Director, Te Pūtahi Centre for Architecture and City Making
According to her twitter account, Dr. Jessica Halliday is “blessed (and cursed) by love of architecture & Christchurch”. Her passion is finding ways for more and more people to engage and involve themselves with cities, architecture and the decisions made about our built environment. Jessica is an architectural historian and is the Director and co-founder of Te Pūtahi Centre for Architecture and City Making. Te Pūtahi is an independent non-profit organisation that catalyses greater involvement in city making through a diverse and inclusive programme of engagement. Te Pūtahi wants to make it easy, desirable and fun for everybody to participate in the shaping and enjoyment of Ōtautahi Christchurch. Te Pūtahi grew out FESTA, a of celebration of urban creativity and regeneration which Jessica directed and produced from the inaugural event in 2012 to the final FESTA in 2018.
Jessica completed her PhD in Art History in 2005 at the University of Canterbury. In 2006-7 she worked at the Architectural Association in London. On her return to New Zealand there wasn’t a job in the country she wanted, so she initiated independent curatorial, film and writing projects on New Zealand architectural history. She is on the national committee for DOCOMOMO NZ, the New Zealand chapter of the Organisation for the Documentation and Conservation of the Modern Movement in Architecture.
