What Novak+Middleton does

Novak+Middleton is a privately held architectural practice founded in 1992 by Simon Novak and Richard Middleton, headquartered at Everton Terrace, Kelburn, Wellington. The firm operates from a 13-person team organised around three Directors (Simon Novak, Emily Kerry, Michael Fletcher), a Technical Director (Greg Lagoutaris), a Senior Associate, an Associate, a Senior Architect, and six Architects, supported by BIM and sustainability credentials (Graphisoft-certified BIM Manager Daniel Grigg; Homestar Assessor Jina Yoon).

The practice delivers project-based architectural services across seven core lines: residential (new houses, additions, alterations, heritage restoration), commercial (offices, mixed-use), multi-unit housing (apartments, townhouses), social and community housing, heritage restoration and adaptive reuse, education facilities, and community buildings. Underlying capability rests on BIM-led documentation and a portfolio of recognised sustainable design outcomes, including NZ's first 4 Green Star rated building in Palmerston North (HFHL Offices). Customer evidence shows engagement with private residential clients, property developers (Watson Group, Templeton Group, Higgins Family Holdings), government (Wellington City Council), education (Scots College), non-profits (Dwell Housing Trust), and construction partners (Scottys Construction).

Revenue is generated through professional services fees quoted per project based on scope and complexity; pricing is not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, anchored by award recognition (16 NZIA and Master Builders awards between 2004 and 2025), portfolio marketing via the firm website and social channels, referrals, and competitive tendering for public-sector commissions. The firm holds no external investment, has no subsidiaries, and operates primarily within New Zealand while building a growing Auckland presence.

Name

Novak+Middleton

Legal name

Novak+Middleton

Website

https://novakmiddleton.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Novak+Middleton is a privately held, Wellington-based architectural practice founded in 1992, delivering residential, commercial, multi-unit, social, education, and heritage architecture for private clients, developers, government, and institutions across New Zealand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310), Architectural Services (54131)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Residential architecture
• Multi-unit housing design
• Heritage restoration
• Sustainable architecture

Headquarters

HQ city

Kelburn

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Project-based architectural fees for design and technical documentation services across residential, commercial, community, education, and heritage projects

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Novak+Middleton is an architectural practice delivering design and technical documentation services for new buildings and renovation of existing structures across residential, commercial, multi-unit housing, social housing, heritage, education, and community sectors in New Zealand. Services are sold as project-based commissions obtained through direct client relationships, referrals, and competitive tendering for public-sector work.

Product overview

Novak+Middleton is an award-winning architectural practice founded in 1992 by Simon Novak and Richard Middleton, offering comprehensive architectural design services. Their portfolio spans residential (new houses, additions/alterations), commercial, multi-unit housing, education, heritage, and social housing projects. The practice specializes in innovative, high-quality architecture with a philosophy centered on good design integrating environment, people, community, and place through sensible and honest use of materials and space. Their diverse team provides both design and technical excellence across new buildings and renovation of existing structures.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Residential Architecture Services
• Commercial Architecture Services
• Multi-Unit Housing Design
• Social Housing Architecture
• Heritage Architecture and Restoration
• Education Architecture
• Community Architecture

Quantifiable outcome

• First 4 Green Star rated building in Palmerston North (HFHL Offices)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered major and key.

• Watson GroupmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term partnership on multiple projects including The Bay multi-unit housing development and the Oriental Bay Band Rotunda/Pavilion restoration project. Novak+Middleton serves as architects for these significant Wellington waterfront developments.
• Dwell Housing TrustmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlagship partnership delivering Mahora Te Aroha - a 29-home community housing village. This is a significant social housing project that demonstrates the practice's commitment to quality affordable housing.
• Templeton GroupmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Lightbox - a 21-townhouse boutique development in Longbay, Auckland. Successful delivery of this project has expanded the practice's presence in Auckland.
• Higgins Family Holdings LtdkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerClient for HFHL Offices - a head office building in Palmerston North that achieved the first 4 Green Star rating in the city. The project showcases concrete as a sustainable finishing material.
• Scottys ConstructionkeyImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConstruction partner for Seatoun Heights House which won the 2025 Master Builders Gold Award. Strong collaborative relationship delivering award-winning residential projects.
• Wellington City CouncilmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership on the Te Ara Hou social housing upgrade (67 apartments) as part of a 10-year, $220M+ government and council housing upgrade programme. Also working on other civic projects.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Cox Architecture: Large Australian architectural firm with offices across Australia and international presence. Comparable for its multi-sector portfolio (residential, commercial, education, public) and award-winning design reputation, though at much larger scale.
• HASSELL: International architecture and design practice with Australian roots and projects across commercial, education, health, and public sectors. Comparable for design quality and multi-sector reach, though operates at a much larger scale.
• Architectus: Australia and New Zealand architectural firm with offices in Auckland, Wellington, Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. Comparable in spanning residential, commercial, education, and urban design, but significantly larger and with broader geographic reach.
• Bates Smart: Major Australian architectural practice with over 160 years of history delivering commercial, residential, heritage, and education projects. Comparable in heritage/restoration credentials and multi-sector portfolio, though at substantially larger scale.

Direct peers

• Athfield Architects: Wellington-based architectural practice of comparable size and profile, also known for award-winning residential, heritage, and public architecture. Direct competitor for Wellington-region clients and council tenders.
• Warren and Mahoney: One of New Zealand's largest and most established architectural practices, with offices in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Australia. Directly comparable as an NZIA award-winning firm active across residential, commercial, healthcare, education, and heritage sectors — the same verticals Novak+Middleton competes in.
• Mitchell Stout Architects: NZ architectural practice focused on high-quality residential, multi-unit, and heritage architecture. Comparable boutique, design-led positioning with shared vertical mix and award-driven reputation.
• Tennent Brown Architects: Wellington-based, NZIA award-winning architectural practice of similar size and focus on high-quality residential, commercial, and community architecture. Direct competitor for Wellington clients and design awards.
• McKinney + Windeatt Architects: Small Wellington-based architectural practice with similar size profile and focus on residential, multi-unit, and heritage work. Direct competitor for the same Wellington developer and high-end residential client base.
• Parsonson Architects: Wellington-based architectural practice delivering award-winning residential and commercial work. Comparable boutique, design-led position with strong NZIA award track record in similar residential and multi-unit categories.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/NovakMiddleton
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/novak-middleton

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Novak+Middleton