Simon James Showroom: Warehouse to Award-Winning Design Destination
In the world of high-end furniture design, the space that showcases your collection is as important as the pieces themselves. When renowned New Zealand designer Simon James needed a new showroom, the vision wasn’t just to create a retail space, it was to transform a generic urban warehouse into an architectural statement that would complement his acclaimed furniture designs. The result would not only impress clients but go on to capture the attention of the New Zealand Institute of Architects.
From Industrial Shell to Design Canvas
When Build Unlimited’s Pete was brought onto the project by the head contractor, the assignment was clear: manage the day-to-day site work to ensure the ambitious transformation stayed on time, on budget, and maintained the impeccable quality standards the design demanded.
“The existing warehouse was nothing special, just a basic industrial shell with single-glazed windows and dated cladding,” Pete recalls. “But the architects had envisioned something extraordinary, and our job was to bring that vision to life without compromise.”
The renovation was comprehensive. The team began by stripping out the entire interior fitout, removing the existing windows, and taking down the front and side cladding. Next came the heavy structural work, cutting into the existing concrete slab to install new footings that would support a midfloor for staff offices, while transforming the ground level into a spacious furniture showroom.
A Game-Changing Timeline
Midway through the project, an unexpected challenge emerged. The client needed to move in three months earlier than planned, a significant compression of the timeline for such a complex project.
“When we got word that the timeline had been brought forward by three months, we knew we had our work cut out for us,” Pete explains. “This wasn’t a situation where cutting corners was an option , the design demanded precision and quality at every step.”
The solution was to scale up quickly, bringing in additional contractors and carefully recalibrating the project schedule. The team worked meticulously to maintain the design integrity while accelerating the construction pace, completing the project just in time for the client’s new move-in date.
Engineering Meets Artistry
The architectural vision for the showroom included several technically demanding elements that tested the team’s problem-solving abilities and craftsmanship.
One of the most challenging features was the frameless shop front glass, massive panes weighing over 300kg each that needed to be precisely installed between block columns with recessed channels. Using a crane, the team carefully positioned each heavy pane into place, creating the seamless, minimalist façade the architects had envisioned.
“The ground floor doors presented another unique challenge,” Pete notes. “They were designed to hang from concrete block columns, which required us to recess the specified hinges into the concrete while ensuring the doors would function perfectly once the plaster rendering was applied to the blockwork.”
Perhaps the most transformative element was the replacement of the front’s rusted iron cladding with opaque polycarbonate panels. This innovative solution achieved two goals at once: it provided the sleek appearance of aluminum sheet cladding while allowing natural light to permeate the interior, creating an open, airy atmosphere and reducing the need for artificial lighting.
Collaboration as Foundation
Throughout the project, Pete worked closely with the architects to address challenges as they arose, finding solutions that honored the design intent while addressing practical construction realities.
“We weren’t involved in the design side of things,” Pete explains, “but ensuring the architects’ and client’s vision was achieved was our primary focus. Translating complex design details into physical reality requires constant communication and mutual respect between builder and architect.”
This collaborative approach proved essential, especially given the compressed timeline and exacting requirements of the project.
An Award-Winning Result
When the final touches were completed, the transformation was remarkable. The once-generic warehouse had become an elegant, understated showcase for Simon James’s furniture collection, a space that the New Zealand Institute of Architects would later describe as “world-class.”
The project went on to win the NZIA award for best commercial building, with the jury noting: “The architect has transformed a generic urban warehouse into an elegant, understated and world-class showroom. A disciplined study on the authenticity of materials and a measured resistance to over-design is evident throughout this exquisite retail destination. An eye for materiality and craft scaling to the beautiful detailing of window joinery, handrails and hardware. Mass, volume and light have been expertly explored in a showroom that provides a timeless backdrop to the work of one of Aotearoa’s most accomplished designers.”
For the architect, the collaboration with Build Unlimited was essential to achieving this recognition: “Working with Pete and his team on the Simon James Showroom was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. With a keen interest and drive in translating our design vision and detailing into the built result, Pete made a sizable contribution to creating a collaborative and solutions-focused environment on site. A fundamental element to this project was a strong mutual respect between Builder and Architect, which we believe shows through in the high standard of finish and execution of the finished building. We look forward to the opportunity of working together on another project in the future.”
The client, Simon James himself, was equally pleased with the result, a stunning showroom delivered not only within budget but three months ahead of the original timeline.
A Showcase for Craftsmanship
For Build Unlimited, the Simon James Showroom stands as a testament to the team’s ability to execute architecturally ambitious projects with the same attention to detail and quality that defines their high-end residential work.
“You would not recognize the original building from the completed project,” Pete reflects. “It is a total transformation and a real testament to the architects’ design and our team’s work to make it happen.”
The project demonstrates that when exceptional design meets meticulous execution, the result isn’t just construction, it’s the creation of a space that enhances the experience of everything within it. In this case, a showroom worthy of the world-class furniture it houses, and an environment that would go on to be recognized as exemplary by the country’s leading architectural organization.
