I’m always a bit bemused when people ask me “what kind” of architecture we want to see in the magazine, because the answer, really, is all of it – as long as it’s good. We’ve always talked about loving luxury and humility in equal measure, and by that we mean we’re less interested in trends, and more interested in the design.
When we started Here back in 2020, we set out to publish houses that were joyful, colourful and individual. We wanted to see more quirk – not for quirk’s sake, but because it seemed to show tailored, novel solutions to particular problems. We wanted variety. We didn’t want everything to look the same.
Over the past six years, we’ve been delighted to see architects and their clients get braver, dispense with the obvious and commit to things that just make sense for them. Nowhere is that seen better than in the awards. Last year’s winning house by Guy Tarrant is a family home spread across two small buildings near the beach: a renovated 1940s sergeant’s cottage, with a new sleepout alongside it. Our New House winner was a 28-square-metre home on a 117-square-metre site.
But previous winners and category winners have included a mixed-use building in Te Papaioea Palmerston North by Spacecraft Architects, an exquisite eco-friendly home inspired by Japanese design by Kristina Pickford and Pac Studio, an ethereal pyramid added to the back of a villa in Freemans Bay by Jack McKinney, not to mention a dramatic A-frame clad in purple corrugated fibreglass at Tairua by Glamuzina Architects and Natalie Parke.
This year, we’re calling for entries in four main categories – New House, Reuse and Renovation, Density and Small Project – along with the Unbuilt category. The rōpū, consisting of Guy Tarrant, Elspeth Gray and me, will also award discretionary awards, ranging from Interior to Sustainability. Entries are open now, and close on Friday 3 July, with judging in September and the awards announced at a bespoke event at The Hotel Britomart in October.
We’re delighted to welcome back our family of sponsors – Città, Blum and Resene, a multi-year partnership programme which extends to the very beginning of our awards and this magazine. And we’re excited to welcome back The Hotel Britomart, part of Collection by TFE Hotels, as our official Event Partner.
We can’t wait to see the entries for 2026!
Simon Farrell-Green
Publisher & Editor
Te Rōpū 2026
Guy Tarrant
Guy Tarrant Architects
Guy’s design for two delightful small buildings in Worser Bay, Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington, which won Best House Aotearoa 2025, is emblematic of his approach. While the cottage and sleepout – totalling just 66 square metres – are smaller than the average apartment, they’re both rigorously planned and thoughtfully crafted, forming a thoroughly functional and beautiful home. He is just as interested in how buildings are assembled as he is in how they look.
Elspeth Gray
Roberts Gray Architects
Elspeth’s CV covers some of Aotearoa’s finest studios – including Stevens Lawson Architects – and in a few short years she and her colleagues at Roberts Gray Architects have made a name for themselves building finely detailed, beautifully scaled work. Common to all projects is a desire to experiment with architecture’s enduring qualities and conventions while designing buildings and public spaces that are generous and accommodating of life.
Simon Farrell-Green
Here
Simon is the publisher and editor of Here, which he started in 2020 during a pandemic lockdown with a desire to make something progressive, different and real. He drives the cars, orders the drinks and carries the bags on the Here Awards judging tour.
Categories
New
Reuse and Renovation
Density
Small Project
Unbuilt
All finalists are eligible for Best House Aotearoa 2026
Entries Open
Entry is online via our website and is open until 5pm on Friday July 3. For further information, download an entry pack or email us at hello@thisishere.nz with any questions.
2026 Dates
April 20: Call to entry
July 3: Entries close
September: Judging in person
October 16: Awards announced
Here Awards
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