HOME Architecture Awards
Celebrating the best in New Zealand architecture and interiors.
Since 1936, HOME has been at the forefront of architectural excellence in Aotearoa. Its prestigious awards programmes — Home of the Year, Home Interior of the Year, and Home of the Decade — are celebrations of the country’s most exceptional residential design. Each award honours a distinct aspect of design, from architectural ingenuity and spatial quality to material richness, sustainability, and enduring impact. These awards reflect innovation: forward-thinking ideas, and the evolution of how we live and what it means to live in New Zealand.
Home of the Year
Now in its 31st year, Home of the Year is New Zealand’s most respected residential architecture award. Judged by a panel of leading architects and design experts, the award recognises homes that demonstrate outstanding spatial thinking, material integrity, and environmental and contextual responsiveness.
Each year, entries are open to architects and designers across the country. Projects are shortlisted and then visited in person by the judging panel.
This award elevates rising talent and celebrates the work of established practices — from remote off-grid dwellings to urban multi-unit developments.
Categories include:
- City Home of the Year
- Small Home of the Year
- Green Home of the Year
- Rural Home of the Year
- Coastal Home of the Year
- Alt & Reno Home of the Year
- Multi-Unit Home of the Year
Every entry is automatically considered for the prestigious title of Home of the Year. The overall Home of the Year winner is awarded to a home that captures a moment in time: they aren’t always the grandest, though there have been plenty of those over the years too. They are pure expressions of architectural thought, a unique intersection between a client’s brief and the designer’s vision.
Home Interior of the Year
Launched in 2021, Home Interior of the Year celebrates the artistry of interiors — the tactile, atmospheric, and emotional qualities of residential spaces.
The awards seek to recognise outstanding design in five distinct areas of the home with winners awarded in the following categories:
- Kitchen of the Year
- Bathroom of the Year
- Living Space of the Year
- Lighting Design of the Year
- Bedroom of the Year
- Emerging Designer of the Year
- Resene Colour Award
Entrants are invited to submit recently completed work that fits into one or more of these categories.
The winner of each category receives a prize valued at $10,000, consisting of a cash component and media value across the HOME brands.
Entries are invited from those who work in the design sector, across architecture, kitchen and bathroom design, and interior design and decoration.
Home of the Decade
Held every 10 years, Home of the Decade is the highest honour awarded by HOME. It reflects on a decade’s worth of award-winning homes to select one that has had a lasting impact on New Zealand architecture.
This award acknowledges cultural significance, longevity, and influence.
The winner is selected from past Home of the Year recipients, alongside other projects submitted by architects that were completed in the past 10 years, and judged by a panel of architectural leaders and thinkers.
Why enter HOME's award programmes?
- National and global recognition for your work
- Extensive editorial coverage in HOME and across all digital platforms
- Custom video packages for winning projects
- Opportunities for emerging practices to gain visibility
- Peer-reviewed judging panels
- Celebration of design in all its forms — from interiors to architecture
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Who can enter HOME’s awards?
Entries are open to registered architects, designers, interior designers, builders, developers, and homeowners working with a professional team. Projects must be located in New Zealand and completed within a defined eligibility window (usually within the past 2–3 years).
When are entries open?
Entries for Home of the Year open in October of each year, and close in December. Finalists are announced the following February, with winners announced at the end of March.
Entries for Interior of the Year open in June and close in August each year, with winners announced in October.
Is there a fee to enter?
No, entry to all HOME awards is free.
What do winners receive?
Home of the Year winners are featured prominently in HOME, online, and across all social media platforms, alongside national media coverage with other titles. They also receive a custom-designed award and national recognition among their peers. Every category winner receives a video package by HOME. The overall winner of Home of the Year receives a $10,000 cash prize.
Home Interior of the Year category winners each receive a prize valued at $10,000, including a cash component and media value across the HOME brands. Video packages will also be created where appropriate.
Discover more
Explore past winners, entry details, and behind-the-scenes coverage for:
