Interior Judges
Callum Pankhurst
Having graduated from Christchurch polytechnic majoring in 3D design and Print making, Callum spent the following 3 years designing and manufacturing architectural fittings for the hospitality and retail markets.
Growth progressed quickly from fittings and merchandising units to entire interior fitouts.
Callum then created Identity Group Interior Architecture, specializing in retail and commercial interior environments. A young energetic team of designers, CAD technicians and project managers assist to offer a professional package to clients.
Clients have included - Vodafone NZ, The Laminex Group, Orca, Automobile Association, NZ Cricket and Ballantynes Department Store.
Michael Major
Soul Limited
Strategic Creative Thinking and Conversations Director
BA (Hons Interior Design), Middlesex University, Britain, 1981
Michael has 24 years experience in creating branded environments that give a competitive edge whilst enriching the end user’s experience. Michael specialises in helping clients to use design and branding to position their businesses for the future. During his time at top London Interior Design Consultants, McColl Associates and The Design Solution, Michael was the principal retail designer on a variety of projects. These ranged from food and beverage retailing to large shopping centres throughout the U.K and New Zealand. Michael formed 2MD Design (it became the leading retail Design Company in New Zealand, with projects in Australia and South East Asia) in 1992 closing the company in 2004 to form a new company called Soul Limited with Leanne Beard and William Maxwell.
Michael’s reputation as a professional designer has been enhanced by the numerous design awards he has received, either professionally or as part of a design team. While in Britain, he was the principal interior designer for Princes Square Specialty Shopping Centre in Glasgow, which won the Scottish Design award in 1987. The following year, the Pavilions Shopping Centre in Birmingham, for which he was the principal interior designer, won the international shopping centre award. Since being in New Zealand, 2MD Design under Michael’s direction has won retail design awards every year including the New Zealand National Shop of the Year Design Award. Under the Soul partnership, Michael is currently working on a new service centre to be built on the Smales Farm Technology Office Park acting as the lead consultant and Strategic Creative Director.
Niki Harrison
Before returning to New Zealand in 2002 Niki spent 15 years working in commercial Interior Design consultancies in Sydney.
Niki was the Design Director and Principle Designer for interior design firm HBO+EMTB in Sydney altogether for 10 years. She was responsible for projects such as the 18,000 sqm Asia pacific headquarters for ABN AMRO, Hilton Auckland, venture capitalist firm Challenger International, Minter Ellison Canberra, 10,000 sqm for Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu and many other commercial interior projects. For these large scale international firms Niki drove the brief from the strategic planning through to concept and then completion.
Together with her partner Jon, Harrison + Harrison was established in 2003, based around their collective design skills. Together they offer 40 years of design experience ranging from interior design through to furniture design, product development and contract management. The key focus of the practice is interior design, both commercial and domestic.
In New Zealand she is best known for her work on the Hilton Auckland and most recently the Louis Vuitton 150th Anniversary event for which Harrison + Harrison won the Stringer for Interior Design at the 2004 BeST Design Awards.
Sophie Burns
Sophie Burns is an experienced designer specialising in retail, bar and restaurant design.
Based in Auckland, Sophie is currently working with Gascoigne Associates where she has been an associate for the past six years. In 2004 the team scooped up the retail BeST award for Max Fashions.
Also working with RG Concept Design, Sophie was thrilled when they won last year’s award for BeST bar and restaurant (Smart Bar).
She is enjoying her teaching role at the Auckland campus of Christchurch Polytechnic where she is a guest tutor for retail design. Sophie says “it provides the perfect opportunity to share the experience and knowledge gained from my time working in London, which is where I ventured from an early career in graphic design to interiors. I love the industry as it is vibrant and ever changing and I am really excited about being involved in the judging of this year’s BeST awards.”
Steve Toomath
Steve has over 20 years experience having worked in the design industry since training as an industrial designer. In this time his design skills have contributed to a number of award winning interiors projects. Steve has headed the interior design team since he joined Custance in 1998. Extensive project experience spans most business sectors, including professional services, financial services, government, technology sectors, retail and domestic.
“To me good design is a pragmatic process that creates individual and innovative solutions to the requirements of the client, the site and the brief. Great design is all about emotion. Great design enriches the experience.”