Fabric director and architect Mitchell Coll was awarded the ‘Supreme Award’ for his ‘Red Pine Villa’. Photo / ADNZ
An earthquake rebuild with a budget of just over $600,000 has been crowned the best house in New Zealand.
The prestigious Resene Architectural Design Awards [ADNZ] were announced at a ceremony in Dunedin last night, with an affordable Christchurch rebuild taking the top spot.
Fabric director and architect Mitchell Coll was awarded the ‘Supreme Award’ for his Somerfield design of an earthquake-damaged villa.
The ADNZ judges said the ‘Red Pine Villa’ stands as a testament to sustainable design and contextual sensitivity.
“Post-earthquake, this project emphasises the importance of maintaining embodied memory through the recycling of materials and transportable design.
“The house respects tradition through its form and materiality, while the perforated panels allow for a dynamic play of light, creating layered and filtered interior spaces.
“Its orientation gestures to the west, aligning with the streetscape proportions and ensuring futureproofing for growth and financial stability,” said the judges.
Coll worked within the design and budget constraints, many elements of the original building were retained, including the patinaed garage, fences and driveway.
“While deteriorated, the garage, fences and driveway now had a patina to embrace,” Coll said
Coll said he considered the owner’s environmentally focused values and tight budget, leading to the retention of existing elements on-site
“Expanding on this aesthetic and considering the couple’s love for some of the more traditional elements in their previous home, we explored shoin-zukuri and sukiya-zukuri, which incorporate wabi-sabi aesthetics with the interplay of light and shadow–reminiscent of an ageing villa,” Coll said.
‘Red Pine Villa’ also received the 2025 ADNZ Resene National Award for New Home up to 150m² and the National ADNZ Resene Kaitiakitanga Award.
In total, eight projects nationally were recognised at the 2025 ADNZ Resene Architectural Design Awards.
Keryn Davis, CEO of Architectural Designers New Zealand, congratulated all the winners and noted the Canterbury regions’ majority.
“Once again Canterbury has shone at these awards, with five out of eight national awards from the region, including the Supreme Award winner.
“The earthquakes, while devastating, created an opportunity for architectural designers and architects to take on projects that they could never dream of.
“We see this again with the Supreme Award winner. An unassuming villa, brought back to life post-earthquakes. A beautiful and respectful project.”
Another big winner of the night was Tauranga designer Adam Taylor of ata.
His project, ‘Rhythm & Greens’ in Mount Maunganui won the National Award for Residential Alterations and Additions, and the National Award for Home Interiors.
ADNZ judges called the bach a beautifully measured architectural intervention that transforms a conventional dwelling into an experience of light, rhythm, and calm.
“Every gesture, from the carefully composed windows to the subtle transitions in scale, serves to enhance the spatial flow and elevate the everyday,” the judges said.
Jaime Lyth is a multimedia journalist for the New Zealand Herald, focusing on crime and breaking news. Lyth began working under the NZ Herald masthead in 2021 as a reporter for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei.