Ka Rawe Ben: Leading with Heart at the Wellington NZIA Awards
Ben giving his speech, read it below!
Last month, our team joined the wider Wellington architecture community to celebrate a special occasion, the 2025 NZIA Wellington Local Architecture Awards. We were proud to see our very own Ben Jagersma serve as convenor of the jury, a significant honour that saw him lead the judging of some of the region’s most thoughtful, creative, and people-focused architectural work.
Ben opened the evening with a powerful mihi and speech, reflecting on themes of generosity, resilience in a challenging market, sustainability, and the importance of keeping people at the heart of our practice. His words reminded us all why we do what we do and set a meaningful tone for the evening. We loved it so much, we’ve attached highlights to the end of this article to re-live! Check it out!
The awards celebrated a wide range of projects, from public buildings to small homes, showcasing the depth and diversity of architecture in Te Whanganui-a-Tara. It was a night to honour the care, collaboration, and commitment behind each project and to acknowledge the teams who bring them to life.
We enjoyed dinner in the company of friends, peers, and fellow finalists, celebrating not only this year’s achievements but the future of people-centered architecture in Wellington.
A special thanks to Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects and our fellow Jurors:
Marc Woodbury | Studio of Pacific Architecture
Raphaela Rose | AHHA Architects
Ruby Somerville from Cheshire
Andy Spain | Andy Spain Photography
And event sponsors Resene and APL and Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects
See all the winners of the 2025 NZIA Wellington Local Architecture Awards here
Kia ora koutou katoa,
Ka mihi au ki te atua,
Ka mihi au ki ngā tangata whenua,
Ka mihi au ki te whare, mō te whakamaru
Ka mihi au ki ngā kaiwhakaharea, ki a koutou
Ko Ben Jagersma tōku ingoa.
It’s a real privilege to be standing here tonight as convenor of the Wellington Architecture Awards.
We gather tonight not just to hand out accolades — but to acknowledge the people, the places, and the stories that define our region’s architecture.
In a time when so many of us are navigating challenges, it feels more important than ever to pause, and to celebrate, not just what we’ve built, but why we build at all.
I had the absolute privilege of judging alongside four outstanding humans, Raphaela Rose, from AHHA architects in Auckland, Marc Woodbury from Studio Pacific, Ruby Somerville from Cheshire, and finally, Andy Spain — our resident photographer.
So what were we looking for?
Yes, the usual things — form, detail, light, structure. But this year, we also leaned into something deeper.
We looked for connection to place.
We looked for clarity — in idea, in execution, and in purpose.
We looked at sustainability not as a checklist, but as a worldview.
And we looked for moments of joy — the kind of spaces that don’t just function well, but lift the spirit.
Some of the most moving moments weren’t about finishes or façades — they were about people.
Walking through homes, workplaces, community spaces where you could see — and feel — the impact architecture had made. Where clients smiled. Where children played. Where something was healed or uplifted.
We were especially heartened by the number of renovations and heritage projects and two enduring architecture awards. In a time when resources are tight the act of re-use becomes more than pragmatic — it becomes deeply meaningful.
These projects speak to sustainability in its truest form — not just energy and materials, but longevity, adaptability, and cultural relevance.
And in amongst it all, we saw moments of pure beauty. Projects that stopped us in our tracks. That held space with quiet confidence. That reminded us of what architecture can do — not just solve problems, but inspire hope.
These projects will stay with us for a long time.
Our profession — and our city — has been doing it tough lately. It’s not just building consents and material costs. It’s the ripple effects of an economy under pressure, of communities stretched thin, of a region still finding its footing. And yet — in the middle of all that — there’s this. A room full of people still trying. Still dreaming. Still designing for a better world.
Tonight, we pause.
We celebrate creativity, perseverance, and generosity. We celebrate the quiet details and bold ideas.
And as Hugh and Ewen mentioned earlier this afternoon we celebrate our shared responsibility — to care for this land, and the people who live upon it.
This is what kaitiakitanga looks like in the built environment. Let’s hold onto that. Let’s carry it forward.
-Ben Jagersma
