The Grand Café at Christchurch Casino, The Hornby Clocktower Building and the Timaru Courthouse redevelopment were among 12 local projects recognised at last night’s New Zealand Institute of Architects 2011 Canterbury Architecture Awards.

Stephen Crooks, Christchurch architect and awards jury convenor said despite the many challenges faced by architects in the Canterbury region this year, the standard of award-winning buildings was cause for optimism.

“Canterbury, and Christchurch in particular, has a strong architectural tradition. We have designed good buildings in the past and we should have confidence that we’ll design good buildings in the future.”

The redevelopment of the Timaru Courthouse by Opus Architecture was a double winner this year, with awards received in both the public architecture and sustainable architecture categories. In the commercial architecture category, the judges awarded the Addington office building by Sheppard & Rout Architects and the Hornby Clocktower, refurbished by Wilson & Hill Architects.

Domestic architecture was also well represented in the 2011 Canterbury Architecture Awards with four projects awarded, including Clearwater House (Wilson & Hill Architects), Moana Dwelling Complex (David A Smith Architects), Church Bay House (Herriot + Melhuish Architecture Ltd) and Sumner House (Manning & Associates Architects) – a favourite of the awards’ jury.

A full list of the category winners in the 2011 Canterbury Architecture Awards can be found below, together with judges’ citations.

Category: Sustainable Architecture

Timaru Courthouse Redevelopment
NZIA Practice: Opus Architecture
Judges’ citation: Working for an informed client with a clear requirement for environmentally responsible performance, the Architect has designed a building that embraces sustainability, albeit in a discrete manner. Full citation here.

Category: Public Architecture

Timaru Courthouse Redevelopment
NZIA Practice: Opus Architecture
Judges’ citation: The Architect has successfully enhanced the community presence of the original courthouse building and cleverly integrated the complex functional requirements of a modern operating courthouse. Full citation here.

Category: Commercial  Architecture

Office Building
NZIA Practice: Sheppard & Rout Architects Ltd.
Judges’ citation: Responding to the brief for a speculative commercial building in a restrained market, the Architect has developed both a highly functional and an attractive building. Full citation here.

Category: Commercial Architecture

Hornby Clocktower Building Reburbishment
NZIA Practice:  Wilson & Hill Architects Ltd.
Judges’ citation: The efficient and well-resolved refurbishment of a landmark building has provided high quality office and retail space at the western edge of the city. Full citation here.

Category: Interior Architecture

The Grand Café, Christchurch Casino
NZIA Practice: Warren and Mahoney Architects Ltd
Judges’ citation: As part of a staged refurbishment of the Christchurch Casino, the cafe has been transformed into a versatile mix of open and intimate spaces providing flexible dining and entertainment options. Full citation here.

Category: Public Architecture

St Bede’s College - Weatmouth Boarding Accommodation
NZIA Practice: Herriot + Melhuish: Architecture Ltd (HMA)
Judges’ citation: A highly resolved and engaging architectural solution to a passionate client’s brief, this project combines commercial durability and serviceability with residential sensitivity via skilful detailing and informed material choices. Full citation here.

Category: Residential Architecture

Clearwater House
NZIA Practice: Wilson & Hill Architects Ltd.
Judges’ citation: This house is very accomplished architecture on a grand residential scale wherein the Architect’s touch is evident through to the finest detail of furnishing and fittings. Full citation here.

Category: Residential Architecture

Moana Dwelling Complex
NZIA Practice: David A Smith Architects
Judges’ citation: It is not surprising that there exists a long-standing relationship between this client and Architect: the house seems to fit the client’s requirements perfectly. Full citation here.

Category: Residential Architecture

Church Bay House
NZIA Practice: Herriot + Melhuish: Architecture Ltd (HMA)
Judges’ citation: This modest rectilinear box is entered at first floor level across a bridge, gangplank-style, evoking a sense of being afloat on the harbour that forms much of the northern view. Full citation here.

Category: Residential Architecture

Sumner House
NZIA Practice: Manning & Associates Architects Ltd
Judges’ citation: This is domestic architecture at its best: great spaces; great colours; great use of materials; great detailing; and perfectly tailored to the clients’ lifestyles. The design gives the impression of effortless confidence and it was difficult for the judges to resist the word ‘masterful’. Full citation here.

Category: Small Project Architecture

Lifeguard Tower Woodend Beach – ‘The Chair’
NZIA Practice: Wilson & Hill Architects Limited
Judges’ citation: This is a delightful building, a rare combination of humour, fitness for purpose and completely resolved detailing. Full citation here.

Category: Small Project Architecture

Rochester and Rutherford Hall – New Study Centre
NZIA Practice: Ian Cumberpatch Architects Ltd
Judges’ citation: In its scale and in the articulation of its constituent spaces, this project displays significant understanding and appreciation of the underlying architectural language of the adjacent building. Full citation here.

Category: Enduring Architecture

Chateau on the Park
NZIA Practice: Peter Beavan Architect Ltd.
Judges’ citation: Completed in 1976, the Chateau on the Park is a delightful example of an idiosyncratic work of architecture that has retained its strength of vision through several decades, successfully avoiding the potential degradations of modern architectural renovation. Full citation here.

2011 Local Architecture Award winners in other regions can be found here: Nelson Marlborough Architecture Awards; Auckland Architecture Awards; Waikato Bay of Plenty Architecture Awards; Wellington Architecture Awards; Western Architecture Awards; Gisborne Hawkes Bay Architecture Awards.