Architect Peter Hunt on trusting your design instinct

11 October 2022

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It took a while for Peter Hunt to decide he wanted to pursue architecture, but he’s glad he did. What’s followed has been over four decades of experience in the industry and an appreciation for timeless design and spaces that exude character and atmosphere.

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Cassie McKenzie

“I was actually going to join the Merchant Navy until about the second-last year of school before I decided I wanted to do architecture. Just as well I didn’t go to the Merchant Navy, I’d get sea sick,” laughs Peter Hunt, director and principal architect at Esse Architects.

He says it was quite daunting deciding what he wanted to do for the rest of his life, but he had always enjoyed art and drawing.

“I wasn’t much of an academic, I was more into woodwork and metalwork at school where we used to do technical drawings.

“I think it was the right choice to become an architect, in hindsight. I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else.”

Growing up in a small town in South Africa, Peter hadn't been exposed to the larger architectural buildings found in city centres.

“But I was quite fortunate that the university I went to was a new university and all the design lecturers were in private practice, so they weren’t only academics – they were quite practically-minded people. And that was great. One of my lecturers is probably one of the best architects in South Africa.”

When he moved to New Zealand in 1996, Peter says there was more learning to do: “I had about 15 years of experience behind me at the time, but it was like coming out of university again because of all the building codes, timber construction and the threat of earthquakes. It wasn’t difficult, but it was very different.”

Peter Hunt, director and principal architect at Esse Architects.

Many of the projects Peter has been working on with his firm recently have been focused on weathertightness and creating healthy environments for schools and community buildings. | Concept for University of Waikato Block AG entrance foyer upgrade

Designing what you believe in

With over forty years of experience in the industry, Peter has seen many changes and learned many lessons – the most important being to not follow trends, but to instead “go with what you believe in, in terms of architecture.”

Peter says it’s difficult to describe the designs he enjoys creating most, but they all have a common theme: character and atmosphere.

“It’s a difficult thing to define character and atmosphere, but it’s something you feel when you go into a building. Some buildings feel great and age well.”

Many of the projects Peter has been working on with his firm recently have been focused on weathertightness and creating healthy environments for schools and community buildings.

“We strive to be in tune with what the building needs rather than coming up with an idea of what it should look like, and then trying to make the building fit into that.”

This is part of Peter’s philosophy that architecture is about the creation of positive spaces that make people feel happy and comfortable.

“I don’t believe in making buildings that are monuments to ourselves; I believe in designing buildings that fit the environment and feel good – buildings where people like to be.”

Esse Architects is a team of five, led by Peter. “As a practice, our focus is on the delivery of good architecture to our clients; architecture that delivers quality outcomes and added value within budget. We take the responsibility of our client’s expectations seriously and we work as a collaborative team to achieve their goals.” | Concept Design - National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA)

Fostering the future

While Peter has his own beliefs, he encourages architects entering the industry to design buildings in a way that feels right to them.

“At Arto Architects, I don’t push my beliefs onto other people because I feel they need to be able to express themselves. My focus is on helping the younger architects that work with me to do what they need to do, and to help them through that.

“At university my grades were all over the place until I met architect John Rushman and he always said, ‘I can’t teach you how to design; I can teach you how to think.’

“And that’s what it’s all about. I’ve learnt a lot over the years and I want to be able to pass that on.”

Learn more about Esse Architects' team and explore their projects on ArchiPro.

Words by Cassie Birrer