Pru's Perspective

25 July 2023

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Architect Pru Pinfold's studio is on the ground floor of a historic building in Symonds Street. She converted the workspace herself, creating a warehouse apartment upstairs for her parents. Pru tells us why Uptown is special to her.

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Pinfold Architects

Photography: Supplied | Pinfold Architects Ltd 126 Symonds Street Eden Terrace | Phone: 09 379 4897 | Website: pinfoldarchitects.nz

I've been working from Symonds Street for 10 years now, although my family has lived here for longer. Tucked away from the bustle of Symonds Street, our neighbourhood is a courier's nightmare. The alley serves a hidden community of apartment and warehouse dwellers, mixed in with a geologist, a shared-living building, a bike shop and access to other studios above us. We are just around the corner from a gym, a shared workspace and the famous Southbound record store. I collaborate with locals Revolve Energy on solar integration too. We all operate on different timetables, so there's always something going on. There is quite a high dog population too! The alleyway is a great community. The motorway verge has been turned into a garden and there is even a worm farm in the garage.

When we took on the building it had a layered history as a rubber factory, headstone showroom and various office and flat set-ups. It was a mess. We stripped the top floor back to its bones, leaving the brick and timber trusses exposed. The steel joinery was restored and our friend Andy, a talented welder, and my Dad crafted the steel french doors and my office dividers from salvaged steel profiles.

I start the day with a coffee at my local, Modicum, which is my place to plan my day and meet up with friends and colleagues who live and work locally. My Quiet spot is a deck off the upstairs warehouse apartment with views to Rangitoto.

Despite my urban living, I seek out clients interested in building on coastal sites. I love the challenge of building in harmony with our rugged coastlines and bush. Working in Uptown gives me access to sites within an hour's drive on the west- and east-coast beaches. I'm very proud of the off-grid home we completed for clients out in Piha. Sustainability is something that cannot be separated from good architecture.

Uptown holds special memories (or me; we held our wedding in the courtyard of Site 3 in St Benedicts Street back in 1998. This is one of Auckland's best examples of mixed-use spaces, combining modern amenities with historic architecture.