What Warren and Mahoney does

Warren and Mahoney is a privately held architectural practice founded in 1959 by Sir Miles Warren and Maurice Mahoney in Christchurch, New Zealand, operating under a collective, partnership-based design model. The firm provides full-service architectural design across sports and recreation, civic and community, education, workplace, residential, health, hospitality, transport, and urban design sectors, with additional dedicated capabilities in interior design, landscape architecture, masterplanning, graphic and wayfinding design, digital design and BIM, and visualization. Its specialized Te Matakārea Indigenous Design Unit integrates Māori (and broader indigenous) design principles and cultural narratives into public architecture, while a Toitū net carbonzero-certified sustainability practice supports clients pursuing Green Star, WELL, and net-zero outcomes; the firm has codified proprietary IP in the RoX workplace evaluation framework, the Go Zero Low Carbon Design Guide, and an Unlocking Value community infrastructure framework.

Warren and Mahoney generates revenue through professional architectural design fees, typically on a project-based, one-time engagement basis rather than recurring contracts, with services priced on scope, complexity, and requirements via direct client engagement, competitive tendering, and design competitions. The go-to-market is a traditional enterprise sales motion: the firm wins commissions from government bodies, local councils, universities, developers, and corporate clients, and is frequently a co-design partner on landmark projects (e.g., One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha with Populous, Christ Church Cathedral reinstatement with Snøhetta, La Trobe University Sports Park with MJMA Toronto). It operates from five offices across two countries (Christchurch, Auckland, and Wellington in New Zealand; Sydney and Melbourne in Australia), employs 251–500 people, and is structured via multiple wholly-owned subsidiaries (core operating, shared services, SPV for the Dunedin Hospital project, and adjacent Living/residential design entities). The firm is recognized as one of the world's ten most innovative architectural practices (Fast Company, 2023) and has won the supreme Purple Pin at the DINZ Best Awards 2025, the World Architecture Festival global excellence award, and the IOC/IAKS Architecture Prize, among others.

Name

Warren and Mahoney

Legal name

Warren and Mahoney Limited

Website

https://wam.studio

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Warren and Mahoney is a privately held, 65-year-old architectural practice delivering architecture, interior, urban, and indigenous design across sports, civic, education, and workplace sectors from five offices in New Zealand and Australia, serving government, university, and corporate clients on project-based commissions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Landscape Architectural Services (54132)

SIC

Operative Builders (1531)

akta.pro primary industry

Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Urban masterplanning services
• Interior design services
• Sustainable building design
• Indigenous design services

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Warren and Mahoney generates revenue through professional architectural design fees for commissioned projects across multiple sectors including sports and recreation, civic and community, education, workplace, residential, and commercial. Revenue is project-based, typically one-time professional service engagements rather than recurring revenue.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Warren and Mahoney is an architectural practice that designs buildings, precincts, and interior environments across sports and recreation, civic and community, education, workplace, residential, and adaptive reuse sectors. Services span architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, masterplanning and urban design, graphic and wayfinding design, digital design and BIM, sustainability services, and the Te Matakārea Indigenous Design Unit, delivered as project-based professional commissions.

Product overview

Warren and Mahoney is an architectural practice offering a comprehensive suite of design services with a collective, collaborative approach to design. The core offering centers on architectural design across multiple sectors (commercial, civic, residential, education, healthcare, sports), supported by specialized services including urban design and masterplanning, interior and workplace design, sustainability consulting, digital design and BIM, and their Indigenous Design Unit (Te Matakīrea). The firm also offers proprietary methodologies including the RoX (Return on Experience) Framework for workplace performance evaluation, the Go Zero Low Carbon Design Guide for sustainable building, and a Community Infrastructure Value Framework. Their work is organized around practice areas spanning sports and recreation, workplace, civic and community, education and research, health, homes, hotels and hospitality, multi-residential, retail, transport and infrastructure, and urban design and precincts. The firm has delivered signature projects including the Hiwa Recreation Centre, Northcote Aquatic and Recreation Centre (Australia's first all-electric 6 Star Green Star aquatic facility), One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha, and Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Design Services Full-service architectural design across commercial, civic, residential, education, healthcare, and sports sectors, delivered through a collective, collaborative design approach for enterprise, government, education, and community clients.
• Sports and Recreation Facility Design Specialized design of sports complexes, aquatic centres, stadiums, and recreational facilities for government, education, and community clients across Australasia. Delivered projects include Australia's first 6 Star Green Star all-electric aquatic facility (Northcote Aquatic and Recreation Centre), the University of Auckland's Hiwa Recreation Centre, and the One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha.
• Workplace Design Interior design and workspace strategy for corporate clients, including evidence-based strategy, agile workplace design, and the firm's proprietary RoX (Return on Experience) evaluation framework. Clients include Chapman Tripp and Harmos Horton Lusk.
• Urban Design and Masterplanning Large-scale urban design and masterplanning including precinct development, city planning, and landscape architecture. Projects include the Christchurch Blueprint recovery plan and Wynyard Quarter Innovation Precinct Masterplan.
• Te Matak?rea Indigenous Design Unit Specialized Indigenous design unit within the firm that incorporates M?ori design principles, storytelling, cultural narratives, and partnership approaches into architectural projects across New Zealand.
• Digital Design and BIM Services Building Information Modeling (BIM), digital design, visualisation, and advanced digital fabrication services supporting architectural design delivery across all project types, led by the firm's Studio BIM Manager.
• Sustainability Services Sustainable design consulting including carbon reduction strategies, green building certification support (Green Star, WELL), and the firm's Toit? net carbonzero certified practice operations. Delivered via the proprietary Go Zero Low Carbon Design Guide.
• Visualisation Services Advanced architectural visualisation including photorealistic rendering, animation, and virtual reality presentations to support project communication and client engagement.
• Graphic and Wayfinding Design Specialized graphic design and wayfinding systems for buildings, precincts, and public spaces, creating cohesive visual communication and navigation solutions.
• RoX (Return on Experience) Framework Proprietary holistic evaluation framework that aligns business values with the performance potential of a future workplace. Moves beyond space metrics to deliver meaningful insight into how a workplace can support an organisation, referencing global benchmark data from Leesman.
• Go Zero Low Carbon Design Guide Comprehensive resource providing practical steps toward reducing the environmental impact of building projects. Addresses embodied and operational carbon and is designed for investors, developers, and consultants in the design and construction sectors.
• Community Infrastructure Value Framework Practical framework for decision makers to assist in unlocking greater value in the planning and delivery of community infrastructure. Includes four chapters: The case for change, Strategies for unlocking value, Measuring impact, and Better outcomes in practice.

Quantifiable outcome

• The Domain Collection adaptive reuse avoided 1,450 tonnes of CO2 in upfront embodied emissions, equivalent to 4,100 return flights from Auckland to Sydney
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• JPE Design StudiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJPE Design Studio collaborated with Warren and Mahoney on the Adelaide Aquatic Centre project, which won the City of Adelaide Prize for Design Excellence at the 2026 SA Architecture Awards. JPE brought local expertise to the context-led design grounded in Kaurna principles.
• Karl Winda TelfercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKarl Winda Telfer was part of the collaborative design team for the Adelaide Aquatic Centre, contributing to the context-led design grounded in Kaurna principles and cultural authenticity.
• PopulouscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPopulous led architectural design alongside Warren and Mahoney for the One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha, bringing global stadium design expertise to ensure a fan experience rivaling venues worldwide.
• Lamont & CocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLamont & Co partnered with Warren and Mahoney on The Domain Collection adaptive reuse project - a transformation of a commercial building into a residential precinct. This partnership embraced sustainable building practices through adaptive reuse, avoiding 1,450 tonnes of CO2 in embodied emissions.
• MJMA TorontocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWarren and Mahoney worked in association with MJMA Toronto on the La Trobe University Sports Park, which achieved Australia's first 6 Star Green Star rating for a sports building.
• Snøhetta ArchitectsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSnøhetta Architects is working in association with Warren and Mahoney on the Christ Church Cathedral reinstatement project - one of the most architecturally demanding projects in New Zealand's history following the 2011 earthquakes.
• Salmond Reed ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSalmond Reed Architects is part of the association with Warren and Mahoney for the Christ Church Cathedral reinstatement project, contributing heritage architecture expertise.
• Woods BagotcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the team for Christchurch Blueprint, working with the Christchurch Central Development Unit to create the spatial framework for the city's rebuild following the 2010-2011 earthquakes.
• Boffa MiskellcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Christchurch Blueprint team contributing landscape planning expertise for the city rebuild project.
• RCPminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Christchurch Blueprint team for project planning and controls.
• Sheppard and RoutminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Christchurch Blueprint team for architectural expertise.
• Cox ArchitecturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCox Architecture worked with Warren and Mahoney on Te Omeka Christchurch Justice and Emergency Services Precinct, the first project in New Zealand to bring courts, police, and emergency services into one location.
• Opus ArchitectureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Te Omeka CJESP team contributing engineering and architecture expertise.
• Matapopore Charitable TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMatapopore Charitable Trust was a key cultural partner for Te Omeka CJESP, ensuring authentic Māori cultural narratives and Ngāi Tahu perspectives were integrated into the project design.
• Greenaway ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreenaway Architects collaborated with Warren and Mahoney on Bronte Surf Life Saving Club, providing expertise in design inspired by Country and developed in partnership with Indigenous practitioners.
• Greenshoot ConsultingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreenshoot Consulting contributed environmental and sustainability expertise to the Bronte Surf Life Saving Club project.
• AventuurflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAventuur is the client and development partner for Auckland Surf Park, with Warren and Mahoney leading architecture and landscape architecture for this world-class surf lagoon project.
• Te Rūnanga o TupohocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTe Rūnanga o Tupoho was a key collaborator in the design of Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery, providing authentic Māori cultural guidance and partnership for this landmark cultural project.
• ObjectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerObjects worked in association with Warren and Mahoney on the Wainui Church Conversion adaptive reuse project, which received a Gold Pin at DINZ Best Awards 2025.
• Precinct PropertiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrecinct Properties developed Defence House in Wellington, designed by Warren and Mahoney, which received a Commercial Office Property Award Best in Category at Property Council New Zealand Awards.
• Christ Church Cathedral Reinstatement Limited (CCRL)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCRL is the client for the Christ Church Cathedral reinstatement project, with Warren and Mahoney working in association with Snøhetta and Salmond Reed Architects on this landmark heritage restoration.
• KANEcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerKANE was the construction partner for Oran Park Leisure Centre, delivering the project on time and under budget with exceptional sustainability credentials.
• ClublinkscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorClublinks is the community partnerships-focused operator delivering inclusive activities and programmes for the Northcote Aquatic and Recreation Centre.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bates Smart: Established Australian architecture practice with comparable workplace, civic, and adaptive reuse expertise. Direct competitor for trans-Tasman enterprise and public briefs.
• Cox Architecture: Major Australian architecture firm with strong civic, education, and sports portfolios. Direct competitor in Australian public sector briefs and partner on Te Omeka CJESP.
• Woods Bagot: Global ANZ-origin practice with comparable scale, sports, civic, and workplace expertise. Direct competitor on trans-Tasman briefs and partner on Christchurch Blueprint.
• Jasmax: Leading New Zealand architecture practice with similar civic, transport, and public infrastructure portfolio. Closest domestic NZ competitor on government and council work.
• Snøhetta: Norwegian-headquartered architecture and design practice with strong cultural, civic, and landscape portfolios. Partner on Christ Church Cathedral reinstatement and global competitor on civic commissions.
• Hassell: Major ANZ-headquartered architecture practice with strong workplace, health, education, and civic portfolios across Australia and Asia. Closely comparable in scale, sector mix, and design-led positioning.
• Athfield Architects: Prominent New Zealand architectural practice with strong residential, civic, and cultural portfolio. Direct competitor on NZ public and cultural commissions.
• Architectus: Trans-Tasman architectural practice with comparable scale, multi-office ANZ presence, and similar sector breadth across civic, education, workplace, and transport. Direct competitor on large public sector briefs.
• Populous: Global sports architecture specialist; lead architect on Te Kaha stadium alongside WAM. Most direct competitor for large sports venue commissions in Australasia.

Broad incumbents

• Gensler: Global architecture and design firm with dominant workplace and commercial portfolio; overlaps with WAM's workplace and commercial Bay work but operates at vastly larger scale and with broader sector reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/warren-and-mahoney-architects-ltd
• Instagraminstagram.com/warrenmahoney
• Xx.com/warrenmahoney

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Warren and Mahoney