Wānaka Architects

Creating Sustainable Architecture With Personality

At Chaney & Norman Architects, great design and sustainability are at the heart of our Wānaka-based practice. We create homes that are energy efficient, high-performing, and tailored for comfort—warm, healthy spaces that our clients love to live in.

Every client is unique, and so is every home. Through open communication, thoughtful processes, and high-quality design, we craft homes that reflect your lifestyle and aspirations. Each project responds carefully to the local environment, maximising the potential of the site and the design brief.

Eco architecture in the Wanaka & Queenstown region

We believe the journey of creating your home should be as enjoyable as the result. As a small, dedicated team, we pride ourselves on being approachable, collaborative, and client-focused. Our aim is to make the design process inspiring and rewarding from start to finish.

We offer a full range of architectural services—including concept design, documentation, contract administration, and site observation. For more detail, see our Process page.

Our approach is flexible and adaptive, shaped by the needs of each project. We combine proven methods with innovative technologies to deliver creative solutions—for our clients and for the environment.

Meet our Wānaka Architects

BETH CHANEY-WALKER

PRINCIPAL BARCH FIRST CLASS HONOURS

One of our two Principals, Beth is a Registered Architect and has over 17 years of experience in leading architectural practices across New Zealand.

Beth holds the titles of a qualified Homestar Assessor and Homestar Designer with the New Zealand Green Building Council, and she’s proudly behind Wānaka’s first Homestar 8-certified home. She has also undertaken training with the New Zealand Passive House Academy.

Beth brings together a deep passion for sustainable design with a down-to-earth approach and enjoys collaborating with clients to design their dream home.

CHRIS NORMAN

PRINCIPAL BBSC, BARCH (HONS), FNZIA

Chris is a Registered Architect and Homestar Designer with international experience in delivering highly successful outcomes for residential, housing and commercial projects.

Chris has over 38 years of architectural experience and has been practising in Wānaka since 2003, earning the trust of the community and forging strong connections within the building industry on both a local and national level. Chris became a Fellow of the NZIA in 2024.

His insights into the area’s unique challenges and potential for sustainable opportunities are invaluable.

ZOË THOMPSON

REGISTERED ARCHITECT BAS, MARCH (PROF).

Zoë is a Registered Architect and Homestar Practitioner who started her career as a graduate in Auckland. She took the opportunity to move back home to Central Otago to join the team at Chaney & Norman, where she continued her studies towards her professional registration.

Within the office, Zoë is the ArchiCAD helper and the first port of call for any IT issues.

Outside of the office, Zoë enjoys pottering in her own garden, cooking for family and friends and exploring the outdoors with her dog Layla (who you may meet in the office).

SHIRLEY GEORGE

SNR. ARCHITECTURAL TECHNICIAN (NZDAT)

Shirley is a Senior Architectural Technician and has worked in engineering and architectural firms across New Zealand.

She has enjoyed seeing the increased awareness towards sustainable design and is so happy to be part of it.

Travel by horseback makes her heart sing and she hopes to do more in the future.

CHELSEA BATCHELOR

OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR (BAppSc)

Originally from Otago, Chelsea studied Consumer Food Science at the University of Otago, and worked as a Food Technologist and Quality Assurance Controller in this field for 10 years.

Based in Wānaka since 2022, she is responsible for general office administration and bookkeeping across three companies. She joined the team at Chaney & Norman Architects in 2023.

Founded in 2018 by Beth Chaney-Walker and Chris Norman, our creative partnership brings together extensive design experience and a shared passion for sustainable, high-performing homes. Previously known as Chris Norman Architecture, our NZIA-registered practice has been helping clients create their dream homes in New Zealand since 2009.

We wholeheartedly recommend the team at Chaney & Norman Architects. They strike an ideal balance between aesthetics, practicality, and thermal performance, all while thoughtfully considering the home’s surrounding environment. We liked how they were open to explore ideas and how rational they were in their approach.”

Working with Chaney & Norman Architects was a genuinely positive experience and we loved working with them. They bought to life our ideas and created a design that truly married the essence of the old with the contemporary, surpassing our expectations in what could be achieved. They were easy to work with, reliable, and maintained thorough communication all the way through the process. We would highly recommend them."

Chris and the team at Chaney & Norman have delivered us our dream family holiday home. Chris worked very collaboratively with us to realise our vision for a house that responded to both the functional needs of our family but also maximised the incredible Wanaka landscape around us. He is very well researched, keen to innovate and takes huge pride in his product. Would highly recommend Chris and the team."

We chose Chaney & Norman Architects for one simple reason: their knowledge, experience and understanding in designing a modern, sustainable, high-performing, energy efficient home. Coupled with their innovative approach, this has led to an outcome we are delighted with."

We cannot speak too highly of the results that we received. From the brief that we provided, Chris and Beth came up with a design that fitted perfectly with the site and our requirements. We would have no hesitation in recommending their professional and quality service."

We knew we were building a home with energy and thermal efficiency but we have tended to take it for granted until we’ve visited some other homes in winter! It’s one of the behind-the-scene things we appreciate about our house."

Wānaka Architects

Creating Sustainable Architecture With Personality

Eco architecture in the Wanaka & Queenstown region