National Recognition for Architect

1 September 2009

Media Release

National Recognition for Architect

Wellington architect Gina Jones, has been awarded the prestigious New Zealand Institute of Building Medal for her contribution to the building industry since 1986. The medal is awarded bi-annually to someone who has made an outstanding contribution to the industry.

Gina studied at Victoria University in the early 1980s and has been passionately involved in Wellington’s heritage for more than 25 years. In 1995, she founded Accent Architects and has developed the practice undertaking many heritage projects in Wellington and nationwide, including heritage projects in the Wairarapa and Hawke’s Bay.

Her signature project at present is the redevelopment of the former Rothmans art deco site in Napier where stage one has involved the redevelopment of three former tobacco warehouses into new commercial spaces.

She has been retained by Queen Margaret’s College in Thorndon as their project architect for 21 years working on all their campus redesign and improvement projects since 1984. Her Wellington portfolio includes:

• Hunter Precinct at Victoria University.
• St John’s Presbyterian Church, Willis Street – comprehensive site redevelopment including undercroft car parking and two new buildings.
• St Mark’s Church School.
• Cityfitness in Kapiti (and eight other locations nationwide).
• Hyam’s Building in Wakefield Street – redeveloped into 180 bed ‘flashpackers’.
• Wesley Church Taranaki Street redevelopment.
• Government House exterior refurbishment.
• St Peter’s Anglican Church Willis Street.

Gina is the second woman to win the medal since its inception in 1984. The first was Professor Helen Tippett, Dean of Architecture at Victoria University and Gina’s mentor.

Her comments:

On architects: ``We are rated on our design inspiration but we have to be very practical as well. The big test for me came in a Christmas Eve phone call a few years ago from my client, St John’s Church in Willis Street. They wanted to know

if they could burn incense at their Christmas vigil service as I had a sprinkler system installed as part of the redevelopment – of course they could.’’

On Wellington: ``Architects have their own set of unique challenges in Wellington. Unlike Sydney and Auckland, we have to be cautious and make special provision for the wind, the geology and the topography, which is probably why there are far fewer leaky buildings here than in Auckland. It is difficult to build in steel like they do in Sydney because of the salt laden winds.’’

On the next big thing: ``The next big trend is the refurbishment of all those wonderful 50s and 60s houses and buildings. Post war, there were restrictions on what could be imported and this limited what could be used in construction. This wave has already started and a much wider palette of materials is being used.’’

/ends

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