November Critics

Dr Johnson Witehira Matauranga Maori Advisor at Unitec Institute of Technology

 Johnson is an artist and designer of Tamahaki (Ngāti Hinekura), Ngā Puhi (Ngai-tū-te-auru), Ngāti Haua and New Zealand European descent. He graduated from the Whanganui School of Design in 2004, going on to complete his Masters in 2007. His interest in Māori art and design led him to Te Pūtahi-a-Toi (School of Maori Studies, Massey University) where he recently completed his doctorate in Māori design. In his research, Tārai Kōrero Toi: Articulating a Māori Design Language, Witehira developed a platform for contemporary Māori design practice through the exploration of traditional carving.

Tommy Honey  Dean of Collage, Whitcliffe Collage of Art

Tommy is a director, designer, educational manager, architectural critic, cultural commentator and occasional architect. He received his B.Arch from Auckland University in 1986 and has worked in a variety of careers. Tommy has worked in the theatre as a designer and director, taught architecture and design at Wellington Polytechnic, Victoria University, Massey University, Toi Whakaari, CIT, Unitec, and Weltec, project managed at the City Gallery Wellington and was the director of the New Zealand Film and Television School for eight years. He writes regularly for Architecture New Zealand and Urbis and is the resident urbanist on Radio New Zealand’s Nine-to-Noon.

Kate Healy, Chief Operating Officer Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Whai Rawa Limited.

Kate has worked as a lawyer in both New Zealand, as a partner at Minter Ellison Rudd Watts,  and Australia, focusing on commercial property and property finance and is passionate about the property industry.  Kate has a Masters of Law specializing in construction from University of Melbourne.

Juan Molina is a senior architect and urban designer at CPRW Fisher.

Juan is a graduate of the Escola Tècnica Superior d'Arquitectura de Barcelona and a Spanish Registered Architect,  member of the Collegi Oficial d’Arquitectes de Catalunya.  Juan was taught by luminaries, Enric Miralles and Ignasi de Solà-Morales and worked with Viaplana and Pinon on the early days of the ‘Plazas duras’ in Barcelona. He has over 20 years of experience as a practicing architect in New Zealand and Spain, projects include the master planning of Britomart with Cheshire Architects and designing a NZIA award wining projects with CPRW Fisher. His latest urban intervention was the instigation of the Candy Chang ‘Before I die...’ wall in St Patricks Square.

Andrew Patterson, director of Patterson Associates, Auckland, New Zealand

In 2011 Patterson Associates, was one of the first five international firms to be named by World Architecture News in their 21 for 21 program recognising firms which are ‘’shaping the future of architecture in the 21 century’’. His work is known for its use of patterns from both the natural environment and indigenous culture in order to create buildings with a sense of belonging. This philosophy is illustrated in his work in sustainable architecture. The Geyser building, in Auckland is the recipient of New Zealand’s only 6 Green Star (rating).Other notable building projects include the Michael Hill Golf Clubhouse in Queenstown. and the Mai Mai House  Patterson won the supreme award at NZ’s 2013 Interior Awards for the New Zealand pavilion at the Frankfurt Book Fair] Recently he has been engaged to design the Len Lye centre in New Plymouth.

Orson Waldock, Work Group Manager for Opus International Consultants

Having worked for Manukau City Council Parks Team as an intern, Orson was employed by JASMAX in the early days of their landscape team, worked for four years at Isthmus Group and was founding member of Reset Urban Design. 

Orson has had a long association with Unitec's landscape faculty. Orson has continued to develop a lasting collegial relationship with Unitec, lecturing in design, actively critiquing, hosting students in-studio and providing strategic feedback to programme leaders as a long term member of the BLA Advisory Panel. After a year as a committee member of the NZILA Auckland Branch, Orson has spent the last 18 months as Chairman, helping deliver a range of social events and CPD  opportunities to the Auckland design community. Recent initiatives include 'Landscape Unleashed', an outdoor exhibition held on the Auckland Waterfront which ran in parallel with IFLA 2013 and showcased a range of award winning NZILA projects.

Yoko Tanaka Landscape Architect, Associate Principal, Boffa Miskell, Auckland

Yoko is a Landscape Architect with twelve years’ professional experience designing and delivering landscape schemes in New Zealand and the UK. Her experience includes mixed-use public realm projects, town centre developments, urban streetscapes, open space planning, schools and hospitals. Yoko returned to Boffa Miskell at the end of 2013 after five years working as a Landscape Architect in London. During that time, Yoko has developed a particular expertise in complex infrastructure projects in the rail transportation sector and the urban renewal and redevelopment projects including international portfolio projects.

Alan Gray, Senior urban designer for Waterfront Auckland.

Over the past 6 years, Alan’s focus has been the design and delivery of a wide range of public space projects at the waterfront and across central Auckland with Waterfront Auckland and Auckland City Council.