward to seeing my client living in it - but I'll have to be patient. My client is going to do a lot of the construction work himself and with his sons - wanting the home to become a place full of memory for him and his family - how good is that!?

Anyway, excuse all the exclamation marks... I'm just a bit excited about this one.

One of the biggest shocks for people building a home on remote or rural land is how quickly costs can escalate - especia...
11/05/2026

One of the biggest shocks for people building a home on remote or rural land is how quickly costs can escalate - especially if things aren’t planned well from the beginning.

What people often forget...

The house itself is only part of the equation.

On rural and isolated sites, costs can ramp up quickly through things like:
- accessways
- earthworks
- power supply
- water storage
- wastewater systems
- geotechnical requirements
- district plan / consenting requirements
- transport logistics
- difficult site conditions

A thoughtful site assessment before design begins, and a cost estimate assessment baked in to the process, can often save an enormous amount of money, stress, and future compromise.

They're not the most glamorous stages in the architectural process, but they're definitely some of the most important for a successful and stress-free project.

Here's my office.I call it “The Hut.” It’s where I work from every day.- Commute: 3 minute walk through native forest.- ...
05/05/2026

Here's my office.

I call it “The Hut.” It’s where I work from every day.

- Commute: 3 minute walk through native forest.
- Noise pollution: tƫī, pƫkeko, pīwakawaka, riroriro.
- Air pollution: rīmu pollen.
- Traffic: mozzies after dark.

Seeing this, it’s probably no surprise that my focus is residential architecture that works with nature.

When you’re surrounded by it every day, you can’t help but get a feel for how it actually behaves - the sun, the weather, the contours, the vegetation, the way a place wants to be used.

You stop thinking of buildings as objects placed on the land, and start thinking of them as something that belongs to it - shaped by the site, not imposed on it.

That shift changes everything.

But to be honest, the main reason I work from here... I just love being in the bush!

Most people unknowingly skip the most important step in building a home. They jump straight into full design, plans, det...
30/04/2026

Most people unknowingly skip the most important step in building a home.

They jump straight into full design, plans, details... Before anyone has really understood their site.

And that's how you end up with:
- Houses that fight against the sun instead of working with it.
- Wind exposure that you can't design your way out of.
- Spaces that tick the boxes on paper, but feel off in real life.

The truth is...
The most important design decisions happen before the house design even begins.
- Orientation
- Relationship to landscape
- Where to open up, and where to protect

Get the fundamentals right, and the rest is easier, cheaper and better.

Get them wrong and you'll be compensating forever.

That's why I've started offering something a bit different:
A Site Analysis & Early Design Direction Package

No endless meetings.
No full-service commitments.

Just:
- A deep read of your land (sun, wind, topography, flow)
- Clear guidance on where and how best to build
- A strong design direction you can confidentially move forward with however you like.

It's the highest leverage input you can get at the start of a project - and often the difference between a house that works, and one that doesn't.

If you're in the early stages of a project and want to make sure you get the fundamentals right, send me a message.

Or if you're just curious, I'm happy to talk it through.

👍

Address

1294a Pataua North Road
Whangarei
0175

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