Bull O’Sullivan Architects

Bull O’Sullivan Architects are a practice driven by the pursuit of quality and the belief that our surroundings directly affect the quality of our lives.

Bull O’Sullivan took out Home of the Year in 2011 for their Kare Kare house; a house designed not for looking at – in fact, it is so well-concealed in the bush that it is almost impossible to get a decent fix on it – but for looking from. A place that deftly executes a deep bow to the landscape while simultaneously daring to presume it can make a great view look even better. Somehow, the marvel that is this West Coast beach becomes even more marvellous when viewed from within.

The practice’s recent design of Lesieli Tonga Auditorium in Auckland’s Mangere is an example of their clever architectural abilities. The building is a robust and economical industrial-style structure, built largely with volunteer labour, yet it also includes a delicate, highly decorative ceiling based on Pacific flower motifs and painted in the soft blue of the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga.