Fifteen projects were honoured at this year’s peer-reviewed Western Architecture Awards, run by the local brand of  Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA), from a heritage war memorial to new homes and more.

Palmerston North architect Matthew Argyle was the convenor of this year’s jury, and he was joined by architects Brady Gibbons from New Plymouth and Marianne Riley from Auckland, and Susanna Shadbolt, Director of Aratoi–Wairarapa Museum of Art and History.

Argyle noted that the judging panel was impressed by the quality of the shortlist. “Sustainability was high on the agenda,” he said, “with the clever re-use of existing buildings, and even, in one case, the hull of a boat, to create delightful spaces, while new projects also used smart design decisions to improve the quality of space.”

The jury also noted the “high level of integrity in the use of materials”, highlighting “stone, raw steel, solid timber joinery and the humble brick being integral elements of many projects”.

See the full list of winners with jury commentary below:

Housing

G&C House by Ardern Peters Architects

The core concept of this immaculate house was the creation of a private retreat for the client, which could adapt to the frequent influx of the wider family. Inspiration is drawn from the natural surrounds, while the design balances the dual nature of a location on the urban-rural boundary. Locally sourced stone is used to create a spine through the house that delineates the private zones from the main living area, a strategy accentuated by a simple but highly detailed material palette of stone and timber. The living spaces are clean and bright, with sharp lines, and attention paid to every detail.

Two Peaks by First Light Studio

This city beach house sits nicely in its city fringe location and deals well with both the streetscape and the infill nature of the site. Playful spaces capture the imagination and provide moments of enjoyment. The thoughtfulness applied to detailing flows through to the considered use of natural materials and finishes to provide a beautiful and healthy home.

Westmere House by Dalgleish Architects

The clever use of raw materials and finishes has given this 1970s house a new lease of life. Raw steel and timber in the kitchen have been finely crafted, with exquisite detailing and workmanship to match. This craftmanship is enhanced by the strategic locating of windows and skylights to admit a soft light which drapes over each surface. The material palette is continued into the landscaping, with the pool and deck being cleverly detailed to present a project cohesion from inside to out. This is a well-thought-out alteration which sets a standard for future changes to the house.

Resene Colour Award

An elegant palette of materials has been used expertly by the architect to create a warm and appealing living area. The natural colours of the materials are enhanced by the fine detailing and craftsmanship throughout.

Housing – Multi-unit

Papaioea Place Social Housing by Boon

This housing project achieves economic and environmentally sustainable objectives in tandem with a level of design that elevates Papaieoia Place well beyond other social housing in the region. The award recognises the commitment of the client, Palmerston North City Council, in bringing together the architects with a housing supply builder – a process more commonplace in larger cities and with larger budgets – that should be applauded as innovative. The result is modern housing that, while simple in form and layout, meets an extremely tight budget. Replacing homes for a community of residents already located on this site, the project delivers both collective and individual housing identity. A bold colour palette has been applied to differentiate each unit, and consideration has been given to unit orientation, separation, screening, and landscaping to provide spatial layering in the critical buffer zones between private and public areas.

Commercial Architecture

Dawson & King by Matz Architects

The reuse of key structural elements was the basis of this New Plymouth project in which the architects have successfully dealt with both a corner site, and the need to bookend a commercial precinct, to create a unique and engaging building. Although the building is large, the use of the humble brick provides a sense of human scale, as does the sectioning of the façades into panels with glazed breaks which also activates the building at street level. The bold exposure of services and structure provides a great backdrop that has allowed the building’s occupants to develop and enhance their own workspaces.

Te Ao Nui by WSP Architecture

Challenged by a requirement to provide an Importance Level 4 building capable of post-disaster operation, the architects have responded by providing a well-designed commercial building in a fringe CBD location. The scale of the building is managed through some smart design decisions and enhanced by the mixed material palette. Sustainability is key to the building design, with energy efficiency and thermal performance well considered throughout. This building is an exemplar for commercial developments in the provinces.

Education

Green School New Zealand by Boon

An extremely tight programme drove an extraordinary collaborative effort between client, architect, structural engineer and the local construction industry. Necessity was the mother of invention: design decisions were guided by what the industry could deliver and building information modelling and off-site fabrication was used to maximise delivery times and minimise material wastage. The quality of the Green School’s architecture achieved in just under a year, with three ‘waka’ classrooms and surrounding landscaping established on site, is impressive. The distinctive tensile fabric learning vessels were inspired by eel nets and provide the school with a clearly identifiable brand. Inside, the use of timber, and palpable sense of craft, impart a soothing quality to the single learning space. It will be interesting to see how this school develops and how the ‘waka’ classrooms facilitate a brave new world of learning.

Lepperton School and Community Hub by Robertson Architecture Design

Lepperton’s needs have been well met with this dual-purpose facility that leverages the needs of the school and the community to deliver bustling and activated learning and social spaces. Expertly designed learning hubs can accommodate daily flex in learning activities; individual, group and class settings; and different pedagogical approaches. The design maximises opportunities for daylight and views to the exterior; passive ventilation, good acoustics, and appropriate colour and furniture choices should all contribute to successful learning outcomes. In a project with a tight budget, the architects have excelled themselves in delivering stimulating and comfortable environments for the Lepperton community.

Whanganui Collegiate School – H.G Carver Memorial Library by RTA Studio

The refurbished library skilfully balances heritage restoration with contemporary functionality in a design that celebrates the library’s character and provides a diversity of modern study spaces. A clever black box contains the library’s fixed elements and technology below, while creating a floating platform above: students can study at their discretion between gazing at the heritage trusses. The black glazed entry provides a sleek external expression that is a counterpoint to the warm refurbished brick building.

Resene Colour Award

Colour, materiality and texture are given sophisticated treatment, and are well deployed to enhance the play between light and dark, intensify the spatial experience of the architecture, and distinguish between contemporary insertions and heritage materials and colours.

Whanganui Collegiate School Administration Building by RTA Studio

The Whanganui Collegiate School Administration Building plays a pivotal role in the school’s new campus plan. Its siting and repeating gabled forms give presence to the school upon approach and when viewed from across the playing fields. The building completes a quadrangle, bringing shelter and order to the campus. The three gabled forms are generous, and double-height volumes are deployed to good effect, imparting grace and significance to the campus front door. Materials and detailing have been carefully handled to respond to each orientation of the building. Internally, the building provides a rich spatial experience with dual stairs rising between the revealed inner skin of the exterior and interior environments. The building is a fine complement to the heritage architecture at the Whanganui Collegiate School.

Interior Architecture

Govett Quilliam by Boon

This innovative and forward-thinking fit-out challenges the norm for law practices. The layout provides a balance of open plan, breakout and task-specific work zones which enhances physical and visual connections throughout the space, resulting in a more cohesive place of work. Bold and beautiful elements are given space and celebrated amongst neutral surrounds. This fresh, contemporary fit-out also integrates with and enhances the base build design.

Resene Colour Award

Colour is used judiciously by the architect to create a sophisticated and inviting space which reflects the professional nature of the client. The palette contrasts the strong industrial features of the building structure against the finely crafted architectural finishing.

Heritage

Whanganui War Memorial Centre Strengthening by BSM Group Architects

The complex structural strengthening of this Heritage Category 1 building ensures its continued survival by applying sophisticated architectural and structural solutions that complement and enhance the existing aesthetic of the building. Careful consideration was given to the War Memorial’s heritage status during structural strengthening and refurbishment which retained the building’s architectural integrity and famous form. The result is exceptional; the work has given the War Memorial Centre a new chapter in its life, not only preserving the building for its community but also retaining an icon of New Zealand architecture.

Whanganui Collegiate School – H.G Carver Memorial Library by RTA Studio

The HG Carver Memorial Library has been beautifully restored and given a fitting new purpose for a heritage building: the pursuit of knowledge. Seismic strengthening has been integrated without adversely affecting the architectural elements. Clever new character windows have been integrated into the building so seamlessly as to suggest they were always there. The former dining room was a singular interior volume; however, the adaptive reuse respectfully inserts a central contemporary element, leaving the heritage walls and trusses to be appreciated and admired.

Small Project Architecture

New Plymouth Boys High School Wharenui by Boon

The success of this project lies in its connectivity. The architecture has been driven by the context, facilitating the school’s operation within a bi-cultural framework. Structural strengthening work has been designed and carried out in sympathy with the existing historic building, blending the European context of the building with a new focus on Māori culture. The building has a new life and purpose; it now functions as a flexible learning space to foster the learning of te reo Māori, allowing space for pōwhiri and performance. The re-purposing of this building brings a cultural narrative from the rear of the campus to the heart of the school.

Iona by Drawingroom Architecture & Design

This delightful, cleverly designed tiny house is sited on the banks of the Whanganui River amongst native flax, and in close proximity to the town centre. The relationship between architecture, site and context is exceptional. Inspired by the idea of turning an object into a building, Iona features the reclaimed hull of a 1925 Kauri workboat and is a celebration of the re-use of materials. Parts of the old boat have been used as flooring, decking, landscape posts and lighting. The narrative of the project, from the origin of the boat to the source of other materials, gives it a strong sustainability focus. Great consideration has gone into the design, construction detailing, and crafting of the building; the complexity of this project is anything but small.

Resene Colour Award

The architect has used colour cleverly to accentuate the original features of the boat which this house has been designed around. Introduced materials have been left muted to allow the boat’s character to shine through.