JTB Architects is an awardwinning, New Zealand owned architectural practice, founded in Nelson in 1986.
Our team works from studios in Auckland, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch and Wānaka. We draw together wide-ranging local and international experience, and bring understanding of local conditions to each project.
We specialise in Architecture, Urban Design, Master Planning, Sustainable Design, Interior Design, Visualisation, and BIM. Our goal is to approach each project with creativity, energy, and honesty, focusing on robust, aesthetically-driven buildings.
Innovation drives our work in materials technology and energy use. JTB Architects pioneered mass timber construction in New Zealand, with significant projects using CLT, LVL Potius, and Glulam timber. Notably, the
Queenstown Country Club care and apartment building will be one of Australasia’s largest timber buildings.
Our award-winning projects, including the Plant & Food Seafood Research Centre and Saltwater Creek Bridge, highlight our commitment to advancing timber design.
This booklet presents our mass timber and timber interior projects.
We look forward to discussing new opportunities.
The Queenstown Country Club is a luxury lifestyle village, located on the Ladies Mile in Frankton.
QUEENSTOWN COUNTRY CLUB
Currently in construction, the 18,000m2 Care and Apartment building comprises eight wings set over three stories. Structural cross-laminated timber (CLT) has been utilised throughout, significantly reducing the building’s carbon footprint and improving its HomeStar rating.
The masterplan for the site includes:
• 147 architecturally designed stand-alone homes
• 97 luxury apartments
• 82 bed rest home, hospital and dementia care facility
• Clubhouse, complete with restaurant, café, movie theatre, pool room, bowling green and croquet lawn.
• Separate health spa, with an indoor heated lap pool accompanied by massage, hairdressing and therapy facilities.
Falcon Brae Villa is the result of a dreamlike vision to integrate the structure of a luxury villa against the backdrop of the breath-taking natural environment of the Motueka Valley, perched perfectly between three national parks.
FALCON BRAE VILLA
The ‘falcon’ in the name resonates through curved elliptical falconwing roofs which are a feature of this highly bespoke building. The steelwork was rolled in Wellington, then shipped to Nelson. Each roof frame was set up in Sharland Engineering in Nelson, then disassembled, painted and reassembled on site. Extensive planning went into the structure and layout of the lodge, including materials used to connect the villa to the land – this includes the use of local lee valley rock in the terracing which anchors the building among the existing rock outcrops.
The roof area of this lodge is over 1000 square meters, and includes covered decks, a media theatre, games den and gym. Outside there’s a heated pool and spa – all the amenities guests could wish for in an escape destination far from the madding crowds. Other key features include acoustic linings, efficient solar off-grid systems, fireplaces and a sound system in each room.
Opened in March 2022, the 1100m2 Motueka Public Library utilises a fully timber structure, with strong focus on low carbon and energy efficient design throughout.
TE NONINGA KUMU MOTUEKA PUBLIC LIBRARY
Location
Motueka
Status
Completed 2022
Utilising photovoltaics and energy efficient features, the completed building is Net Zero, and generates more power than it uses with the remainder supplied back to the grid. The design of the building references the functional and traditional forms of farm buildings, and both Māori and Pakeha land use patterns. The building and landscaping takes visual cues from the rich local heritage of horticultural structures and barns.
The ‘civic’ quality of the glazed frontage to Wallace Street allows visibility of activities and good daylight. The ‘relaxed’ quality of the veranda frontage to Decks Reserve provides views and engages with the reserve outlook. Cultural and community design elements within the entry facade and landscape design enhances a sense of common ownership, responsibility, and respect for the building.
The Saltwater Creek Cycle Way Bridge is a key feature of the new City to Sea Cycleway connection between Nelson City and the waterfront.
SALTWATER CREEK BRIDGE
The Council requested three concepts for evaluation and the resultant timber design was selected as it best fulfilled their key requirements for the project.
Some of the key considerations were design cost, maintenance, weight, sustainability and how the bridge responded to the Maitai River context. The design addressed these requirements, from the low profile design to minimise flood risks, to the locally sourced, affordable, low maintenance, light weight and sustainable timber design, that incorporated Garapa timber slats used elsewhere on the Maitai River walkway.
The site is an early landing for local Iwi, and this is echoed through the form of the bridge, which reflects the shape of a Waka hull. The structural design is based on a traditional German Trog Brücke (trough/open bridge) relying on glulam beams either. The bridge was prefabricated off site and lifted into place, which minimised disruption to the riverside walkways and avoided the need for midstream supports that may have impacted on the river bed and ecology.
Opened in 2017, Plant & Food’s Seafood Research Centre is an outcome of a masterplanning process focused on consolidating seafood research activities into one site at Port Nelson.
The building is now an anchor tenant of the Seafood Research Precinct.
PLANT & FOOD SEAFOOD RESEARCH CENTRE
Completed 2017
The 2,300m² facility provides a modern, flexible work environment for 50 staff in a series of focus and collaborative spaces. Natural light is drawn into the building through the two-storey glazed curtain wall and sky lights, and natural ventilation through louvers and high-lev-el actuator-opened windows. Acoustic absorption is achieved through acoustic louvers and batts.
Specialist science facilities include chemistry labs, PC2 Molecular labs, wet labs and a flow tank. A high level of transparency through the building be-tween the labs and
office environments to promote interaction and connectivity between these spaces.
The main structure is expressed locally sourced (less than 100km) mass timber featuring a high level of prefabricated timber elements, including XLAM timber shear walls, LVL cross columns for lateral bracing, Poitus LVL flooring and roof components. Bound on water by three sides, the building is aluminium clad to provide a robust and durable exterior in this harsh marine environment.
This family bach is nestled into a small valley in Honeymoon Bay close to the waterline and backing onto lush native bush behind.
HONEYMOON BAY BACH
This design minimises the footprint over two stories, maximising the available sun with the positioning of the decks to the north and the west south west side of the bach. Downstairs to be open plan living and kitchen space with upstairs being separated into two bedrooms and a bathroom . A small, efficient, and easy care bach that maximises the outdoor space available.
The client chose low maintenance materials for the roofing and cladding, providing a clean aesthetic and natural lighting throughout. Location
This new school building encapsulated the clients vision for a modern commerce teaching centre to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs.
NELSON COLLEGE COMMERCE CENTRE
The building’s design incorporates modern learning environment principles and provides spaces to foster collaboration, learning and innovation.
The centre is comprised of two specialist classrooms, two standard classrooms, leadership and seminar rooms and staff facilities. A modern architectural language and contemporary building techniques have been expressed to inspire students and differentiate the building from others in the school.
Whilst the exterior of the building is simple and efficient, it is articulated with the sculptural folded sunscreens and a generous canopy to provide shelter and identify the entrance. The construction uses locally sourced light weight LVL and prefabricated timber elements throughout and was accepted as a stage one finalist for Engineering Innovation and Excellence in Engineered Wood Products in the NZ Wood Resene Timber Design Awards for 2017.
Located in Blenheim, Marlborough Vintners Winery is a contract wine-making facility providing wine-making services which utilise cutting-edge technology with an emphasis on sustainable practices.
MARLBOROUGH VINTNERS WINERY
Completed December 2022, the new 376m² (GFA) building comprises a cellar door providing space for eight to 10 vineyards, restaurant, brewery, tap room, laboratories, and offices along with private dining and conference facilities.
Use of natural materials and sustainable design principles were emphasised throughout the design, with low carbon, mass-timber used extensively throughout; prefabricated using Potius™ engineered roof, walls and flooring panels, and TimberLab LVL portals.
Temperature is regulated through
thermal gain and underfloor heating of the concrete slab, and cross ventilation and overhangs for shading in hotter months.
For the interior, Himalayan cedar panelling from timber felled on the owner’s property, tables are from live-edge flitches of gum, and sheet boarding is painted with paint incorporating iron filings produce a rusted earth effect.
Outside, the landscaping references the surrounding land, with curves formed in corten steel referencing the braided rivers that ran through the area in the past.
The Heathcote Combined Community Facility incorporates a voluntary library and community hall that were previously located on separate sites.
HEATHCOTE COMBINED COMMUNITY FACILITY
The building incorporates a combination of timber and steel elements, and utilises innovative XLam cross laminated timber for large portions of the structure and interior linings. Externally the building is clad in a combination of cedar and fibre cement sheets with large areas of high performance glazing..
Internally, the building provides series of flexible spaces that maximise views down the valley and orientation to the cricket field and afternoon sun. Shelter and shade are provided by a large over sailing roof and modulation of the facade materials and openings.
The functionally redesigned Tahunanui Beach toilet block in Nelson complements the beloved neighbouring playground's historic appeal, whilst considering the site's heritage and cultural history.
TAHUNANUI BEACH AMENITY BLOCK
Striking a balance between function, shelter, amenity and accessibility, the Tahunanui Lions toilet block project is grounded by the functional aspect of the two banks of toilet blocks, which provide shelter for those escaping the prevailing breeze.
Replacing public facilities previously on the site, the building provides public (including accessible) toilets, unisex and family changing rooms, external showers, a drinking fountain with
bottle filler and a well-drained foot wash to clean sandy feet.
The light timber diagrid canopy that floats overhead references the sails of early waka and kupenga (fishing net) patterns, linking the form to the history of the area.
Considered detailing and materials elevate the canopy beyond a purely utilitarian structure towards something more expressive.
