Over more than two decades, Simon Hall has built a distinguished career grounded in design excellence, leadership, and service. His diverse professional portfolio spans commercial, civic, education, research, sporting, aged care, and residential projects, including landmark works such as Te Noninga Kumu – Motueka Public Library and the Plant & Food Seafood Research Centre in Nelson.

A longstanding member of JTB Architects since 2004 and graduating from Victoria University of Wellington, Simon is regarded not only as an exceptional architect but an advocate for the architecture of the region. Since 2018, his projects have received 21 award wins or recognitions from a range of industry bodies and associations.

Elevated to Fellow of the NZIA in 2023, and a Board member since 2021, Simon is a committed advocate for the profession. He is widely respected for his clear communication, generosity of time and knowledge, and his ability to connect and support colleagues across the Institute, the Nelson & Marlborough Branch, and the wider architectural community.

Graham Linwood has given more than two decades of dedicated service to Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects, defined by his commitment, organisational skill, and generosity of time. He has been the driving force behind the Gisborne & Hawke’s Bay Branch’s bus tour and annual golf tournament—two long-standing and valued events. He also played a key role in the 2009 and 2019 Mini-Conferences.

These events require sustained coordination and responsibility, which Graham has undertaken without seeking recognition. In doing so, he has created enduring opportunities for connection and collegiality, strengthening member engagement and the Institute’s culture. His contributions exemplify quiet leadership and service in the very best traditions of the NZIA and are highly deserving of a President’s Award.

Dr Anthony Hōete, FNZIA, Professor of Architecture (Māori) at the University of Auckland, has significantly advanced both New Zealand and Māori architecture here and on the global stage. Notably, his current project, Te Whare Mīmiro, with Ngāti Ira o Waioweka, promises to be a landmark in Māori architecture.

Anthony (Ngāti Awa and Ngāti Ranana) actively contributes to the promotion and preservation of indigenous architecture, while fostering research and enterprise links between Aotearoa, Australia and Europe. His commitment to transdisciplinary Kaupapa Māori Research underscores his dedication to indigenous-led design and community transformation.

We commend Anthony for his commitment to elevating Māori architecture and design technologies in Aotearoa and further afield.

The dynamic duo of Jeremy Smith and Andrew Irving has a way of breathing fresh air into their projects and the profession of architecture. Prolific, innovative, expansive in their practice, the pair may be based in Nelson but are known all over the world.

Their studio, Irving Smith Architects, has received more than 50 Institute awards, as well as a World Architecture Festival award, World Timber Building of the Year, Best of the Best Green Building award, and a UNESCO Asia-Pacific Cultural heritage Award. They have represented New Zealand at the Prague International Architecture Festivals three times, they travel widely, teach, collaborate and write on architecture, generating discourse and fraternity every step of the way.

Their work, charted in part in their beautiful book Unfinished & Far Far Away: The Architecture of Irving Smith Architects, is meaningful, mindful and we sincerely thank them for their contribution to the industry.

In his efforts to steer the design and construction sectors in Aotearoa towards sustainable and regenerative practices, Jerome has inspired numerous professionals to follow his lead. As a skilled communicator, educator and coach, his ability to engage people in practice and across the board is to be commended.

Among his notable achievements, including leading the Living Building Challenge with Ngai Tuhoe’s Te Kura Whare, and pioneering Net Zero Energy Certifications, he has developed sustainable design programmes for Jasmax and other organisations. 

Jerome’s vision for creating beautiful and innovative designs that enhance society and the environment underscores his impact as a sustainability leader. We thank Jerome for his dedication to realising a richer world for us now and into the future.

Dr Kay Saville-Smith has spent more than 25 years researching housing in Aotearoa, via her work in community and social policy research. As a sociologist, director of the Centre for Research, Evaluation and Social Assessment, and the Chief Science Advisor for Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, her research helps deepen our understanding of sustainable housing, community housing, our residential building industry, and housing in relation to disability and social services. 

A Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, Kay is a goldmine of information and a valuable contributor to discussions about our built environment. Her work makes an important contribution to our practice as architects. We commend and thank her for her commitment to the public good.

Siân Taylor, FNZIA, one of the first Passive House-certified architects in Aotearoa New Zealand, co-established the New Zealand chapter of Architects Declare in 2019. Through this initiative and her architecture practice, Siân is a passionate advocate for regenerative design practices, reducing construction waste, accelerating the shift to low-embodied carbon and non-toxic materials, and minimising wasteful use of resources in the built environment. Congratulations Siân for your exemplary efforts.

Established in 2006 in honour of celebrated architect Sir Miles Warren, the Warren Trust is a passionate supporter of architecture and architectural education in Aotearoa New Zealand. With a mission to enhance architectural awareness and accessibility, the Trust fosters public engagement through exhibitions, publications, awards, resources and education. It facilitates an annual public lecture and grants Canterbury members of this Institute access to its property for their architectural endeavours. Thanks to the Trust, the Institute holds the much-loved annual Warren Trust Awards for Architectural Writing, which attracts submissions from across the motu, from tamariki through to practising architects.

Additionally, the Trust champions various educational initiatives in the field. Led by esteemed trustees, the Trust’s commitment to architectural education aligns with its broader goal of enriching society through the art of architecture.

This legacy of support underscores the Trust’s vital role in nurturing architectural excellence and fostering a deeper appreciation for the built environment in this country.

Denise, your career in architecture has helped hundreds of your peers across the profession, from established architects, schools of architecture, to recent graduates and students still completing their studies. Through your co-founding of the Thursday Lunch Group 33-years ago in 1990, you have bought together other women architects in sole practice to learn from and support each other. In 2000, the Institute sought your services to adapt a series of RIBA booklets for New Zealand conditions including, “Starting a Practice” and “Keeping out of Trouble”. Those booklets have helped many architects in their careers and practice. During 2009-2015 you made a significant contribution to the Australian and New Zealand Architecture Programme Accreditation Procedure (ANZ APAP) which validates the architecture degree programs offered in New Zealand. This included representing the Institute at meetings with the Australian Institute of Architects in Canberra. Denise, your influence on the profession and its education has been significant. You have been both an Institute and an NZRAB-nominated member of the National Visiting Panel. Your first visit was to Unitec in 2003. Since then you have been on twelve visiting panels, as a panellist, Deputy Chair and Chair, including four visits to Australian schools of architecture. Denise, the Institute, our members and architecture students thank you for your dedication and service to the profession.

Elizabeth, your dedication and unbridled talent in uncovering and sharing the stories of New Zealand’s heritage buildings and the people who have inhabited them is a gift to the nation. Your passion for social and women’s history has been important in the story of architecture in Aotearoa New Zealand. Making Space will become a seminal text in architectural education and the professions’ body of knowledge. Your work alongside 30 leading women architects, architectural historians and academics, shines a light on hundreds of remarkable women, including many whose careers have until now been lost to the historical record. Elizabeth, your efforts to document and preserve New Zealand’s heritage have been recognised both nationally and internationally. It is only fitting that Te Kāhui Whaihanga duly recognises your extraordinary talent and contribution to the profession, our understanding of our history and our heritage and the role and influence of architecture. It is with great admiration that we recognise you, Elizabeth Cox, with a President’s Award, and we look forward to the continuation of your work and the untold stories that come to light in the years to come.

Ken, you bring heart and hope to architecture. Since 1987 you have actively sought to influence social and public housing in Aotearoa New Zealand through study and advocacy. You have been a passionate advocate for our built heritage and played a leading role in the Institute’s partnership with the Wilson family to establish the F. Gordon Wilson Fellowship for Public Housing. Your seminal thesis, “A Liberal Turn of Mind: The Architectural Work of F Gordon Wilson, 1936-1959: A Cultural Analysis” about Gordon Wilson, along with your strong bonds with the Wilson family have been appreciated and valued by the Institute. The F. Gordon Wilson Fellowship will see Wilson’s influence on public housing move beyond the built legacy to a future of generational ideas that will continue to influence social and public housing in this country. As an architect, Ken, at Kāinga Ora you have a wonderful opportunity to influence the design and quality of social and public housing and to support and inspire the architecture profession and wider industry. Thank you, Ken, for your passion, enthusiasm and your ambition to see architects and architecture valued. We look forward to your continuing influence on the profession and to public and social housing.

Over three decades, Guy, your passion for making the world better through architecture has been highly visible. As an architect, author, lecturer and founder of a practice you are leaving an indelible mark on the profession, its future and the buildings and spaces built around Aotearoa New Zealand. You take architecture to the people. Through a warm, engaging manner you willingly accept the responsibility every architect has to design with function, beauty and adaptability in mind. You are always looking for how architects today and into the future can be better. You regularly ask and challenge architects and students to think about the future because good architecture lasts for generations. You have supported and inspired many students to be curious, to be courageous and to always seek opportunities to have their ideas built. Through building one learns. Your generosity and support of Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects has also been outstanding and appreciated. We look forward to seeing what leading ideas, seminal texts and designs you produce next.

Peter, this President’s Award is to recognise the impact your passion and expertise is bringing to the future of architecture not just in Aotearoa New Zealand but across the world. Here in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, your work as Head of School, Te Whare Wānanga o Wairaka, Unitec – School of Architecture is supporting the future of our profession at the first step. At the same time, you are continuously working across education and practice to improve architectural education. Your collaborative approach to education is evidenced through the relationship with Otago Polytechnic Te Kura Matatini ki Otago which supports accredited architectural education being accessible to South Island students. The Institute has also appreciated the leadership you have shown in the recent role of President of the Association of Architecture Schools of Australasia (AASA). As President, AASA led submissions to Australian state and federal governments on proposed policies affecting the registration and regulation of architects and building practitioners. You also sought to strengthen AASA’s relationship with the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) in North America and form new partnerships with equivalent bodies in Europe and Asia. This extended international network and relationships offers considerable benefits to New Zealand architectural education. Peter, the Institute thanks you for your long-standing service to the Auckland Branch and the generous time and invaluable expertise you have provided the Institute.

The New Zealand Architects Co-operative Society (NZACS) have been at the forefront of risk management services and support to registered architects and architecture practices across Aotearoa New Zealand. Established in 1972, by architects and for architects, NZACS has continuously provided market leading professional indemnity insurance products and advice to the profession. With over 750 members, NZACS’s contribution to the profession has been immeasurable and is essential for any practice. NZACS understands the profession and the risks architects face every day. It is with this knowledge that architects can trust with confidence NZACS and the products and services they provide. With the support of NZACS, architects have been able to work on increasingly complex projects with confidence. This award also recognises the Institute members and registered architects who have contributed their knowledge and expertise to NZACS, as Board members, Chairs or Committee members. These roles offer invaluable support, guidance and advice to the profession, sometimes in difficult times. NZACS, thank you for providing outstanding support and services to architects and practices for the last 50 years. We know you will be there for architects and practice for another 50 years and more.

Helen, as City Missioner of Manutaki of Auckland City Mission – Te Tāpui Atawhai, you are well respected by the Institute and the people of Tāmaki Makaurau for your dedication to our most vulnerable. HomeGround has called on your inner determination, fighting spirit and mana to see a wonderful idea become a reality. Your ability to remain focused on the project and its benefits under some trying circumstances has inspired others, including the architects, Stevens Lawson and the wider community. Those relationships were instrumental to a project that at times must had seemed like a mountain to climb, but failure was not an option. Now Tāmaki Makaurau has a resource that creates homes, safe places and accessible support for people in our community who need it most. Architecturally it is a landmark, the cultural sensitivity, timber technology and sustainability have been recognised internationally. Thank you, Helen, may your selflessness and tenacity leading the Auckland City Mission continue to serve Aucklanders well into the future.

Andrea is an excellent architect, with an unerring sense of design and she takes due care and time in everything she does. Her designs are beautiful and sensitive. She and partner Andrew Kissell headed out of Auckland to establish themselves back in the South Island. Andrew is from Invercargill, but it was a return to Andrea’s hometown of Dunedin to set-up their joint practice. She has also become very quickly involved with the local branch and Otago Polytechnic which runs a BAS course, giving back to the profession and to encourage students and graduates coming through. The past two years at Te Kāhui Whaihanga have meant that as a Board we have had no past road map or experience to draw upon and we have had to work our way through uncharted territory. Luckily for me, not for Andrea, she has been the deputy president during the whole of Covid-19. Her calm manner and eye for detail, and great care for people have shone through during this time. This award honours Andrea’s commitment to our Institute.

Jason has made a huge contribution to our Institute over the past two years. Jason is intelligent, considered and kind. Nothing is ever a problem, and he is exactly the type of person we have needed on our Board during this time, someone who could be relied upon to make the right calls, keep things calm, even and right. His skills as a designer are great too, I love his surf lifesaving building on the waterfront in Papamoa. Every trip that I have had to Tauranga proves how much Jason has contributed to his community, his city and to the network of architects across the Waikato and Bay of Plenty. He’s engendered a collaborative approach, a sense of confidence and brought a great feeling of unity.

Rachel was impressive as one of the speakers at the launch of the Diversity Accord at Parliament in 2020. She talked about the diversity of her practice, Arthouse, in Nelson, where the team includes nine different nationalities, how this came about and how it worked. You could hear the passion she has for her office and for architecture as she spoke, and her talent in good clear communication shone! And her clear thinking was evident as the Nelson & Marlborough Board Director for Te Kāhui Whaihanga from 2016-2021. It is hard being an architect in our smaller centres, especially when you want to bring people together, but Rachel, with her colleague Renée Williamson alongside her, have done this. Even bringing the virtual Local Awards link into their own office to make this happen. 
Such determination and drive are to be rewarded, thanks Rachel.

Neil and Jennie are very much part of the architectural scene in Napier, with their office in Tennyson Street, and their regular café next to Clive Square. This elegant and welcoming pair have added real class and lovely pieces of built work to the city. Now their daughter Tess has taken over with the same amount of style. As the main NZRAB assessor for the Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay region, Neil has been the go-to person for graduates wanting to go through the registration process. He is always approachable, never in a hurry, giving each of us all the time in the world — plus he makes excellent fish curry! Under his careful and kind guidance many of you sitting in this room will have been registered and will agree that Neil is more than deserving of this award.

Teena has worked tirelessly and with outstanding resilience over the past two years. Times like this bring out either the best or the worst in people and fortunately for our Institute Teena fits into the first group. Teena and her team have had to navigate through uncharted waters to keep our Institute on a steady route. Numbers of webinars, fronted mainly by Teena herself, encouraging weekly Bulletins, virtual Award ceremonies and visits, ever-changing dates and places, all of these, plus more, were handled in a professional and efficient manner. People from outside our Institute have commented on the excellent quality, high attendances, and consistent delivery. Teena’s dedication to our Institute is outstanding. We are immensely proud to have her as CEO of Te Kāhui Whaihanga and she is well deserving of this long overdue award.

Elisapeta has contributed tirelessly to Te Kāhui Whaihanga in a number of ways. Her commitment to our Institute is outstanding, and she has been extraordinary. As the inaugural Ngā Aho co-opted Director on the Institute Board, Elisapeta (Ngātiwai, Waikato Tainui) was instrumental in supporting the understanding and gifting of our Māori name, Te Kāhui Whaihanga. She has also provided significant peer support to colleagues and members of Emerge and generously shared personal stories and perspectives on the profession, future and wellbeing. Elisapeta is Principal and leader of Waka Māia at Jasmax, where she has contributed significantly to cultural design outcomes for major projects at the practice. She is also an advocate for change, speaking internationally to provide Māori and Pasifika perspectives on the importance of place to both design and cultural identity. Her industry work includes roles as Co-Chair (2017-2018) and core team member of Architecture+Women between 2013-2018. Between 2016 and 2019 she was a Director on the Board of the New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA) representing Ngā Aho — Aotearoa’s national network of Māori design professionals, during which time she helped implement Te Kawenata o Rata (a covenant) between Ngā Aho and the Institute, recognising Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Alec is one of the kindest architects I know. He is at every event that I have attended in Christchurch and always stays in touch with the work Te Kāhui Whaihanga is doing across the country. He was so pleased to meet up with Distinguished Fellow Bill Alington. Bill still talks about how Alec was so kind to him that night. He has worked quietly away as the NZRAB Canterbury Convenor for many years helping hundreds of graduates up and down the country to get registered. He is part of a group of dedicated assessors who work more or less voluntarily in this role guiding graduates through the registration process. There will be several of you in this room who will want to join with me in thanking Alec for this tremendous work. Alec has been involved in keeping the registration process fair and honest and is prepared to speak out to maintain standards and consistency. Alec’s generous and gentle manner makes all of us feel welcome and wanted.

Since moving to New Zealand from the UK almost 20 years ago, photographer Andy Spain has established himself as a talented and generous supporter of the architectural community and a welcome presence in the Capital’s cultural scene. Andy is an acute interpreter and interrogator of architectural projects, and has brought an educated sensibility and fresh perspective to the recording of New Zealand architecture. He brings the same qualities to his photography of the city and scenes of urban life; his talent and enthusiasm are evident in his charming and insightful series of photographs of Wellington’s historic and vibrant Cuba Street. Andy’s energetic pursuit of ways to involve himself with architecture was evident in his enterprising contribution to the 2019 Festival of Architecture, and his insightful podcasts featuring New Zealand photographers testify to his commitment to his own craft. Wellington’s architects have much cause to be grateful for Andy’s skilful presentation of their work to a wider audience, both here and abroad.

Heritage practitioner and advocate

Bruce Petry was a passionate, knowledgeable and outspoken advocate for the causes in which he believed. He made a huge contribution in the field of heritage architecture, and was unfailingly generous with his advice and assistance. His gift for friendship was deeply appreciated throughout, and well beyond, the architectural community. In the wider civic realm, Bruce’s courage and commitment were evident in his prominent role in the struggle for gay rights and his advocacy on behalf of those sufferring from HIV/AIDS. Bruce is sorely missed and very fondly remembered.

Senior Lecturer, Wellington School of Architecture, Victoria University of Wellington Te Herenga Waka

Robin Skinner has been a model of a committed academic and engaged public intellectual for more than 20 years. He has played a full part in the life of the Wellington School of Architecture – generations of students at the School have benefited from Robin’s teaching and guidance, and he has made a significant contribution in the fields of architectural history and theory. Robin’s collegial values and generous disposition are also evident in his service to cultural institutions such as the Adam Art Gallery and Turnbull Library, and his promotion of the public discussion of architecture. The profession owes Robin a debt of gratitude for advancing the cause of architecture in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Director, Fiona Christeller Architect

For more than 30 years, Fiona Christeller has forged her own way in New Zealand architecture. She has run her own practice, contributed significantly to the profession as an assessor of two decades’ standing for the Registered Architects’ Board, and taught at Victoria University’s School of Architecture. Fiona has consistently engaged in the civic realm as an architect, urban designer and citizen. She has always challenged herself as an architect and designer and has demonstrated admirable fortitude in pursuing a career as a female practitioner in what, for much of her working life, has been an unsympathetic professional environment. Fiona is accomplished, determined and enterprising, and an inspiration to all young people setting out on a career in architecture.

As Director of Property Services at the University of Auckland for 15 years, Peter Fehl has made a huge contribution to the development of one of the most significant architectural sites in New Zealand. Peter has drawn on more than 30 years’ experience in the construction industry in commissioning high-quality buildings, many of them inserted into a crowded inner-city campus, for New Zealand’s largest university. In his position, and in his similar previous role at Victoria University of Wellington, Peter has shown consistent support for this country’s architects; he has been an appropriately demanding client with exacting standards and, as evidenced by his generous endowment of a student scholarship, his professional dedication and expertise is allied to a deep personal commitment to the University of Auckland.        

Tony Watkins occupies a unique place in New Zealand architecture. He has been many things: architect, builder, teacher, writer, environmentalist, urbanist, advocate and agitator. Over the course of 50 years, Tony has demonstrated a tireless commitment to engaging with the public about architecture and reminding the profession of its societal and ethical responsibilities. He has been a well-informed, impassioned and, when necessary, provocative presence at numerous architectural forums in New Zealand and abroad. Tony was an early and prescient lobbyist for ecological protection and humane city planning, and throughout his career has never been afraid to challenge orthodox opinion or vested interests. He has lived his principles in his always-evolving, self-built house at Karaka Bay, and has contributed wholeheartedly to countless causes and campaigns over his long career in architecture.     

Engineering New Zealand has pursued a very collegial relationship with Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects as both organisations have sought to advance professional standards, promote the welfare of their members and advocate for the greater good of the wider industry. The close collaboration of Engineering New Zealand and the NZIA was exemplified by the launch of the Diversity Agenda which aims to increase the rate of female participation in the two professions. The NZIA is most appreciative of the ongoing commitment of Engineering New Zealand to this initiative and acknowledges the effort and resources it has dedicated to cause of gender equity in New Zealand.  

Amisfield Wines’ generous and enthusiastic support for the activities of the Institute  of Architects started with the company’s involvement with New Zealand’s inaugural  pavilion at the 2014 Venice Architecture Biennale. It continued at the 2016 Biennale and the subsequent New Zealand tour of the 2016 Venice exhibition, Future Islands, and has extended to other Institute events. Amisfield’s presence at the opening Biennale functions greatly enhanced those events: Venice showed that the ambitions of the company, and of the Institute of Architects, to showcase New Zealand creative talent are perfectly complementary. The Institute greatly appreciates Amisfield’s assistance, and applauds its ongoing interest in and support for New Zealand architecture.

Senior Urban Designer, Housing New Zealand    

Throughout her purposeful career, Sue Evans has championed the cause of good urban design in Auckland, and New Zealand. She has made a valuable  contribution to the significant improvement in urban design policy and practice in Auckland, and is now performing an equally valuable service in her urban design leadership role with Housing New Zealand. Sue has brought perceptiveness and tenacity, in the face of entrenched opinion and established interests, to the challenging task of realising well-designed public spaces in the Auckland CBD and on the revitalised waterfront. She has been a dependable ally of and advocate for architecture, and for the public good, and has lent generous support to design education, having taught at the University of Auckland, AUT and Unitec, and to professional organisations, including Architecture+ Women and the Institute of Architects.

McGregor Wright Services

Veronica Green and Sean Duxfield have been integral to the campaign to represent New Zealand at the Venice Architecture Biennale. Through the exhibition support company McGregor Wright Services they provided valuable assistance to the Institute in staging the inaugural New Zealand exhibition, Last, Loneliest, Loveliest, in 2014, and assumed greater responsibility for many of the logistical aspects, including staffing and de-installation, of the 2016 Venice exhibition, Future Islands. Veronica and Sean were then closely involved in the touring of Future Islands around New Zealand in 2017–18, installing or helping to install the exhibition in venues in five cities. Their commitment and proficiency, and their collegiality and very helpful attitude, are much appreciated by the Institute of Architects.