Japanese architect Fumihiko Maki, who would finally go on to win the Pritzker Prize, was within the Sixties a member of the Metabolist group. Relatively than the megaforms and capsules favoured by different group members, his model of Metabolism was primarily based on an thought he known as “group type”. This strategy emphasised human scale and the aggregation of smaller parts or buildings to create cohesive, bigger wholes however, additionally, prized the “sequential growth” of cityscapes over time. Remarkably, he was in a position to display this uncommon strategy, producing a lot of precincts of his tasks round Tokyo, typically over a few years. His buildings down a single road in Tokyo’s Daikanyama neighbourhood had been constructed throughout 30 years and quantity amongst his most notable tasks.
Right here in New Zealand, we’re not with out examples of such precinct making — RTA Studio’s spray of tasks in central Ponsonby, or Athfield’s sprawling assortment of buildings in Khandallah. However, with Architectus’ work, particular person buildings appear extra the exception than the rule. Of the 13 tasks on this itinerary, solely 4 aren’t a part of a precinct that features buildings constructed by the agency at different occasions and, of these, three produce other Architectus tasks inside a stone’s throw. This demonstrates not simply a capability to ship persistently, however an curiosity in constructing robust relationships — the agency maintains that its objective is “in search of shoppers not jobs”.
One of many intriguing qualities of those precincts is that it isn’t at all times simple to discern the order through which the tasks had been produced. A part of this can be self-imposed, with types and materials palettes constrained to make sure coherent ensembles. It additionally displays, although, the extent to which the follow’s output has been pushed by the persistent investigation of a set of key themes: rigorous planning that generates spatial and formal readability from complicated briefs inside typically difficult contexts; the usage of atria, courtyards and inside circulation to advertise social interplay; and the usage of façade therapies — louvres, screens, sunshades, and so on. — to modulate inside environments.
Patrick Clifford as soon as described the agency’s issues much more concretely: “There’s an curiosity in a geometrical organisational technique and, I hope, a transparent understanding of the weather that go collectively to make a constructing. There’s a robust curiosity in construction, and the methods through which buildings are going to be cooled and heated. The… tasks display our curiosity in bringing good easy supplies collectively.” Remarkably, the agency has been in a position to deploy this strategy throughout the total spectrum of constructing sorts. Its output of acclaimed tasks consists of single-family homes, high-density housing, public, institutional and business buildings, and tasks throughout the tutorial spectrum from main colleges to college buildings.
Because the agency celebrates the fortieth anniversary of its founding, it’s seemingly that consistency and cohesion are finally the defining traits of Architectus’ follow — in its planning and form-making, in the way in which it aggregates tasks throughout websites, in its potential to retain shoppers and inside its personal organisation.
THE ITINERARY
1. 2001 – St Peter’s School Expertise Constructing
23 Mountain Street, Epsom
With one flank pressed exhausting towards a motorway on-ramp, this fee was an unlikely candidate to provide an assured, oeuvre-defining mission. On the motorway aspect, defensive concrete panels are cleaved by translucent strip home windows fashioned into the inverted crosses related to St Peter. The opposite aspect types a glassy, colonnaded edge to an intimately scaled courtyard. Above, flip-up clerestories cleverly interlock to unite the composition. The mission gained an NZIA Supreme Award in 2002. See Structure NZ Nov/Dec 2001. Architectus made additional additions to the campus with the Center College (2003), Sports activities Complicated (2011) and Outhwaite Constructing (2015).
2. 2001 – New Lynn Neighborhood Centre
45 Totara Avenue, New Lynn
Slotted between a railway line and a busy purchasing road, this multi-purpose facility consists of public assembly rooms, Plunket Rooms, sports activities amenities and a efficiency corridor. The constructing’s civic presence is tremendously enhanced by its out of doors areas – a beneficiant colonnade and a retained heritage constructing outline an rising inexperienced public sq. that hyperlinks to the road. The mission obtained an NZIA New Zealand Award in 2002. See Structure NZ Sept/Oct 2001. The Neighborhood Centre now sits inside a wider city centre renewal mission, which incorporates Architectus’ 2010 rail station, Moller Architects’ 2005 library and Jasmax’s Service provider Quarter tower (2014).
3. 2004 – Inhabitants Well being Complicated
261 Morrin Street, St Johns
In what grew to become a attribute transfer, this refined complicated of clinics, workplaces and educating areas was organised round a top-lit atrium and two courtyards, the entire configured to advertise social and tutorial interplay. Additionally on website are a set of Warren and Mahoney PoMo educating blocks (1994) and Architectus’ award-winning Ray Meyer Analysis Centre (2003), a sublime shed designed to accommodate educating and large-scale engineering workshops. With the College’s consolidation within the central metropolis, this campus is now an workplace park owned by the troubled Shundi Group – Architectus followers is perhaps excited to study they will lease a slice.
4. 2005 – Trinity Flats
429 Parnell Street, Parnell
This refined and extremely up to date house complicated dates from a time when it was uncommon for a number one agency to design such a mission. Thirty-two flats of assorted sizes are gathered into an L-shaped footprint, which gives a robust road edge whereas sheltering a non-public courtyard and pool. Cautious massing and the fabric modulation of the road façade average the majority of the seven-storey constructing in what was, on the time – Holy Trinity Cathedral throughout the highway however – a residentially scaled neighbourhood. The mission earned an NZIA Nationwide Award in 2007 and Supreme Award in 2008. Refer Structure NZ Nov/Dec 2005.
5. 2006 – Auckland Grammar College Gymnasium
55 Mountain Street, Epsom
This densely constructed campus, organised round Richard Abbott’s Spanish Mission-style Primary Constructing (1918), additionally options the Centennial Theatre by Peter Bartlett and Ian George (1974). Architectus has added three educating blocks (2003, 2004 and 2015) and the Outdated Boys’ Pavilion (2007) however the gem amongst their contributions is the Gymnasium. The primary of many such amenities within the agency’s oeuvre, this refined composition arranges bars of school rooms, altering rooms and storage areas alongside two sides of a naturally lit gymnasium, the entire sitting serenely beside the sports activities subject. Recipient of an NZIA New Zealand Award in 2007. See Structure NZ July/Aug 2007
6. 2006 – Waitākere Civic Centre
6 Henderson Valley Street, Henderson
Designed with Athfield Architects, this mission combines three parts: an administrative workplace block, a civic wing, which incorporates the council chamber, and a hyperlink (probably the most distinctively Athfield aspect) that connects to each the adjoining prepare station and Henderson township on the opposite aspect of the tracks. Recipient of an NZIA New Zealand Award in 2008.See Structure NZ Nov/Dec 2006.
Stroll right down to Architectus’ Waitākere Central Library and Unitec Constructing (2006) at 3 Ratanui Avenue. “They proceed the considering,” states Julia Gatley, “… by enhancing the city axis from the council constructing and railway station to the library and tertiary facility.”
7. 2008 – CBD Streetscapes
Metropolis
The scope of this mission is large, extending throughout three zones within the central metropolis – Queen Avenue, Quay Avenue and the Lorne Avenue Cultural Precinct. The great re-making of the streets concerned paving, planting – look out for the nīkau – lighting, custom-designed seating, artworks and historic markers. Recipient of an NZIA New Zealand Structure Award in 2009. Architectus’ city interventions have had a southern extension with the Aotea Sq. Redevelopment (2010), which added an entry foyer, steps, terraces and a set of colonnaded canopies to the Aotea Centre – the confluence of the cover geometries producing a captivating contact of Zaha swooshiness.
8. 2009 – Saint Kentigern College Jubilee Sports activities Centre
82 Shore Street, Remuera
For a main college, this can be a very refined sports activities facility. The massive quantity of the gymnasium was buried in a slope between two sports activities fields, with secondary facilities cleverly organized above, under and beside. The result’s a fragile pavilion edging the higher subject, the gymnasium looking over the decrease subject, and a vertiginous circulation route linking all the pieces collectively. Recipient of an NZIA Nationwide Award in 2011. See Structure NZ Jul/Aug 2010. In 2022, Architectus accomplished two additional award-winning buildings on the positioning: the Macky Constructing & Specialist Services and the Women’ Major College constructing.
9. 2010 – Telecom Place
167–191 Victoria Avenue West, Metropolis
This mission is situated in a beforehand infelicitous space, and Invoice McKay wrote in response to it that Architectus “can knit collectively city material and restore hopeless elements of cities”. The mission consists of 4 comparatively low-rise workplace buildings, linked by a spectacular atrium through which dramatic bridges and stairs enable visibility and promote social interplay. Warren and Mahoney executed the fit-out. Recipient of an NZIA Auckland Structure Awardin 2011. See Structure NZ Jan/Feb 2011. Architectus has accomplished a number of different workplace buildings inside strolling distance, together with Grant Thornton Home (2006) at 152 Fanshawe Avenue and Te Kupenga (2020) at 155 Fanshawe Avenue.
10. 2011 – St Cuthbert’s School Performing Arts Centre
122 Market Street, Epsom
Positioned on a outstanding nook website, this mission has (unusually for Architectus) an irregular footprint, which seeks to mitigate between the residential scale of the adjoining streets and the School campus. Internally, the complicated has educating and rehearsal area for music and drama, organized round a double-height atrium and designed to turn out to be a social hub. Recipient of an NZIA New Zealand Structure Award in 2013. Throughout St Cuthbert’s campus on the Centennial Centre for Wellbeing (2014), Architectus wrapped gymnasium, scholar help and educating areas round two sides of a crisply composed pool corridor. Winner of an NZIA New Zealand Structure Award in 2016.
11. 2016 – College of Auckland Science Centre
23 Symonds Avenue, Metropolis
Marking a significant strategy to the campus, this mission is meant to be joined by a ‘twin’ throughout Symonds Avenue. Hooked up to the Ministry of Works’ Sixties Science Constructing, this mission left the previous tower largely in place and organised the addition round three vertical atrium areas, circulation and inside views designed to advertise tutorial and social interplay. See Structure NZ March/April 2018. Architectus has made quite a few different contributions to the campus, together with upgrading and increasing Alfred Nathan Home (2017), refurbishing Roy Lippincott’s Pupil Union – the low constructing behind the ClockTower – and the renewal of Outdated Choral Corridor (2025).
12. 2016 – Wynyard Central East 2
Daldy Avenue, Wynyard Quarter
A landmark within the renewal of a former marine and fishing precinct, the complicated consists of 113 residential models of various sizes and kinds in three blocks: an 11-storey tower of ‘flats’, the five-storey ‘pavilions’ constructing and three-storey ‘townhouses’. The inclusion of cafés, outlets and workplaces on the bottom flooring contributes to life at road stage. The mission obtained a stack of awards, together with the NZIA Sir Ian Athfield Award for Housing in 2019. The jury mentioned of the mission: “The profitable juxtaposition, round a number of laneways, and clear articulation of the varied types… set a excessive commonplace.” See Structure NZ Nov/Dec 2019
13. 2024 – Catalina Bay Flats
6 Boundary Street, Hobsonville
This 13-level house block and a set of townhouses is a part of the redevelopment of what was the launching website for RNZAF’s Catalina flying boats: a mission which incorporates the adaptive re-use of the adjoining hangars. The mission obtained an NZIA New Zealand Award in 2025; the jury wrote of it: “It is a massive constructing elegantly conceived as ‘a sequence of architectural objects’. … Regardless of Catalina Bay’s bold programmatic aspirations, this constructing by no means feels overbearing or dominating of its context. Nearly classical, it’s a reminder of how good structure can enrich the general public realm.” Refer Structure NZ March/April 2025.
Different addresses
2000 – 111 Wellesley Street111 Wellesley Avenue, Metropolis
2000 – Netball Courtroom Cowl; Instructor Help Providers Centre 60 Epsom Avenue, Epsom
2011 – Karanga Plaza Halsey Avenue, Metropolis
2015 – Central Park One 660 Nice South Street, Ellerslie
2015 – Manukau District Courtroom Extension 30 Manukau Station Street, Manukau
2017 – ANZ Raranga at Sylvia Park 286 Mount Wellington Freeway, Mount Wellington
2018 – Grafton Corridor 10A Carlton Gore Street, Grafton
2018 – St Paul’s School Marcellin Champagnat Constructing 183 Richmond Street, Gray Lynn
2019 – Lengthy Bay Village Centre Glenvar Ridge Street, Lengthy Bay
2024 – Kāinga Ora Neighborhood Lane 1825 Nice North Street, Avondale
2025 – 50 Albert Avenue 50 Albert Avenue, Metropolis
Firmography
Malcolm Bowes, Patrick Clifford and Michael Thomson met as college students on the College of Auckland within the early Nineteen Eighties. After working each domestically and overseas — notably, Bowes and Clifford each labored in London underneath Louis Kahn-influenced architect Ilhan Zeybekoglu — the three fashioned Architectus: Bowes Clifford Thomson in 1986. Consideration-grabbing tasks started to build up and awards adopted; the agency has now amassed greater than 100 NZIA awards, with Clifford receiving the Gold Medal in 2014. Collaborations have been a function of the agency’s operations from its earliest days; collaborators embrace Prepare dinner Hitchcock Sargisson, Rewi Thompson, Royal Associates, Athfield Architects, Ellerbe Becket and Schmidt Hammer Lassen. Within the early 2000s, the follow fashioned an alliance with Australian corporations to type Architectus Pty. Two of the three founders are nonetheless energetic within the agency alongside an increasing group of principals, a lot of whom have been with the agency for many years. Architectus Aotearoa at the moment has 70 workers members throughout workplaces in Auckland, Wellington, Tauranga and Christchurch.
Sources
Unusually for a New Zealand follow, there are a few nice monographs overlaying the agency’s output: Architectus: Bowes Clifford Thomson (Auckland: New Zealand Architectural Publications Belief, 2004) and Haig Beck and Jackie Cooper’s Architectus: Between Order and Alternative (Pt Reyes Station, CA: ORO Editions, 2009). Additionally value in search of out is the NZIA’s Gold Medal publication, Patrick Clifford (Auckland: New Zealand Institute of Architects Inc., 2014) — the interview with John Walsh is the supply of the quote within the introduction. The follow’s many award-winning tasks had been effectively coated within the journals of the day. Invoice McKay has been a frequent commentator on the agency’s work, and never with out critique. His article on the workplace at 152 Fanshawe Avenue — the “fox is aware of many issues, however the hedgehog is aware of one massive factor” — is especially value in search of out. See Structure NZ Sept/Oct 2007. Architectus’ collaborations with Athfield Architects are coated in Julia Gatley’s Athfield Architects (Auckland: Auckland College Press, 2012).
The Itinerary sequence is supported by Dulux Colors of New Zealand. Dulux Color Specialist Davina Harper has chosen a Colors of New Zealand palette primarily based on this itinerary. See the total vary and order color samples right here.
