Sir Geoffrey Peren Building
By Studio Pacific Architecture
Massey University, Palmerston North 2015
Studio Pacific was commissioned to oversee the upgrade, seismic strengthening and interior refurbishment of the Sir Geoffrey Peren Building, situated on Massey University’s Turitea campus in Palmerston North.
Designed by the renowned American architect Roy Alston Lippincott, the Sir Geoffrey Peren building was completed in 1931 and is recognised as a Category 1 historic place by the Historic Places Trust. Originally known as ‘Old Main Building’, it was renamed in 2010 to honour Sir Geoffrey Peren, the founding principal of Massey Agricultural College.
This 5,700m2 upgrade of the Peren Building’s interior encompassed teaching spaces and offices as well as more specialised facilities such as a drama suite, a media laboratory and a function centre. Teaching facilities have been extended with new flexible lecture and tutorial rooms, computer labs and specialised teaching spaces for particular departments. Interior circulation and wayfinding have also been improved, while new fire design and the installation of sprinklers allow the removal of fire separations, restoring the building’s original light-filled interior. A key space in the building is the central auditorium which has been restored to its original elegant form.
This refurbishment respects the integrity of the original ‘Spanish Mission’ architectural style, preserves one of New Zealand’s iconic heritage-listed buildings, and ensures that Massey University continues to provide a world-class teaching environment.
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Studio Pacific was established in Wellington in 1992 by the three directors: Nicholas Barratt-Boyes, Stephen McDougall and Evzen Novak.
Prior to establishing the studio, all three directors studied and/or worked together in New Zealand before working for a period in Europe: Evzen studied in Berlin and worked in Switzerland and London, while Nick and Stephen were based in London and worked on projects throughout the U.K. and Europe.
The collective international experience gained by the directors in Europe set the platform and influenced the direction of the practice. From early design competitions and small residential commissions, Studio Pacific has evolved into an award-winning substantial and creative practice with diverse projects throughout New Zealand. Particular recognition has been given to the studio for working with the arts, urban regeneration, housing, masterplanning and contemporary workspace planning.
Studio Pacific undertakes a large range of projects, from small individual furniture items to large projects involving entire new towns. Our small-scale work includes new houses, additions and alterations, and retail work. Our larger schemes include large multi-unit residential and commercial buildings as well as masterplans and landscaping.
We enjoy having a mix of project sizes and types in the studio – each project has different challenges, and offers varied opportunities for us to express our creativity in response.
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