Like their stunning homes, the foundations of Design Builders were carefully laid – and over the past three decades, they’ve been built upon with precision, vision, and a very Kiwi kind of ingenuity.
It started in Hawke’s Bay in 1992 when Andy Bell rebranded his family construction business to better reflect the custom-designed homes they were creating. Swapping out the typical name-above-the-door builder label, Andy saw something bigger: a business that could evolve, expand and eventually be passed on.
“Changing the name to Design Builders was a pivotal move,” says CEO Andrew Price. “It took it from being a local operation tied to one person, to something that could grow well beyond that.”
Fast-forward to today, and Design Builders is a national business operating in 10 regions across New Zealand, delivering truly one-off architectural homes from Whangarei to Queenstown. With nearly 200 Master Builders Awards to its name and over 900 homes built, it’s fair to say the company has firmly carved out its place in New Zealand’s mid-to-high-end residential building sector.
But it wasn’t always a straight line from its Napier Road office in Havelock North to national reach.
Andrew’s journey with the business began, fittingly, as a fan. Back in the mid-2000s, he was working at building supply firm Carter’s, sourcing specialty timber for Design Builders’ custom homes.
“They were the cool company you looked forward to working with,” he says. “They threw a good party, Andy was always hunting something for the spit, and they were doing really impressive work.”
After a stint in Australia, Andrew returned to New Zealand in 2014 and found himself bumping into the brand again – this time, in regions well beyond Hawke’s Bay. Curious, he connected with Andy through a family link and soon found himself shaking hands on a succession plan.
“It was pretty old school,” he laughs. “I met Andy just after Art Deco weekend, had a yarn, and we decided we’d make it work. He went off on his boat for three months, I went surfing, and we regrouped in May and got cracking.”
Andrew joined as sales and marketing manager in 2018 and within a year stepped into the Group CEO role, with a shareholding alongside General Manager Aaron Thompson.
Since then, the business has weathered a global pandemic, a construction boom, and one of the toughest downturns in recent memory. Through it all, Andrew says, their resilience and long-term mindset have been key.
“It’s during the tough times that you really shine.”
“Anyone can build when the market’s running hot. But it takes grit to stay the course when things slow down. We’ve done that, and now we’re positioning for the next phase of growth,” he says.
The company’s unique business model is a big part of that resilience. Unlike a traditional franchise, Design Builders operates a partnership model. Each regional business is 60% owned by a local partner and 40% by Design Builders NZ, with a 50/50 decision-making structure.
“It’s a true partnership,” says Andrew. “We don’t see ourselves as this head office issuing commands. Our partners are in it with us. They get the systems and support they need to run a business – design, marketing, finance, mentoring – and we get passionate, capable people who care deeply about the homes they’re delivering.”
That structure has led to a highly collaborative culture across the group. “There’s a bit of sibling rivalry at awards time,” Andrew jokes, “but outside of that, our partners share leads, solve problems together, and genuinely help each other succeed.”
And it’s working. In 2024, Design Builders had six showhomes open across its group and designed and built homes across 12 regions. These homes were all created by their own in-house design team, further adding to their reputation for excellence.
The company also expanded its collection of industry awards, including a national Show Home of the Year win for the new Christchurch team.
Their latest showcase, a standout property in Taupo, exemplifies their approach: bold, beautifully crafted, and utterly unique.
“We design every home from scratch. There’s no stock plans or templates. It’s always a home built around the client – their section, their lifestyle, their budget.”
With average builds in the $1 to $1.5 million range, the company occupies a sweet spot between the high-volume group home builders and fully bespoke architect-designed houses, delivering the cost efficiencies of group building alongside the personalised design and quality of a custom architect home.
“We say we might not be the first builder in a subdivision, but we’ll be the best,” Andrew quips.
Each region’s partner brings strong local relationships with subcontractors and often a hands-on construction background. And while Design Builders NZ handles the brand, systems and support, it’s the people on the ground who bring the homes to life.
Looking ahead, expansion is firmly on the agenda. Andrew is currently scoping new partners for regions north of Auckland, Taranaki, and across the top and bottom of the South Island.
“We see 2026 as a big year for growth,” he says. “But we won’t expand for the sake of it. It’s about finding the right people who fit our culture and want to build great businesses, not just homes.”
There’s also a sense of momentum in the market. High-value subdivision land is opening up in places like Brookvale, Iona Road and Mission Hills in Hawke’s Bay, and premium sites are emerging in other regions too.
“There are quality sections sitting there ready to go,” says Andrew. “We want to be ready to meet that demand when it turns.”
And they’ll do it with the same formula that’s got them this far: smart structure, strong partnerships, and a focus on quality and individuality.
“Our vision is to be the go-to brand for Kiwis wanting a unique, one-off home.
“When people think quality, architectural, personal, we want them to think Design Builders,” he says.
Like the homes they build, the company has evolved with purpose and passion – and the next chapter is already being designed.
