Rider Levett Bucknall (RLB) proudly celebrates the achievements of our clients and project teams recognised at the 2025 Property Council New Zealand / Rider Levett Bucknall Property Industry Awards – a night that highlights the best in design, delivery and long-term impact across Aotearoa.
Now in our 28th year as Principal Sponsor, this enduring partnership reflects more than tradition. It speaks to our shared belief in progress – made possible through integrity, collaboration and care.
“These awards reflect the ingenuity, determination and heart that set our industry apart,” said Steve Gracey, Auckland Managing Director. “We’re proud to walk alongside clients and partners to help shape places of purpose – places that endure, serve and inspire.”
RLB was proud to support the Supreme Award-winning Hiwa Recreation Centre in Auckland, which also won the Colliers Project Leaders Education Property Award. Located at the heart of the University of Auckland, Hiwa is a 26,000-square-metre vertical recreation facility that redefines campus wellness by blending elite sport, community activation and thoughtful placemaking. It includes New Zealand’s first LED-lit glass sports floor, an eight-lane pool and aquatic hall, a climbing wall, rooftop multi-sport turf and flexible panoramic social spaces. The team overcame significant engineering, seismic and demolition challenges with collaboration and clarity.
“Hiwa exemplifies how careful planning, smart investment and collaboration can create lasting value for students and communities,” said Director Hamish Dackers. Steve Gracey added, “This is more than a building – it’s an invitation to connect, participate and belong. We’re proud to have supported a project that will shape generations to come.”
RLB also supported several Best in Category winners. In addition to Hiwa, the Deloitte Centre in Auckland took out three category awards: Tourism and Leisure (sponsored by Holmes Group), Heritage and Adaptive Reuse (sponsored by Naylor Love), and Commercial Office (sponsored by RCP). “This project wasn’t just about technical delivery – it was about creating a place of lasting impact,” said Steve Gracey.
Mānawa Bay in Auckland won the Yardi Retail Property Award. “We’re proud to have supported a project that redefines retail in Aotearoa,” said Director Geoff Speck. In Wellington, Ngā Mokopuna won the Resene Sustainable Building Property Award. “Ngā Mokopuna is more than a building – it’s a living expression of cultural integrity and environmental leadership,” said Tony Sutherland, Managing Director.
In the Excellence category, RLB-supported projects included Hiwa Recreation Centre, Ngā Mokopuna, the Deloitte Centre, Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery in Whanganui, Ormiston Hospital Stage 1 Expansion in Auckland, IKEA in Auckland, and ABSTRACT and Resido in Auckland. Merit Awards were presented to ABSTRACT and Horizon by SkyCity in Auckland, as well as Hellmann in Auckland.
These results reflect more than successful project delivery – they represent RLB’s values in action. Whether preserving heritage, enhancing community infrastructure or redefining commercial and residential spaces, each project highlights the power of independent advice, long-term thinking and enduring relationships.
At RLB, we don’t just deliver buildings. We help shape cities, strengthen communities and support our clients with insight, evidence and care. As always, we are guided by the belief that progress isn’t measured by square metres alone, but by the lasting difference we help create.
Congratulations to all of this year’s winners and thank you for allowing us to be part of your journey.
National Award Winners
https://www.propertynz.co.nz/property-industry-awards
2025 RLB Project Showcase
https://www.rlb.com/oceania/insight/rlb-project-showcase-new-zealand-2025/
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