Denise Civil

I graduated from the Auckland School with a BArch. (Hons) in 1976 and started work for the planning department at the Auckland City Council. After a short time overseas I worked for Murray North Partners, a multi-discipline practice in their Rotorua for a year, their Auckland office for two years and again part-time when my daughter was born in the Rotorua office. When she was a year old I returned to university to study for a Ph.D. in Architecture which I completed in 1984. During that time my son was born.

We moved our family to the USA for my husband to complete his training. When we returned I worked in Claire Chambers all women office until 1990. I became registered during this time.

In 1990 I set up my own practice, PROSPECTUS and have been a sole practitioner working from my studio at home ever since. My work is predominantly residential.

I am a founding member of the Thursday Lunch Group, the Auckland based practice support group for women sole practitioners established in 1990 and convened the group until 2010.

I am an assessor for the NZRAB and a member of the registration committee of the NZRAB. I also manage the Australian and New Zealand Architecture Program Accreditation Procedure (ANZ APAP) which validates the architecture degree programs offered by New Zealand universities, for the NZIA in the capacity of their Education Consultant.