2009 Wellington Architecture Awards announced

MEDIA RELEASE

14 November 2009

2009 Wellington Architecture Awards announced

From a writer’s residence powered only by sun and water to the massive new regional hospital project, excellence in design is celebrated in the 2009 Wellington Architecture Awards.

The landmark BNZ Harbour Quays Building, Moore Wilson Fresh and Chews Lane Precinct are also among winners in the Wellington awards programme, organised and run by the New Zealand Institute of Architects and supported by Resene.

Jury convenor, architect Angela Foster, said the standard of entries had been very high and it was encouraging to see that sustainable principles were now integrated into the design process and evident across both commercial and residential projects.

“It is now something that is integral to projects rather than just added on and it is clear that it is something clients are asking for,” she said.

BNZ

The BNZ Harbour Quays building, by Jasmax Limited, took triple honours with awards in the commercial, sustainable and interior architecture categories.

The Five Green Star rated building was praised by jurors for its strong sculptural element, ecological and social considerations and as an invigorating environment.

Ms Foster said: “This is a totally different way of looking at an office building, the epitome of open plan and rather like a mini city.”

Wellington Regional Hospital

Wellington Regional Hospital by CCM Architects in association with Rice Daubney (early stages only) was among winners in public architecture hailed by Ms Foster as an innovative hospital design.

Jurors also said the project, based on the ‘model of care’ concept had worked extremely well making the building accessible despite its massive scale.

Chews Lane Precinct and Moore Wilson Fresh

Chews Lane Precinct and the Moore Wilson Fresh building, both by Athfield Architects, were also honoured.

Chews Lane, a winner in urban design, was praised as having revitalised the site, achieving intimacy and diversity at pedestrian level, again despite being a project on a huge scale.

Moore Wilson Fresh was described as a “subtly detailed urban market” with jurors noting that the client/architect association of 40 years’ standing had resulted in a “dynamic relationship between shopper, product and space”.

Sparkling lantern of a building

The new Te Puni Village - Victoria University of Wellington student residences, by Architectus, was seen as a “celebration of light and colour within the urban landscape”.

Ms Foster said: “This could simply have been any multi storey building but instead is a refined gesture to the city. At night it is a sparkling lantern on the city ridgeline.”

Multiple housing

The Herd Street Development in Wellington, by Archaus Architects Limited and Warren + Mahoney Architects in Association, was the sole winner in residential architecture - multiple housing. Jurors were captivated by the boathouse, described as “jewel of the harbour”.

Wellington Waterfront Framework

Not all winners were buildings. The Wellington Waterfront Framework by WCC Architects, which guides the future development of Wellington’s central waterfront area, was a winner in urban design winning acclaim as “an example of “where urban design is about process rather than product”.

Homestay with a difference

The Villa Melina Boutique Homestay in Seatoun, by Novak + Middleton Architects, a winner in commercial architecture, “exuded comfort” while incorporating cutting edge sustainable approaches and many European ideas and products suggested by the Swiss clients.

The Central Forklifts Building at Avalon, by Designgroup Stapleton Elliott, also a winner in the category, won accolades as an elegant response to an industrial subject.

Heritage

Heritage awards went to the Railway Social Hall behind Wellington Railway Station, by CCM Architects, and to Days Bay Changing Rooms by John Mills Architects.

The social hall won accolade for an elegant refurbishment which is contemporary yet sympathetic to the structure, allowing the hall to “regain its grandeur”.

The changing rooms have also been revitalised with a contemporary sculptural interior moving the focus towards the public beach while respecting the shell of the original building.
Public architecture winners
The Victoria University Coastal Ecology Laboratory by Pynenburg & Collins Architects, was a winner in public architecture with jurors remarking on the well resolved laboratory spaces feeding off a central core.
Unashamedly lavish
The “unashamedly lavish” Osteria Del Toro Restaurant, by Designgroup Stapleton Elliott, took honours in interior design, with the décor summed up as creating “a rich and unique dining experience”.
Wellington residential - tranquil Athfield “bunker”
Praised as an “elegant bunker,” the Harding house, an Athfield Architects designed hilltop home in Melrose, provides shelter from the Wellington winds while encasing a warm and tranquil interior.
Jurors hailed the property as simple, refined and “an outstanding example of site responsive architecture”.
Other Wellington winners included the Collins Wiles House at Ngaio, by Erin Collins, described by Ms Foster “as a little gem on the side of a hill”.
The transformation of Two Karori properties, both by Herriot + Melhuish Architecture, were among winners.
Karori House 1: Stewart Dickens House is now “consumed by sun and views”.
Karori House 2: The Stonyer House has become an “entertainer’s dream” and effectively “a magnificent kitchen with four bedrooms attached”.
Other extensively remodelled properties included Winona in Khandallah, by Novak + Middleton Architects, described as “an elegant and sophisticated renovation”.
Another extensive makeover, a Maupuia House, by Tim Nees Architects, won acclaim for paying tribute to the 1970s structure while introducing innovative architecture.
Wairarapa sustainable paradise
A Writers Residence near Martinborough by Art +Architecture was a winner in the sustainable category, charming jurors with its simplicity, tranquillity and harmony.
Ms Foster said the property, which is not connected to either telephone or power supplies, was “totally sustainable and like a Vitruvian Hut - so simple and making you truly feel detached from civilisation”.
Solar panels are used to heat water and, on dull days, a small turbine, powered by a nearby stream, takes over. Heating is provided by fireplaces with wetbacks.
An Aorangi House Building Upgrade by Studio Pacific Architecture, also won in the category, for “Intelligent sustainable interventions applied to an existing multi-storey building.
The Pukaha Mount Bruce Wildlife Centre - Visitors Centre by Proarch Architects was a winner in small project architecture with the jurors noting how the original Lockwood structure had been “peeled back” to embrace the forest canopy beyond.
A Greytown Artist Studio by Accent Architects, which “leans up” towards a mature walnut tree, was described as “an extension of the garden canopy”.
Eastbourne residential
Two new Eastbourne properties were among winners. A House for Gillian Watt, by WATT Architects, in Sorrento Bay, was described as a “celebration of light and space” and Bay House, by Novak + Middleton Architects as “simple yet complex” and “poised serenely in the hills of Days Bay”.
Kapiti Coast house
A “well detailed and seamless” Kapiti Coast House at Te Horo, by Bevin + Slessor Architects, was admired for the way it reaches out to the garden as an extension of the living environment”.

Enduring architecture awards
Enduring architecture awards were made to two 1970s buildings, Wellington’s Westpac Bank Building which was formerly The Bank of New South Wales and designed by Stephenson & Turner NZ, and to the Ainsworth House at Korokoro, by Roger Walker Architects.
Jurors said the elegantly restrained facade and interior of the Westpac building had stood the test of time, transcending styles and fashions.
The Ainsworth House was a seen as “Very much a celebration of archetypal 1970’s Wellington architecture.
“It is what you think of when someone says ‘Roger Walker,’ “ said Ms Foster. “It’s like an adult’s playhouse, with lots of quirky spaces and little nooks and crannies”.
Jurors
Ms Foster was joined on the jury by Wellington architects Michael Melville and Morten Gjerde who lectures at the University of Victoria’s architecture department and is a consultant to the city council, and by visual artist Cathryn Monro who created the steel Per Capita sculpture on the corner of Cable Street and Tory Street.
As well as visiting all shortlisted properties, the judges met with the architects and clients. The buildings were judged against a series of key criteria including their contribution to the advancement of architecture as a discipline and enhancement of the human spirit.
For more award winning New Zealand architecture visit, www.nzia.co.nz

About the New Zealand Architecture Awards
The New Zealand Architecture Awards programme was established by the New Zealand Institute of Architects to celebrate the innovation, creativity and excellence of architectural projects nationwide.
The awards are open to all NZIA Practices, and projects can be entered into one or more of 10 categories – Public architecture, Residential architecture – housing, Residential architecture – multiple housing, Commercial architecture, Urban design, Interior architecture, Heritage, Small project architecture, Sustainability and Enduring architecture. There is no limit to the number of awards the local jury can make in any category.

The programme has three tiers, progressing from the eight regional awards to national recognition – the New Zealand Architecture Awards – and through to the ultimate accolade, the New Zealand Architecture Medal.

All local winners become eligible for consideration for a New Zealand Architecture Award, decided by a national jury, which includes an overseas judge, in early 2010.

In May at the NZIA’s annual Gala Dinner, the finalists for the New Zealand Architecture Medal will be announced, and the winner named later in the evening. Only one New Zealand Architecture Medal is bestowed each year, in recognition of a single built work.

2009 Wellington Architecture Awards
Judges Citations

Commercial Architecture
NZIA Practice Award For
Designgroup Stapleton Elliott Central Forklifts Building
This building sits to the fore of the TVNZ Studio Building as a "refined shed". It is articulated with a bold form that follows the road’s edge. The structural simplicity of the exterior and frontal showroom celebrate the notions of "working shed" and "product".

Athfield Architects Limited Moore Wilson Fresh
A client/architect association lasting over 40 years has resulted in a dynamic relationship between shopper, product and space. An informal street leads to a subtly detailed urban market with refreshing product organisation and display.

Jasmax Limited BNZ Harbour Quays
With a strong articulated façade this building stands out as an exemplary detailing project. Viewed from both the water and the city it is a strong sculptural element within the cityscape.

Novak + Middleton Architects Villa Melina Boutique Homestay
This Homestay offers assured detailing in a brutal location where good architectural detailing is climatically and sustainably necessary. Contemporary materials and themes from two cultures create a cohesive aesthetic exuding warmth and comfort, inside and out.

Enduring Architecture
NZIA Practice Award For
Stephenson & Turner NZ Ltd The Westpac Bank Building (formerly The Bank of New South Wales)
The elegantly restrained façade and interior of this building has stood the test of time. Thirty-seven years on, the building remains a classic example of a 70’s structure, transcending styles and fashions.

Roger Walker Architects Limited Ainsworth House
This is a house very much of its time - a celebration of archetypal 1970’s Wellington architecture. A series of rooms offer a sense of adventure and discovery as curious niches unfold into stairways, nested corners and glimpses of garden and other exterior views.

Heritage
NZIA Practice Award For
CCM Architects Limited Railway Social Hall
A series of modern interventions sit sympathetically against the existing structure. This has allowed the old hall to regain its grandeur through elegant and rigorous contemporary detailing.

John Mills Architects Days Bay Changing Rooms
The old changing rooms have been revitalised with a contemporary, sculptural interior intervention. It has created a focus toward the public beach while respecting and enhancing the shell of the old building.

Interior Architecture
NZIA Practice Award For
Jasmax Limited BNZ Harbour Quays
Rigorous spatial planning has resulted in the creation of interior rooms. A subtle change in materials and furniture placement divides the open plan floor plates into distinct areas while also directing the focus towards the harbour view.

Designgroup Stapleton Elliott Osteria Del Toro Restaurant
This project uses interior design to define multiple interconnected spaces. Well articulated and unashamedly lavish, the decor creates a rich and unique dining experience.

Public Architecture
NZIA Practice Award For
Pynenburg & Collins Architects Ltd Victoria University Coastal Ecology Laboratory
This complex is a series of well-resolved laboratory spaces that feed off a social core. A considered entry leads to levels of inhabited landings around a central stair, creating a hub for the building’s research workforce.

CCM Architects Limited in association with Rice Daubney (early stages only) Wellington Regional Hospital
A massive project with inherent complexities has been well resolved at a social and architectonic level. Based on the “model of care”, all considerations have been geared to enhancing the experience of staff, patients and family. The result is a level of accessibility not previously attributed to such a facility.

Residential Architecture - Houses
NZIA Practice Award For
Athfield Architects Limited Harding House
Perched on an extraordinary location, this home is an outstanding example of site-responsive architecture. Simple, refined and using a limited palette of materials, the spaces provide a sympathetic setting for the client’s chattels.

Erin Collins Collins Wiles House
Embracing the challenges of the site has resulted in a home that celebrates simple material and forms. The outcome communicates a spatial integrity and high-level resolution.

WATT Architects A House for Gillian Watt
This home is a celebration of light and space in a style that reflects the principles and ideals of the architect in residence. The result is both a playful expression of individuality and a showcase of many years experience in the art of detailing.

Bevin + Slessor Architects Ltd Kapiti Coast House
This well-detailed and seamless structure reaches out to the garden as an extension of the living environment. A simple plan allows the exposed portal frames to dominate.

Herriot + Melhuish: Architecture Ltd (HMA) Karori House I: Stewart Dickens House
This comprehensive alteration and addition has transformed a small house into a series of boxes that are consumed by sun and views. Elements have been elegantly resolved to maximise the potential of the site with well-refined detailing.

Herriot + Melhuish: Architecture Ltd (HMA) Karori House II: Stonyer House
This 1960’s box has been transformed into a magnificent kitchen with four bedrooms attached. The top level has been shaped into an entertainer’s dream, elegantly bisected by a stairway defined with joinery. The architect’s response to the client’s brief has generated sophisticated, spatial complexity.

Novak + Middleton Architects Bay House Eastbourne
Poised serenely on the hills of Days Bay this house is meticulously detailed, a simple yet complex insertion into a well-composed landscape.

Tim Nees Architects Maupuia House
While paying tribute to the 70’s house that was, innovative architecture consumes the old and replaces it with sophisticated contemporary detailing and a chic layout for an adult family.

Novak + Middleton Architects Winona
In this elegant, delightful renovation, assured detailing blends with contemporary detailing. Both materials and themes complement and enhance the existing style and structure.

Residential Architecture - Multiple Housing
NZIA Practice Award For
Archaus Architects Limited and Warren + Mahoney Architects in association Herd Street Development
The boathouse, designed as a 'jewel of the harbour', activates the edge between boardwalk and water while maintaining a certain level of privacy for the apartment dwellers. Contemporary materials and themes sit comfortably against existing structures.

Small Project Architecture
NZIA Practice Award For
Proarch Architects Ltd Pukaha Mount Bruce Wildlife Centre - Visitors Centre
The new entrance to the Wildlife Centre celebrates the notion of threshold. The structure’s timber skeleton references the existing Lockwood complex and the forest canopy beyond.

Accent Architects Ltd Artist Studio
The artist’s studio is an understated and well resolved garden shed. The roof structure leans up toward a walnut tree as an extension of the garden canopy. Thoughtful interior detailing provides the artist with a simple plywood canvas to display her works.

Sustainable Architecture
NZIA Practice Award For
Jasmax Limited BNZ Harbour Quays
With multi-disciplinary contributions from the fields of art and science, the resulting environment is not only spatially dynamic, but also an invigorating place to "live within". Ecological and social considerations have been well considered.

Studio Pacific Architecture Limited Aorangi House Building Upgrade
Intelligent sustainable interventions have here been applied to an existing multi-storey building, resulting in a synergy between efficiency and innovation. A fine example of responsible design upgrade.

Art + Architecture Ltd Writers Residence
Nestled against a hillside, this outstanding residence is truly remote. There is integrity of structure reminiscent of the Vitruvian hut, where an assemblage of rich raw materials plays to the senses. The building is a poetic structure broken effortlessly into moments of quiet repose.

Urban Design
NZIA Practice Award For
WCC Architects The Wellington Waterfront Framework
Set up to facilitate designs by others, this framework is an example of where urban design is about process rather than product. The resulting formula successfully creates and resolves an inhabited harbour fringe that encapsulates Wellington.

Athfield Architects Limited Chews Lane Precinct
Despite the scale of the site, an intimacy and diversity generated at pedestrian level has revitalised this urban precinct, linking the site to surrounding pathways and buildings.

Architectus Te Puni Village - Victoria University of Wellington
This is a celebration of light and colour within the urban landscape. The strong exterior form links the campus to the cityscape beyond, reminiscent of Noguchi and his lanterns.

Resene Colour Award
NZIA Practice Award For
Athfield Architects Limited Harding House
The use of colour and materials both inside and out is simple yet sophisticated. It creates a sense of warmth and serenity, a restful ambience for the client and an ideal backdrop for collections.

Art + Architecture Ltd Writers Residence
This is an example of understated simplicity in the use of materials, colour and form. The result is a sense of tranquillity and harmony, perfect for a retreat.

ends

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