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20 June 2022

Three cheers for NZIA’s new president

President NZIA Judith Taylor

Context Associate Judith Taylor has been appointed President of the New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA). A Fellow of Te Kāhui Whaihanga since 1997, she brings nearly 40 years of experience to her new role with the country’s leading architecture professional body – which represents over 90 percent of the country’s registered architects.

Judith was officially appointed into the role at the NZIA national AGM last Wednesday and said, “I’m honoured by the opportunity to serve the architecture community as NZIA President and I’m looking forward to working with my peers and colleagues to advance our profession here in New Zealand.”

As President, Judith will work to strengthen the relationship between the profession and universities, helping to foster the growth of our next generation of architects and designers. She’ll also be instrumental in elevating the value of architects in the design process, particularly as new legislation such as Resource Management Act (RMA) reform and the National Policy Statement on Urban Development (NPS-UD) comes into play.

“As the design and construction industry moves through a critical period of change, I intend to ensure the architect’s place within it and to help us maintain and improve relevancy,” Judith says. “The aim is to position architects at the forefront of bigger-picture thinking within design.”

As an Associate at Context, Judith is well-placed to bridge the gap between the industry’s smaller practices and its larger players. Throughout her illustrious career, she’s established herself as an ardent advocate for the design and architecture professions — a passion that’s seen her appointed to several leadership roles within the industry, including sitting on the Architects Education and Registration Board from 1994 to 2002 and serving as an Assessor for the New Zealand Registered Architects Board (NZRAB).

She’s also acted as New Zealand coordinator for the accreditation of New Zealand architecture degree programmes and currently assists the NZRAB in matters of discipline.

Judith’s impressive track record encompasses the breadth of architectural practice — project planning, budget and performance management, risk mitigation, stakeholder engagement, health and safety compliance, team, and project leadership — and places her in a strong position to help the NZIA and its members succeed.

As one of Context’s in-house technical experts, Judith has spearheaded projects in the aged care and retail spaces, as well as within the sustainability sphere (Homestar and sustainable specifications). As Associate of Professional Development, she runs the company’s graduate development programme and is critical to the growth and success of the professions rising talent.