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archives 		Antecedents

Call it our whakapapa if you like, or even the 'corporate DNA'. Here are the partners who have led our practice from 1892 to today, and they are just of few of the many who have been part of the firm's story.  It's a story that's still developing, and we certainly don't know everything.  If you know of a good tale about the practice, please tell us. If you're an architectural historian looking for a project, we'd love to know more, especially about the postwar era.

Berry Photographic Studio, Cuba Street, Wellington Crichton In 1892, Cornishman William Crichton (1862-1928) who had been working on large institutional buildings for the Colonial Architects Department, established his own practice and was quickly gaining commissions including for the Boys' Institute (founded the same year) and Wellington Hospital, as well as many houses. A number of even his earliest buildings are still in use today.
St James Presbyterian Church, Adelaide Road, Newtown, Wellington McKay With the practice growing, James Hector McKay - 'a dour Scot with a cold eye and much dignity' - came into partnership with Crichton in 1901. A canny businessman, he was also a designer: St James Presbyterian Church on Adelaide Road, Newtown is his best-known building. He retired in 1926.
Bank of New Zealand, Napier, New Zealand Haughton Vivian Palmer Haughton (1891-1956) was the first New Zealand born partner in the practice, joining Crichton & McKay in 1909 as a pupil, partner from 1926 and principal from 1928. Volunteering for service in 1914 he served at Gallipolli and received a severe head wound at the battle of the Somme. In his 47 years with the company he designed many buildings including The Dominion Building, Wellington, and numerous bank branches throughout New Zealand, the most famous of which is probably the fomer Bank of New Zealand in Napier, with its conspicuous Maori motifs.
Hutt Hospital 'Clock Tower Building', Lower Hutt, Wellington McKeon Australian-born William John "Bill" McKeon (1896-1973) also served in the Great War, and joined V.P. Haughton at the firm in 1935, having had his own Wellington practice since 1921.  His major work with the practice was the Hutt Hospital (1939-41 - now known as the 'clock tower' building), in addition to many houses.  President of the NZIA in 1945-46, he left amicably in 1951 to form his own practice, and was still working into the late 1960s.
Central Institute of Technology (C.I.T.), Heretaunga, Upper Hutt, New Zealand Mair Lindsay Mair, son of the former government architect John Mair, was responsible for many major educational projects including the massive Central Institute of Technology (C.I.T.) campus development at Heretaunga, Upper Hutt.
Hutt Hospital Nurses Hostel R.B. Haughton V.P. Haughton's son Robert became a partner in 1951, at a time when the practice was moving towards larger instutional projects.  Under Bob Haughton the practice was responsible for a large number of hospital buildings across the lower North Island of New Zealand.  With many large and complex projects The Haughton Partnership was almost an extension of the Ministry of Works during his tenure.  Latterly Bob was the second partner of the firm to become President of the NZIA.
Total Energy Centre, Wellington Hospital, Newtown, Wellington, New Zealand Creagh John Creagh was involved in many large institutional projects including the Wellington Hospital Total Energy Centre, Newtown.
Anvil House, Wakefield Street, Wellington Willament Arthur Willament's role in this 'big project' era for the practice included the relatively modest Anvil House on Wakefield Street, Wellington
CIT Heretaunga, Upper Hutt, New Zealand Brookewhite Amongst Chris Brookwhite's major projects was the Central Institute of Technology (C.I.T.) in Heretaunga, Upper Hutt.  The quantity of work required for such large and often complex buildings, in the era before CAD software and cheap, simple printing and copying, can be readily imagined.
National Laboratories, Now ESR Kenepuru Science Centre, Kenepuru, Porirua, New Zealand Duurloo John Duurloo was another member of the team who worked on major institutional projects including at Wellington Hospital and the National Laboratories (now ESR Kenepuru)
Hutt Hospital Emergency Department, Lower Hutt, New Zealand
 Bulleyment Alan Bulleyment is the man who wrote the book on plumbing in New Zealand - literally.  Now retired, he was recruited directly from Yorkshire to provide additional capability in large and complex instutional buildings. The Wellington Hospital Total Energy Centre in Newtown is one of his more distinctive landmark buildings, with Hutt Hospital a more conventional example of his work. With Denis Fortune he took the firm from a partnership to a limited company, Bulleyment Fortune Architects Ltd.
Wellington Free Ambulance Fortune Denis Fortune is the latest and current principal of the firm, having with Alan Bulleyment navigated the transition out of the 'Ministry of Works' era and through 'Rogernomics' to emerge as a robust full-service practice capable of taking on both domestic commissions and large institutional projects, with a new emphasis on strengthening and mental heath work.  Just like William Crichton, though, we'll turn our hands to anything and we design buildings to last.

Continuous practice since 1892... design for your needs, not for ours