George Malcolm Award Supreme Winner - Te Wānanga

Designed by Isthmus, as part of the City Centre Design Collective, in partnership with Mana Whenua and the Downtown Programme.

What the judges said:

“Te Wānanga, the name given to the new waterfront civic space extending over Tāmaki Makaurau’s tidal harbour edge, has many attractive and intriguing details which are enjoyed by visitors, but three elements demonstrate leadership in design for the profession.

The first is the integration of this design into the surrounding civic enhancements through adoption of complementary design detailing, rather than claiming individuality. This is a visionary approach led by the Auckland Design Office.

The second is the care and respect for iwi principles and values, particularly for Tangaroa, through the collaboration with the Kāhui Kaiarataki collective, which makes Te Wānanga a special site for tangata whenua.

The third feature is an important one for landscape architecture: the innovative methods for reestablishing the health and vitality of sea life through site works, especially the reestablishment of mussel colonies at the harbour edge.

Te Wānanga is of its place and could only be created in and for Tāmaki Makaurau with its inspirational design melding land and sea while providing a thoughtful and memorable experience for visitors. A place of mana.”

Charlie Challenger Award Supreme Winner - Te Whakaoranga o Te Puhinui: Te Rautaki | Te Puhinui Regeneration Strategy

Prepared by Resilio Studio, Eke Panuku, Te Waiohua – Ngaati Te Ata, Ngaati Tamaoho and Te Ākitai o Waiohua. With Support from Crank, Done Ltd, Healthy Waters, Jasmax, Johnnie Freeland, Mau Studio, Morphum Environmental, Native by Nature and WSP.

What the judges said:

“Te Whakaoranga o Te Puhinui: Te Rautaki | Te Puhinui Regeneration Strategy is an outstanding example of processes around stream restoration, within a wide cultural and natural setting. The project was collaborative and foregrounded maatauranga Māori, an integral component in addressing the issues of a degraded stream that is the tuupuna for Waiohua iwi.

The methodology for the project is crafted around an integration of a living system and a whakapapa-centred wellbeing approach, interweaving western and Māori approaches to ecology and place.  Collaboration extended out to the territorial authority, government agencies and community organisations, to create a robust, relevant and responsive process.  

Core to the project is a charter which formally recognises the context of collaboration and mutual respect, with signatories including council partners, iwi, crown agencies and community organisations.  Integrating tangata (people), whenua (place) and taiao (nature) in an intergenerational vision that responds to the environment as core to well-being, this project is exemplary in its methodology for a uniquely Aotearoa approach to restoration and regeneration.”

Te Karanga o te Tui Supreme Winner - Kaikōura Earthquake Response

The recovery of the Kaikōura transport corridor and landscape by North Canterbury Transport Infrastructure Recovery (NCTIR) Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, KiwiRail, Aurecon, Tonkin & Taylor, WSP and Boffa Miskell - Te Rūnanga o Kaikōura, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu.

What the judges said:

“The Kaikōura Earthquake Response transport corridor and landscape is a worthy winner of Te Karanga o te Tui supreme award.  It is a transformative project at a scale not often provided for landscape intervention. It opens up access and offers the experience of the beautiful coastline and the unique stories of the place. But it also represents an outstanding example of co-design with Te Rūnanga o Kaikōura.

The project has brought the skills of a profession made robust in other more urban contexts to this most dynamic of edges, to make space to reveal the untold stories of a coastline and its people. The project is layered with details and subtleties that mean even repeat visits will be rewarded with continued engagement and involvement in place.

There are also grand gestures and precise moments of clarity that one could never have imagined being possible were it not for the collaborative efforts of the design team with Te Rūnanga o Kaikōura, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, the Cultural Advisory Group, artists, and the generous sharing of stories of this place. The cultural narratives are crafted into a series of elements that structure the journey by marking sites of cultural significance, and builds an awareness of the whakapapa that is embedded in this landscape.

The disruption of this coastal edge through the power of natural forces has allowed for a design intervention that powerfully celebrates place and the spirit of this significant landscape.”

To view all shortlisted projects and previous years’ winners head to nzila.co.nz. To learn about this year’s judges panel click here.

The Resene New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects Awards are made possible through the support of Resene.