Architecture
•Architecture
TL;DR
Before I became a product designer I worked on a lot of architecture projects.
I have compiled a small number of my professional and academic work here.
Housing Delivery System
The Housing Delivery System (HDS) is Kāinga Ora’s streamlined approach to public housing delivery, integrating architects, engineers, planners, and contractors from the outset to reduce wasted time, improve predictability, and lower costs without compromising quality.
At Context Architects, I contributed to HDS-aligned initiatives by creating a standard housing type and template system that reduced design-to-consent timelines by 94%, building and managing a 1,000+ component architectural detail library to ensure efficiency and consistency,
and collaborating across disciplines to refine workflows, implement realistic scheduling, and integrate emerging technologies—helping deliver state housing faster, more reliably, and more cost-effectively to communities in need.
Bollard Avenue
Bollard Avenue was a residential development for a private developer, transforming three adjoining properties into twenty modern terrace homes. Designed with contemporary detailing and thoughtful interior and exterior enhancements, the project aimed to create comfortable, enjoyable living environments for future residents.
My role included assisting with both resource consent and building consent processes, contributing to the successful progression of the development from concept to approval.
Cairnfield Apartments
Cairnfield Apartments is a three-level walk-up development for Kāinga Ora in Whangārei, transforming a site previously occupied by three houses into twelve modern two-bedroom apartments. I contributed from the bulk-and-location and early design phases through to completing all resource and building consent documentation—personally completing all drawings for the project under the guidance of my project lead.
My responsibilities also included producing renderings for community engagement meetings and presenting design ideas to several stakeholders, as well as preparing supporting materials such as daylight analysis studies to strengthen the resource consent application.
Flight Plastics Factory
The Flight Plastics Factory project in Lower Hutt focused on the precise point cloud capture of an extensive plastics manufacturing facility to enable highly accurate as-built drawings with a 2 mm tolerance. These drawings and the point cloud data supported seismic upgrade calculations and ensured that future structural additions would avoid clashes with existing machinery, structures, and services—all of which were meticulously documented.
The building’s ground floor area alone exceeded 18,000 m², requiring several days of 3D capture using both drones and LiDAR scanners to comprehensively record the complex network of services and infrastructure.
Rotorua Foodhub
In collaboration with Kai Rotorua and the wider Rotorua community, this proposal explored how architecture and food could drive positive social change. The design envisioned a Foodhub, transport centre, and growers market located just off one of Rotorua’s main roads, aiming to create a vibrant space for interaction, play, and community. My research began with a technical analysis of statistics, deprivation maps, and regional zoning data to compare neighbourhood needs and highlight the city’s stark socio-economic divides and reliance on personal vehicle transport.
These insights informed a design that sought to integrate naturally into people’s daily lives while fostering inclusivity, accessibility, and meaningful community engagement.
Lonely Miaow Cat Rescue Centre
In collaboration with the Lonely Miaow Cat Rescue group, this proposal envisioned a cat rescue centre on Auckland’s Karangahape Road that reimagined the adoption experience. Research into adoption centres revealed that rescue animals face significant urgency, with many at risk of euthanasia if not adopted within a month. To address this, the design aimed to maximise visual interactions between visitors and adoptable cats, using a striking panopticon-style cage display as a central feature.
This approach created both an eye-catching spectacle to draw in passersby and an efficient way to showcase multiple cats simultaneously, increasing their chances of finding homes.
Parliament of Fiji Model
As part of an exhibition celebrating Pacific Architecture, I was invited to research and create a model of the Suva Parliament Building. This project held personal significance, connecting me to my Fijian heritage—both of my parents were born and raised in Fiji. Constructed primarily from laser-cut MDF, the model required significant reinterpretation of the building’s structure and floor plans due to limited documentation.
By combining my own visit to the parliament with available imagery, I reconstructed key details to accurately represent the building and honour its cultural importance.
Designed & Developed
by Zac Low