ENDURING ARCHITECTURE AWARD

CHRISTCHURCH, ŌTAUTAHI ERSKINE BUILDING, UNIVERSITY OF CANTERBURY (1998) BY ARCHITECTUS, COOK HITCHCOCK SARGISSON AND ROYAL ASSOCIATES IN ASSOCIATION “The Erskine Building at the University of Canterbury is an enduring paragon of architectural innovation and functionality more than two decades after its completion in 1998. Still visually striking and highly functional, the building has proven the enduring relevance of some of the most progressive architectural ideas of the 1990s. Notable for its innovative sustainability features, like displacement ventilation and passive ventilation in academic offices, the structure also incorporates curved pre-cast ceilings and a glazed atrium, which was ahead of its time. Spatial design features include collective academic clusters and breakout areas that facilitate good circulation and communal interaction. As a structure that predicted and solved many contemporary architectural problems, the Erskine Building is equally…