Library, winery, golf course club house, former stables and several private homes were all recognised in Queenstown last night at the 2009 Southern Architecture Awards.
Jury convener architect Anna-Marie Chin said the standard of entries had been very high, with buildings put together "beautifully" and featuring "a lot of considered detailing".
Properties in Wanaka, Queenstown and Dunedin were residential category winners.
The Johnston family home - designed by one son and built by another - overlooked the Clutha River and was designed "purely as a summer weekend retreat".
Architectural Ecology's house in Northeast Valley, Dunedin, built from low maintenance materials and natural timber, and cleverly oriented to maximise sun, also charmed the jurors.
Blair and Co's Duncan house in Queenstown was likened to "a fortress clinging to a precipice".
Jurors admired the robust materials and detailing and the both sensitive and brutal siting.
The young adult space at the Dunedin Public Library, designed by Architecture and Urban Design - Dunedin City Council, was the sole winner in the interior architecture category.
Commercial honours went to Gibbston Valley's Coal Pit Winery, by Architecture Workshop and the multi-use Jacks Point Clubhouse, by Jeremy Kingan Architect and Darby Partners.
Jurors admired Coal Pit Winery's simple functional nature and gentle canopy roof, which appeared to "float" above precast concrete walls, evoking the woolsheds which once stood on the land.
In the heritage section, the conversion into a home of the historic Balfour Stables in Queenstown took the honours.
Jurors praised architect Jackie Gillies and Associates for the restoration of the exterior and for bringing light into the building while retaining its character.
Other winners were:Public architecture: Otago Polytechnic Art School, McCoy and Wixon Architects.
Queenstown residential: Kelvin Heights residents, Warren and Mahoney; Lakeside Estates residence, 2 Architecture Studio; Park St residents, 2 Architecture Studio.
Dunedin residential: Clear House, Modern Architecture Partners; Bell House, Andrea Bell.
Wanaka residential: Wanaka Lodge, Patterson Associates; Kanuka Rise residence, Sheppard and Rout Architects.
Colour award: Bell House, Andrea Bell.
All winners are eligible for a New Zealand architecture award, which will be announced next year.
