Two "stunning" homes received top awards at a ceremony celebrating the best of Gisborne and Hawke's Bay architecture on Wednesday night.
Two Hawke's Bay entries - Nelson House by Clarkson Architects and Tukituki House by Parsonson Architects - clinched titles.
Jury convenor Richard Daniels, of WSP Architecture, said both houses were unique in their own way, but both had a high standard of quality and detail in their design and finish.
The jury's only wish is if there had been more entries to this year's awards.
"We know our regions' architects are all super busy, so once that work is completed we look forward to seeing more projects entered into the 2023 awards across a range of award categories.
"Thanks to the architects who did enter these two projects, and thanks to the jury as well, we had a fantastic range of people."
Nelson House impressed the jury with its four gabled forms, subtly organised in a pinwheel pattern to create a single-storey home.
The Havelock North home is generous in size and has extensive views over Hawke's Bay and numerous outdoor spaces that allow for both sun and shelter.
The home also picked up a Resene Colour Award for its relaxed yet sophisticated colour palette. A carefully graded sequence of wall colours adds complexity and definition as you progress through the living spaces.
Tukituki House stunned in its rural lifestyle block beneath Te Mata Peak. The low-slung house gently follows the contours of the land, under a long, single-roof pitch. Stepped floor levels are deftly managed to help define a well-considered sequence of living, family and bedroom spaces and views of the dramatic ridgeline are carefully framed. The clients' love of the environment, gardening and family life are well catered for with a variety of sheltered outdoor spaces.
The home also picked up a Resene Colour Award for its complex, subtle and successful use of colour inspired by mid-century modernism that makes every space feel distinct, yet part of a co-ordinated whole.