Small to medium homes with limited budgets wow judges

Media release
16 May 2014

Small to medium homes with limited budgets wow judges

The small to medium home category was the stand out in the 2014 ADNZ Resene Architectural Design Awards said judges – who spent hours poring over design entries this week in Christchurch.

Judges said that the strength of the category demonstrates the growing popularity of compact, well designed homes that fit within a budget; it also proves that affordable homes are able to showcase the best in design.

Judge Dr Duncan Joiner, Chief Architect at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, said that large homes with big price tags aren’t always best.

“Smaller homes that are well planned with modest budgets can be fantastic places to live. All well designed homes need to be thoughtful in layout, use solid materials, and ultimately be a joy to live in. It is important that home design is not just about the latest trends but more importantly home design needs to endure,” says Joiner.

Judge Dr Andrew Barrie, Professor of Design at the School of Architecture and Planning, agreed saying that small to medium homes have more constraints and therefore can be more interesting.

“This year we are really looking for ideas. We are looking for thoughtfulness of design and creative thinking”, says Barrie.

The ADNZ Resene Architectural Design Awards are one of the most prestigious and anticipated design awards in the country.

ADNZ General Manager Astrid Andersen said that each year the quality of the entries greatly improves and this is a testament to the growing talent pool of New Zealand designers.

“An interesting trend in this year’s awards is the increase in the number of new ADNZ members entering. In fact, 28% of this year’s entries came from new members to the organisation. I am sure these new members are going to bring a whole new dimension to the awards. It is wonderful to see the exciting talent of New Zealand architectural designers,” says Andersen.

Joining Dr Andrew Barrie and Dr Duncan Joiner on the judging panel is experienced architectural designer Graham Sawell. An ADNZ life member and one of ADNZ’s most awarded designers, Sawell has been a member of ADNZ for more than 25 years.

Now that judging is complete, the regional winners will be announced at award ceremonies throughout the country in June and July. On 26 September the Supreme Award winner and National Award winners will be announced at a gala awards dinner in the Bay of Islands.

ENDS

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