The architect responsible for some of the country's most striking contemporary buildings has been awarded the country's top architecture honour.
Andrew Patterson was celebrated alongside 22 homes, buildings and architects at the NZ Architecture awards in Auckland last night.
Mr Patterson, whose buildings include the Len Lye Centre in New Plymouth and the Christchurch Botanic Gardens Visitor Centre, was given the gold medal for lifetime achievement - the New Zealand Institute of Architects' highest personal honour.
Only one architect a year is given the prize.
The institute awarded Mr Patterson the honour because he had "forged a reputation as a confident designer of striking buildings with great presence" and can "turn his hand to any style".
Mr Patterson said New Zealand's buildings needed to match the beauty of its nature.
"It's embedded in our culture, this feeling of land, landscape, nature - it's really important we have our own unique built environment to match it."
Currently, many buildings are copies of overseas examples, Mr Patterson said.
"Our rugby players don't just follow the world; our architecture shouldn't either."
Mr Patterson and his firm also won the Sir Miles Warren Award for commercial architecture for the Lodge at Kinloch Club. Photo: Supplied
Mr Patterson was honoured to receive the award, but, said he felt most proud when the public responded to his designs.
"I just love designing buildings ... and would love to design more buildings that can have an impact on peoples' lives," he said.
Mr Patterson and his firm also won the Sir Miles Warren Award for commercial architecture for the Lodge at Kinloch Club, and another award for a private home in Kerikeri.
Other winners included:
- Parnell's Holy Trinity Cathedral's new Bishop Selwyn Chapel designed by Fearon Hay architects won The John Scott Award for Public Architecture. Fearon Hay also won two commercial architecture awards, making them the most awarded practice of the year.
- Guy Tarrant won the Sir Ian Athfield Award for Housing for his own residence in Pt Chevalier.
- The Ted McCoy Award for Education was presented to Te Wharehou o Waikaremoana, a visitor centre and "living building" project developed by Ngāi Tūhoe and designed by Tennent and Brown Architects.
- Auckland-based architect Brian Aitken was announced as NZ Institute of Architects Distinguished Fellow . He also won the Enduring Architecture Award for the high rise at 151 Queen St (the former Fay Richwhite Building).
You can hear Andrew Patterson talk to Wallace Chapman on Sunday Morning at 8.35am.