Thanks to our sponsors, this special weekend featured a gala dinner, exhibitions, and a symposium—bringing together alumni, staff, partners, and supporters to celebrate our past, honour our people, and look to the future.
Paparahi—50th Anniversary of the Faculty of Architecture and Design Innovation
Celebrate 50 years of design and architecture with talks, panels, exhibition, and a gala dinner—24–26 Oct 2025 in Wellington.
Our gifted name Paparahi literally means ‘foundation’, but it can also mean footprints or a track. ‘Papa’ represents the layers of learning and creative practice that have been built up over time, resulting in ‘rahi,’ a reference to our great store of knowledge and the significance of our collective work.
Symposium Recordings - Threads and Trajectories from 50 years at the Faculty of Architecture and Design Innovation.
Keynote Speaker
Mark Burry
Professor Mark Burry AO is a New Zealand architect and internationally recognised thought leader in future cities. He is the Founding Director of Swinburne University of Technology’s Smart Cities Research Institute and is best known for his decades-long role as senior architect and researcher at Barcelona’s iconic Basílica de la Sagrada Família. Based in Melbourne, Professor Burry’s award-winning career bridges innovation, design research, and global urban challenges.
Panel discussion—Constructing Futures
Speculative design, future pedagogies, and experimental thinking
– Mark Burry (SoA, keynote)
– Skye Duncan (SoA)
– Robert van Dam (SoDI)
– Pamela Bell (SoA)
– Holly Beals (SoDI)
How can design respond to rapidly shifting technological, environmental, and social landscapes? Drawing on their own experiences and professional journeys, panelists will discuss how the foundations of their work continue to inform and inspire new possibilities.
Keynote Speaker
Alan Bibby
Bachelor of Design graduate Alan Bibby (1998) is an award-winning director and creative director whose work spans commercials, fashion films and music videos for global artists such as Stevie Wonder, Ariana Grande and Coldplay, and brands including Audi, Nike and Google. His films have screened at MoMA PS1, Tate Modern, and Palais de Tokyo, and he has judged prestigious industry awards including The One Show and ADC. Based in New York, Alan’s career explores the intersections of art, music, advertising and culture through a distinctive lens of design, storytelling and visual effects.
Panel discussion—Tectonic Threads
Design, culture, and interconnected perspectives
– Alan Bibby (SoDI, keynote)
– Tom Daniell (SoA, keynote)
– Lauren Palmer (SoDI)
– Claire Sharpe (SoA)
– Anna Farrow (SoA)
This session explores how architectural, interior, landscape, industrial, and digital design intersect with wider cultural and social contexts—highlighting how these perspectives can reshape the way we think about and create our built environments.
Keynote Speaker
Tom Daniell
Dr Thomas Daniell, Principal Architect and Professor of Architectural History, Theory, and Criticism at Kyoto University, is a leading voice in contemporary architecture with a particular focus on Japan. A double graduate of Victoria University of Wellington in Building Science and Architecture, he also holds a Master of Engineering from Kyoto University and a PhD from RMIT University. Widely published and internationally recognised, Dr Daniell’s work spans architectural practice, exhibitions, and influential writings that shape global architectural discourse.
View the full Paparahi programme
Our programme took place on 24—26 October including an exhibition, talks, and a gala dinner. Read the full event programme.
