Our Team
The Emerge Team
Phil Stanfield
Phil is the founding Director of Emerge Architecture in 2005 and ECAD in 2009.
Phil's design journey started way back in 1977 as a Civil Engineering draughtsman and highway designer, leading to Architecture in 1988, and then self-employment as an architectural designer in 1992.
Since then and after a few thousand projects, Phil's interests are strongly with Kiwi style design, energy efficient and sustainable homes, and leading the Emerge practice alongside Rhys and Erin. Phil is a regular entrant to the ADNZ Resene Design awards, where to date his projects have received 11 Regional and 2 National design awards.
Phil is LBP Design 2 accredited, and a professional member of ADNZ.
Phil's personal interests are tramping & kayaking camping holidays with friends, spending time with his grandkids, or at the beach fishing. He enjoys travelling to interesting places and countries around the world to sample food, culture, and architecture, which inevitably informs what is unique about home and NZ design.
Phil & wife Julie live in the Pohangina Valley on a lifestyle property with Jordie the dog, a menagerie of animals and endless garden projects.
Rhys James
Rhys joined the Emerge Architecture team in 2008, during Emerges formative years, and quickly became an ArchiCAD Jedi. Rhys became a Director of ECAD Limited in 2019 and Director in Emerge Architecture in 2021.
The experience Rhys has within the industry and company has been collected across a wide range of projects, from residential alterations and additions, bespoke new homes, and commercial projects.
For a number of years, Rhys has concentrated on providing quality Architectural Design Services to national housing companies based in Christchurch and the Manawatu, with his design and draughting team.
Rhys is LBP Design 2 accredited, and a professional member of ADNZ.
Rhys spends his personal time indulging some of his creativity with small DIY projects. He is passionate about designing and building high end yet affordable housing for various small animals, and his reverse stick hockey skills are second to none. When given half a chance, Rhys endeavours to find the tastiest offerings at different festivals around the country, and he enjoys travelling further abroad to immerse himself in other cultures, sample foreign cuisines, and appreciate different styles of architecture.
Erin Sullivan
Erin joined the Emerge team in 2010, coming from a background in Banking. Erin is tasked with keeping the unruly Emerge mob organised, and particularly enjoys both entering the Emerge team into various sports events, and keeping the biscuit cupboard stocked.
Erin is mum to three ridiculously tall children, is a keen gardener and renovator, and a dedicated Hurricanes supporter.