Projects File

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CLIENT: Auckland City Council

VALUE: $35 million

POSITION HELD: Architect and conservator for preparation of the conservation plan, project manager and principal consultant for stage 1, and Architect and conservator for stage 2 design and construction.

HERITAGE DESCRIPTION:

BUILDING DESCRIPTION: This category 1 registered Oamaru stone clad building was conserved and adapted for a range of original and new uses which followed the conservation plan written by Ian Bowman in 1994. The building required strengthening as well as refurbishment and the building contracts were divided into two stages. The first stage, for which Ian Bowman was the project manager, architect and architectural conservator, involved the strengthening and restoration of the exterior tower and prow, costing $2 million. The second stage of the project involved conserving and adapting the remainder of the building. The design architects were JASMAX architects and the City Council Architects.

AWARD: The conservation of the Auckland Town Hall won the NZIA Regional Award for Architecture.
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Regent Theatre

DATE: (1993 and 1998/99)

The original Commission was in 1994 to complete a conservation plan of the building.

VALUE: $10 million

POSITION HELD: Architect and Conservator for the preparation of the conservation plan and for the design and construction phase.

CLIENT: Palmerston North City Council

HERITAGE DESCRIPTION: The Theatre was considered as a rare and authentic example  of a hard top picture palace, having an early Art Deco exterior, one of the few theatres remaining by Charles Hollinshed and as a rare example of interior design using skilled artwork, plasterwork and appropriate furnishings and furniture to create the style and atmosphere.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION The conservation plan was written for the Palmerston North City Council and was then accepted by them as the basis for the conservation of the theatre. Judd, Fenwick, Natusch of Napier were selected as the design architects and Ian Bowman was appointed conservation architect as part of the architectural team. Ian Bowman's involvement was the design, documentation and periodic site observation of the conservation of spaces and fabric of high heritage values. The documentation required the involvement as subcontractors, qualified and experienced conservators of plasterwork, paintings, paint, and timberwork. Conservators at the National Museum assisted with specifying the cleaning of the auditorium ceiling. 
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St James Theatre

DATE: (1996 and 1998)

The original Commission was in 1996 to complete a conservation plan of the building.

POSITION HELD: Architect and conservator for the preparation of the conservation plan and for the design and construction phase.

CLIENT: St James Theatre Trust

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

A conservation plan was commissioned as a basis for replanning the theatre as it was subject to a Heritage Order. The plan found that the St James Theatre was a landmark building in being the first steel framed theatre in New Zealand, having a radical design allowing radical improvements in sight-lines, acoustics, fire engineering, fire egress and ventilation. The St James is one of only three surviving theatres in Australasia designed by Henry White, a theatre designer of the times with an international reputation, The building is also rare in having survived through 80 years in relatively unmodified form, both in its exterior form and its interior form and decoration. The plasterwork of the interior is the best remaining example of Louis XV style Rococo work in Australasia.

The restoration of the 1912 category I registered theatre was carried out with Opus International Consultants Ltd as design architects and Ian Bowman as architect and conservator.

AWARD: The theatre gained a local NZIA Award in 2000.
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All Saints Community Hall

DATE: (1998-02)

CLIENT: The Parish of All Saints, Hataitai

POSITION HELD: Collaboration between Ian Bowman Architect and conservator and Hugh Tennent Architects

DESCRIPTION: A new community hall is proposed to house facilities required by an expanding parish. The facilities required include offices, meeting rooms, lounges, hall, Sunday school rooms and gathering spaces for the church community following services. The hall is to replace a condemned building which is also of inadequate size.

The church, which the proposed hall is to service, is a listed building on the Wellington City Council District plan and a registered category II building with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust. The church was designed by Frederick de Jersey Clere in 1926 and was one of the last churches built by the most prolific and acknowledged experts in New Zealand church design of the early twentieth century.

The design of the hall defers to the church in directing views of the church from the street by a large curved wall, while retaining the integrity of a modern, new building. External materials match the church, while forms and heights are similar to the aisles of the church. The overlapping skillion roof forms of the office and meeting hall section slope towards the church, creating a sunny and protected new ceremonial entrance. The hall has been designed to be an alternative worshipping space to the church as well as a multi-purpose hall.
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St Marks

DATE: (1999/02)

POSITION HELD: Collaboration between Ian Bowman Architect and conservator and Hugh Tennent Architects

CLIENT: The Parish of St Marks

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: It was felt by the parish, that the church, built in the 1960's needed to more closely reflect modern styles of worship. The commission included the redesign of the nave to provide more intimacy between the clergy and the congregation, better acoustics and lighting design, a redesigned entrance for access for people with disabilities, a foyer/gathering space for the community following services, redesigned office facilities and a quiet, reflective space for individual prayer.
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Maritime Museum

DATE: (1999/00)

POSITION HELD: Architect and conservator for the preparation of the conservation plan and for the design and construction phase.

CLIENT: Wellington Museums Trust

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The original offices and bonded warehouse of the Wellington Harbour Board had been the Wellington Maritime Museum for over ten years, following the deregulation of all Harbour Boards. It was considered that a refurbished museum was required, focusing on Wellington's social and physical history as well as its maritime history, with the building as the primary exhibit. The restoration and adaptation of the building from the old Maritime Museum into the new "Bond Store, Museum of Wellington City" and Sea was completed in 2000. The design architects were Athfield Architects and Ian Bowman was appointed conservation architect as part of the architectural team. Ian Bowman's involvement was the design, documentation and site observation of the conservation of spaces and fabric of high heritage values. Strengthening was required, which was undertaken using base isolation.

The heritage values of the building, a category I registered building, were very high. The building is a symbol of the success and early development of the port of Wellington, which required a head office by 1891, only 11 years after the establishment of the Board. The Board was a significant early developer of the waterfront and contributed enormously to the economic development of both Wellington and New Zealand. The building is intimately associated with one of New Zealand≠s foremost and very highly regarded architects, F de J Clere who designed a building which was in the vanguard of stylistic development of the time.
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KEN GRAY EDUCATION CENTRE

DATE: (1992)

POSITION HELD: Architect for design and construction.

CLIENT: Wellington Regional Council

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The Battle Hill Forest Farm  was a favourite project of Councillor and ex All Black Ken Gray. Following his death it was decided to continue his work in promotion of farming and education with the construction of an education centre for school children. An old shearing shed on the farm was selected for adaptation to show elements of farming in the area. The upper part of the shed was added to allow for viewing shearing out of danger as well as a large gathering space for teaching and a teachers office. A large ramped access was included over the sheep pens so that children could watch draughting and have an elevated view of the farm.
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