Best of 2019: Top five people
These five profiles have been the most popular on ArchitectureNow in 2019.
These five people have garnered the most likes, shares and views over the past year. From seasoned professionals with decades of experience to up-and-coming young designers, each of them has a unique message to share and is getting on with important work in the industry. Catch up on these popular profiles here:
1. Not your typical architect: John Sutherland
Sutherland has over five decades of experience in the New Zealand architecture and design industry and was named a Distinguished Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Architects in 2019. In this piece, he delves into the many facets of his career to date and advocates for challenging the status quo and never being afraid to say “yes”.
2. “The Lamborghini of architecture”: Sjoerd Post
Ashley Cusick met with the recently-named Chief Executive Officer of Jasmax in July of this year to discuss his vision for the firm. “I think it’s pretty public knowledge that we went through what I would call a ‘Jasmax mid-life crisis’ last year. We had a look at ourselves; we restructured ourselves,” he says. “I wasn’t there, but it was clearly a tense period for people and there was some real soul searching. But, what has come out of it is really strong.”
3. On the Rise: Ellie Compton
The ArchitectureNow On the Rise Series, supported by Resene, aims to bridge the gap between students and established professionals by putting up-and-coming designers in the spotlight. Compton is an architectural graduate working in Wellington who balances her passion for building design with her burgeoning art career. Her unique line drawings tell an architectural narrative of cities and people, much like she aspires to do in her professional work.
4. Billy Fleming is not an architect
Flemming gave the Sir Ian Athfield Memorial Lecture as part of this year’s Festival of Architecture. He is an American landscape architect and climate advocate who talked about how designers should be involved in solving society’s problems. He says, “I think the idea that design has to be depoliticised and disconnected from forces of change is hopefully dead, and if it’s not dead, I’m going to do whatever I can in these talks to kill it.”
5. Power to the people: Maia Ratana
Ratana is a researcher, looking into Māori housing with the Building Better Homes, Towns and Cities National Science Challenge and through Kaikohe-based prectice ĀKAU. She is hoping to better understand how to encourage Māori youth and engage them in the process of designing their spaces. “Architecture is simply a pathway and a tool. It’s my way of contributing. I’m so inspired by what great, well-designed spaces can do for people,” she says.
See also the top five houses of 2019, the top five commercial projects of the year and the top five hot topics this year.
