Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Kahu woman Professor Deidre Brown has created history by becoming the first Māori woman to be awarded the NZ Institute of Architects' 2023 Gold Medal.
A respected architectural historian, she clinched the esteemed Gold Medal for 2023 from Te Kāhui Whaihanga Institute of Architects, marking a significant achievement in her distinguished career.
"I would like to extend my thanks to the Gold Medal selection committee for choosing me, particularly as my contribution to architecture is not through the usual route of professional practice, but by academia to educate the next generation of practitioners and support professional practice through research and service," Professor Brown said.
"My success is not mine alone. It is the success of many."
In 2019, Professor Brown achieved a milestone by becoming the first Indigenous woman globally to assume the role of Head at Te Pare School of Architecture and Planning, University of Auckland.
This moment coincided with the 30th anniversary of her initiation into the field.
"Being part of a group, which I would argue is now a movement of Māori architects and architectural designers, demonstrates how far we have come," said Professor Brown.
Currently serving as Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Creative Arts and Industries, Professor Brown persists in her impact on the architectural landscape of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Her expertise spans Māori and Pacific architectural and art history, Māori and Pacific housing, and Indigenous design.
Professor Brown's substantial literary contributions include authored works such as "Introducing Māori Art" and "Māori Art of the Gods," both published in 2005, along with the collaborative effort "Art of Oceania" in 2012.
In her influential work "Māori Architecture" (2009), Professor Brown chronicles the evolution of architecture in Aotearoa from pre-European to the present, narrating the dynamic tale of a people and the shaping of the nation's distinct identity.
Adding to her literary legacy, she is set to release a new book this year, titled Toi te Mana: A History of Indigenous Art from Aotearoa New Zealand, a collaborative effort with Associate Professor Ngarino Ellis from the Faculty of Arts, and will be published by Auckland University Press.
In 2022, Professor Brown took a pivotal step by founding the MĀPIHI Māori and Pacific Housing Research Centre.
Co-directed alongside Dr Karamia Müller, the organisation is dedicated to fostering healthy, affordable, and sustainable homes for Māori and Pacific whānau (family).
She recently tracked down eight treasured Māori wood carvings in museums around the world that had been missing 200 years.
Professor Brown will be giving a series of free lectures around Aotearoa beginning in May:
Thursday May 2 at 4pm, The Cargo Shed, Tauranga
Thursday May 9 at 12.30pm, James Hay Theatre, Christchurch
Wednesday May 15 at 12.30pm, Viaduct Events Centre, Auckland
Friday May 17 at 4pm, Motorcycle Mecca, Invercargill
Thursday May 23, 12.30pm, St James Theatre, Wellington
Friday May 24 at 4pm, Massey University Refectory Building, Palmerston North
Friday June 7 at 4pm, Trafalgar Centre, Nelson
Friday June 14 at 4pm, Municipal Building, Hastings
