Coffee & Croissants: Floor talk on Model City

Join us for a behind-the-scenes look at the craft and process of architectural model making within Model City.

Architects and model makers Michael O’Sullivan and Emma Rea from Bull O’Sullivan Architecture, Richard Gardiner from Scaled Down, and Jane Rooney from Architectus will share insights into their methods, what drives their work, and how models shape architectural thinking.

Dr Jessica Halliday will MC this floor talk at Sir Miles Warren Gallery, guiding an open discussion and inviting questions from the audience.

Spaces are limited for this free event, register here.

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Michael O’Sullivan is a distinguished New Zealand architect and co-founder of Bull O’Sullivan Architecture. Known for his pragmatic and deeply personal approach to design, O’Sullivan’s work has been widely recognized, including receiving the Sir Ian Athfield Architecture Award for Housing. A skilled draughtsman and registered architect, he blends craftsmanship with creativity to produce architecture that is both functional and poetic.

Emma Rea is an Architectural Graduate at Bull O’Sullivan Architecture. She holds a degree from Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington, where she studied at the Wellington School of Architecture. Emma brings a strong academic foundation and emerging professional experience to her role, contributing to a firm celebrated for its innovative and hands-on approach to residential and community architecture.

Richard Gardiner is the founder of Scaled Down, an architectural model-making practice established in 2011 in response to the Christchurch earthquakes. With a background in art education, Gardiner has created over 170 models, originally for homeowners who lost their properties and later for projects involved in the city’s rebuild. His models reflect a deep interest in Aotearoa New Zealand’s domestic architecture and a commitment to heritage preservation. Scaled Down is both a creative outlet and a thoughtful response to the architectural and emotional rebuilding of Christchurch.

Jane Rooney is an architect with a 30-year career spanning Aotearoa New Zealand and the United Kingdom. She oversees the strategy and delivery of Architectus projects, ensuring robust processes and successful outcomes across the studios. Her portfolio includes extensive experience in the design and implementation of projects ranging from multi-residential to public developments, with significant contributions to the education sector. Jane also serves as an assessor for the New Zealand Registered Architects Board, an industry adviser to the Ara Institute’s Bachelor of Architectural Studies programme, and a visiting studio critic. Her contributions to the architectural community were recognised in 2021 when she was appointed a Fellow of Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects.

Dr Jessica Halliday is an architectural historian and director of Te Pūtahi – Centre for Architecture and City Making in Ōtautahi Christchurch. She holds a PhD in Art History from Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha the University of Canterbury, where she researched the design and construction of the Beehive. After time at the Architectural Association in London, she returned to Ōtautahi and has since played a leading role in fostering public engagement with architecture. Jessica co-founded and leads Open Christchurch, an annual architecture festival, and was the founding director of FESTA (Festival of Transitional Architecture), which brought imaginative, temporary works into the city after the earthquakes. She describes herself as “blessed (and cursed) by love of architecture & Christchurch.”

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Coffee & Croissants is a conversation series supported by our friends at Allpress Espresso