Sustainability continues to be in the spotlight, with a gin distillery and a university building setting the standard in the 2025 Commercial Project Awards.
A groundbreaking sustainable university building and a future-focused distillery have been recognised as the pinnacle of commercial construction at the 2025 New Zealand Commercial Project Awards. LT McGuinness Wellington received the Supreme Over $10 Million Award for Ngā Mokopuna (formerly The Living Pā), while Breen Construction was awarded the Supreme Under $10 Million Award for the Scapegrace Distillery.
Owned by Master Builders, the New Zealand Commercial Project Awards celebrate the very best in innovation, craftsmanship and collaboration across the commercial construction sector. It remains the only competition in New Zealand to recognise and showcase the contribution and innovation of the whole project team, rather than just the building itself.
Supreme Over $10 Million Award
Situated on the prominent site of Victoria University in Wellington, Ngā Mokopuna sets an entirely new standard for commercial buildings in Aotearoa. Designed to meet the world’s most rigorous environmental certification, the Living Building Challenge, the project was built with a mass timber structure and incorporates solar energy generation, vacuum toilets, blackwater treatment, and Red List-free materials.
“As one of New Zealand’s most complex buildings, this project confronted the pressing challenges facing commercial buildings as the sector transitions toward a more sustainable future. Its success is a testament to the shared vision, determination, and commitment of everyone involved,” the judges noted.
For Ngā Mokopuna the accolades don’t stop there. The LT McGuinness Wellington project team also took home the Commercial Project Over $25 Million Value Award, the SpecAdvisor Education Project Category Award, and the Mitre 10 Environmental and Sustainable Award. This is the second year that the NZ Commercial Project Awards has split the two Supreme Awards into two value-based categories, designed to better reflect the breadth of commercial construction projects being delivered across Aotearoa.
Supreme Under $10 Million Award
Taking out both a Supreme Award and the Commercial Project $3 - $10 Million Value Award, the new Scapegrace Distillery stood out for its meticulous blend of architectural impact with precision-engineered processing facilities. Built using laminated timber and powered by electric boilers, the structure includes future-ready infrastructure for retail and hospitality. A strong commitment to sustainability is evident through the structure’s large overhanging eaves and natural ventilation.
The judges particularly praised Breen Construction for their ability to deliver the project to a high standard in harsh weather conditions and under budgetary constraints, made possible through their process engineering approach.
“This project deserves recognition not only for its architectural features and sustainability but also for the collaborative and quality work of the construction team. It is rightly worthy of the Supreme Award Under $10 Million,” the judges said.
Master Builders CEO, Ankit Sharma, says this year’s winners of the Commercial Project Awards exemplify the incredible quality, collaboration, sustainable building practices, and craftsmanship involved in bringing a commercial project to life.
“From innovative use of mass timber to low-impact systems and materials, we’ve seen green thinking integrated across a wide range of projects. These awards continue to recognise the strength of collaboration across the industry - and this year, they also reflect a real shift in how we’re designing and building for the future. Congratulations to all involved.”
CARTERS Commercial Project Award
This year’s CARTERS-sponsored category winner, for best national commercial project went to Building 11 Central Park, a hub for the Auckland city rail link and rail network. Submitted by Macrennie Commercial Construction, with project partners including Envelope Engineering, JCY Architects, Macrennie Commercial Construction and TSA Riley, this was built to Importance Level 3 (IL3), with a structure incorporating full-service redundancy, including transformers, generators, and a communications network.
The project overcame significant challenges, including a basalt rock foundation addressed by cased unreinforced piles drilled down to the rock. It was also delivered on time, achieved a Greenstar 5 certification, and is targeting a NABERS 5-star rating.
Judges said, “Building 11 Central Park delivers critical infrastructure for Auckland’s transport network, housing the operations hub responsible for managing the city’s rail system, including the soon-to-be-opened City Rail Link.
“The three-level structure is designed to maintain operations under extreme conditions. The park features fire separation and full-service redundancy to ensure the continuity of operations and enable handover to the Wellington office in the event of a disruption. The project’s achievement of a Green Star 5 rating demonstrates a strong commitment to environmental performance. Delivered through a highly complex construction programme, the result is impressive and reflects a well-coordinated approach.”
The New Zealand Commercial Project Awards are made possible thanks to the support of CARTERS, Altus Windows Systems, GIB, SpecAdvisor and Mitre 10 Trade.
For more information see:
