Orchiston Architects Ltd
ARCHITECTURE & DISPUTE RESOLUTION

Colin R. Orchiston:     Curriculum Vitae  (August 2006)

B.Arch., FNZIA., FAMINZ(Arb/Med), Prof.Urb.Val.(NZIV), MNZPI..

Architect and Construction Disputes Consultant.

Address:
P.O. Box 9136,  Wellington.
ph / fax 562 7438

email orchiston@buildingdisputes.co.nz

Education:
Auckland University '70 - 73 : B. Arch.; 

Wellington Polytechnic '77,78 : Prof.Urb.Val.

Arbitrators Institute of NZ: Fellowship by exam and practical experience '93.

Massey University Dip Bus Stud COP in Advanced Dispute Resolution '94

Admitted to Mediation and Arbitration Panels of AMINZ '95

Advanced to Fellow NZ Institute of Architects '97

Honorary Member NZ Institute of Valuers '99;  MNZPI 2002

[top of page>>]

Occupational experience - Architecture:

Colin Orchiston is a Registered Architect with qualifications also in Valuation and Dispute Resolution. Since 1976 (and currently) he has been a principal Orchiston Architects Ltd, a firm established by his Father in 1947. The firm has undertaken over 3000 industrial, commercial, educational, institutional and domestic architectural projects, together with insurance valuations, reports and dispute resolution. As a consultant to other practices, Colin has also been involved in Project Management/Quality Management contracts in NZ and Vietnam, and has held (NZ-based) senior architectural contract positions for significant projects in NZ, the Pacific, and China

From 1990 to 2003 Orchiston Architects Ltd was predominantly involved in residential projects, and since 2005 has been a sole practice focused on building dispute resolution.

In 2003 Colin accepted an invitation to join Tse Group Ltd as an Associate and manager of the Wellington Building Division which comprises about a dozen architects, structural engineers and designers. In this role he has and involvement in large format retailing, commercial and industrial projects, retirement homes and feasibility studies. Tse Group has approximately 100 staff in Wellington and Auckland, involved in architecture, interior design, structural and civil engineering, surveying, valuation, townplanning and building compliance.

Occupational experience - Building Disputes:

Colin is a member of both the Arbitration Adjudication and Mediation Panels of the Arbitrator's and Mediator’s Institute of New Zealand, and has served as a Mediator under the Weathertight Homes Resolution Services Act 2002.

Since 1993, some 30% of Colin’s workload has been as an expert, mediator, arbitrator, adviser in the management of construction disputes, consultant to architects in risk management, a court appointed referee, and on BIA Determinations.

In 2000/2001 he served on the Construction Industry Working Group convened for the legislation for protection of payments to contractors, and subsequently compiled and appeared for the joint NZIA/ACENZ submissions to the Select Committee hearings on the Construction Contracts Bill. He is a Member of the Building Practitioners’ Board, a government - appointed body to develop and approve the licensing regime for construction trades and building designers.

[top of page>>]

Teaching Experience:

Since 1993 Colin has tutored (part time) in Practice Management, Project Management, Project Finance and Construction for the Interior Design degree course at the Central (now Wellington) Institute of Technology. Since 1994 he has been a tutor for the Massey University Dispute Resolution week-long practicums 3 times and for six years has tutored at advanced seminars in arbitration and mediation run by the Arbitration and Mediation Institute NZ. He also lectures final year architecture students on risk management, and trade training courses on contract administration. In 2001 he undertook training in the teaching of small groups.

[top of page>>]

Research and Publications:

At the inception of the 1991 Building Act, Colin was author and presenter at seminars run by the Wellington City Council, and the author of the 1993 NZ Institute of Valuers’ Guide to the Building Act. A paper on the Prediction and Resolution of Disputes was presented to the NZ Branch Project Management Institute Conference in 1998. A paper on Preparing for Construction Disputes was presented at the 2005 Building and Construction Law and Contract Management Conference. Colin is the author of the NZ Institute of Architects Practice Notes on the Arbitration Act 1996, the Construction Contracts Act 2002, and the Weathertight Homes Resolution Services Act 2002. From 1993 to 2002 he served as the Editor of the Arbitrators and Mediators Institute NZ quarterly Newsletter.

[top of page>>]

Interests:

Colin is married with two “young adult” children, a past president of Eastbourne Lions Club, DIY builder, yachtie and a “retired” debater & speaking adjudicator.

[top of page>>]

Home