The AAA Design Awards (formerly the Visionary Architecture awards) are a renowned event on Auckland’s architectural calendar with well over 100 entries each year from architectural student and practices nation-wide. The awards are not exclusive to those in the architecture profession and those with a passion for great design are encouraged to enter.
The 2025 AAA Design Awards have just concluded and the winners are listed in the awards tab.
Below are all 32 finalists for the 2025 AAA Design Awards.
These projects will be displayed at the 2025 AAA Design Awards night on Thursday 9th October, 5-8PM, with the winners announced after 6PM.
Judges were given the projects without the entrants names attached to them, to keep them anonymous.
Epiphany Rise by Alexander Wong & Antony Lu
The Infinite Line in Motion by David Phan
Circular Living: Enlivening Panmure's Local Food Economy by Hannah Thompson
SANDO: Half for You by Kaiyo Ruthe
To the Lighthouse by Leith Macfarlane
Ngahere Sanctuary by Lilli Pritchard
Tāwharau a Place to Pause and Part by Lydias Yong
The Observatory by Lydias Yong
Whare Tiaki Taiao by Nathan Moore
The Tyler Street Garage by Paige Walton
Te Aroha o te Wairua, The love of the Spirit by Vicky Huang
De Verdronken Zwarte Poler, A Human Expression: "The Marsh Machine" by Vincent Heijnen
Eat at the Source by Yang Yang Liu
NAVIGATING THE WIND : A VESSEL UNVEILS TRADITIONAL WISDOM by Yujie Weng
Y Shelter by Billy Pengelly
Other contributors: Andrew Barrie Lab
Waffling Question by Karl Mendez & Rosemary Li
Other contributors: KP Cabinet Ltd
Lathed Artefacts - A Series by Lilli Pritchard
The Settlers of Ōhope by Rebecca Campbell & Isabella Cox-Fraider
Tapestries of Tāmaki [Finding our Feet] by Sahil Tiku
Other contributors: Sakina Ali & Madeline Brown (Photography).
Materials Matter by Vincent Heijnen, Renee Brants, Lena Anna Arida de Rouw, Janek Thomas Bosman, Manon Liza L De Kooning, Freek Eigenraam, Frans Ramses Wassen, Emile Marc C Waterkeyn, Merlijn Felix Lewerissa, Noor Zeeman, Jaron Jonathan Smit, Lisanne Fung, & Sijmen An de Vries
The Garden of Broken Shadows by Ali Al Omari
Our Stories Begin with the Trees by Donna Luo
Re-Identification Machines by Isabella Zeng
Other Contributors: Thesis Professor - Manfredo Manfredini (University of Auckland)
Foregrounding Urban Futures: Bio-regional Materiality at Te Rimutahi by Joseph Bjelic-Webster
Muriwai Imprint: A Layered Section by Lilli Pritchard
A Reservoir Folly by Yang Yang Liu
Table for ONE:MORE by Yang Yang Liu
The Spirit Banquet by Yang Yang Liu
The Enemy is Within the Gates by Yeyeon Kwak
Coatesville Courtyard House by Noah Bian
Other contributors: Auckland Architectural Designs Ltd
Summerhill Community Base by Leith Macfarlane
Other contributors: Matt Liggins Studio
Rachel Wegrzyn by Rachel Wegrzyn
For over 40 years, the AAA awards have been a mainstay in the architectural community’s calendar. Each year the association receives hundreds of entries that are judged anonymously.
Our awards are always open to all of New Zealand - not just Architects and students.
This year, we have rejuvenated our categories which are open to amateurs, students and professionals:
- Craft Object Award
- Peripheral Media Award
- Unbuilt Design Award
- Emerging Practice Award
Our categories have changed, but the student prizes are still here.
Projects can only be entered into one category each so choose wisely, but there is no fee to enter.
More info and category descriptions below.
Buildings are not the only form of architectural expression. Storytelling and representation can also be used to explore the potential of architecture. Be it models, drawings, details, site offices, furniture, sound or lighting design, these awards celebrate projects that sit on or within the design of the built environment and architectural representation.
We are looking for unusual, radical and unique projects. Our awards have always favoured visionary projects, those that push the boundaries, find new ways to visualise ideas, tackle difficult concepts or propose brand new solutions.
These awards acknowledge the historical role of cross-disciplinary practice in design and entries are not limited to those within the field of architecture. We welcome students and practitioners from architecture, engineering, urban design, planning, graphic design, industrial design etc as well as those for whom design is a passion or hobby.
Projects may interrogate, communicate or research a topic related to the built environment to investigate social issues, urbanism, architectural history, construction, or the effects of design on its users.
We aim to platform projects that contribute to the design field or further discourse within the wider architectural realm.
The Craft Object Award celebrates the built form. It can range from furniture, sculptures, cutlery, and much more, as well as larger built forms that did not require resource/building consents such as pergolas and follies (but these will need to be represented as either a scale model or within a 2D medium).
This category will include a sub-prize for best student work.
FIRST PRIZE
$100, a certificate and trophy.
BEST STUDENT PRIZE*
$50 and a certificate.
HIGHLY COMMENDED
A certificate.
The Peripheral Media Award recognises design within the 2D and virtual realms. It does not require a built form and is more about the representation of design. It is also open to written, performative, or moving image work.
Projects in this category may be speculative, may or may not have a ‘real’ site or client, and are not confined to Tāmaki Makaurau.
This category will include a sub-prize for best student work.
FIRST PRIZE
$100, a certificate and trophy.
BEST STUDENT PRIZE*
$50 and a certificate.
HIGHLY COMMENDED
A certificate.
This award seeks unbuilt projects hidden within the archives of students, designers and practices. These are projects which would have been impactful or innovative, but did not continue due to fiscal, social, regulatory or other external constraints. These projects should ignite conversations within the community, and they could have a ‘real’ site or client, or be completely speculative.
This category will include a sub-prize for best student work.
FIRST PRIZE
$100, a certificate and trophy.
BEST STUDENT PRIZE*
$50 and a certificate.
HIGHLY COMMENDED
A certificate.
This award seeks to recognise emerging practices and practitioners, those who have set up within the last 10 years. We welcome innovative projects that push boundaries and those with exceptional attention to detail. Submissions may include images/drawings from a range of projects, or focus on one in particular.
FIRST PRIZE
$100, a certificate and trophy.
HIGHLY COMMENDED
A certificate.
VISIONARY AWARD
In a call back to awards history, the Visionary Award goes to the judges’ overall favourite project.
This award will favour radical, unique and unusual projects.
A certificate and trophy.
Each year features a different panel of independent judges.
Entries will be digitally submitted for review by the judges. A shortlist of finalists in each category are eligible to be included in the exhibition. Judging is always anonymous, with projects being judged on both quality of design and communication, and how well they reflect the theme of the given category.
Winners are announced at the AAA Design Awards function, following a public talk by committee members, sponsors and judges.
Using the submission form on our website, entries must be be submitted as a PDF, consisting of 3 A3 pages with static images and text. Additional to the PDF, entrants may either submit a video/audio file, or a models/physical media.
PDF: 3 x A3 pages. The file must be less than 10MB in file size, this file must contain no reference to your name.
MP4: Moving image/audio work should be emailed to us in an MP4 format. The file must be less than 40MB in size and 60 seconds or less.
Models/physical media: Note on your entry form whether you intend to submit a model and information will be sent to you about when and where you can drop this off.
There must not be any reference to the entrant’s name in the PDF or MP4. The files must be titled with the award you are submitting for followed by your entry’s project title.
Each project must only be submitted to one award category.
Finalists will then be displayed at the AAA Design Awards function, where the winners will be announced.
Prizes are awarded at the judges’ discretion, and all decisions are final. Judges may move entries between categories if they deem it to better suit the entry criteria.
BAS, MArch(Prof)(Hons) - Architectural Graduate | Interdisciplinary Designer | Educator
Janae Van Panahon is a Filipino New Zealander who is currently practising as an Architectural Graduate and an Interdisciplinary Designer - actively collaborating on public projects and design competitions - whilst also teaching at The University of Auckland Architecture and AUT Spatial Design.
Her design work has gained multiple awards including 2nd Prize World Stage Design Theatre Architecture Competition (2025) and Tamaki Makaurau Architecture Supreme Award (2023).
Janae Van’s research focuses on exploring various art forms (scenography, cinematography, image-making, moving image, and installations) and defining what these have to offer architecture.
BUrbPlan(Hons), MUrbDes, MPP - Principal Proverty Provision Specialist
Rahman holds a bachelor's in Urban Planning (hons), a Master in Urban Design and is currently completing a Master in Public Policy.
His research focuses on spatial justice and public housing and he is currently researching in infrastructure finance focusing on urban recalibration.
He works at Auckland Council as a Principal Property Provision Specialist undertaking strategic planning, design and acquisition of open space for Tamaki Makaurau.
In the past he's worked as a planning and design lead at Simplicity Living and in resource consenting.
BAS, MArch(Prof)(Hons) - Architectural Graduate
Lise was born and raised in Ngaio, Wellington before moving up to Auckland 8 years ago to study architecture.
She has always had a deep interest and connection to the art world, and as it manifested in her final thesis year, she turned towards printmaking and its connection to the built world.
Lise has been working at Cheshire Architects for the past two and a half years now and in her free time, she continues with her love of printmaking and drawing.
