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Community housing projects stand out in Wellington architecture awards

Friday, 12 June 2026

Our Whare Our Fale, by First Light Studio and Central Pacific Collective, was one of four winners in the multi-unit housing category. The jury called the Porirua project
Our Whare Our Fale, by First Light Studio and Central Pacific Collective, was one of four winners in the multi-unit housing category. The jury called the Porirua project 'a powerful example of community-led architecture shaped through genuine collaboration and cultural understanding“.

Affordable housing developments that build community have made a strong showing in the latest Wellington and Wairarapa architecture awards.

From a total of 17 winning architectural projects, four were awarded in the “housing multi-unit” category of the 2026 Te Kāhui Whaihanga NZIA regional awards announced last night.

The fale is a large communal central space in the Our Whare Our Fale development.
The fale is a large communal central space in the Our Whare Our Fale development.

One was the Porirua project Our Whare Our Fale, by First Light Studio and Central Pacific Collective, a community-led development with the vision of bringing island life to Aotearoa.

The homes are built facing a central malae (greenspace), with a large central fale (house), which is an expression of the Samoan principle of anoafale – it is not so much about the house, but the people living in the house and the relationships between them.

The jury said the project created “strong connections between residents, community, and whenua”.

Kilbirnie project Mahora Te Aroha, by Novak+Middleton, was another winner in the housing multi-unit category.
Kilbirnie project Mahora Te Aroha, by Novak+Middleton, was another winner in the housing multi-unit category. 'A mix of housing types and thoughtful planning ensures good access to light, outlook, outdoor space, and safety for residents,“ the jury noted.

“Individual homes and shared spaces are carefully balanced through memorable and cohesive architectural forms. Sustainability is supported through high-performance building systems and on-site solar generation, while the support of Ngāti Toa Rangatira strengthens the project’s deep sense of cultural grounding. Ambitious and carefully resolved, the project offers an inspiring alternative model for housing in Aotearoa.'

The development, on land than can accommodate 300 homes, offers financial education and support to prospective buyers, including a shared ownership scheme, with house prices set below market rates.

Another winner in this category was Mahora Te Aroha, by Novak+Middleton, which brings together several smaller sites in Kilbirnie to create a cohesive residential area that responds to the need for social and affordable housing.

Sergeant
Sergeant's Cottage, by Guy Tarrant Architecture, won in the alterations and additions category. The jury noted: 'This small but beautifully resolved home is an exercise in careful restraint, reducing family living to its essentials with warmth, intelligence, and a surprising sense of generosity.“

It has a mix of housing types and planning that ensures access to light, outlook, outdoor space, and safety for residents.

“Robust and carefully scaled, the project shows how long-term investment can deliver density with generosity, care, and a strong sense of place,' the jury noted.

Awards were also made in categories housing, commercial, education, small project, interior, housing alterations and additions, public, planning and urban design, and enduring architecture.

Sergeant’s Cottage on Wellington’s south coast won in the alterations and additions category for Guy Tarrant Architecture. It is a re-invention of a small section with a cottage that had been trucked in years ago from the nearby Worser Bay barracks.

A new, larger dwelling was designed for the steepest part of the site at the rear, but it was the renovation of Sergeant's Cottage, adding a small sleepout to provide a 66m² dwelling, that made the project a winner in this category.

Rimu sarking was kept from the deconstructed bungalow and used to line the sleepout’s interior.

The jury likened the project to a “finely crafted wooden boat”.

The Beehive’s Executive Wing – Level 3 Ministerial Suites, by Studio Pacific Architecture, won in the interior architecture category.
The Beehive’s Executive Wing – Level 3 Ministerial Suites, by Studio Pacific Architecture, won in the interior architecture category.

“[T]he house combines precise detailing with simple and thoughtful spaces that feel efficient, joyful, and engaging to live in.

“Pavilion-like in character, the home embraces Wellington’s climate rather than shutting it out, allowing sea breezes, outdoor thresholds, and open-air living to shape daily life. […] Modest yet inventive, the project reimagines the cottage typology through simplicity, resilience, and everyday delight.”

The cottage also won a Resene Colour Award with those judges praising its use of colour “with subtlety and precision”.

“A simple white exterior references the original picket fence facing the blue green of the ocean bay. Yellow accents foretell the transition from day to evening and create a playful dialogue with the street. A whisper green kitchen blends comfortably with the glass in the open sliders, dissolving the exterior threshold.”

Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui Wellington Central Library has taken out the Supreme (over $10 million) Award in the Master Builders 2026 New Zealand Commercial Project Award.
Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui Wellington Central Library has taken out the Supreme (over $10 million) Award in the Master Builders 2026 New Zealand Commercial Project Award.

A re-vamp of the Beehive’s level three ministerial suites, by Studio Pacific Architecture, was a winner in the interior architecture category.

Greytown project H House, by Parsonson Architects, was a winner in the housing category. “H House is a carefully resolved home that demonstrates a strong understanding of site, climate, and everyday living. Simple forms and restrained materials create a calm and sheltered retreat that balances rural openness with suburban privacy through a well-scaled courtyard plan.
Greytown project H House, by Parsonson Architects, was a winner in the housing category. “H House is a carefully resolved home that demonstrates a strong understanding of site, climate, and everyday living. Simple forms and restrained materials create a calm and sheltered retreat that balances rural openness with suburban privacy through a well-scaled courtyard plan.

“This carefully resolved fit-out shows how thoughtful adaptation can bring warmth and contemporary relevance to one of New Zealand’s most formal civic buildings,” the jury said.

“Working within the Beehive’s strict geometry and existing systems, the project responds with restraint, clarity, and careful attention to detail.

“Existing timber elements have been retained and reused, while new interventions are integrated seamlessly into the building’s original architectural language.

“The result is a softer and more humane environment for executive offices that still respects the character of the Beehive.”

Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui, Wellington’s Central Library, by Athfield Architects in association with Tihei, won three awards. It took home honours in the heritage and interior architecture categories, plus a Resene Colour Award. The revamp project also recently won the Supreme Award over $10 million in the Master Builders 2026 New Zealand Commercial Project Awards.

The jury praised the project as a “thoughtful renewal of an important civic landmark” that showed how buildings can adapt to contemporary social, cultural, and technical needs while retaining character.

Jury convenor and architect Amanda Bulman, from Three Line Studio, says this year’s winners “embrace housing diversity with creativity and care, celebrate uplifting and relevant enduring architecture, and reflect a growing Mana Whenua presence in public space”.

“Together, they point towards a more connected and optimistic future.”

Bulman was joined on the jury by James Fenton (James Fenton Architect), Severin Soder (Architectus) and lay juror Haley Hooper (Studio MØN and Wellington City Council).

The winners received their awards at an event at Shed 6 in Wellington on Thursday.

Full list of 2026 Wellington and Wairarapa region winners:

Housing

Housing – Alterations and Additions

Housing – Multi-unit

Enduring Architecture

Heritage

Interior Architecture

Planning & Urban Design

Public Architecture

Small Project Architecture