Modus Living is a design-led residential developer focused on creating homes that genuinely support the way people live. We believe good housing should do more than meet a brief or follow a trend. It should quietly improve daily life.
Our approach sits between architectural aspiration and practical ownership — delivering homes that feel elevated, yet remain grounded in reality. Every Modus Living home is shaped through a simple philosophy: considered living.
That means spaces designed for comfort, flow and natural light. Layouts that reflect how people live today. Materials chosen for warmth and durability. And environments that feel settled from the moment you walk through the door.
About Modus Living
For homeowners, this means calm, composed living environments that feel right from day one. For investors, it means enduring appeal in a changing market. Progress, to us, isn’t about radical reinvention. It’s about quietly improving the norm. Across every project, Modus Living aims to bring clarity to modern housing — creating spaces that feel warm, refined and enduring.
Homes designed not for show, but for living. Because the best homes don’t demand attention - they simply make life better.
The Homes
We create homes for a broad and thoughtful mix of people — owner-occupiers, downsizers, first home buyers and investors — balancing emotional appeal with enduring practical value. Rather than pursuing spectacle, we focus on proportion, simplicity and liveability. Rather than designing to impress visitors, we design to support everyday routines.
This results in homes that:
— Function intuitively
— Age gracefully
— Retain relevance over time
Financial Director
Theo Gregory
Theo plays a pivotal role across the Modus Group, bringing strong financial discipline and technical insight to the organisation’s growth. Since joining in 2019, he has overseen capital management across the group’s entities, ensuring sound financial controls and forward-looking planning.
With a Master’s degree in Finance, Theo combines traditional expertise with advanced programming capability, building sophisticated models to support long-term decision-making. His work is particularly critical within Modus Community Housing, where he leads oversight of long-term financing strategy for the public housing portfolio, structuring sustainable funding pathways that enable quality housing delivery at scale. He also manages development funding proposals, working closely with Westpac to position projects strongly from both a capital and risk perspective.
Outside work, Theo balances his technical mindset with creativity — playing guitar in a rock band, woodworking, and collecting wine, particularly Right Bank varietals
Managing Director
David R. Nixon
David is the founder of Modus Living and brings over two decades of entrepreneurial and development experience to the business. He began his career in 2004 with the launch of Homestyle magazine, now one of New Zealand’s leading design and lifestyle publications, building an early reputation for championing thoughtful design and quality living.
In 2012, he founded Modus Group to help rebuild Government housing following the Christchurch earthquakes. Modus delivered more than a dozen projects within the four avenues, several receiving architectural award nominations. The company later became the government’s only privately held Community Housing Provider, achieving Class 1: Social Landlord registration and developing a substantial portfolio of homes leased long-term to the New Zealand Government, supporting people on the Public Housing Register.
David later established Modus Living to bring the same design-led philosophy to the private sector, including projects such as Seaview Villas. He believes commercial success and positive social impact should go hand in hand. Outside work, he enjoys cycling and skiing with his wife and two children, and competes regularly on the Canterbury rally circuit.