The winners of the ADNZ/Resene 2008 National Design Awards were announced at a gala dinner on Friday 17 October 2008 at the Christchurch Convention Centre in the heart of the Garden City.

The ADNZ/Resene Design Awards were conceived to showcase the work of New Zealand's growing number of architectural designers. Architectural Designers New Zealand Inc (ADNZ) was formed in 1966 to promote and develop the professional skills and services offered by its members, who are all specialists in building design and construction.

The awards acknowledge design excellence in residential and commercial / industrial projects, with a Supreme Winner award presented to the best overall design. In 2008, an extra award, the Sustainable Design award, has been added to the existing 17 judging categories. It gives ADNZ members even further scope to demonstrate their design talents by showcasing projects with a strong emphasis on environmentally friendly design and sustainability.

The judging panel for this years national awards comprised registered architect Ross Maguire from Christchurch practice Ross Maguire Architects Ltd; bathroom and kitchen design specialist Christine Rivers; and Adrian Law, Business Development Manager of Trends Publishing International.

Joining the panel for their companies' sponsored awards were: Henrietta Hiatt from Resene Paints, judging the Resene Colour award; Grant Williams, Business Development Manager at Gerard Roofs, judging the Roof Design award; and Nick Gifford, South Island Sales Manager, James Hardie Building Products, judging the Distinctive Design award.

Christchurch-based designers did themselves proud this year, taking out one third of the finalists placings across all awards categories. Seven of the 15 award categories up for grabs were won by designers from three Christchurch practices – Jackson and Jackson, Stanley-Joblin Allfrey, and Weir Walker Architecture.

But it was a Hamilton-based designer, Noel Jessop from Noel Jessop Architecture, who impressed the judges with not one, but three different projects. The first of these, an Auckland design called House on Monkey Hill, won the Residential New Single Dwelling – Up to 250sqm category, was a finalist in the Resene Colour category, and took out the Resene Supreme Award as the overall winner at the 2008 ADNZ/Resene National Design Awards.

The house was designed to meet the owners' brief for ‘cool urban living with a family-friendly suburban feel’. The resulting modern residence reflects the look of its commercial neighbours and makes the most of the small site with a buildable area of just 290m². The exterior, partly clad in silver Alucabond, contrasts with the surrounding villas, but being set down from the road does not clash with its surroundings.

A key feature of the brief was to create an inner sanctum, a room of opulence based on the concept of the ’70s conversation pit. The result was a round room finished in dark-stained oak panelling complemented by plush carpet. Having experienced ‘compact living’ in London, the owners required a kitchen that focused on finishing and functionality, rather than size. It sits within the family area like a piece of furniture.

Another feature of the home is the sizable dressing room. The couple-friendly ensuite bathroom has a twin-head shower with one end of the space fully glazed to allow views over Eden Park.

The judges were impressed by the result achieved by Noel Jessop: ‘The designer responded to this restricted site with well-conceived tight planning that fulfilled the clients’ brief to include intimate internal spaces, yet provide the indoor-outdoor connection with the living areas,’ they said. ‘The contemporary form is complemented by the superb application of well-detailed modern materials.’

Two other entries by Noel Jessop, ‘The Rhapsody’in Hamilton, and the Lugton Apartments, also in Hamilton, were finalists in the Residential New Single Dwelling – Over 250sqm and the Residential Multi-Unit Dwelling categories respectively.

The Residential New Single Dwelling – Over 250sqm award was won by Michael Stevenson of Stevenson Design in Dunedin for the McCombe House. The brief was for a compact, comfortable home for two that incorporated extensive garaging, a gymnasium and space to host family and friends. Michael Stevenson’s solution with garage access via a single overhead door, glazed sliding doors to the front yard and careful positioning of the gymnasium disguised the large garage, ensuring vehicles didn’t visually dominate the site. The split-level main entry foyer maintains the privacy of the enclosed courtyard and offers an attractive stair access between the street, garage and living areas. The kitchen opens out onto the courtyard and a sunny northwest deck.

The judges commended the design as a ‘well-crafted and pleasing departure from the current modern styles’ that is ‘totally in context with the site and its surrounding environment.’

Cymon Allfrey from Stanley-Joblin & Allfrey took out the first of the Christchurch practice’s three awards by winning the Residential Multi-Unit Dwelling category. His design for the Wilton Close apartments responded to the need for a high-density, low-rise apartment complex providing an entry-level home for the inner-city dweller. Allfrey’s design was a contemporary interpretation of the stately Palladian-style Wilton House in Wiltshire, with the main body of the building wrapping around a courtyard in a Mannerist form. Care was taken to maximise privacy while at the same time maintaining a sense of community.

‘The close arrangement, combined with careful façade treatment results in a very striking appearance,’ said the judges. ‘Repetition of detail in form and material is avoided with excellent manipulation of the openings and variation of material applications… a compact, highly detailed response from the designer.’

Cymon Allfrey’s Wilton Close project also won the Resene Colour award, described by the judging panel as ‘the total package – interior and exterior – beautifully presented.’ They liked the combination of a deep stain and steel cladding to balance out the light ‘merino’ emphasis on the exterior, and commended the clever balance of the interior combinations.

The third category won by a designer from Stanley-Joblin & Allfrey was for the First Time Entrant award, which was taken out by awards rookie Craig South for Brown House in Christchurch. Its careful detailing and good spatial design caught the attention of the judging panel, who noted: ‘a grand entrance and attention to technical detail creates an excellent example of the modern style.’

Craig South’s design saw the house positioned on the site to allow for sufficient space for a future tennis court and pool, while giving the main living rooms good views and access to this space. A corridor forms the backbone of the house, providing a visual link from the entry through to the outdoor living. This entry was also a finalist in the Residential New Single Dwelling Over 250sqm category.

After three finalist placings in last year’s awards, Sue Jackson from Jackson & Jackson Architectural Design in Christchurch stepped it up a notch, winning two awards for her entry, Belleview house. The remodelled 1907s hillside home on Mt Pleasant took out the Residential Interiors and the Kitchen categories, and was a finalist in the Resene Colour category.

The clients requested updated living for a young family with the main focus to be on a generously sized, easy-care living/dining/kitchen area. Sue Jackson’s design featured timber tongue-and-groove floors rescued from beneath cream shag-pile carpet, a dark-stained oak-veneered wall of concealed cupboards in the open-plan living room, and a dark oak island bench unit with pendant lights above to contrast with the white walls and joinery in the kitchen and dining area.

The judges commended Sue Jackson’s ‘consistent attention to minimalist detailing’ and said ‘the subtle selection of materials and colour completes a superb interior makeover.’

Graeme Calcott from Calcott Architecture and Landscape Design in Wellington won this year’s Residential Alterations and Additions award for the Binns Alteration. It features a kitchen designed to focus out to the impressive views of Wellington Harbour, and to interact with the redesigned living spaces. Clerestory windows and skylights add interest and provide light to the lower living areas, while raked ceilings increase the glazing to maximise views.

The judges were impressed by what they described as ‘an excellent example of a genuine residential alteration. The striking transformation relates to the site contours, unlike its predecessor, but elements of the original plan are retained. The minimal increase of the footprint gains maximum effect and the introduced natural light adds the final touches.’

This year’s Bathroom award was presented to Ben Van der Vlugt from Bay Design in Tauranga for the master bathroom in his Katikati project, Morison Residence.

The design features a monochromatic colour scheme with a dramatic tiled floor. The double-basin vanity provides an anchor point for the room, with a full-width mirror accentuating the feeling of depth. In addition to a generous tiled shower, the homeowners can relax in the sculptural Kohler bath, which is complemented by a floor-mounted tap and recessed uplights.

The judges were impressed by this striking entry, noting: ‘The textures and colours of the chequer-board tiling and the dark stained louvres provide relief to the streamlined fit-out. The image of luxury belies the highly functional and practical aspects of this design.’

In the commercial design categories, Steve Humpherson from Sorted Architecture in Wanaka took out the Commercial / Industrial award for his historically inspired design of Te Anau Airport.

‘Totally compatible with the harsh environment, this superbly designed building crafted from local materials retains a contextual form that is relevant and genuine,’ enthused the judges. ‘The consistent faithful detailing and the selection of totally appropriate materials provides a building that is highly functional and visually harmonious in its isolated setting.’

Commissioned to provide a gateway to Fiordland and Southland, the new airport building was inspired by the aviation history of deer recovery in the region. Its rural shed aesthetic was chosen to enhance passenger's ’travel experience by giving them a sense of the area’s heritage. The steel portal frame is dressed with local materials such as macrocarpa facings, schist stone and corrugated steel to create a feel of authenticity. At the entrance, kingpost truss brides made from recycled hardwood span purpose-dug sunken gardens reminiscent of the region’s landscapes. The airport was also designed to be as energy efficient and environmentally friendly as possible, with high-level windows to maximise solar gain and provide natural ventilation, all while reducing running costs. Corrugated-clad water tanks collect roof rainwater to be used for irrigation.

Jason Walker from Christchurch’s Weir Walker Architecture won the first of two awards for his practice, taking out the Commercial Interiors category for his fit-out for Hawkins Construction new Addington warehouse/office development. His brief was to design an office that would reflect Hawkins Construction’s company values of innovative leadership and a strong heritage of quality and stability. The fit-out needed to be light, vibrant and inviting, with an emphasis on sustainable materials and green design.

Commenting on his winning design, the judges made the following remarks: ‘Variations of texture provided by the inspired selection and application of glass, concrete, copper and stack-bonded block make this outstanding entry faithfully represent the business of the client. Clever lighting completes the striking design.’

Jason Walker’s second win was in the Special Projects category for the three-dimensional presentation drawings he created for the 12-storey Club Tower in Christchurch. The project, set to be the first 5-star rated Green Star building in the South Island, will incorporate numerous ESD features. Along with the 3D images, a 10-minute-long, high-resolution animation was created providing a flythrough the finished building, giving potential tenants a realistic experience of the completed project.

The judges praised Walker’s ‘superb use of computer rendering.’

Brian Johns from Draw Co NZ Ltd in Mapua took out the Roof Design award sponsored by Gerard Roofing for the Nicholson House in Ruby Bay, Nelson. The client’s brief consisted of a single magazine image of a curved tiled roof, with the designer left to fill in every other detail. His finished result was admired by the judges, who said: ‘A great deal of thought and planning has gone into this design, right down to the incorporation of a roof below the tile line. This outstandingly complex and challenging roof marries oblique curves and hyperbolae using two distinctly different textures.'

This year’s James Hardie-sponsored Distinctive Design award went to Darren O’Neil from O’Neil Architecture in Christchurch for his Quarry Hill design. Responding to the brief for a large, timeless home that looks good from every angle and uses stone and weatherboard, O’Neil chose the horizontal lines of Linea^™Weatherboard to contrast with the randomness of the local quarry stone. These materials also provided the durability necessary to resist the extreme elements of the location. The judges commended O’Neil’s design and use of materials for this project.

‘This is a fantastic large home built on a difficult site,’ they said. ‘The mix of the two main materials helps to create a harmonious design, while the layered effect seems to cleverly mask its large bulk.’

The final category of the awards was the new Sustainable Design award, introduced for the first time in 2008. Christine Pullar from Palmerston North practice Christine E Pullar Architectural Designer was announced the inaugural recipient of this award. Her brief for the Greenhill Homestead Kitchen in Pohangina Valley was to recreate a warm, functional and ecologically friendly kitchen space in a 120-year-old homestead on an 87-hectare sustainable farm.

In praising Pullar’s design, the judges called it a ‘genuinely outstanding presentation capturing the essential factors for an award for sustainability.’

Three special awards were also presented on the night: The Colin Stanley Award or ‘The People’s Choice’ is voted for by ADNZ members attending the National Conference. This year Graham Sawell from Pyramidz Architecture in Warkworth won the award for his project Winkie House.

Graham Sawell also took out the Practice Award, which is nominated by the members for meritorious contribution to architectural design and/or the ADNZ. Since 1990, Graham has won 32 ADNZ Regional Design Awards and 24 National Design Awards, plus three Supreme Awards – testament to his skill as a designer. In nominating Graham for this award, the Auckland/Northland Branch Committee said, ‘Graham’s quiet, sensible input over the years has been invaluable to the running of New Zealand’s largest branch, and we wouldn’t be without him.’

And finally, the Executive Award, chosen by the ADNZ Board from entries that were not a finalist or winner of a national award category, was Peter Davis of A.D. Architecture in Wellington for Nikau Valley House on the Kapiti Coast.

Commenting on behalf of the ADNZ Board, Gary Todd said, ‘The Board looked for a point of difference and an indigenous feel to New Zealand architecture. The rural quality of the macrocarpa-clad, barnlike structures personified the feel of local rural buildings, with excellent articulation of spaces.’

ADNZ/Resene 2008 National Design Awards full results