What do a historic wool store in Melbourne, a wellbeing-focused recreation centre in Auckland, and a 5-hectare waterfront landscape on a former petrochemical site have in common?
All 3 projects were supported by Rider Levett Bucknall teams across Australia and New Zealand, and all have won category awards at the World Architecture Festival 2025, one of the most respected international competitions in architecture.
At this year’s festival in Miami, the projects were recognised across 3 categories:
- Younghusband, Melbourne by Woods Bagot – WAF Completed Buildings: Creative Reuse
- Hiwa Recreation Centre, University of Auckland by Warren and Mahoney + MJMA Architecture & Design – WAF Completed Buildings: Sport
- Te Ara Tukutuku, Auckland by LandLAB + SCAPE as part of Toi Waihanga design collective – WAF Future Project: Urban Design / WAFX* Award for Cultural Identity (also recognised with a World Landscape Architecture Award of Excellence, 2025)
Although very different in scale and purpose, the projects highlight 3 shifts reshaping contemporary architecture: adaptive reuse, wellbeing-focused design, and regenerative urban landscapes.
Reimagining an industrial landmark at Younghusband, Melbourne
The first shift: adaptive reuse.
In Melbourne’s inner north, Younghusband transforms a historic wool store into a mixed-use precinct for creative industries, small businesses and public life.
Rider Levett Bucknall Associate and project lead Natasha Carter said repositioning the Younghusband Woolstore presented a significant challenge, particularly in balancing the preservation of the existing structure with the need to accommodate contemporary working styles.
In many cases, the cost of refurbishing original elements far exceeded the expense of constructing new ones. The key to achieving the best architectural and financial outcome was making deliberate, value‑driven decisions about where to invest, ensuring that every dollar contributed meaningfully to the project’s overall quality and long‑term performance.
Rather than replacing the 70-year-old structure, the design retains the building’s industrial character and makes its history visible. Laneways, gathering spaces and public areas open the building to the surrounding neighbourhood, turning what was once a closed industrial facility into an active urban destination.
The environmental impact is significant. By retaining the structure rather than rebuilding it, the project achieved an estimated 83% reduction in carbon compared with a new building of similar size. Today the precinct operates as Melbourne’s largest carbon neutral adaptive reuse development.
Designing for student wellbeing at Hiwa Recreation Centre, Auckland
The second shift: wellbeing-focused design.
At the University of Auckland, the Hiwa Recreation Centre redefines what a university sports facility can be.
The 26,000 sqm building serves more than 45,000 students and brings together aquatics, sports courts, climbing facilities, fitness studios, and social spaces within a vertical campus hub.
However, the project was conceived as more than a place for sport. University leaders recognised rising concerns around student wellbeing and social isolation. The design creates an environment where physical activity, social connection and everyday campus life intersect.
More than 30% of the building is dedicated to non-performance space, including study areas, terraces and informal gathering zones that support student wellbeing.
Movement is a central design idea. A 1-kilometre fitness circuit connects spaces throughout the building, encouraging activity as students move between levels.
Cultural identity is also embedded within the architecture through Māori narratives, patterns and language integrated into the building’s design.
Restoring the urban waterfront at Te Ara Tukutuku, Auckland
The third shift: regenerative urban landscapes.
Te Ara Tukutuku will transform a former petrochemical site on Auckland’s waterfront into a 5-hectare public landscape guided by indigenous knowledge and ecological restoration.
Rather than creating a conventional urban park, the project reconnects land, ocean and people through environmental repair, cultural storytelling and public space.
The design draws on the metaphor of a waka, representing the relationship between land, sea and community. Forest landscapes, marine restoration initiatives, outdoor learning environments and spaces for waka activity will gradually reshape the site.
When complete, Te Ara Tukutuku will deliver the largest new open space in Auckland’s city centre in more than a century.
A changing direction for architecture
Recognition at the World Architecture Festival places these projects among the most innovative examples of contemporary design internationally.
Taken together, they show how expectations of architecture are changing. Buildings are no longer judged only by their form or technical performance. Increasingly, they are expected to extend the life of existing structures, support healthier communities and restore environmental systems.
From adaptive reuse in Melbourne to wellbeing-focused design and regeneration on the waterfront in Auckland, these projects illustrate how architecture is responding to the evolving role of the built environment in society.
These outcomes reflect the vision and collaboration of the architects, designers, clients and project partners involved. We congratulate Woods Bagot, Warren and Mahoney, MJMA Architecture & Design, LandLAB and SCAPE, along with the wider project teams, on their recognition at the World Architecture Festival.
Launched in WAF’s 10th year, WAFX celebrates international proposals which embrace cutting-edge design addressing major world issues. Ranging from tackling the climate emergency to building community resilience.
Elsewhere in the program, BVN’s Canberra Hospital Expansion was awarded Highly Commended in the Best Use of Colour Prize. The project uses natural materials and colours to create a nurturing wellness environment inspired by Canberra’s unique geographical and cultural identity, with commercial certainty delivered by the RLB team in Canberra, Australia.
World Architecture Festival 2025 Winners
https://worldarchitecturefestival.com/WAF2026/en/page/winners-2025
Hiwa Case Study
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