What Creative Arch does

Creative Arch is a privately held architectural design firm founded in 1998 by Architectural Designer and Director Mark McLeay, headquartered in Grey Lynn, Auckland, New Zealand. The firm delivers a full seven-stage architectural service — from pre-design and site analysis through preliminary sketch design, developed design, resource consent, contract documentation, tendering, and contract administration — for residential, holiday home, commercial and retail, educational, and remedial building projects across New Zealand, with some overseas work. Notable engagements include the Westgate 35-unit residential development (2023, commended at ADNZ 2024), Imperial Gardens 275-apartment CBD refurbishment (2024), Mahurangi Central mixed-use commercial development, the Diocesan School for Girls Shrewsbury Building and heritage chapel seismic strengthening, and a portfolio of award-winning private residences including Milford Residence and Mount Albert Residence.

The firm's underlying technology stack centers on 3D computer modeling, design documentation, and proprietary systems developed in-house over its 25-plus-year operating history, including an extensive library of templates and details used to compress contract documentation effort. These internal systems are positioned as a source of cost efficiency that is passed through to clients. The firm operates within the Arch Group network alongside sister practices Resolution Arch (remedial work), Infusion Arch (multi-unit developments), and Te Pā Arch (culturally branded practice), enabling cross-referral of specialized projects. It also markets through Houzz, ArchiPro, Facebook, LinkedIn, and holds ADNZ and NZIA Practice memberships.

Creative Arch operates a sales-led, direct-to-client professional services model. Pricing is structured via a tailored Letter of Offer for each project: fixed pricing for pre-design through contract documentation phases and hourly charge rates for tender and contract administration, modeled on industry-standard percentages relative to project size and complexity. Customers span individual homeowners (mid-market and luxury residential), property developers, body corporates, commercial clients, and educational institutions, with no recurring subscription, channel partner, or platform revenue streams.

Name

Creative Arch

Legal name

Creative Arch Ltd

Website

https://creativearch.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Creative Arch is a privately held architecture firm founded in 1998 in Auckland, New Zealand, by Mark McLeay. The firm provides full architectural design, documentation, and contract administration services across residential, commercial, educational, and remedial sectors throughout New Zealand and overseas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Interior Design Services (54141), Engineering Services (54133)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711), General Bldg Contractors - Residential Bldgs (1520)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB), Residential Design-Build & Renovation-Integrated Builders (IMAFABAE), Design-Build / EPC General Contracting (IMAFAAAD)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Residential architecture
• Commercial architecture
• Building remediation
• Master planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Creative Arch provides architectural design and documentation services using a tiered pricing approach. From pre-design through to contract documentation, they generally provide fixed pricing. For remaining stages involving tender and contract administration, they use hourly charge rates. Fees are modeled to suit client needs and budget, using industry-standard percentages to match the size and complexity of the design brief.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Creative Arch is an architecture firm providing comprehensive design and documentation services across residential, commercial, educational, and remedial sectors. Services follow a structured seven-stage process from pre-design and site analysis through sketch design, developed design, resource consent, contract documentation, tendering, and contract administration, with fee models combining fixed pricing for design phases and hourly charge rates for tender and contract administration.

Product overview

Creative Arch is an architecture firm offering comprehensive architectural design and documentation services rather than a software product company. The core offering encompasses residential (new homes, alterations, multi-unit), commercial, educational, and remedial work across New Zealand. The portfolio includes the Smarter Small Home concept for affordable, modular housing and specialized heritage conservation projects. The firm collaborates with sister companies under Arch Group (Resolution Arch, Infusion Arch, Te Pā Arch) for specialized services including remedial work. Services are structured around a seven-stage design process from pre-design through contract administration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Residential Architectural Design Design and documentation services for new residential homes, including architectural vision development, spatial planning, and construction documentation for homeowners across New Zealand.
• Residential Alterations Renovation and alteration services for existing residential properties, including additions and transformations of existing homes for property owners.
• Apartments & Mixed-Use Developments Multi-unit residential and mixed-use building design services ranging from boutique apartment complexes to large-scale developments for property developers.
• Holiday Homes Specialized architectural design for vacation properties featuring site-responsive designs, indoor-outdoor living integration, and durable materials suited to coastal or rural locations.
• Commercial & Retail Architecture Commercial building design including retail spaces, office fit-outs, hospitality venues, and mixed-use commercial developments for property owners and commercial tenants.
• Remedial Works Building remediation, refurbishment, and weather-tightness solutions for existing apartment buildings and body corporates, addressing water ingress and building compliance issues.
• Educational Facilities Design Design services for educational institutions including school buildings, learning spaces, campus planning, and heritage conservation of historic educational buildings.
• Smarter Small Home Affordable, space-efficient, low-maintenance, and eco-friendly home design concept configurable as modular single or two-storey homes with flexible architectural treatments and reduced construction waste.
• Full Architectural Design Process Services End-to-end architectural process from pre-design and site analysis through preliminary sketch design, developed design, resource consent, contract documentation, tendering, and contract administration.

Named customers6 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Infusion ArchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company within the Arch Group network. Infusion Arch supplied the Westgate Development project (35-unit residential development in Auckland) under Creative Arch's portfolio.
• Resolution ArchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company within the Arch Group network. Resolution Arch completes remedial work projects, including Imperial Gardens (275-apartment CBD refurbishment), Greenwood Residence, Red Box Apartments, Best Pacific Institute of Education, and other remedial projects showcased on Creative Arch's portfolio.
• Arch GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent/group company network including Creative Arch, Resolution Arch, Infusion Arch, and Te Pā Arch. Sister companies supply projects and expertise across the group's portfolio.
• Te Pā ArchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company within the Arch Group network.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Athfield Architects: Wellington- and Auckland-based residential, commercial, and public architecture practice. Comparable in NZ domestic focus, owner-led culture, and mixed residential/educational/commercial portfolio.
• Patterson Architects: Auckland architects with work spanning high-end residential, apartments, and commercial projects. Comparable in private client base, residential multi-unit expertise, and Auckland-centric operations.
• Jasmax: New Zealand architecture and design practice with broad residential, commercial, education, and urban design work. Directly comparable in service breadth, NZ market focus, and project scale (including institutional and developer-led projects).
• Warren and Mahoney: Award-winning New Zealand architecture firm with a long heritage and portfolio spanning residential, commercial, heritage, and education. Comparable in award profile, multi-decade history, and project diversity.
• Architectus: Trans-Tasman architecture firm with offices across New Zealand and Australia. Comparable in multi-disciplinary practice, residential and commercial focus, and shared NZ market presence.
• Studio Pacific Architecture: Wellington architecture studio working across residential, commercial, public, and urban design. Comparable in award-winning NZ practice positioning and engagement on complex, mixed-use urban projects.
• Fearon Hay Architects: Auckland-based award-winning practice focused on residential, commercial, and interior design. Comparable in NZ boutique practice scale, award currency, and residential/interior crossover.
• Herriot Melhuish O'Neill Architects: Wellington-based architecture practice with strong residential, commercial, and heritage portfolio. Comparable in NZ-only footprint, award recognition, and mixed residential/educational work.

Regional players

• Bates Smart: Australian architecture firm with deep residential and commercial portfolios. Comparable in project types and award profile, but primarily Australia-based rather than competing directly in NZ.

Broad incumbents

• Gensler: Global architecture and design firm with broad commercial, residential, and education practices. Comparable in service category (architectural design across sectors) but operates at significantly larger scale and global footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CreativeArchLtd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/creative-arch-ltd
• Xx.com/creativearchltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Creative Arch