Our Team
Sala Lauano Lauina Grace
Director
BArch (University of Auckland), MCPM (University of NSW)
Sala Lauano Lauina Grace Director
Sala's experience is predominantly large commercial fitouts, commercial and residential refurbishments, new builds and the management of large programs of works.
Sala worked for the Department of Public Works Samoa for a couple of years after she graduated from the University of Auckland NZ. She and her husband Fata Falepauga Terry Grace migrated to Australia in 1988 where she worked for the Commonwealth Government of Australia, Kann Finch Architects and global real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield. Sala and Fata established Grace & Grace Plus (GGP) in Australia and later set up GGP Samoa in 2017. Sala completed her Masters in Construction Project Management (MCPM) at the University of NSW in 2015.
She is committed to developing low-cost housing options for Samoans and is currently experimenting with converting used shipping containers into offices and homes.
Sala brings commercial acumen and public accountability to the table with her experience as a former chairman and director of State-Owned Enterprises (SOE), providing leadership, strategy, governance, and risk management while navigating the interface between stakeholders.
Outside work, Sala was instrumental in establishing the Samoa Architects Association (SAA). She is actively involved in getting the Architect's Bill finalised and passed through parliament. She is passionate about strengthening professional standards and supporting young architects develop their careers.
Derek Edward Smith MBE
Director
Derek Edward Smith MBE Director
Derek Smith is a New Zealand-born architect with more than four decades of professional experience across the Pacific. After graduating from the University of Auckland in 1978, he married Tulua Viliamu from Gautavai, then while raising a young family and working for four years, became registered as an Architect in Wellington in 1982.
Then in 1983 embarked on a new phase of his career as a Supervising Architect with the Papua New Guinea Department of Works, where he led the design and construction of government buildings, institutional housing, and remote high schools during a period of national development. His early leadership in computer-aided design helped modernise architectural documentation in PNG.
He later served as Project Architect for the Port Moresby International Airport Redevelopment before moving into the private sector as Chief Architect for several major firms. In 2004 he established Tusitala Architects Ltd, successfully delivering hundreds of commercial, residential, institutional, and community projects over 20 years. Derek is widely respected for his ability to lead multidisciplinary design teams and for his commitment to mentoring emerging Pacific architects.
A foundation member of the PNG Board of Architects and past President of the PNG Institute of Architects, Derek was awarded an MBE in 2008 for services to architecture and the building industry. Now based in Samoa, he brings deep regional experience, technical proficiency, and a collaborative design ethos to Grace Smith Architects, which he co-founded with Sala Lauano Lauina Grace in 2026.
Semi-retired but ever passionate about good design, Derek continues to work between Samoa, New Zealand, and Australia, contributing to projects that strengthen communities and celebrate Pacific identity.