Expanded Fields series #5: Pippa Ensor

Pippa Ensor is a Principal at Athfield Architects, who channels her passion for drawing into illustrating children’s books as a creative outlet. Balancing a full-time career as an Architect, she has contributed illustrations to two children’s books, One Weka Went Walking and The Butterfly Fluttered By, with a third project currently underway. For Pippa, illustration is a personal and creative pursuit, offering a fulfilling counterbalance to the demands of architecture. 

Her story is a testament to how creativity and professional expertise can coexist, enriching both areas of life. As she continues to evolve her architectural practice and explore illustration, she inspires others to embrace flexibility and passion in their careers.

Pippa’s journey into illustration began through a collaboration with a friend, Kate Preece. “She reached out with a draft of a children’s book and asked if I’d be interested in doing some drawings,” she shares. 

“Drawing for me is a form of relaxation,” she explains. Despite the demands of a full-time job and family life, she embraces illustration as an opportunity to unwind and channel her creativity.

A Creative Process Rooted in Nature

Pippa’s illustrations are deeply influenced by the stories she collaborates on, featuring New Zealand’s unique wildlife. The first book focused on birds, using watercolors to bring them to life, while the second delved into insects with a bolder, sketchier style. For her third project, she plans to incorporate elements that mimic the look and feel of a sketchbook, further experimenting with artistic techniques.

Balancing Architecture, Art, and Family

With two young children and a full-time role as an Architect, Pippa acknowledges the importance of balance and support. Working early hours and from home a couple of days a week, enables her to balance quality family time, and work, whilst allowing space in between, for her creative passion. Pippa also acknowledged her husband’s active role and support in childcare without whom the balance would not feel possible.

When asked what advice she would give to others seeking to integrate creative pursuits into their lives, she emphasizes the importance of doing what fuels you. Don’t take on something just because it looks impressive. Pursue what genuinely makes you happy and “supports your well-being.”

Looking Ahead

With plans for more books and a commitment to her architectural projects, Pippa remains dedicated to her dual paths. Whether crafting spaces or bringing wildlife to life on the page, her work exemplifies the power of balancing multiple creative endeavors. Her journey encourages others to find joy in their unique intersections of work and passion.

This is the fourth in a series highlighting the benefits of reduced hour working weeks, enabling Architecture in an Expanded Field. The architects and architectural graduates in this series have all consciously designed their working lives to benefit from their adjacent creative practices.