The Fair Acres Townhouses in Palmerston North designed by First Light Studio won the Housing – Multi Unit category. Jurors noted how the dwellings were each subtly unique in form and colour yet felt unified in by the same mass timber construction, while the interior fitouts and exposed timber panelling “evoke warmth and comfort.”

In winning a Small Project Architecture award, jurors noted Te Ruamātatoru – He Whata Kai as “a powerful tribute to the preservation of history and culture.” Through meticulous research and careful study, the architect team expertly replicated the dimensions, materials and form of an original pātaka. It preserves the architectural essence of the original structure, blending tradition and innovation to create a space that the jury found “as educational as it is inspiring in its wairua.”

“The level of collaboration and engagement with local iwi across so many projects this year was especially inspiring, significantly enriching the outcomes of these submissions,” says jury convenor and architect Gerald Cogan of BSM Group. “The jury and I were impressed by the diversity of scale and typology represented in the entries. It was a real privilege to experience both public and private projects, and we are grateful to the practices and their clients for opening their work to us.”

Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery by Warren and Mahoney Architects won two awards in the Heritage and Public Architecture categories, capping a monumental project that incorporated extensive renovations and strengthening works at the gallery with a bold and modern new extension that the jury noted for incorporating inspiration from natural elements including the nearby Whanganui River.

The Housing category this year featured two award-winning rural properties with strong sustainability attributes; Kaitake House by Gibbons Architects was recognised for incorporating high-performance materials like thermally broken windows, solar power, and hydronic heating to ensure both comfort and energy efficiency in its design. Martins Farmhouse in Fordell by Energy Architecture and Black Pine Architects was designed to Passive House standards and integrates natural materials like straw, timber and clay to create a modern yet low-carbon dwelling.

Strip Mall by Spacecraft Architects also won a Resene Colour Award.

Cogan was joined on the jury by Melanie Hansen (Beca), Roy Tebbutt (SGA – Strachan Group Architects) and lay juror Katie Brown.

The winners received their awards at an event at the Whanganui War Memorial Centre on 30 May.

Full list of 2025 Western Architecture Awards winners by category: 

Commercial Architecture

• Ngāmotu House by Boon (New Plymouth)
• Strip Mall by Spacecraft Architects* (Palmerston North)

Education

• MANUKURA School – New Campus by Designgroup Stapleton Elliott and Maycroft Construction (Palmerston North)

Heritage

• Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery by Warren and Mahoney Architects (Whanganui)

Housing

• True Residence by 242am Architects (Fielding)
• Kahu + Jacinda Home by 242am Architects (Palmerston North)
• The Mantles by Dalgleish Architects (Whanganui)
• Martins Farmhouse by Energy Architecture and Black Pine Architects (Fordell)
• Kaitake House by Gibbons Architects (Kaitake)

Housing – Alterations and Additions

• Brooklands House by Gibbons Architects (New Plymouth)

Housing – Multi Unit

• Fair Acres Townhouses by First Light Studio (Palmerston North)

Interior Architecture

• Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa Taranaki Iwi Offices by Boon (New Plymouth)

Public Architecture

• Te Āhuru Mōwai by architecture + (Fielding)
• Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery by Warren and Mahoney Architects (Whanganui)
• Te Ramanui o Ruapūtahanga by Warren and Mahoney Architects (Hāwera)

Small Project Architecture

• Te Ruamātatoru – He Whata Kai by Dalgleish Architects (Whanganui)
• Bach 57 by Gibbons Architects (Urenui)

Note: * denotes Resene Colour Award winner.

View all the winners and read citations here.