If ever there were a place for linking the past with the present, it sits on the walls at Ministry of Architecture + Interiors. Framed on one wall in their Colab space are some of the original designs for the Auckland Railway Station – the original one. That’s going back nearly a century, which explains why they’re drawn on linen (which is the way they did things back then.)
The foundations of this architectural and design business go back even further: its beginnings trace back to the 1890s and it has been responsible for some of the country’s most prominent buildings and landmarks. There have been a few name and ownership changes along the way, but since 2010 business and life partners Malcolm and Lindy Ewart – both registered architects – are preserving the legacy and taking it to the future.
As part of that plan, Ministry has aligned with the Keystone Trust as a new sponsor.
“It’s a real privilege to do so,” says Malcolm, who first thought of exploring the connection after attending a few Keystone award functions as a guest of existing sponsors. The scholars and their stories both moved and impressed him.
The practice’s education projects have included the redevelopment of some of New Zealand’s most dilapidated schools; exposure to such inadequate education opportunities have helped to convince Malcolm and Lindy that investing in the education of those less fortunate is a high priority for them.
They have found their fit with Keystone. Explains Lindy: “We had tinkered with the idea of doing something along the lines of what Keystone does, somehow contributing to the educational development of those who couldn’t otherwise achieve their goals.”
Further down the line, Malcolm says, there is also plenty of potential to take on Keystone interns at their central city Auckland office.
The pair agree that the sponsorship aligns with their personal and business beliefs: to encourage the growth and education of people beyond their natural sphere. “As people and as a business, we have worked hard to succeed, but we’ve never wanted to do that in isolation. It’s about bringing people along on the journey,” Lindy adds. Ministry has invested significant time and effort in developing its own people. They regularly accommodate interns and students and have grown some of their own team into managers and shareholders at Ministry.
When Lindy and Malcolm first met Keystone general manager Amanda Stanes to discuss the possibility of taking on a sponsorship, they learned of a delightful link; Amanda’s late father John Sutherland was the one to interview both Lindy and Malcolm for entry into Unitec – John was Unitec School of Architecture’s founding head of school. As Malcolm remembers it, this was his first eye-opening opportunity to talk to an architect about the practice he was passionate about.
Like Keystone, Malcolm and Lindy plan to keep on nurturing and growing people towards success at all scales. “It’s now time to spread our care for education and growth to those beyond our immediate sphere of influence” they say. “Keystone is the perfect partner to help us do this”.
