Three Northland projects win big at Auckland Architecture Awards

This house at Taiharuru impressed the judges in the Auckland Architecture Awards, winning an award in the housing category.

There were three Northland winners in the Auckland Architecture Awards at Motat Aviation Hall, Auckland, on Wednesday Night.

Northland home "Fe304" in Taiharuru, designed by Crosson Architects, won an award in the housing category.

Fe304, on the coast at Taiharuru impressed judges and won a housing award on the night. Photo / Simon Devitt

The jury said the home was strong and dynamic.

"[The] richly layered and obsessively detailed building is an aggregation of elements, like a boat, which has drifted and broken up on the shore. Its robust exterior contrasts with the nurturing, softly lit interior," they said.

Taking home a hospitality award was the Tara Iti Clubhouse in Mangawhai, designed by Cheshire Architects and Herringbone Interiors (US).

Jury convener and architect Rick Pearson said the compact building footprint had minimised the impact on the surrounding sand dunes.

"Refreshingly restrained and intimate, the clubhouse nestles into the landscape, aided by a limited palette of immaculately detailed materials," Pearson said.

"This is a welcoming environment, perfectly scaled and encouraging of relaxed occupation."

The final Northland winner was the Northland Lake House in Omamari, designed by Rowe Baetens Architecture.

Jury convener Pearson said the alterations and additions to the simple house had been transformative.

"The extensive use of stone is an appropriate showcase for the client's professional expertise, and a covered outdoor room, top-lit with onyx marble, is a useful and well-used space," he said.

"Extensive views over the lake have been achieved by raising the new living area platforms above those of the existing house."

Pearson said the number of entries and high quality of shortlisted works made the judging process challenging.

Over the course of a busy week, Pearson and his fellow jurors – architects Jeff Wells, Julian Mitchell and Katherine Dean, as well as lay juror Fleur Palmer – visited 54 shortlisted projects.

A total of 107 projects were entered this year from across Northland and Auckland and 46 buildings won awards.

The 2018 Auckland Architecture Awards are part of the peer-reviewed New Zealand Architecture Awards programme run by the New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA) and sponsored by Resene.

All Auckland Architecture Award winning projects are eligible for shortlisting in the New Zealand Architecture Awards, which will be announced in November.