Hamilton’s Te Ara Pekapeka bridge, by Edwards White Architects and BBO, was one of two winners in the category Planning & Urban Design. Photo / Simon Wilson
Hamilton’s Te Ara Pekapeka bridge, by Edwards White Architects and BBO, was one of two winners in the category Planning & Urban Design. Photo / Simon Wilson
Two Waikato projects have been recognised in the 2025 New Zealand Architecture Awards.
The Coromandel home of architect Davor Popadich scooped up two accolades: it was recognised among four award winners in the category Housing, and also won the Sir Ian Athfield Award for Housing.
Meanwhile, Hamilton’s Te Ara Pekapekabridge, by Edwards White Architects and BBO, was one of two winners in the category Planning & Urban Design.
Overall, the annual awards crowned 29 winners across 11 categories.
About Popadich’s Hahei house, the judges for the New Zealand Institute of Architects said it was a “mature work” with flexible spaces that made it an “adaptable” environment for everyday family use.
“This house is a sensitive and understated insertion into its rural setting.
“An L-shaped plan enables the house to adapt and respond to its environment, while the placement of a separate studio completes the notion of a courtyard, forming a sheltered and recessed outdoor space.
“Simple forms and a low-pitched roof with generous eaves create a modest scale and a thoughtful relationship to the landscape.”
The other winners in the housing category were Bush Block by Patchwork Architecture (Auckland), Kaka Pod by Rafe Maclean Architects (Wānaka) and Openfield House by Keshaw McArthur and Matheson Whiteley (Crown Range).
About Te Ara Pekapeka Bridge, the judges said it was an “elegant and deeply woven collaboration”.
“Serving as both gateway and threshold, it provides a vital crossing for pedestrians while framing the experience of vehicles passing beneath,” the judges’ citation reads.
“More than infrastructure, it is a beautiful sculptural piece of architecture that brings dynamism and presence to a place that might otherwise have been defined by a purely functional engineering solution.
The Hahei home of architect Davor Popadich scooped up two accolades at the 2025 New Zealand Architecture Awards. Photo / Sam Harnett
“The structure is deliberately held off the water to respect its cultural significance to Māori, minimising environmental impact while honouring the heritage of the site.”
The bridge won the award alongside George St, Dunedin Retail Quarter by Jasmax.
The national awards were presented on Thursday in Christchurch.
Winners were chosen from a shortlist of 61 projects that won Local Architecture Awards in eight regions this year.
The awards were judged by a panel including jury convenor Craig Moller, Beth Cameron of Makers of Architecture, Nicola Herbst of Herbst Architects, and Ilana Freadman of Freadman White in Melbourne, Australia.
Moller said it wasn’t easy selecting the winners from a range of worthy and unique projects.
“We had especially strong projects in the Heritage and Small Project categories this year, which was a pleasure to see and made our job as a jury even more challenging.”
In the Heritage category, winners included a large-scale and long-term renovation project at Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery in Whanganui by Warren and Mahoney Architects, a reconstructed pātaka kai by Dalgleish Architects, and a landmark renewal of the Chapel of the Upper Room in Christchurch by Wilkie + Bruce Registered Architects.
Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects, first established in 1905, is a membership-based organisation that has 4000 members in Aotearoa and promotes architecture across the country.
