He is a graduate, Distinguished Alumni and former Adjunct Professor of Auckland University’s School of Architecture. He is also a writer, surfer and recipient of the NZIA Gold Medal, the citation for which noted: “Pip’s intellectual honesty and integrity have directed him away from paths of least resistance, and self-belief and a necessary stubbornness have enabled him to follow a course of his own making. At key points in his career he has rejected safe choices in favour of riskier but potentially more fulfilling options.”