A Queenstown "mountain house" is among outstanding projects honoured in the New Zealand Institute of Architects 2009 New Zealand Architecture Awards.
The mountain retreat in the resort, by Fearon Hay Architects Ltd, gained an award in the Residential Architecture, Houses category, and was described as being like a "magic little box".
Parsonson Architects' Gerald Parsonson, convener of the awards jury, said the house had been built in a "majestic and beautiful landscape" with mountains plunging down to the lake.
"How to build in that landscape is something that has long tormented many architects.
"This is sunken into the land and formed out of the stone of the land but still feels open and connected."
Seventeen other projects are also honoured in the country's premier competition for design and architecture, including the University of Otago's School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Wellington.
Designed by Athfield Architects Ltd, the building took the honours in Interior Architecture and was praised for its fabulous spaces which show a real understanding of students needs.
A maximum of three New Zealand Architecture Awards can be presented across 10 categories.
Judges evaluated entries against criteria including the relationship of a building to its site and context, design quality, building form, structure and spatial qualities.
User satisfaction and environmental aspects were also taken into account.
The winning projects will now be considered for the New Zealand Architecture Medal, to be announced in May.
Only one medal may be awarded each year.
The New Zealand Architecture Awards were established by the NZIA to celebrate the innovation, creativity and excellence of projects nationwide.
