Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects and the Wilson family have named Caro Robertson and Tim Gittos of Spacecraft Architects as the recipients of the 2026 F. Gordon Wilson Fellowship for Affordable Housing.

The Fellowship supports research and innovative thinking that can help address Aotearoa New Zealand’s need for high-quality, affordable, resilient, sustainable and culturally appropriate housing.

It honours the legacy of architect F. Gordon Wilson, who led the state housing programme as Government Architect during the mid-20th century. Established by Wilson’s family in partnership with the Institute, the Fellowship encourages architects to investigate new approaches to one of the country’s most pressing challenges.

Through their project, D.I.Y. Density, Robertson and Gittos aim to develop a high-quality, streamlined design for co-living developments, helping make these complex and desirable projects more achievable and accessible.

The jury said the proposal stood out for its “clear utility, strong design focus and well-conceived brief”, as well as Spacecraft Architects’ depth of experience in small-scale, owner-developed co-housing.

“Caro and Tim demonstrated that they understand the creativity, thriftiness and compromise that these projects require, and that they can ably apply this depth of knowledge to their elegant designs,” says Julia Mandell-Kerr, granddaughter of the renowned architect F. Gordon Wilson and member of the 2026 jury. “We have high hopes that their project can help to make more of these projects a reality in Aotearoa New Zealand.”

Robertson and Gittos said the Fellowship would allow them to consolidate and share the knowledge gained through their work.

“We are thrilled to receive this Fellowship which will allow us to put pen to paper and sum up our thoughts on how we can keep residents involved in the provision of more, denser housing.”

The Fellowship was presented at the 2026 in:situ Conference + CAA Awards Gala Dinner in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.