Sir Geoffrey Peren Building

Studio Pacific was commissioned to oversee the upgrade, seismic strengthening and interior refurbishment of the Sir Geoffrey Peren Building, situated on Massey University’s Turitea campus in Palmerston North.

Designed by the renowned American architect Roy Alston Lippincott, the Sir Geoffrey Peren building was completed in 1931 and is recognised as a Category 1 historic place by the Historic Places Trust. Originally known as ‘Old Main Building’, it was renamed in 2010 to honour Sir Geoffrey Peren, the founding principal of Massey Agricultural College.

This 5,700m² upgrade of the Peren Building’s interior encompassed teaching spaces and offices as well as more specialised facilities such as a drama suite, a media laboratory and a function centre. Teaching facilities have been extended with new flexible lecture and tutorial rooms, computer labs and specialised teaching spaces for particular departments. Interior circulation and wayfinding have also been improved, while new fire design and the installation of sprinklers allow the removal of fire separations, restoring the building’s original light-filled interior. A key space in the building is the central auditorium which has been restored to its original elegant form.

This refurbishment respects the integrity of the original ‘Spanish Mission’ architectural style, preserves one of New Zealand’s iconic heritage-listed buildings, and ensures that Massey University continues to provide a world-class teaching environment.