Enduring Again
In addition to the Flint House, Roger Walker’s 1969 Stroud House also won an Enduring Architecture Award recently, this time in the NZIA Wellington Region Local Architecture Awards. Judges commented; “This house has worn extremely well. It remains a wonderful insight into a more gentle and optimistic time. The tiny but nurturing scale is extraordinary and the ordinary materials are reassuring. The complex spaces and labyrinthine... Read More
Enduring Award
Roger Walker’s 1969 Flint House recently won an Enduring Architecture Award in the NZIA Auckland Region Local Architecture Awards. Judges commented, “This perfectly maintained example of a house from a classic period of New Zealand architecture is a reminder of how fresh, playful and essentially novel Roger Walker’s work was — and still is. In a series of individually-articulated volumes set in a grove of kauri trees,... Read More
URBAN ANZAC
A few years ago I attended an architectural conference in Melbourne. Students from the University of Melbourne School of Architecture conducted a guided tour by bus of their cities newest marvels. The Ashton Raggatt McDougall designed Shrine of Remembrance Visitor Centre, completed in 2006, was on their programme. It is a new insertion sitting below the Shrine on the city side. Back on the bus, a refined English architect I had been sitting next... Read More
ATH 1940-2015
Ath was adopted. His birth parents were 17 years old, so maybe that it why his mind remained perpetually young and inquiring. In November last year, a few of us architects of a certain age had our regular lunch in Wellington. At 12.30 Ath said he had to leave, in order to catch a flight to Dunedin at 2.30. ‘Thats fine’, we said, ‘you’ve plenty of time.’ Ath replied that he just had to pop into the hospital on the way to the airport,... Read More
Heritage Houses in the Hutt
I took a short break this week in the middle of some design deadlines to visit to a John Scott 1970s’ gem, still owned by the friends of John who commissioned it. (Thanks to Lower Hutt architect Bruce Sedcole for organising the visit). I’m both a professional and personal fan of John and his work, and deeply admire his contribution to Māori architecture and defining bi-cultural architecture in 20th century New Zealand. Read More Read More
In Praise of the Picturesque
Miss M and I have just returned from a trip around Northland. It was in 2002 when I last visited the Far North. The Kerikeri Stone Store and Kemp House in Kerikeri, The Mission House in Waimate and Pompallier House in Russell, were all looking pristine, gorgeous in their settings, and were attracting hordes of tourists. The Stone Store As I was steering around the lovely Far North roads, I got to contemplating what has happened to the design of... Read More
Enduring Architecture Award
On Friday 25 October, we received an Enduring Architecture Award from the Waikato / Bay of Plenty Branch of the NZIA. The house was designed for Christine and Norman Harris in Lake Crescent in 1980. They moved to Katikati a few years later. Fortunately an enduring architecture award does not require the owners to endure, but their house did also receive an NZIA Branch award in 1981,under their watch. Sally Wise, the new owner, repaired the cedar weatherboard... Read More
Park Mews – Wellington Modern
Roger Walker’s Park Mews has been featured in Designer Hamish Thompson’s recent work “Wellington Modern”. The series includes an A1 poster and individual gift cards of Wellington’s most iconic modern architecture. Support the local and celebrate NZ Architecture by clicking to buy a copy of the poster for yourself. Or look out for the fantastic cards in Unity Bookstore and other locations around town! Read More
A walk around the Red Zone
On March 9th I had to give evidence at a frustrating planning hearing in Christchurch. Afterwards, and to escape the confines of windowless Hearing Room No 2, I went for a long walk around the red zone. Its still very secure courtesy of Health and Safety official-dom and the prospect of still-unemptied ATM’s. Anyway, here are captioned images from my circumnavigation. ... Read More
Maori Architecture
I confess to being a late starter in learning about our indigenous architecture. Growing up in suburban Hamilton was an impediment. Two years ago I had my first real functioning marae experience. It was an occasion of great sadness – a tangi for a fine young man, at Tu Teao Marae in Te Teko. But through the sadness, I couldn’t help but note the wonder of how the special sequencing, the disposition of the buildings around the central open... Read More
