The Team

Derek Craig
Director / Design team

Derek has been involved in the building industry in NZ, Australia and the UK since 1990. He moved to Cromwell in 2003, continuing to design and build homes, and joined with Shaun in 2013 to form Hunter & Craig. Over the last 15 years he has combined this construction experience along with a natural design flair to create homes that are not just beautiful but simpler to build. He leads the design studio team who deliver a wide range of designs for new and renovated homes.

“As a team we work to bring your ideas and passion in your particular project to life and enhance them further. We pride ourselves on problem solving which is crucial aspect in taking a project from its initial conceptual stage to full working drawings and the documentation required for consents and construction. This process not only includes our designers and technicians but draws on the extensive knowledge of our building and management team who have a wealth of construction knowledge to add value to the design.”

Venus Wyatt
Architectural Designer

A passion for design, art and the environment led Venus to receiving a scholarship to Otago design school in 2015, where she later graduated with her Bachelor of Architecture. Venus has been with Hunter and Craig for 2 years and has proved herself to be a talented designer and has moved to the position of Design Team Leader.

“I am passionate about creating designs which integrate and utilise the unique aspects and natural features of their sites. I enjoy pushing the design boundaries to create personalised, and naturally inspired spaces which answer to the desires and style of each of my clients. I take joy in working alongside our experienced team in taking my designs from their initial concept stage through to physical environments which connect and speak to their individuals.”

Mariana Vasques
Architectural Technician

Gaining a Certificate of Interior Design at Etec in Sao Paulo, Brazil and then a Bachelor of Architectural Technology at SIT, Mariana now has seven years of architectural and interior design experience here in New Zealand and Brazil.

Shaun Hunter
Director / Build team

Qualified tradesperson Shaun has been in the building industry for nearly 20 years. Through his career he has amassed a wide range of experience on a variety of builds but mostly focused on high quality and high spec residential builds. No job is too difficult for him and it’s the more challenging projects he finds the most rewarding.

“Each build has a dedicated team from start to finish, including project managers, site foremen and hand-picked craftsmen, all overseen by myself.  I’m hands on and relish the challenge of coordinating the intricacies of each project and ensuring it all comes together perfectly in a timely manner. At all times, I am committed to build quality and exceeding our client’s expectations.”

Andrew (Smithy) Smith
Project Manager

Andrews love of building and extreme attention to detail is what makes him a valuable assets to Hunter & Craig team.
“I revel in the role of project manager. Architectural homes provide real scope to display building skills and problem-solving as you create a home from a plan. This is a great team to work with as we all understand the big goal which is working with our clients to deliver a wonderful home. I have worked on some complex and spectacular homes and I enjoy being a sounding board for clients and get pleasure from working with clients on some of the details that turn good into great. I get immense satisfaction seeing the joy on client’s faces when they see it all happen.”

Karl Smith
Foreman

Karl passion for perfection has come from more than twenty years of experience in the building industry across a wide variety of projects.
“I really appreciate the focus we have on quality and standards here, we never say, ‘that will be good enough’. And our culture has a focus on a good work life balance as Shaun and Derek understand that great homes don’t come from high pressure and ‘just get it built’ attitudes. There is always time to do it properly the first time.”

Caroline Berndt
Administration and Sales Liaison

Sales enquiries invariably end up on Caroline’s desk and her knowledge of Hunter & Craig, our people and the building industry, ensures your enquiry gets to the right person quickly.