Maria Chen is a New Zealand architect.

Biography

Chen grew up in Christchurch and studied architecture at the

University of Auckland , mottoeng = By natural ability and hard work , established = 1883; years ago , endowment = NZD $293 million (31 December 2021) , budget = NZD $1.281 billion (31 December 2021) , chancellor = Cecilia Tarrant , vice_chancellor = Dawn F ...

. After graduating, she worked in New York and London before returning to Christchurch in 2013 with a desire to contribute to the city's rebuild following the

2011 Christchurch earthquake A major earthquake occurred in Christchurch on Tuesday 22 February 2011 at 12:51 p.m. local time (23:51 UTC, 21 February). The () earthquake struck the entire of the Canterbury region in the South Island, centred south-east ...

. Chen joined Athfield Architects and her first project was to lead the re-fit of the former Commerce building at the

University of Canterbury The University of Canterbury ( mi, Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha; postnominal abbreviation ''Cantuar.'' or ''Cant.'' for ''Cantuariensis'', the Latin name for Canterbury) is a public research university based in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was ...

. The building was designed by Athfield Bellerby Vial and opened in 1996, but the earthquakes had caused severe damage and it required extensive repairs. The building was renamed Rehua and reopened in 2019 to house the university's College of Education. In 2017 Chen joined

Architecture + Women NZ Architecture + Women New Zealand (A+W NZ) is a membership-based professional organisation of women in architecture in New Zealand. The organisation promotes diversity, inclusion and equity in architecture through events, membership, advocacy ...

as liaison between the Canterbury branch of the

New Zealand Institute of Architects Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA) is a membership-based professional organisation that represents 90 per cent of all registered architects in New Zealand, and promotes architecture that enhances the New Zealand livi ...

and the Christchurch chapter of Architecture + Women.

Awards and recognition

In 2019, Chen and Paul Anselmi won a New Zealand Institute of Architects Award for their residential project in Christchurch, New Zealand. The project also won a

Resene Resene Paints LTD is a New Zealand paint and building materials manufacturer and retailer. Divisions Resene Paints LTD & Resene Paints Australia LTD Resene produces paint for New Zealand & Australian conditions from manufacturing facilities in ...

Total Colour Residential Interior Award.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chen, Maria Living people New Zealand women architects University of Auckland alumni 21st-century New Zealand architects Architects from Christchurch Year of birth missing (living people)