12 February 2026
We are deeply saddened to mark the passing of Pip Cheshire CNZM (1950 – 2026), a beloved figure in New Zealand architecture whose wit, insight and generosity shaped not only buildings but the way we speak about and understand architecture in Aotearoa.
Pip was a highly influential architect whose work helped shape the direction of contemporary architecture in New Zealand. A founding director of Bossley Cheshire Architects alongside Pete Bossley — a practice that later merged with JASMaD to form Jasmax — he went on to establish Cheshire Architects in 2003. Through this studio he refined and advanced a distinctly thoughtful architectural language
Under his leadership, Cheshire Architects realised projects of lasting significance including the revitalisation of Auckland’s Q Theatre and the design of Hotel Britomart. Earlier in his career he also contributed to transformative urban projects within the Britomart precinct, helping set the tone for a more considered approach to city-making in Aotearoa.
Pip’s influence extended well beyond practice. He served as national President of Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects, taught and mentored emerging architects, and was recognised with the NZIA Gold Medal in 2013, when the judges noted: “Pip’s intellectual honesty and integrity have directed him away from paths of least resistance, and self-belief and a necessary stubbornness have enabled him to follow a course of his own making.” In 2024, Pip was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
Thoughtful, incisive and generous with his time and ideas, Pip Cheshire leaves behind an enduring legacy — reflected in his significant contribution to New Zealand’s built environment, the profession he helped advance, and the architectural discourse he so eloquently enriched.
In 2023, we spoke with Pip Cheshire about The Dune House, a glass-box pavilion ruptured by three inverted cones, situated above a Mangawhai golf course.
