Today, it is extremely rare to see a physical model, handmade for resource consent and marketing sales purposes ever make its way into a project brief (unless perhaps last cut), but that was my task as a graduate student for John Mills Architects. Before the Pito-one Apartments could progress into developed design, I would spend hours upon hours, cutting thin cardboard into 1mm strips in order to form the appearance and depth of rusticated weatherboards. With tweezers, I would add frames and mullions to windows made of thin PVC. My tools: Cardboard, metal ruler, craft knife, cutting board and PVA glue were in front of me constantly, and I mastered a 1;100 model, complete with lift off roof, fixed furniture and carpet all out of this one material. What seems crazy to me know, was a therapeutic way to earn money over the summer, and to create something that resulted in very fast pre-sales for the real estate agent and developers.
This is a local project that I now see most days as I pass either on my bike, on foot or in the car; it forms one corner that enters into the main shopping area of Jackson Street. The building, designed by John Mills, sought to fit into a heritage area while providing modern apartment living and retail premises at street level, close to other amenities. After graduating I worked with my colleague Mark to document and detail the building and then had the opportunity to step into the site world of my first light commercial project. Many years later, I find it still sits comfortably at this busy intersection and while residents may have changed, the apartments give a tidy impression.