Black Pine Team
Duncan Sinclair
NZIA Registered Architect; MArch; BConsMgmt; Passive House Certified Architect; Passive House Certified Designer
The original Black Piner, Duncan worked his way around the world and came back to New Zealand wondering why we’re still building homes that didn’t suit the climate. He’s a fully certified Passivhaus nerd and spends his days proving that warm, efficient, beautifully designed homes are absolutely possible here. If you’re keen on climate-responsive architecture, high-performance building envelopes, and combining big picture thinking with practical know-how, budgeting and buildability, Duncan’s your man.
Emma de Bruin
Bachelor of Technology (BTech); Professional Senior Architectural Technologist (PrSArchT); Passive House Certified Designer
Emma is an absolute gun with technical drawings, Building Information Modelling and 3D visualisation – especially when it comes with a Passivhaus flavour. She’s also a superstar with old-school pen and pencil, gifted with artistic skill and an eye for detail that brings out the beauty in projects.
Reshma Cherian
Master of Architecture M.Arch (Prof); Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch); Certified Passive House Tradesperson
Reshma is afflicted with a severe case of design biophilia, so she’s constantly coming up with ways to integrate nature into the built environment. In between, you’ll often find her deep in the details of Passivhaus certification calculations and site-specific design. If you love curves, conceptual sketches and chocolate, you and Reshma will get along just fine!
Nick Oscilowski
Bachelor of Business Studies (BBS Mktg, DipMar)
Nick is our resident content wizard. He’s in his element when trying to wrangle many threads of architectural narrative into project stories, research and features. He’s the go-to guy for all things social, marketing, creative, collaborations, community and all the other fun stuff.
Extended Family
Our success is possible due to the efforts of past Black Piners. They are part of our legacy, and we thank them for their contribution.
Margaret Samuels
Akshaya Baskar
Tara 🐕