Papamoa Plaza was among 19 projects across nine categories recognised at the 2017 Waikato–Bay of Plenty Architecture Awards, announced at Tauranga Art Gallery on Friday.

Awards convenor and Hamilton-based architect Steven Chambers says despite the diversity of the 25 projects his jury visited, there was one thing the award-winners had in common.

'At each property we visited it was a delight to see the architects and their clients reveling in the fantastic environments they had created,” says Steven.

'It was a testimony to the positive relationships that were formed right at the very start of each project, when briefs were written and concepts were investigated.”

Papamoa Plaza, designed by Ignite Architects, won in the Hospitality & Retail category.

The jury citation notes the architects have ‘extended and refurbished' an existing shopping centre with a commitment to ‘returning a sense of place to a previously context-less mall'.

'Strategically freeing the foodcourt from the interior allows it to occupy a light-filled, glazed public edge and addresses the interface between building and carpark well. A relevant canopy defines and articulates an active pedestrian edge resulting in a successful intervention that bridges the divide between community space and typical faceless suburban mall.”

Cubro, a medical equipment supplier in Tauranga designed by Wingate Architects, was also named one of two winners in the Commercial category.

All winners of the 2017 Waikato–Bay of Plenty Architecture Awards are eligible for shortlisting in the New Zealand Architecture Awards, which will be decided later in the year, and announced in November.