Architecture is more than just a plan or how a building looks from the outside. It’s about how a space makes you feel when you inhabit it, considering light, air, movement, gathering and comfort. Thoughtfully addressing these elements is what makes a space wonderful to live in, that is what we do.
Studio Kaaki is an Architecture and Interiors firm, founded by Kristian Kaufmehl and Caroline Kite. Our projects span between Sydney and the Snowy Mountains.
We create spaces that are joyful, beautiful and enduring. Our work is grounded in the belief that well-made spaces should last, and that architecture is an investment for life.
Each of our projects is a specific response to site and our clients’ needs and aspirations. We are not driven by fashion or a signature aesthetic. Our architectural design process is iterative, combining sketching and physical models with advanced 3D modelling to refine our client’s brief. This embeds our clients in the process, ensuring they understand the architecture and have ownership of the design.
Our team has a love of being on site and pride ourselves on our deep knowledge of construction. We know how to collaborate with builders and craftspeople, ensuring the quality of the build and giving our clients transparency and ease in the process.
We advocate for good design, through our work and through our involvement in industry. Each project we create demonstrates to our clients how architecture can transform their lives for good.
Kristian Kaufmehl
Director
M.Arch | B.Arch Studies UNSW
B.Industrial Design UC
Kristian has a layered design experience in both Industrial Design and Architecture. Initially starting his career as an Industrial Designer in Europe Kristian found himself gravitating towards Architecture and moved back to Australia to study and work.
Following his studies, Kristian began his architectural career in 2004 at Daryl Jackson Robyn Dyke (DJRD) Architects working on commercial, educational and residential projects and notably on the Frank Gehry designed Dr. Chau Chak Wing UTS Faculty of Business, where he was one of the Project leads. Kristian worked on this project for four years starting at Frank Gehry’s office in Los Angeles, USA during the design phase and throughout construction where he was based on site. Following DJRD, Kristian was a Senior Associate at Silvester Fuller in Sydney, leading mixed-use, multi-residential projects, childcare education projects, a resort project and was part of the core design team in the office.
Kristian had an upbringing surrounded by creativity, building and skiing; his mother was a textile designer and grandmother a ceramicist. His parents were often renovating or building the family home and Kristian was always involved on site. During this time and into his early university years Kristian was a professional downhill ski racer, competing at the top level for Australia.
Kristian’s early life and connection to the Australian Snowy Mountains has been instrumental in expanding Studio KaaKi’s projects in the region, as it has been a lifelong dream to work in these magnificent landscapes.
Caroline Kite
Director
Registered Architect NSW 9187
M.Arch | B.Arch Studies UNSW
Caroline spent her childhood in Orange, NSW before moving to Sydney to study Architecture at the University of New South Wales. She is a Registered Architect in NSW and has worked with highly regarded architectural and construction firms in Sydney, as well as pro-bono on architectural projects in Ahmedabad, India. This diverse experience has given Caroline a passion for design, making and fostering a collaborative process on each project to achieve a highly resolved architectural outcome.
Caroline believes in a strong design process, employing hand techniques of drawing and model making to provide clarity at each stage of the project and as a design tool that helps clients to feel embedded within the process of their project. Establishing positive working relationships with clients, builders, consultants and craftspeople is one of the most satisfying aspects of a project for Caroline, as true collaboration leads to the best built outcomes.
Caroline is a strong advocate for architecture and contributor to the profession. She dedicates her time outside of practice to teaching within the local Sydney universities. Caroline has volunteered with the Australian Institute of Architects through the NSW AIA Chapter Council and co-chairing the Emerging Architects Committee and awards juror for several Institute awards programs. Caroline was a Board Member, mentor and volunteer with The Anganwadi Project, an Australian organisation that partners with Indian NGOs to send architectural volunteers to work with local communities on the design and build of small, considered and beautiful preschools.
Rosamond Kember
Architect
Registered Architect NSW 11344
M.Arch UNSW
Rosamond has a multi-disciplined career in both architectural practice and academia. A registered architect in NSW, Ros has over ten years’ professional experience working with notable architectural practices in Sydney on a range of typologies from single residential to multi-residential projects, community, master planning and public architecture competitions.
Ros has a strong design sensibility and has led various projects through the concept and design development stages. Her skills also extend to documentation and construction services on multi-residential projects for high-end developer clients.
Ros spent part of her early career as a design tutor and research assistant at the University of New South Wales, focusing on design and interactive virtual environments. Most notably was her contribution to research paper The Situation Engine: a Hyper Immersive Platform for Construction Workplace Simulation and Learning. This formative experience has contributed to Ros’s high technical capacity for complex computer softwares in architectural practice.
Ros’s appreciation for strong teamwork and collective commitment to a goal was cemented through her sporting career, having played cricket at an elite level for Aotearoa New Zealand. This experience is something she has brought into her professional life as an architect; collaborating with her colleagues, clients, builders and consultants to achieve a high-quality design outcome and fulfilment amongst the project team.
When not at work, Ros cherishes life as a parent of a young son and can be found wheeling him around the streets of the inner west on his scooter.