KEY POINTS:
An international exhibition of New Zealand's architecture may have to return home early because it is running out of money, despite growing interest from major international cities.
Trenta Case: Thirty Houses In New Zealand, created and curated by Unitec's Head of School of Architecture Tony Van Raat, displays 30 residential and holiday homes throughout New Zealand.
Mr Van Raat was originally financed by the NZ Institute of Architects and the Warren Trust to show his exhibition in Florence and Rome in Italy.
It has generated so much interest that he has received invitations from cities such as Milan, Zurich, London, Berlin, New York, Los Angeles, Shanghai, and Beijing.
The exhibition includes models of the houses and a catalogue, and was seen by more than 5000 people in Florence during its six-week run.
It is expected to attract more attention when it opens in Rome in October.
Mr Van Raat approached Auckland City Mayor John Banks and council urban design champion Ludo Campbell-Reid for funding this year.
Last night, a council spokeswoman said that because Mr Van Raat was overseas at the time, the application was not made through a formal funding process and lacked sufficient information.
As a result, he was turned down.
As well as seeking private corporate sponsorship, he is applying for funding from Creative New Zealand and the Ministry of Arts and Culture.
"It would be a terrible shame if i had to return home," he said.
"Our architects are of world class, and people recognise that as soon as they see it. But we're promoting more than architecture; we're promoting the lifestyle and the country."
Associate Minister of Economic Development Maryan Street declined to comment on funding.
But she said it was "great that Auckland architectural firms are promoting our designs overseas and are getting positive feedback".
The exhibition includes houses in city, mountain, beach and country environments, designed by 15 Auckland architecture firms.
Examples include the Jenkins House in Takapuna, the Wakitipu Basin House, the Coromandel Beach House, and the Lindale Bach on Great Barrier Island.
Mr Van Raat believes houses in New Zealand reflect the unique lifestyle Kiwis like to live.
"In spite of the fact that the houses we are showing can be expensive, they indicate that we [New Zealanders] prefer an unpretentious, modest dwelling - often in a rural environment.
"Even when New Zealanders look for a house in the city, we tend to enjoy houses that look and feel like a holiday home."
Mr Van Raat needs to raise $120,000 to visit all of the interested cities, but said he would take it to as many places as he could before returning home.
