First Light Studio vs Foster + Melville Architects:Which is more popular by branded search in New Zealand?
In August 2026, First Light Studio had more branded searches than Foster + Melville Architects among wellington architecture firms in New Zealand. First Light Studio was estimated to have 140 branded searches compared to Foster + Melville Architects’ 50, and held a 21.2% Share of Search versus Foster + Melville Architects’ 7.6%.
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Which is more popular in search, First Light Studio or Foster + Melville Architects?
Compare Wellington architecture firms using branded search demand from across New Zealand. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.
Share of Search by month for First Light Studio, Foster + Melville Architects. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of search table
| Month | McKenzie Higham | Architecture Plus | First Light Studio | Voxell | Foster + Melville Architects | Wright & Gray |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 22.2% | 24.1% | 20.4% | 13% | 16.7% | 3.7% |
| Nov 2025 | 31% | 25.9% | 15.5% | 12.1% | 12.1% | 3.4% |
| Dec 2025 | 30% | 22.5% | 22.5% | 12.5% | 10% | 2.5% |
| Jan 2026 | 27.5% | 25.5% | 21.6% | 9.8% | 11.8% | 3.9% |
| Feb 2026 | 26.9% | 21.2% | 21.2% | 13.5% | 13.5% | 3.8% |
| Mar 2026 | 43.6% | 15.4% | 17.9% | 9% | 11.5% | 2.6% |
| Apr 2026 | 39.4% | 18.3% | 19.7% | 9.9% | 8.5% | 4.2% |
| May 2026 | 29.5% | 18% | 27.9% | 8.2% | 11.5% | 4.9% |
| Jun 2026 | 25.4% | 27% | 22.2% | 11.1% | 11.1% | 3.2% |
| Jul 2026 | 24.2% | 25.8% | 16.7% | 21.2% | 9.1% | 3% |
| Aug 2026 | 24.2% | 22.7% | 21.2% | 21.2% | 7.6% | 3% |
| Sep 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
How has the First Light Studio and Foster + Melville Architects comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- First Light Studio was ahead of Foster + Melville Architects in every measured month of the 11 months ending August 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, First Light Studio’s estimated Share of Search among wellington architecture firms in New Zealand moved from 20.4% to 21.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 110 to 140.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Foster + Melville Architects’ estimated Share of Search among wellington architecture firms in New Zealand moved from 16.7% to 7.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 90 to 50.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand wellington architecture firms in August 2026?
2 changes

In August 2026, First Light Studio overtook Voxell to rank 3rd among wellington architecture firms in New Zealand, at 21.2%.

In August 2026, Foster + Melville Architects lost estimated Share of Search among wellington architecture firms in New Zealand, from 9.1% to 7.6%.
How each brand is measured
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using First Light Studio’s and Foster + Melville Architects’ names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
First Light Studio
1 branded search term
- first light studio
Foster + Melville Architects
5 branded search terms
- fm architects
- fmarchitects
- foster and melville
- foster melville
- foster melville architects

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