NZ designs among world's best

LIGHT TOUCH: The exterior of the Maimai house in Ponsonby.

INSIDE VIEW: the interior of the Maimai house.

IN THE CLUB: The Hills golf club.

EXQUISITE SETTING: The Hills golf club.

WORLD CLASS: New Zealand asrchitecture firm Patterson Associates has had two buildings in the shortlist for the World Architecture Festival Awards - the Maimai house in Ponsonby and the Hills Golf club, inset.

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An Auckland house named after a duckshooting shelter has been selected as one of the 16 best private homes built in the world over the last two years.

The "Maimai" house in Ponsonby, designed by Auckland-based architects Patterson Associates was announced today as one of the finalists in the World Architecture Festival awards to be held in Barcelona, Spain, this October.

As well as having a finalist in the private homes category, Patterson Associates also has a sports building finalist – the clubhouse at The Hills golf course in Queenstown.

Founder Andrew Patterson said having two buildings named on the world shortlist was "incredibly exciting and humbling".

The Hills clubhouse featured extensively on international television coverage of the Michael Hill New Zealand Golf Open in 2006 and 2007, and won the New Zealand Institute of Architects Supreme Award 2008.

Mr Patterson said Maimai took inspiration from Pacific design, with a carved feather motif on the outside of the building, upon which striking images of the home and its surrounds are projected at night.

The building took its name from the shelters used by duck hunters, which like the home offered both camouflage and vantage point – in Maimai's case a view of the Auckland cityscape.

The Hills clubhouse was one of nine sport and leisure finalists, up against the Beijing Olympics' Water Cube swimming stadium, and London's new Wembley Stadium.

"We'll be the underdogs, when you think about the size of these other commissions," Mr Patterson said.

"We're simply delighted to be there. By being selected for these finals we get to attract the interest of the world in what we're doing here in New Zealand."

- NZPA