Ewan Brown (left) and Hugh Tennent. Photo: Catherine Cattanach
Hugh Tennent and Ewan Brown are the founding partnership behind Pōneke-Wellington firm Tennent Brown Architects and are the forefront of not only making buildings liveable - but living.
It's a small firm that has consistently punched above its weight since it was formed over two decades ago - and last night received the 2024 Gold Medal from the New Zealand Institute of Architects.
The Institute cites their "radical sustainability, exploration of bi-cultural collaboration and incorporation of te ao Māori into their ground-breaking designs".
The company was the first architecture firm to obtain a JUST label for social justice and the first to achieve B-Corp certification.
Two of their recent projects, Victoria University's Ngā Mokopuna building and Te Wānanga o Raukawa Pā Reo Campus in Otaki were designed to be living buildings - fully sustainable - of which there are only 30 in the world.
They explain their remarkable partnership and projects.
