BUILDING NATIONS – 2025 IMPACT AWARDS
WINNERS
The 2025 Building Nations Impact Awards celebrate those projects, individuals and teams which have exemplified climate consciousness and a focus on social outcomes. Check out the winners from 2025 below.
INFRASTRUCTURE DECARBONISATION AWARD
This award recognises projects which embed an outstanding ‘whole of life’ approach to reducing carbon to respond to a carbon zero future. This award celebrates projects that embed carbon reduction into decision making and delivery.
WINNER:
Hutt City Council for Te Ngaengae Pool + Fitness
Te Ngaengae Pool + Fitness, delivered by Hutt City Council and partners, is New Zealand’s first aquatic centre to achieve a 5 Green Star rating, setting a national benchmark for low-carbon infrastructure. By embedding sustainability into every stage of the project, the facility delivers a 56 percent reduction in carbon emissions and 53 percent less energy use, despite being significantly larger than the pool it replaced.
From low-carbon materials to high-efficiency systems and deep community co-design, Te Ngaengae exemplifies how environmental and social outcomes can go hand in hand. It’s a replicable model, which, if rolled out across the national network of council-owned aquatic facilities, could yield significant and material emissions reduction benefits. This project is representative of climate-conscious public infrastructure and is a powerful example of what’s possible when decarbonisation is prioritised from day one.
2025 Finalists:
- Greville Road Emergency Works – Auckland Council
- WARD – Wider Auckland Roading Decarbonisation Project – Fulton Hogan
- Te Ngaengae Pool + Fitness – Hutt City Council
- Waingawa Solar Farm – Lightyears Solar
SOCIAL IMPACT AWARD
This award recognises projects which have delivered outstanding social outcomes through collaboration with Māori, stakeholders and communities. The approach to collaboration and the tangible outcomes achieved raises the bar in delivering best practice in improving social outcomes and serves as a model for future projects.
WINNER:
Rural Connectivity Group for RCG’s Rural Connectivity Programme
The Rural Connectivity Group (RCG) has delivered over 560 mobile cell sites to remote and underserved parts of Aotearoa New Zealand, transforming digital access for rural communities across the country. Their shared network model, developed in partnership with government and major telcos, is a New Zealand first, enabling fast, cost-effective rollout while reducing environmental impact and bridging the digital divide.
RCG’s work is grounded in deep collaboration with iwi, councils, and landowners, ensuring cultural and community priorities are respected. The result is life-changing: marae, farms, schools, and businesses now have reliable 4G connectivity, unlocking social, educational and economic opportunities where they’re needed most.
FINALISTS:
- Te Ara Pekapeka – Strategic, community and cultural connections for Peacocke and Hamilton – Hamilton City Council
- Bothamley Park Trunk Sewer Upgrade – Kāinga Ora and Te Aranga Alliance
- Te Puna Mauri ō Omaru: New Zealand’s first large scale community built, owned and operated solar farm – Northpower Limited
- RCG’s Rural Connectivity Programme – Rural Connectivity Group
- Te Wahapū o Waihī: A Model of Indigenous-Led Social Transformation – Te Wahapū o Waihī
HIGHLY COMMENDED:
- Whakamaru – Three Line Studio Ltd
- Moroki – Build to Rent – Hapai Housing LP
EXCELLENCE IN INNOVATION AWARD
This award celebrates projects and project teams that have used new technologies or approaches to partnership to deliver best practice outcomes for their regions.
By this we mean the use of a unique technology or approach to planning or construction that saves significant time and money or delivers improved project outcomes and is a replicable best practice for industry, and/or, the employment of a unique approach to partnership either by an innovative structure or enduring collaboration that provided significant benefits to project delivery and is a replicable best practice for industry.
WINNER:
Willis Bond for 90 Devonport Road, Tauranga
90 Devonport Road is New Zealand’s largest modern mass timber office building, setting a new benchmark for sustainable, low-carbon construction. Delivered on time and under budget, the project showcases how prefabrication, early collaboration, and a bold shift away from traditional steel and concrete can reduce environmental impact while maintaining quality, speed, and cost-efficiency.
Built through strong partnerships and a kitset approach from structure to fitout, the building demonstrates how innovation in design and delivery can be scaled nationally. Fully leased by Tauranga City Council, 90 Devonport Road proves that timber construction is not just viable, it’s the future of high-performance commercial development in Aotearoa.
FINALISTS:
- Facilities Infrastructure Remediation Programme – Health NZ – Te Whatu Ora
- Warkworth to Snells Transfer Pipeline and Pump Station – McConnell Dowell
- 90 Devonport Road, Tauranga – Willis Bond
- Innovation Through Challenges: Chatham Island Renewable Energy Project – WSP New Zealand
NEXT GENERATION LEADER AWARD
The Next Generation Leader Award celebrates infrastructure professionals under 35 years of age who have demonstrated exceptional and sustained commitment to changing the way things are done. Infrastructure New Zealand invites next generation leaders who are visionaries, innovators and disruptors to apply and to demonstrate how they are already giving back to their communities.
WINNER:
Karina Kaufusi
With a leadership style grounded in the Tongan value of Tauhi vā – nurturing relationships – Karina has built a career defined by cultural authenticity, service, and collective uplift. The judging panel was deeply moved by her personal journey: from accompanying her mother on night shifts cleaning corporate offices to now walking into those same spaces as an engineer, a leader, and an advocate for change. The judges agreed this powerful narrative speaks to her resilience, humility, and purpose-driven leadership.
Karina stands out as an impactful Pasifika leader who confidently balances technical excellence, cultural intelligence, and a passion for empowering others. Her transformative leadership has reshaped how her organisation engages with Pasifika professionals and communities, embedding inclusion and representation into the heart of infrastructure delivery.
FINALISTS:
- Annie Scott – Aurecon
- Betty Mitrova – Downer
- Josh Wilkinson – Fulton Hogan
- Karina Kaufusi – Beca
