KEY POINTS:
Parnell's eye-catching Trinity apartments took one of three supreme national architectural prizes at the weekend.
The new building on the crest of the Parnell ridge opposite the Anglican cathedral was praised for being one of the best in New Zealand.
The other two Institute of Architects supreme award winners were the Wellington headquarters of the Department of Conservation and the Hills clubhouse in Arrowtown designed for jeweller Michael Hill.
Pip Cheshire, an architect and the national judging convener, said New Zealand architects were increasingly producing buildings of international stature.
Architectus, the Auckland-based practice that designed the Parnell units, said every apartment had a private outdoor living area and was designed to maximise natural ventilation and daylight.
Deep verandas offered a buffer between the interiors and the street edge, connecting the places with the environment but giving protection from the elements.
Residents can adjust louvres and sunshades, timber shutters on internal courtyards and external sun filter blinds to give them the amount of light they want.
Judges said the Trinity project was proof that apartment building design could provide high-quality environments and make a significant contribution to street scapes.
The three supreme award winners have already won national awards, making them eligible for the top prize.
Wellington's Conservation House by architecture+ was lauded as an inspiring reconfiguration of existing buildings which the judges said created a masterful workplace for a government department.
Environmental control systems were cleverly used to create a rooftop garden, meeting rooms and a cafe.
The Hills clubhouse by Patterson Associates was a structure that had elements of a sculpture about it, the judges said.
"The expressive use of structural engineering and reflective interiors make a memorable entry to the course and a triumphant nineteenth hole."
Auckland architect Ivan Mercep was awarded a gold medal in recognition of his outstanding career, which spans more than half a century.
Mr Mercep was one of the founders of JASMaD, the forerunner to today's Jasmax architectural practice.
Now in his 70s, he was one of the architects who designed Te Papa museum in Wellington and the Fale Pasifika at Auckland University.
The Mangere Pool and Leisure Centre, the Waikato Museum of Art and History in Hamilton and other university buildings are also key projects by Mr Mercep, who retired as a Jasmax director in 1995 but is still a consultant and works most days.
