The winners of the 34th Dulux Colour Awards have been announced with a Canterbury social housing development winning the Grand Prix New Zealand prize. Social Housing Development Rangiora by Rohan Collett Architects took out the top prize for projects in Aotearoa in this year’s awards. Another Kiwi project, Spilt House by Pac Studio, received a commendation in the Residential Exterior category. 

Judges noted that Social Housing Development Rangiora “used colour to enhance form, thereby turning a building type that is often ordinary into something extraordinary”.

“In this highly considered multi-residential project for individuals over 55, colour has been used as a key tool,” they continued,  “giving individual homes unique identities while still visually integrating into the surrounding area as a whole. Colour has also been employed as a navigational device across the site.”

This year’s judging panel was comprised of New Zealander Toni Brandso of Material Creative, Adele Winteridge of Foolscap Studio, Jean-Pierre Biasol of Biasol Design Studio, Jonathan Richards of Richards Stanisich Architecture and Kathryn Robson of Robson Rak Architects & Interiors. 

Of the Split House by Auckland-based firm Pac Studio, judges said, “This heritage villa in Auckland has been enlivened with colour in a playful yet deliberate fashion. It is an innovative and well-executed play of bold and neutral colour that surprises and delights.”

Dulux Colour Specialist Davina Harper noted, “Overall, the high degree of creativity across such a vast breadth of architectural genres makes this year’s award winners really stand out.”

Click here to read more about all the winners and commended projects.