Pip Cheshire has been made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to architecture and commitment to the betterment of New Zealand’s built environment.
The 2024 Honours List recognised Pip as a distinguished architect, citing his practice and voluntary work, educating and mentoring, and accomplishments during his presidency of Te Kāhui Whaihanga, including the development of Te Kawenata o Rata.
“This is wonderful recognition and so well deserved,” said Judith Taylor, current president of Te Kāhui Whaihanga. “Through his extraordinary work, Pip has demonstrated the value of architecture to our environment, and he has influenced the role of the Institute and the profession to the country’s economy and wellbeing.”
2024 Honours, CNZM citation:
‘In 1984, Mr 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 Ngā Aho (a society of Māori design professionals), helping to make the institute relevant to Māori 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, Mr Cheshire was awarded the NZIA Gold Medal, the highest individual award an architect can receive in New Zealand.’