City Talks: Maurice Clark

Monday 10 April will see a new City Talks event, this time presented by Maurice Clark on ‘Preserving Wellington’s Heritage Buildings’.

Maurice Clark is managing director of McKee Fehl Constructors and is recognised for his significant commitment and contribution to the architectural landscape of Wellington through his restoration projects of some of Wellington’s most notable heritage buildings.

With a history in construction and engineering and a skill in recognising smart and cost-effective ways of strengthening existing built structures, Maurice has enabled a large number of Wellington’s structurally vulnerable buildings to be restored and repurposed.

His talk will give an insight into the engineering strategies he employs to restore the structure integrity and inhabitability of a building, illustrated by projects such as Victoria University of Wellington’s Hunter Building (1904), Old Government Buildings (1876), Museum of Wellington City and Sea (1892) and most recently and notably the Old Public Trust Building (1908) — a building that others saw as beyond saving after the 2013 earthquake.

Maurice describes his work as the necessity to envision what the new life and use for a building will be. He is committed to seeing that our heritage buildings are not just strengthened and left, nor seen as objects to pull down, as we continue to ask what significant values heritage buildings offer to our city.

Free entry – 6pm start