John Walsh announced that he will be leaving his position as the Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA) communications director before the end of 2020.

Walsh has been with the Institute for many years and worked on projects like the New Zealand Architecture Awards, the Student Design Awards, Gold Medals and the Warren Trust awards fro architectural writing. He has also been prolific in his own architectural writing in New Zealand and has initiated creating publications to support many of the NZIA’s endeavours. 

He says, “I have enjoyed my time at the Institute, and it has been a privilege to work for people who try hard to make a real difference to the quality of life in Aotearoa New Zealand.

“New Zealand’s architects may be best known for their residential projects, but they design a wide range of the buildings New Zealanders use – schools and hospitals, transport stations and stadiums, museums and libraries and churches.

“In all of these projects, in my experience, architects strive to design the best buildings they can for their clients and their communities.”

Walsh notes that he will be taking time to pursue his own writing of architectural books.

Current NZIA president Judi Keith-Brown says, “John has worked hard for the Institute of Architects and has made a substantial contribution to the wider field of New Zealand architecture.

“I know he will continue to do so, and we will follow his career with interest.”