The finalists in the peer-reviewed awards programme run by the New Zealand Institute of Architects range in scale from public projects such as the Waterview Connection, Manukau Bus Station and Christchurch Justice and Emergency Services Precinct to accomplished small projects such as Objectspace gallery in Auckland, He Tohu Document Room at the National Library of New Zealand in Wellington, and Estuary Walkway Shelters in Invercargill.

The diverse shortlist includes a car showroom and a restaurant in Auckland, a riverside plaza in Hamilton, a dental clinic in Wellington, biological research centre in Nelson and restored church in Kaiapoi.

Convenor of the awards jury, Auckland architect Richard Goldie, said the education and public architecture categories are particularly strong this year.

“The jury is looking forward to visiting some very good school and university buildings,” Goldie said. “Education projects couple specific requirements and high expectations. It’s not easy to get them right.”

Standout projects on school campuses include two Christchurch awards finalists – Cathedral Grammar Junior School and St Andrew’s College Centennial Chapel. Larger-scale education work is represented on the shortlist by the University of Auckland Science Centre, The Hub – Te Huna at Unitec, Rutherford House Redevelopment and Te Toki a Rata Building, both at Victoria University of Wellington, and Te Kei at Ara City Campus in Christchurch.

In Auckland, the awards jury, which also includes Wellington architect John Melhuish, Dunedin architect Andrea Bell and Melbourne architect Amy Muir, will visit new models for both modern workspaces and urban intensification – GridAKL Innovation 5A (12 Madden) and Mason Bros, Wynyard Quarter, and the Vinegar Lane development in Ponsonby.

Hamilton’s architectural revival is evident not only in the Victoria on the River public park area, but also in the adjacent Mezz Box and in a new building at the Church of the Latter Day Saints complex at Temple View.

Demonstrating the strength of New Zealand architects’ residential work, 20 housing projects have made the awards shortlist. Again, the finalists are located around the country. The jury will visit houses in Auckland and Wellington, but also in Taupiri, Rotorua, Te Horo, Hamner and Alexandra.

Richard Goldie said he is pleased that a Housing New Zealand development in Mt Albert, Auckland, is also on the awards shortlist.

“Social housing is hugely important and also, because of budget constraints, architecturally challenging,” Goldie said. “We have to find ways to up the game with this type of work, and Housing New Zealand obviously is trying hard to lift standards of design and performance.”

The New Zealand Architecture Awards jury will undertake its tour of all shortlisted projects at the end of this month. The 2018 New Zealand Architecture Awards will be announced at Te Papa, Wellington, on 9 November.

Shortlisted projects, and their architects, are listed below.

2018 New Zealand Architecture Awards – shortlist 

Commercial Architecture

Te Kei, Ara City Campus Christchurch, Athfield Architects 

Mezz Box, Hamilton, Edwards White Architects and Designwell in association 

Plant and Food Research Facility, Nelson, Jerram Tocker Barron Architects and Lab-works Architecture in association 

119 Great North Road, Grey Lynn, Auckland, Warren and Mahoney Architects

Education

Cathedral Grammar Junior School, Christchurch, Andrew Barrie Lab and Tezuka Architects 

The University of Auckland Science Centre, Architectus      

Unitec The Hub – Te Puna, Mt Albert, Auckland, ASC Architects and Designgroup Stapleton Elliott      

Victoria Business School: Rutherford House Redevelopment, Wellington, Athfield Architects

Te Toki a Rata Building, Victoria University of Wellington, Kelburn, Warren and Mahoney Architects

Heritage

Alfred Nathan House, University of Auckland, Princes Street, Architectus

St Bartholomew's Church, Kaiapoi, Dave Pearson Architects

Hospitality

Amano, Britomart, Auckland, McKinney + Windeatt Architects      

Housing

Miramar House, Wellington, Andrew Sexton Architecture     

Sawtooth, Queenstown, Assembly Architects 

Beck Family Home, Alexandra, Bull O’Sullivan Architecture     

The Family Bach, Hamner, Cymon Allfrey Architects            

River Retreat, Taupiri, Edwards White Architects         

Mt Eden House, Auckland, Guy Tarrant Architects 

Kawakawa House, Piha, Auckland, Herbst Architects 

12 Year House, Cable Bay, Irving Smith Architects               

Spitaki House, Island Bay, Wellington, Lovell and O'Connell Architects 

Akaroa – Maison Rue Jolie, Banks Pensinsula, PAC – Paterson Architecture Collective and Glamuzina Architects        

Te Horo Bach, Parsonson Architects   

Turama, Rotorua, RTA Studio 

Bay House, Castor Bay, Auckland, SGA Ltd – Strachan Group Architects   

Rawene House, Westmere, Auckland, Stevens Lawson Architects

Housing – Alterations and Additions

‘Shed’ and a.k.a Office, Mt Victoria, Wellington, a.k.a Architecture

Bach with Two Roofs, Golden Bay, Irving Smith Architects               

Tree Villa, Ponsonby, Auckland, Matter 

The Stables, Ponsonby, Auckland, McKinney + Windeatt Architects

Housing – Multi Unit

Binoculars, Queenstown, Assembly Architects

Jennings Jersey, Mt Albert, Monk MacKenzie

Interior Architecture

53 Spring Street, Tauranga, Stufkens + Chambers Architects

Singleton Dental, Karori, Wellington, Andrew Sexton Architecture    

Station Cabin, Wanaka, Crosson Architects

GridAKL Innovation 5A (12 Madden) and Mason Bros, Wynyard Quarter, Auckland, Jasmax

119 Great North Road, Grey Lynn, Auckland, Warren and Mahoney Architects           

Planning & Urban Design

Victoria on the River, Hamilton, Edwards White Architects and AECOM New Zealand in association     

Vinegar Lane, Ponsonby, Auckland, Isthmus Group                

The Waterview Connection, Auckland, Warren and Mahoney Architects           

Public Architecture

St Andrew’s College Centennial Chapel, Christchurch, Architectus       

Manukau Bus Station, Auckland, Beca Architects and Cox Architecture in association    

Te Manawa Atawhai Catherine McAuley Centre, Riccarton, Christchurch, Hamish Shaw Architects

Trafalgar Centre, Nelson, Irving Smith Architects               

He Tohu Document Room, National Library, Wellington, Studio of Pacific Architecture  

David O.McKay Stake Centre and Cultural Events Centre, Temple View, Hamilton, Walker Group Architects

Christchurch Justice and Emergency Services Precinct, Warren and Mahoney Architects, Opus Architecture and Cox Architecture

Small Project Architecture        

Invercargill Estuary Walkway Shelters, Beattie McDowell Architects    

Objectspace Gallery, Ponsonby, Auckland, RTA Studio