Some projects begin with a referral. Others come through years of networking. WuCha started with a Google search.
Hendry and Melissa found NEST online, sent an enquiry, and by the very next day we were walking through an empty commercial tenancy together. As we talked, it became obvious that this wasn’t just a new shop. It was the beginning of something much bigger. They had never signed a commercial lease before, had never owned a business, and everything they were stepping into was completely new.
What struck me wasn’t their experience, it was their courage.
Starting a business takes a huge amount of faith, especially when every decision feels unfamiliar. Somewhere between that first site visit and many conversations that followed, our role naturally became much bigger than designing a fit-out. We found ourselves becoming advocates, helping them navigate the world of commercial premises, connecting them with trusted professionals from our own network, and offering guidance wherever we could. We weren’t just designing a space anymore; we were helping create the foundation for their first business.
One of the more interesting challenges was that even our clients were still discovering the bubble tea industry themselves. They had the passion, but they couldn’t yet articulate exactly what the space should become. That meant we couldn’t simply wait for a detailed brief. Instead, we did what designers do best—we became curious.
We immersed ourselves in bubble tea culture, learning about its popularity throughout Asia, understanding why people queue for it, how stores are experienced, and what makes them feel welcoming. To many New Zealanders, bubble tea can seem like an unusual combination of flavours and textures, but behind every drink is a culture built around gathering, curiosity and shared experiences. The more we learnt, the more we understood that we weren’t designing a shop that sold drinks. We were designing a place that invited people to discover something new.
Our clients knew exactly how they wanted people to feel, even if they couldn’t quite find the words to describe it. Through plenty of conversations, questions, sketches and ideas, we slowly translated their excitement into a space that felt youthful, inclusive and full of personality. We imagined somewhere that lifted your mood the moment you walked through the door. Somewhere playful without being childish. Somewhere that made people smile before they even ordered their drink.
Like most small businesses, the budget was tight, which meant every decision had to work harder. There wasn’t room for expensive finishes or elaborate architectural features, so we leaned into the basics. Paint became one of our most powerful design tools, transforming an ordinary tenancy into something with warmth, energy and character. It’s a good reminder that thoughtful design isn’t always about spending more. Sometimes it’s about seeing more potential in the simplest materials.
The project came with another challenge too. Hendry and Melissa had a planned family holiday booked while the fit-out was underway, so they placed an enormous amount of trust in us to manage the project, coordinate the trades and keep everything moving in their absence. When they returned home, the space was ready for the next chapter, and they could begin their bubble tea training here in New Zealand before opening WuCha to the Hamilton community.
Looking back, that’s probably what I remember most about this project. It wasn’t the paint colours or the layout. It was the trust.
Today, WuCha is a beautiful little corner of Hamilton, but more importantly, it’s a business built on the courage of two people willing to chase a dream. We simply had the privilege of helping build the stage they now get to stand on every day.
Reading Hendry and Melissa’s review afterwards was incredibly humbling. As designers, we often hope people will love the finished space, but hearing that they felt supported throughout the entire journey means even more. Good design should always solve practical problems, but if it can also give someone the confidence to take the next step towards their dream, then I think that’s the kind of work worth doing.
