The long running prominent architectural design company, Creative Space, started in Tauranga 20 years ago, opened its second office in Queenstown in 2022 and has recently moved into permanent premises in the Shotover Business Park offering its expertise in remedial projects, bespoke homes, renovations and commercial work.

Owner and managing director Andre Laurent was a builder in another life before deciding to transition into the field of architecture which ultimately led to the launch of Creative Spaces.

He has built a talented team of 25 designers and technical staff, many who also have backgrounds in the construction industry.

“We have a good range of practical experience in our team including qualified builders, roofers, plasterers and painters. Because of our connections with the industry we understand what contractors require – and out mantra is keep it simple. We try to make everything easy to build and easy to price. While it can be challenging to make simple appealing the finished product is always worth it.”

Remedial work was the driver for setting up Creative Space and the company is nationally recognised for its skill in this area.

“Our remedial knowledge allows us to see faults and fundamental issues which cause a failure in a new build and we bring the expertise needed which is why we are often the partner of choice for remedial projects.”

Andre Laurent

“We also undertake bespoke homes, new houses, renovations, commercial work such as shop fit outs, dealerships and even education facilities,” says Andre.

“Before opening in Queenstown we had a string of projects in the resort ranging from new homes to large multi-level remediation projects over a two or three year period. We often talked about how good it would be to open an office in Queenstown particularly because we are also big on lifestyle which added to the appeal of having a base here.”

Andre says Creative Space is in Queenstown for the long haul.

“ We bring a focus on getting the fundamentals right and we believe that great designs bring great value. We want to build our brand and continue to develop our reputation for accurate, detailed work and quality service.”

Mike Haydan had been working in the Tauranga headquarters of Creative Space for several years when he  and managing director and owner Andre Laurent identified opportunities for a second office based in Queenstown.

As senior consultant he heads up the Queenstown team of four with the back-up of design and technical expertise from the Tauranga office.

Formerly a builder’s labourer Mike had always loved the idea of architecture and retrained, graduating in 2003, and joining Creative Space eight years ago.

He is upbeat about the role the company has to play in Queenstown.

“We have had steady work since arriving in the resort and my expectation is for that to continue particularly with remedial projects. Our difference is that we don’t just remediate a building. We have very well versed designers who create fantastic designs and unique concepts to update and refine a specific building often turning a quite outdated structure into a very modern one.”

Mike’s goal is for Creative Space to become a significant player in Queenstown “providing a top quality service with a reputation for producing top quality work.”