What Jessop Architects does

Jessop Architects is a privately held, Auckland-based architectural design practice founded in 2001 by Darren Jessop. The firm operates as a boutique studio of six, offering a comprehensive range of architectural services — contemporary new builds, renovations, holiday homes, commercial, interior, and landscape design — delivered on a fully project-managed basis from concept design through detailed design, consenting, construction tendering, and site visits. The firm serves high-end residential clients and selected property developers across New Zealand, with notable projects including residential commissions of NZ$2–2.5M+ construction value and multi-dwelling developments such as Gills Road, Towai, Wavesong, Westwood, Wawata, and Jacks Point.

The firm's technical differentiator is deep specialization in Passive House design methodology, having designed and managed the build of the first certified Passive House in Australasia (the Glendowie Residence). This expertise underpins the COOLHOUSE sub-brand: a proprietary collection of contemporary modular homes ranging from 25m2 (Mini) to 180m2 (Island), all built to Passive House airtightness and thermal performance standards exceeding the New Zealand Building Code. The firm markets through its website portfolio, blog content, a published eBook on heritage renovations, and earned media via Grand Designs NZ.

Revenue is generated through professional service fees quoted per engagement and invoiced on a phase-completion basis (typically monthly or at milestones), with payment terms of 7 days. The firm holds professional indemnity insurance of not less than NZ$2,000,000 and operates under New Zealand jurisdiction. Revenue and financial performance are not publicly disclosed; no external funding, acquisitions, or institutional ownership are indicated.

Name

Jessop Architects

Legal name

Jessop Architects

Website

https://jessoparchitects.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Jessop Architects is a privately held Auckland architectural practice founded in 2001, designing contemporary new builds, renovations, holiday homes, and multi-dwelling developments for high-end residential clients across New Zealand, with proprietary Passive House expertise and a modular COOLHOUSE product line.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Architectural Services (541310), Residential Building Construction (23611)

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Residential Bldgs (1520)

akta.pro primary industry

Custom Home Building (IMAFABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Luxury Whole-Home Renovation (High-End Finishes & Custom Build) (HSAPAEAI), Residential Design-Build & Renovation-Integrated Builders (IMAFABAE)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Passive house design
• Residential renovations
• Modular low energy homes
• Project management architecture

Headquarters

HQ city

Ponsonby

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Comprehensive architectural services from concept to construction completion. Services include design concepts, detailed design and consenting, construction tendering, and site visits during construction. Payment is typically made when each phase reaches completion as outlined in the Terms of Trade.
2. COOLHOUSE Modular Homes: Sale of modular low energy homes from the COOLHOUSE collection, which incorporates designs specifically modelled to suit the New Zealand climate using low energy practices.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Jessop Architects offers a comprehensive range of architectural services spanning contemporary new builds, holiday homes, renovations, developments, commercial, interior and landscape design, alongside the proprietary COOLHOUSE range of modular low energy homes. The practice provides fully project-managed services from design concepts, detailed design and consenting, through construction tendering and site visits during construction, operating from Auckland throughout New Zealand.

Product overview

Jessop Architects is an award-winning architectural design practice offering a comprehensive range of architectural services. The core offering consists of contemporary new builds, renovations, holiday homes, commercial, interior and landscape design services. The product portfolio is anchored by the COOLHOUSE range of modular low energy homes—a sub-brand of pre-designed, Passive House-certified modular homes ranging from 25m2 (Mini) to 180m2 (Island). The company also offers specialized Passive House design services, having designed and managed the build of the first certified Passive House in Australasia. All services include full project management from design concepts through to construction.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• COOLHOUSE: Collection of contemporary modular homes using Passive House building technologies. Includes preset plans to suit a variety of lifestyles, ranging from the 'Mini' (25m2) to the 'Island' (180m2). All COOLHOUSEs use Passive House building technologies and are designed for energy efficiency.

Products and services

• Contemporary Architectural Design Services Design and project management of contemporary residential new builds for individual homeowners and property developers across New Zealand, featuring modern architecture using materials such as concrete, timber, and glass.
• Holiday Home Architectural Design Services
• Residential Renovation Design Services
• Residential Development Design Services
• Passive House Design Services
• COOLHOUSE Modular Low Energy Homes A collection of contemporary modular low energy homes using Passive House building technologies, ranging from 25m2 compact studios (Mini) to 180m2 family homes (Island), designed to be modular and combinable over time for individual buyers and developers.

Quantifiable outcome

• First certified Passive House in Australasia designed by Jessop Architects
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Jared Lockhart DesignminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJared Lockhart Design provided landscape design services for the Victoria Ave Remuera project. This is a collaborative working relationship on specific client projects where specialized expertise is required.
• COOLHOUSEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOOLHOUSE is the collection of contemporary modular homes developed by Jessop Architects. The partnership represents the firm's proprietary product line of Passive House-certified modular low energy homes. All six COOLHOUSEs use Passive House building technologies with the latest onsite construction practices.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Box Living: NZ modular/prefab home brand offering pre-designed transportable homes. Directly comparable as a NZ-headquartered competitor in the modular low-energy home segment that overlaps with COOLHOUSE.
• Fearon Hay Architects: One of New Zealand's most awarded boutique architectural practices, focused on high-end residential and select commercial work. Directly comparable in segment (premium NZ residential), award profile, and small-firm operating model.
• Patterson Architects: Auckland-based residential and lifestyle architecture practice with coastal and rural design expertise. Comparable on NZ premium-residential focus and small-firm design-led positioning.
• Cheshire Architects: Auckland-based design practice recognised for residential and hospitality architecture with a strong design-led brand. Comparable on premium-residential focus, brand-led marketing, and NZ boutique-firm positioning.
• Studio Pacific Architecture: Wellington-based NZ architecture practice with strong residential, urban design, and heritage renovation portfolio. Comparable on NZ boutique-residential design expertise and award recognition.
• Lockwood Homes: Long-established NZ prefabricated/modular home builder with a broad product catalogue. Comparable as a NZ modular-home competitor to COOLHOUSE but operates at significantly larger scale with established manufacturing.
• Novak+Middleton: NZ boutique architecture practice known for award-winning contemporary residential work. Comparable on small-firm premium-residential focus and design-led brand positioning in the NZ market.

Regional players

• Architectus: Trans-Tasman architecture firm with NZ and Australian offices covering residential, urban, and commercial design. Comparable on premium-residential expertise but is a larger firm operating across a broader geography.

Broad incumbents

• Warren and Mahoney: One of NZ's largest architecture practices, with a much broader portfolio spanning commercial, healthcare, education, and residential. Overlaps in residential and masterplanning capability but operates at a fundamentally larger scale.
• Athfield Architects: Established NZ architectural practice with a substantial portfolio across high-end residential, public, and commercial work. Comparable on premium residential design heritage but operates as a larger multi-partner firm.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/jessoparch
• Facebookfacebook.com/jessoparchitects
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jessop-architects

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Jessop Architects