DKO has appointed Phill Matz as Studio Director of its Auckland office, bringing together the deep local expertise of MATZ Architects with the multidisciplinary capabilities of one of the Asia-Pacific region's leading design practices.

The appointment marks a strategic expansion for DKO in New Zealand, strengthening its ability to deliver architecture, interiors, landscape architecture and urban design across the country while broadening opportunities for clients throughout Australasia. Matz will lead DKO's New Zealand operations, combining his understanding of the local planning, regulatory and construction landscape with the resources and specialist expertise of DKO's wider practice.

Matz brings almost 30 years of architectural experience to the role. He established MATZ Architects following the beginning of his career in Christchurch, building a reputation for carefully crafted residential, multi-residential and hospitality projects across New Zealand, with recent work extending to Fiji. The integration ensures continuity for existing MATZ Architects clients, with Matz continuing to lead those projects and relationships while also gaining access to DKO's broader team of architects, interior designers, landscape architects and urban designers.

"The opportunity brings together two practices that share the same values," says Matz. "We believe every project deserves its own design response, supported by technical excellence, close client relationships and a commitment to quality. Joining DKO allows us to offer clients greater capability while maintaining the personal approach that has always defined our practice."

Founded in Melbourne in 2000, DKO has grown into one of the Asia-Pacific region's leading design practices, with more than 360 professionals working across studios in Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia. The practice's portfolio spans residential, mixed-use, hospitality, workplace, education and master planned communities — a breadth of expertise that the combined Auckland studio is now positioned to offer locally.

For DKO founder Koos de Keijzer, the expansion carries both strategic and personal significance. Raised in Christchurch within a Dutch family, de Keijzer developed an early appreciation for the relationship between place, culture and design through regular travel between New Zealand and Europe. The investment in the New Zealand market reflects a long-held belief that strong local knowledge produces stronger design outcomes.

"Phill is an exceptional architect whose values align closely with our own," de Keijzer says. "His understanding of the New Zealand market, combined with DKO's multidisciplinary capability and regional experience, creates an exciting platform for growth and design excellence."

The combined practice positions the Auckland studio to offer clients the responsiveness of a boutique practice supported by the scale, systems and specialist expertise of a regional firm. As New Zealand's design and construction sector continues to grow in complexity — particularly across mixed-use, residential and hospitality typologies — the merger of local knowledge with multidisciplinary depth places DKO in a stronger position to service an increasingly demanding client base.

DKO's investment in New Zealand follows a period of sustained growth for the practice across the Asia-Pacific region, and reflects a broader trend among leading architecture firms towards consolidating local expertise within larger multidisciplinary structures. The appointment of Matz reinforces DKO's Auckland presence while retaining the character and design approach that MATZ Architects clients have come to expect.

Architecture & Design Team

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