By +MAP Architects
2018, Christchurch
This earthquake rebuild of a central city car park is centered on the integration and expansion of the pedestrian focused Plymouth Lane. The building creates a wide plaza along the west side of the site, providing a rich retail and hospitality edge to this important pedestrian link between the Justice Precinct and the Cashel Street Retail Precinct.
The Lichfield Street elevation has a dynamic sense of identity, created by a sculptural ‘cloak’ that veils the parking building behind.
The stair towers are faced with translucent sheets that glow from within, and provide animation to the vertical circulation diagram of the building.
Photography credit: Simon Elvidge + Sam Fastier
We create modern architecture that seeks to excite, lift the spirits, and create a sense of place. +MAP is a design-led studio, formed in Christchurch in 2001. The practice is a partnership between Huia Reriti and Simon Elvidge, and operates with an average of 15 to 20 staff.
We enjoy the continuity of involvement from Kerry Mason, founding partner of +MAP. We work on a broad range of projects across varied typologies, scale, and diverse locations.
The Team
Huia and Simon are supported by a core team of architectural talent consisting of Registered Architects, Graduate Architects and Architectural Technicians. The practice has grown year on year and enjoys a diverse portfolio of work; currently with 17 design staff allowing the necessary resources to continue to perform and engage with new projects.
Philosophy
We strive for creative, innovative, appropriate Architecture. We believe buildings have the ability to evoke imagery beyond the functional requirements and speak of the people, place and time that they engage with. A juxtaposition of intuitive and analytical design approaches informs a response that is regionally focused, contextual and functional.
Sustainability
We seek for each project to become a positive legacy for the owner, and for current and future generations. Sustainability and energy efficiency are core values of +MAP Architects. We take an integrated design approach, with a high level of collaboration between the client and consultant team, to ensure each project is sympathetic to environmental and programmatic requirements. The future flexibility and adaptability of each project is carefully considered.
Innovation
We approach each project as an individual challenge, with unique opportunities and constraints. A high level of collaboration with the client and consultant team informs an innovative and unique response. We consider these issues to be more important than working in a particular style and hope that each project will be an original interpretation of the client, site, brief and budget.
Collectively the Principals bring an impressive blend of design focus and detail experience to each project regardless of size and stature.