The NZIA announce a new President Elect
Huia Reriti (Ngāi Tahu) will be the NZIA’s next President Elect.
Huia Reriti speaking at the BuildNZ 2023 conference. He was invited to be a keynote speaker alongside Debbie Tikau of Tipu Design.
Huia Reriti presenting talk ‘Navigating Better Māori Design Integration within our Built Environment’ at BuildNZ 2023.
A glance at a sketch during his high-school years in Ōtautahi Christchurch inspired Huia Reriti (Ngāi Tahu) into a career in architecture. Several decades on, the director of +MAP Architecture and Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Architects (FNZIA), has been announced President Elect of Te Kāhui Whaihanga NZIA.
“The Institute is delighted Huia has been nominated and will be our next President,” says Teena Hale Pennington, Chief Executive of Te Kāhui Whaihanga. “He brings a wealth of experience to the role and a deep respect for the profession, its history and its future, which I know will be of benefit to all our members.”
Following a drafting course at Christchurch Polytechnic, Huia completed a Bachelor of Architecture at the University of Auckland. He worked for William (Bill) Tuarau Royal at the architect’s practice in Ōtautahi, and Warren and Mahoney, also in Ōtautahi, then Bossley Cheshire in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.
Huia started +MAP Architecture in 2001 with Kerry Mason and Thom Craig, and is now in partnership at the practice with Simon Elvidge. Legacy designs that are sustainable and energy efficient are at the core of their Ōtautahi practice.
Throughout his career, Huia has travelled extensively to experience some of the world’s most remarkable architectural designs, including the “pinch-myself” Notre-Dame du Haut by Le Corbusier in Ronchamp, France, the “tear-inducing” Farnsworth House by Mies van der Rohe in Illinois, and the “incredulous” Fallingwater by Frank Lloyd Wright in Pennsylvania.
Huia says his nomination came as a surprise and he is grateful to the people who put him forward, including architects Stuart Gardyne, Anne Kelly, Rachel Dodd, Professor Anthony Hoete, Bernadette Muir, Jasper van der Lingen and Peter Townsend.
His vision as President is to “be available to the membership, to listen, to discuss and debate their concerns and issues with courage to achieve positive outcomes.” He says there is a pressing need to elevate the importance of architecture in Aotearoa New Zealand, which includes the urgent need to respect te ao Māori principles in design, and the move away from unnecessarily large homes on small sections.
Huia credits his late mother, Dame Aroha Reriti-Crofts, who raised him and his three siblings as a solo-mother in a state house in Wainui, Ōtautahi Christchurch, as an inspiration in driving his career.
Find out more about the role of the President and the structure of Te Kāhui Whaihanga.
