Twenty-six architectural projects across Waikato and the Bay of Plenty have been deemed the very best in Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects’ Local Awards this year, spanning a range of projects from a modern waka storage building on the shore of Lake Rotorua to a new landmark bridge spanning the Waikato River in Hamilton.
In the Small Project Architecture category, the Whare waka by DCA Architects of Transformation won an award for packing numerous architectural features into a small building primarily constructed from wood, glass and steel with large doors allowing direct lake access. Judges noted the obvious collaboration that had gone into the project between the architects, council, iwi, and a cultural advisor.
Meanwhile the Te Ara Pekapeka bridge in Hamilton by Edwards White Architects and BBO in association won a Planning & Urban Design Award for managing a significant infrastructure project with respectful sensitivity for cultural and ecological imperatives. Judges noted the resulting landmark as an impressive addition to the landscape of Kirikiriroa, weaving historical, cultural and physical connections to the Waikato River.
“It feels to me like there’s been a ‘coming of age’ for architects in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions, with local practices now making their mark to a greater degree than in previous years,” says jury convenor and architect Pat de Pont from SGA - Strachan Group Architects, normally based in Auckland. “It’s also been great to see a range of projects this year that address community, liveability, sustainability and affordability.”
Those themes were evident in two social housing projects by DCA Architects of Transformation recognised by the judges in the Housing – Multi Unit category this year. In the Lake Road and Fairy Springs projects, judges noted how the materials and forms created buildings with identities yet also fostered a sense of community for the residents. At Fairy Springs, judges noted how the use of energy-efficient building designs helped ensure warm, healthy homes for residents.
Judges also recognised a total of 12 stunning projects in the housing category this year, including properties in popular holiday destinations such as Raglan, Mount Maunganui, Hahei and Pauanui.
The Cartwright Residence (1975) in Hamilton by Gleeson Architects received an Enduring Architecture Award.
De Pont was joined on the jury by Mary Campbell (Bellbird Architect), Jenny Duck (Jenny Duck Architect), Steven Hughes (Build Good Architecture) and lay juror Alan Deare.
The winners received their awards at an event at SkyCity Hamilton on 22 May.
Full list of 2025 Waikato & Bay of Plenty Architecture Awards winners by category:
Commercial Architecture
• Endoscopy on Clarence by APG Architects (Hamilton)
• Te Whare Hono o Tūwharetoa by DCA Architects of Transformation (Taupō)
Education
• Hamilton Boys' High School Whare Ako by PAUA Architects (Hamilton)
Housing
• Sandcastle by Architecture Bureau (Mount Maunganui)
• Omanu by Brendon Gordon Architects (Mount Maunganui)
• Popadich House by Davor Popadich Architects (Hahei)
• Waikuta by Dorrington Atcheson Architects (Rotorua)
• Riverpoint by Edwards White Architects (Hamilton)
• Passive Modern by Edwards White Architects (Cambridge)
• R & B New Home by Jackson Architects (Lake Ōkareka)
• Waterways Residence - Coromandel by Johnston Architects (Pauanui)
• Coromandel House by Julian Guthrie Architecture (Pauanui)
• Te Wharewakaroa by Mercer and Mercer Architects (Raglan)
• House at Sailors Grave by Sophie Hamer Architecture (Pumpkin Hill)
• Matuku Moana by Studio Brick Architects (Papamoa)
Housing – Alterations and Additions
• Rainbow Point Renovation by Fraser Cameron Architects (Taupō)
Housing – Multi Unit
• Lake Road by DCA Architects of Transformation (Rotorua)
• Fairy Springs by DCA Architects of Transformation (Rotorua)
Interior Architecture
• Fonterra – Southbloc fitout by Chow:Hill Architects and Designwell in association (Hamilton)
• Southpac by Edwards White Architects (Tauranga)
• Bay Radiology Tauranga Imaging Centre by Jigsaw Architects (Tauranga)
Planning & Urban Design
• Te Ara Pekapeka by Edwards White Architects and BBO in association (Hamilton)
Public Architecture
• Hamilton Gardens Visitor Precinct by Edwards White Architects (Hamilton)
Small Project Architecture
• Whare waka by DCA Architects of Transformation (Rotorua)
• Pūriri Hideaway by Woven Architects (Raglan)
Enduring Architecture
• Cartwright Residence (1975) by Gleeson Architects (Hamilton)
