Klein Architects is the largest dedicated healthcare design and advisory practice in Aotearoa New Zealand. Since its inception in 1991 we have expanded from the sole Auckland based office to Christchurch, Hawke's Bay, Cambridge and Sydney.
We provide a range of services including masterplanning and business care support, architecture, interiors, specialist health design, and health planning and advisory.
Led by Managing Director Rachael Rush, our entire studio of some 40 practitioners is dedicated to design and technical excellence in healthcare, health science and research, wellbeing, aged care and retirement environments. Our specialist health expertise extends to the highly technical fields of mental health, laboratory and complex radiology, to name a few.
From business case development right through to selecting the right hardware, we bring decades of experience to every strategic idea and every detail. We’ll help you deliver ambitious goals to create lasting, positive impact on the communities you serve – built environments where staff can work to their highest potential, where patients feel valued and nurtured, and where whānau can participate in the healing journey of loved ones.
We committed to the health sector in the mid-1990s employing our first clinical practitioner then, and have had this ‘client voice’ as a key part of our team ever since. Our industry leadership and contribution has made us leaders in transformation (environmental, sustainability, digital, construction, social, indigeneity) in healthcare architecture.
Our immersion in the sector translates to an acute awareness of public health current affairs and needs, and our experience gives us an extensive knowledge of New Zealand hospital campuses. Today, this deep immersion has made us experts and influencers in national health design standards and research reports.
With this strong foundation we will continue growing our team to support a greener, fairer future for Aotearoa.
Our team shares a collective passion for uplifting the health and wellbeing for communities around the country through inspired, human-centric, and future-thinking designs.
Klein is driven by a social purpose – to deliver better, greener and more equitable health infrastructure for all our communities. From birthing units to general medicine to mental health to specialist clinics to aged care (both public and private), we are passionate about raising health and wellbeing outcomes for all, and doing so in an environmentally sustainable way. The right design solution has the power to change lives for the better – a belief that drives us to create multiple award-winning buildings such as Burwood Hospital and Middlemore Tiaho Mai Acute Mental Health Unit, and set new benchmarks for healthcare architecture in Aotearoa.
Our social purpose isn't limited to projects. We actively seek out opportunities to support the community through events such as donations, book reading, tree-planting, to name a few.
From public talks, awards judging, sponsorships, to the running of New Zealand Health Design Council, we actively involve ourselves in industry events as a way of giving back to the design and healthcare communities.
Our managing director Rachael Rush is Chair for New Zealand Health Design Council, which is a network of professionals dedicated to advancing quality in the design, planning and management of New Zealand’s health facility infrastructure. The NZHDC meets monthly to discuss topical issues around healthcare facilities.
Our practice is the breeding ground for health design ideas and incubator of health design talent, with many of our staff and alumni now leading figures in the industry.
Our socially and culturally diverse practice is led by managing director Rachael Rush, who is a recipient of the National Association of Women in Construction Award 2017. Rachael is a strong advocate for women in the architecture and design industry, fostering a safe and equal atmosphere for all of our staff.
The flat structure at Klein and our no ego approach has resulted in a dynamic and open environment to work in. We have a high number of staff with very long tenure, in no small parts due to our friendly dynamic and the way care for each other, as well as the flexibility in the way we allow our team to balance work and personal life.
Walking the talk – we encourage and support active, joyful and healthy lifestyle for our staff, through sports event sponsorships, sporting groups, internal green initiatives, and staff social events.