A lecture by Severin Soder of Architectus presented as part of the 2026 Aotearoa Festival of Architecture.

Design at Architectus is a verb – a continuous, active process of research, testing, and discovery rather than a linear path. Central to this approach is optioneering, a methodology that views design as an unfolding cascade of ideas explored and refined.

In this talk, Severin Soder opens up the archive, revealing unseen design directions, discarded concepts, and pivotal alternatives that shaped – and rivalled – the realised built work.

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Severin Soder is a Principal, Architect and Urban Designer, based in the Auckland studio of Architectus. His design approach is led by enquiry into site, context, brief and typology. He searches for strategies that have the potential to improve the human experience in the built environment and lead to buildings and spaces that have a social purpose. As a team leader, Soder forges consensus through participation, encourages collaboration and communication, and provides motivating leadership. Originally from Austria, he brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise gained in leading European practices (SOM and Future Systems in London, Feichtinger Architectes and RFR in Paris, and Baumschlager–Eberle in Austria). Soder regularly participates in talks and crits outside his project work at his alma mater, The University of Auckland, and industry events. He is also an Auckland Urban Design Panel member, nominated by the New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA). In 2024, Soder was honoured with the Property Council New Zealand’s Urban Design Award for his two-decade contribution to sustainable, people-focused urban design.

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This event is presented in partnership between Objectspace and Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects Auckland Branch, as part of the 2026 Aotearoa Festival of Architecture.