Eight architectural projects across Hawke’s Bay have been deemed the very best in Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects’ Local Awards this year, including a food innovation hub, a Māori performing arts school, and a water treatment and storage facility.
Foodeast – Haumako by RTA Studio was a triple winner, claiming awards in the Commercial Architecture and Interior Architecture categories plus a Resene Colour Award. Jurors noted the use of local materials, complemented by unique textures and colours across two buildings designed to mimic rural agriculture sheds. The project uses contrasting colour palettes across the food hub and office spaces to create an inviting, dynamic atmosphere.
TKKM Te Wānanga Whare Tapere o Takitimu by DCA Architects of Transformation and MOAA Architects in association was a double winner, claiming an Education award and a Resene Colour Award. The Māori performing arts school in Heretaunga Hastings was noted by the jury as a place where architecture becomes a storyteller, weaving cultural narratives into the buildings using form, texture and orientation. Sustainable systems including solar panels, rainwater harvesting and landscaping were integrated with purpose, reinforcing kaitiakitanga and a commitment to stewardship of the natural world.
Sustainability criteria were added to the Local Architecture Awards criteria this year in recognition of their importance and to challenge architects to consider how their work contributes to broader social, cultural, and environmental outcomes.
“In addition to sustainability, one thread that ran through almost every project we visited was resilience: not just in design, but in delivery,” says jury convenor and architect Hana Scott of Scott Architects. “These buildings were realised through Covid lockdowns, material shortages, fluctuating costs, and for some, the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle. The fact that these projects came to fruition and their teams persevered through all of this is truly worth celebrating.”
Waiaroha – Heretaunga Water Discovery Centre by Designgroup Stapleton Elliott and Wayfinder Landscape Planning & Strategy in association was a winner in the Public Architecture category for an ambitious project that celebrates the journey and whakapapa of water. The project in Hastings incorporates water storage tanks and a learning and discovery centre, taking visitors through a storytelling journey that highlights the importance of safe drinking water.
Scott was joined on the jury by Daniel Sullivan (Common Architecture), Michelle Cooper (Athfield Architects), Whare Timu and Gabriela Kopacikova.
The winners received their awards at an event at the Atrium at Tribune on 6 June.
Full list of 2025 Gisborne & Hawke's Bay Architecture Awards winners by category:
Commercial Architecture
• Foodeast – Haumako by RTA Studio
Education
• Hastings Boys' High School by DCA Architects of Transformation
• TKKM Te Wānanga Whare Tapere o Takitimu by DCA Architects of Transformation and MOAA Architects in association.
Hospitality
• Te Mānia by Stevens Lawson Architects
Housing
• Te Mata House by Rowe Baetens Architecture
Housing - Multi Unit
• Customs Quay Ahuriri by RTA Studio
Interior Architecture
• Foodeast – Haumako by RTA Studio
Public Architecture
• Waiaroha - Heretaunga Water Discovery Centre by Designgroup Stapleton Elliott and Wayfinder Landscape Planning & Strategy in association
