The Fellowship jury, composed of Julia Mandell (architect and granddaughter of F. Gordon Wilson), Dr Kay Saville-Smith, Marko den Breems, Peter McPherson and Brian Donnelly, ONZM, considered 27 proposals. The breadth of subject matter spanned the length of Aotearoa and diverse communities and affordable housing dilemmas and opportunities. 

The shortlisted candidates will present their ideas related to unmet housing needs to the jury in August, with the winner to be announced at an award ceremony in September at Parliament. Here’s an introduction to each of the shortlisted proposals: 

Filling Auckland’s Gap 

This proposal from Graeme Scott, Distinguished Fellow of the Institute, looks at how social and affordable housing could increase Auckland’s economic performance. Our biggest city’s unmet housing needs would be addressed with plans and views of how the city centre-fringe zone extending from Maungawhau to Kingsland station could be developed as a comprehensive mixed-use precinct, incorporating a high proportion of social rental and affordable apartments in a variety of building heights.

Loose-Fit Futures 

How can architecture be developed to create healthy, functional and culturally responsive domestic spaces while enhancing construction efficiency and affordability in Aotearoa? Norman Wei and Cynthia Yuan propose that Loose-fit architecture could transform affordable housing with the provision of multifunctional areas for gathering, working or socialising. With spatial prototyping, environmental performance testing, and regulatory analysis, the pair would address a handful of sites to see how new housing typologies could be improved with Loose-fit spaces. 

Raising Roofs, Sharing Land

Construkt Architects’ project explores a new modular building typology, designed to be added to school grounds and public reserves, for residential accommodation for essential workers. The studio would assess three Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland sites suitable for sensitive infill and develop a scalable modular system prototype with site-responsive concept designs and sustainability strategies. 

The Tasman Terrace 

William Samuels’ proposal focuses on the Nelson-Tasman region and proposes a pilot study to explore the development of a pattern book of pre-designed medium density housing plans. Samuels’ research into and completion of high quality and affordable designs would help to derisk and cut costs and timeframes for such developments. Scaling the approach into a nationally applicable model could follow this initial piece of work, enabling a wider application of Samuels’ output. 

Vaka Takitumu 

Improving the wellbeing of Cook Island Māori through the built form is the topic of interest for a collective composed of David Raea, David Simiona, Tony Laiman and Joanna Jack. Focussing on a site in Māngere, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, the group proposes to use cultural symposiums and workshops to develop culturally specific design principles to apply to affordable housing masterplans and modelling on the site.