Notable Auckland-based architect Phillip (Pip) Cheshire has been made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) for services to architecture.
The Order acknowledged Cheshire’s transformative urban renewal, masterplanning and architectural work, as well as his impact as former president of Te Kahui Whaihanga, and his role as adjunct professor at the University of Auckland.
The CNZM web site notes that Cheshire is a distinguished architect who has demonstrated commitment to the betterment of New Zealand’s built environment.
In 1984, Cheshire jointly founded Jasmax Architects. Through this firm and, later, through Cheshire Architects, he led the transformation of the Britomart urban renewal project, creating a vibrant space in downtown Auckland and restoring part of the city’s heritage.
He was one of three design team members for the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, and volunteered his time to document early explorers’ huts in the Ross Sea region in Antarctica.
He undertook the master planning and design of the University of Auckland’s award-winning Leigh Marine Reserve campus at Goat Island.
He has been a fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA) since 2007, and was its national president from 2014 to 2016.
During his presidency, he led the development of Te Kawenata o Rata, a covenant between the NZIA and Nga Aho (a society of Maori design professionals), helping to make the institute relevant to Maori practitioners.
He has demonstrated a commitment to young people, education and sustainability through his mentoring, leadership and adjunct professor role at the University of Auckland.
In 2013, Cheshire was awarded the NZIA Gold Medal, the highest individual award an architect can receive in New Zealand.
