Meet The Village Architect

  • Three core principles underpin all Sara’s work, represented in The Village Architect logo by a trefoil (three overlapping circles) embraced by a circle and secured inside a square:

    • Dignity: Creating environments that honour and elevate the human experience

    • Autonomy: Designing spaces that support independence and choice

    • Authenticity: Developing settings that feel genuine and appropriate to context

    These principles are contained within a circle, symbolising the eco-system approach to design—recognising the interconnected nature of spaces, people, and organisations.

    The square frame represents evidence-based design practices, providing structure and rigour to the application of these principles in practical settings.

  • With many years of specialised experience in dementia-enabling design, Sara brings a unique multidisciplinary approach to creating environments that enhance quality of life while optimising operational efficiency. As co-chair of Dementia Alliance International's Environmental Design Special Interest Group and a member of the Dementia Design Aotearoa Steering Group, she's developed evidence-based strategies that bridge architectural excellence with clinical outcomes. Her expertise spans the entire design continuum—from master planning complex new villages with project costs exceeding $100 million through to major refurbishments valued up to $20 million.

    Sara specialises in socio-spatial design that supports both residents and caregivers through thoughtful environments that respond to evolving needs. Her international research, including a healthcare study tour of the Netherlands, informs her work in balancing safety requirements with positive risk-taking to enhance quality of life. Whether developing comprehensive master plans for new facilities, guiding substantial refurbishment projects, or creating strategic frameworks for dementia care environments, she ensures spaces are thoughtfully designed to respond to the vision for the way of life while incorporating progressive approaches to dementia care.

  • Sara's professional journey began in legal services and education before discovering her passion for architecture. After qualification, she developed skills designing childcare centres before specialising in aged care architecture with Ryman Healthcare.

    Now, as The Village Architect, Sara provides specialised design consultancy expertise in designing for wellbeing across different contexts, bringing the same attention to human experience to every scale of project.

    Across New Zealand and Australia, Sara provides specialised consultancy in dementia-enabling environments for aged care providers. With dementia prevalence at 9.2% in the 65+ population and nearly half of cases undiagnosed, there is urgent need for environments that better support people with cognitive changes.

  • Sara is currently pursuing a PhD in dementia-enabling design with completion targeted for 2030. This academic pursuit actively informs her practice, creating a continuous feedback loop between research, design application, and evaluation. See the Research page for more information.

    Sara is also a Subject Matter Expert collaborating on projects with the Centre for Co-Created Ageing Research at Auckland University.

    Qualifications

    • Master of Architecture (Distinction) - RMIT University, 2009

    • Bachelor of Architectural Design (Distinction) - RMIT University, 2008

    • Bachelor of Education, Primary Teaching - Massey University, 2002

    • Legal Executive Certificate - New Zealand Law Society, 1994

    Professional Memberships

    • Member, New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA)

    • Member, Australian Institute of Architects (RAIA)

    • Co-chair, Dementia Alliance International - Environmental Design Special Interest Group

    • Member, New Zealand Aged Care Consortium

    • Member, New Zealand Health Design Council

    Professional Development

    • PhD Candidate - current - Deakin University

    • URBDES 730 Research Report - Auckland University, 2023

    • Certificate in Person-centred Dementia Care (Level 4), Otago Polytech, 2022

    • Understanding Dementia MOOC - University of Tasmania, 2022

    • Healthcare Study Tour - Netherlands, 2022