An untraditional perspective of tradition : the lessons of Gummer and Ford in architectural education and designing for New Zealand. A Unitec research project.

Abstract

Tūāpapa Rangahau, the Research and Enterprise Office at Unitec Institute of Technology, focuses on opportunities, challenges and problems in a wide variety of subjects. In 2020, the authors proposed a research project devoted to Gummer and Ford – an architectural firm founded in 1923 in Auckland by William Henry Gummer (1884–1966) and Charles Reginald Ford (1880–1972). Although one of the most prominent practices in New Zealand architectural history, which designed numerous iconic buildings, the firm remains strikingly under-researched in New Zealand architectural historiography, as do their 1920s–40s traditionalist contemporaries. Marking the centenary of Gummer and Ford’s establishment, 2023 is recognised as a milestone in New Zealand’s architectural calendar. The paper reflects on the three stages of the Unitec research project devoted to Gummer and Ford (2020–23) that is envisaged to build up to this date. The project aims to test and create links between historical research, architectural education, design practice and the New Zealand community.