Five Auckland homes nail top design kudos

The judges say the Duncansby Rd house in Red Beach is small, simple and elegant.

Seven new Auckland and Northland buildings won design awards last night, picked for their outstanding characteristics.

Architectural Designers New Zealand, whose members are architects and designers, joined Resene in the awards, which have been running more than 25 years.

David Maurice of Ltd Architecture won the compact new house award for places up to 150sqm. The judges said the coastal Red Beach house on Duncansby Rd was small, simple but elegant.

The Arlott Residence designed by Mark McLeay of Creative Arch, on Ellerslie's Main Highway, was highly commended.

Matakana Village Estate by Tim Cameron of 360 Build was highly commended for its dramatic barn-like space, centrepiece of an elegant rural dwelling.

Mr McLeay won two awards — in the 150sqm to 300sqm category and for design — for the Davy Residence on Mangere Bridge's Kiekie Rd. The judges said that house was a bold, contemporary family dwelling where recycled materials and the furnishing's retro yellows and greens were used to give a warm, inviting environment.

His Red Box Apartments on Parnell's Augustus Tce were also highly commended.

Ian Butt of Harris Butt Architecture won a commercial/industrial award for a Northland Port Corporation building at One Tree Point, Marsden Point.

The brief was to provide a single level, 200sqm air-conditioned office for staff with an additional 200sqm either as a separate tenancy or for expansion.

"The offices are situated within a designated railway corridor which means the building has to be capable of relocation if required," the awards citation said.

"The solution was two 20m by 10m relocatable office pods, connected to a central entrance and services unit, which could be sacrificed should the building be relocated."

The judges said the strongest category was in the small to medium homes. That showed the growing popularity of places that fitted in a budget and proved affordable homes could showcase the best in design.