2025 Canterbury Architecture Awards Winner
Te Whare Whakatere – Ashburton Library and Civic Centre
A benchmark for contemporary civic architecture in Aotearoa, Te Whare Whakatere unites cultural expression, functional excellence, and sustainability in a single cohesive form. Designed to serve Ashburton’s growing needs, the building includes a state-of-the-art library, Council offices, Emergency Operations Centre, public event spaces, and integrated amenities. It welcomes and reflects its community through collaboration with mana whenua. Material references to the region’s farming identity—mass timber, pivot-inspired trusses, and silo-like mesh—anchor it firmly in place. Historic Pioneer Hall is thoughtfully restored within the children’s library, while artesian heating and energy strategies support long-term resilience. A civic building of meaning, purpose and place.
- Practice
- Athfield Architects Limited
- Category
- Public Architecture
- Location
- Canterbury
