Irving Smith Architects

Profile

Irving Smith Architects has been developed as a niche Architecture practice based in Nelson, and works in a variety of sensitive environments.

We demonstrate an ongoing commitment to innovative, sustainable and research based design, backed up by national and international award and publication recognition, ongoing research with both the Universities of Canterbury and Auckland, and regular invitations to lecture on our work, including World Architecture Festivals in Barcelona 2011, Singapore 2013,2014 and in 2015 receiving a Highly Commended for Mapua Park Structures.

We have secured in excess of 40 New Zealand Institute of Architecture Awards for work around NZ, including NZIA New Zealand Awards for Public Architecture in 2012 and 2013, and nomination as a finalist for the 2013 NZIA New Zealand Architectural Medal (the highest award in NZ architecture). Our national architecture awards for public work have been praised for their sensitivity and community understanding, and our residential work for their environmental suitability. We represented New Zealand at the 2015 Prague International Architecture Festival, where our Soft Context : Soft Architecture exhibition presented an approach of looking to understand and participate with existing landscapes rather than generate new contexts.

Recognition received for Timber Design includes NZ’s highest Residential, Commercial and Engineering awards and ongoing experience with Government agencies and the University of Canterbury developing timber systems, that reduce damage during seismic events and allow immediate reoccupation. Property Council awards for excellence, received in 2011 and 2013 include a Best in Category and nomination as a Supreme Finalist.

We have experience in Masterplanning and Tertiary design, garnered from extensive work on the campus at Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT) and a broad variety of multilevel Commercial Development, and adapting and seismically strengthening existing buildings.

Our ongoing work includes Residential, Public and Structural Timber work throughout New Zealand, and overseas.

Biography

Andrew Irving, B Arch (Hons First Class), BBSc VUW, FNZIA, Registered Architect

In his role at Irving Smith, Andrew combines technical and design skills to lead and implement research projects and built work utilising innovative construction methodologies, including the world’s first multi-story post tensioned timber structural building, NMIT Arts & Media.

Andrew has over 20 years of experience working in New Zealand and the UK on in a variety of commercial and public projects including cultural and educational facilities, tourist ventures and commercial developments.

Andrew was the project and technical director for the award-winning NMIT Arts & Media (NZ’s Landmark Timber Structural Demonstration Building), Whakatane Library and Exhibition Centre and the upgrading of Trafalgar Park, Nelson prior to Rugby World Cup.

Andrew has spoken extensively to Industry and Professional bodies on the topics of Seismic Design and Timber Construction since completion of the NMIT Arts & Media project. He was invited to lead a World Update Session at the 2014 World Architecture Festival in Singapore, focussing on architecture post the Christchurch earthquake. Current projects under Andrews’s direction are exploring and advancing these two topics in a commercial context.

Andrew continues to work in collaboration with the University of Canterbury and Government Agencies, researching and developing earthquake resistant timber structural design systems in the follow up to the Christchurch Earthquake. Andrew authored the ‘2012 Structural System Optimisation Report’ for University of Canterbury and the Ministry of Primary Industries, researching and ascertaining how structural timber compares, in multi-story commercial development, with more traditional concrete and steel structural elements, using a live 4 story commercial case study project in Christchurch.

Andrew has also completed the Museum Building and Environment Workshop, run by the National Library of New Zealand, the National Preservation Office and the Consortium for Heritage Collections and their Environment.

Jeremy Smith, B Arch (Hons First Class), BBSc VUW, B.Sc, ANZIA, Registered Architect

In his role as Design director at Irving Smith, Jeremy has lead a range of ISJ’s design innovations, including the competition winning and subsequent award winning NMIT Arts & Media, and Whakatane Library and Exhibition Centre buildings.

Jeremy has over 10 years of experience working as a design architect in design lead practices in New Zealand and Australia. In addition to larger public projects, Jeremy’s residential and public work has been widely published in New Zealand and internationally, and rewarded with a string of awards, including NZIA New Zealand Architecture awards in public and residential categories, New Zealand’s top timber design award in both residential and commercial categories, invitation to present at the World Architecture Festival in Barcelona 2011 and Singapore in 2013, 2014 and in 2015 receiving a Highly Commended for Mapua Park Structures. In addition his work has received commendation from the NZ Concrete Society, NZ Property Council Excellence Awards, as well as numerous NZIA local architecture and magazine awards.

Jeremy has widely lectured about the practice’s work, has served as a New Zealand Institute of Architects National Councillor, been appointed to architecture award juries at a national level, and was invited onto the Super Jury at the World Architecture Festival in Singapore 2014.

Following graduating as Victoria University’s top architecture student and receiving the Victoria University Centennial Medal for post graduate achievement, Jeremy is currently completing a design based PHD through Auckland University undertaken between practice commitments.