about studio sio
Hi! My name is Shanta trusewich, and I lead Studio Sio. I am a retail and hospitality designer in auckland, new zealand. at studio sio, we design and consult on retail and hospitality spaces. Here is a little bit about me, and the work we do.
Along with my partners, I provide design services and consultancy services for all scales of retail, hospitality, and commercial space owners or occupiers. I specialize in adaptive reuse of historic spaces as well as high end hotel and restaurant design, but love working on a variety of projects. I offer over a decade of experience in:
Concepting & brief development
Design development
3D Modeling and rendering
Technical drawings, & documentation
Building consent and construction supervision
The ethos of Studio Sio lies in my passion for telling stories through architecture and interiors. Good design transports people to other places, creating a mise-en-scène. By utilising narrative, we are able to provide spaces that are more than just retail, working spaces, or places to eat and drink.
To begin, shortly after finishing my Bachelor and Master of Architecture in Tāmaki Makaurau, I got on a plane to NYC.
For almost a decade, I was lucky enough to knuckle down on a huge variety of projects in the five boroughs and beyond. I worked for renowned Brooklyn furniture makers Uhuru Design, with The Heatonist in Chelsea Markets, and on many years of both small and large scale residential projects.
I spent five years designing and project managing for BD Hotels and Sean Macpherson (The Jane Hotel, The Bowery, Barbette, Old Rose, Ludlow Hotel, Maritime Hotel, the Crows Nest, the Marlton, and Waverly Inn).
Through this role The Hotel Chelsea became my home and work for five years. Designing and project managing the renovation was a bit of a dream come true. My office was Sid and Nancy’s former hotel room, which had a secret underground tunnel to my apartment!
After finishing the hotel, I moved home and started Studio Sio so I could continue to work in both NYC and NZ.
Through the magic of technology, and partnerships with some talented mates, we are able to work on projects on both sides of the globe, meaning we can bring a signature mix of NYC grit and NZ chill to all our projects!