Architect Pru Pinfold’s studio is on the ground floor of a historic building in Symonds Street. She converted the workspace herself, creating a warehouse apartment upstairs for her parents. Pru tells us why Uptown is special to her.

I’ve been working from Symonds Street for 10 years now, although my family has lived here for longer. Tucked away from the bustle of Symonds Street, our neighbourhood is a courier's nightmare. The alley serves a hidden community of apartment and warehouse dwellers, mixed in with a geologist, a shared-living building, a bike shop and access to other studios above us. We are just around the corner from a gym, a shared workspace and the famous Southbound record store. I collaborate with locals Revolve Energy on solar integration too. We all operate

on different timetables, so there's always something going on. There is quite a high dog population too! The alleyway is a great community. The motorway verge has been turned into a garden and there is even a worm farm in the garage.

When we took on the building it had a layered history as a rubber factory, headstone showroom and various office and flat set-ups. It was a mess. We stripped the top floor back to its bones, leaving the brick and timber trusses exposed. The steel joinery was restored and our friend Andy, a talented welder, and my Dad crafted the steel french doors and my office dividers from salvaged steel profiles.

I start the day with a coffee at my local, Modicum, which is my place to plan my day and meet up with friends and colleagues who live and work locally. My quiet spot is a deck off the upstairs warehouse apartment with views to Rangitoto.

Despite my urban living, I seek out clients interested in building on coastal sites. I love the challenge of building in harmony with our rugged coastlines and bush. Working in Uptown gives me access to sites within an hour’s drive on the west- and east-coast beaches. I’m very proud of the off-grid home we completed for clients out in Piha. Sustainability is something that cannot be separated from good architecture.

Uptown holds special memories for me; we held our wedding in the courtyard of Site 3 in St Benedicts Street back in 1998. This is one of Auckland’s best examples of mixed- use spaces, combining modern amenities with historic architecture.