Model Citizens was first held in 2019, when Athfield Architects took home the prize with its spectacular, multifaceted Lego tower, designed for the Auckland waterfront. In 2021, the competition returned and the luminary pendant judged most creative was the work of the talented Architecture+Women.NZ team.

The latest iteration of the Architecture NZ and ArchitectureNow-run event saw the teams tasked with designing a landmark structure on the city’s soon-to-be reclaimed waterfront, in response to Mayor Wayne Brown’s ‘dream’ for a Bjarke Ingels Group’s (BIG) Aarhus Havnebadet-inspired open-air swimming pool along Auckland’s Bledisloe Wharf.

Judging the creations were architect and artist Matt Liggins from the University of Auckland’s School of Architecture and Planning, Objectspace director Kim Paton and Architecture NZ editor Chris Barton.

The teams of six had only two hours to brainstorm, devise and construct their waterfront designs, using waterjet-cut slotted Laminex Seratone shapes, Resene coloured drawdown cards and double-sided tape, with the jury awarding points for the best use of colour, technical building skills, aesthetic appeal, size and general ‘wow-ness’, and each team’s 1.5-minute presentation. Bonus points were also awarded arbitrarily by the jury.

Taking away the big blue trophy on the night was the team from SANNZ (Student Architecture Network of New Zealand), made up of Sahil Tiku, Adam Collett, Cecelia Kuang, Rohan Sadhu and Evana Chan. The winning design included a personal seaside tennis court for Mayor Brown, a spot for all the “drongos” and a huge bucket for emptying the city of its floodwaters.

Catering was generously provided by hosts Kada and event partners Resene and Laminex, and, serendipitously, the $3300 raised for the Auckland City Mission was doubled on receipt to become $6600, thanks to a timely pledge from an anonymous donor in recognition of World Homeless Day.