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.
Programme
Celebrate 50 years of design and architecture with talks, panels, exhibition, and a gala dinner—24–26 Oct 2025 in Wellington.
On Friday night, guests are invited to the opening of the exhibition and the start of the weekend’s celebrations, at our Te Aro campus. Enjoy a beverage, the opportunity to catch up with friends, and take in a selection of works from our alumni and current students.
Saturday begins with a pōwhiri, before we launch into a symposium, Threads and Trajectories from 50 years at the Faculty of Architecture and Design Innovation. Saturday night is the Gala Dinner at one of Wellington’s most recent jewels in its crown—Tākina Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre. Come dressed to impress. Current and former staff, alumni, partners, friends and supporters of the faculty are most welcome.
Past and current staff are invited to a Sunday morning brunch at Rutherford House at the University's Pipitea campus.
Register for tickets now
Please note that registrations will close on the 9th of October
Friday 24 October 2025
| Time | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 4–5 pm | Tour of Ngā Mokopuna Led by Ewan Brown of Tennent Brown Architects Take a tour of Te Herenga Waka's new award-winning Living Building ChallengeTM building designed by Tennent Brown Architects and built by LT McGuinness Ltd. This inspirational building is world class and features designs by David Hakaraia from the faculty. | Meet at 46 Kelburn Parade |
| 5.30–8 pm |
Opening of Paparahi exhibition, and adjacent End of Year Student Exhibition Followed by wine and canapés. |
Te Aro campus atrium 139 Vivian Street, Te Aro, Wellington 6011 |
Saturday 25 October 2025
| Time | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 9–9.50 am | Pōwhiri |
Te aro campus 139 Vivian Street, Te Aro, Wellington 6011 |
| 9.50–10 am | Introduction and Symposium Opening—Threads and Trajectories from 50 years at the Faculty of Architecture and Design Innovation | |
| 10–10.50 am | Keynote Speaker | |
| 10.50–11.50 am | Panel discussion—Constructing Futures – Mark Burry (SoA, keynote) 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. | |
| 11.50–12.50 pm | Lunch | |
| 12.50–1.40 pm | Keynote Speaker 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. | |
| 1.40–2.40 pm | Panel discussion—Tectonic Threads – Alan Bibby (SoDI, keynote) 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. | |
| 2.40–3 pm | Afternoon break | |
| 3–3.50 pm | Keynote Speaker 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. | |
| 3.50–4 pm | Symposium closing remarks | |
Gala dinner at Tākina Convention Centre | ||
| 6–6.45 pm | Pre-dinner drinks and canapés | |
| 7 pm | Gala dinner commences | |
| 8.30 pm |
After dinner speaker Pamela Bell | |
| 11 pm | Evening concludes |
Sunday 26 October 2025
| Time | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 10 am–12 pm | Current and former staff brunch |
Rutherford House, Pipitea campus 33 Bunny Street, Pipitea, Wellington 6011 |