Senior Lecturer, School of Architecture and Planning, the University of Auckland, New Zealand
Literally building on IPinCH’s objective of interdisciplinary research is its first associate scholar – Deidre Brown, a senior lecturer in architecture at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. Deidre, a descendant of the Ngapuhi and Ngati Kahu tribes, researches and teaches on the history of architecture, Maori and Pacific architecture and art, and museum studies. Through her work she investigates and interprets objects, buildings, literature, as well as how narratives have been collected and used. Along with curating art installations, Deidre has authored several books on Maori art and architecture, including most recently 2009’s Maori Architecture, published through Raupo (Penguin) Publishing which won the Art and Design category in the inaugural Maori book awards. She brings to IPinCH her vast research experience in art, architecture, Maori culture, and as an advisor to national and international committees exploring intellectual property and traditional knowledge. Deidre’s interests relate to questions regarding the use of myth in archaeological interpretation, benefit sharing and indigenous participation, the involvement of expatriate groups in heritage projects, and the imprinting of Maori cultural memory through institutional architecture. IPinCH associates like Deidre can benefit from the project’s human and informational resources, while contributing their ideas, expertise, and experiences to the project.
