Hiwa Recreation Centre Wins Supreme Excellence at 2025 Property Industry Awards
The Hiwa Recreation Centre at the University of Auckland has been recognised with the Rider Levett Bucknall Supreme Excellence Award at the 2025 Property Council New Zealand Property Industry Awards — the country’s highest accolade for excellence in design, delivery, and community impact.
This achievement highlights the strength of collaboration between architects, engineers, contractors, and project managers who brought this transformative facility to life.
Redefining Recreation and Learning Spaces
Spanning more than 26,000 square metres over six levels, Hiwa represents a new generation of campus infrastructure. The facility integrates academic, wellness, and recreation functions in a vertically stacked form designed for an urban campus footprint.
Key features include:
A full aquatic hall with an eight-lane pool and dive tank.
An indoor running track and climbing wall.
A rooftop sports turf.
The southern hemisphere’s first glass LED sports floor, which can transform for different sports with a single touch.
Every element was designed to encourage connection, wellbeing, and flexibility — creating an environment that supports both learning and lifestyle for students and staff alike.
Complex Delivery in a Live Campus Environment
Delivering a large-scale, vertically integrated building on a confined live site presented significant logistical and engineering challenges. The project required the demolition of the existing recreation facility, careful protection of surrounding heritage buildings, and coordination across multiple disciplines within tight spatial and operational constraints.
Bruce Ramsay, of D+DM (Design & Development Management), played a key project management role throughout the design and delivery phases. His leadership in managing design integration, stakeholder engagement, and construction sequencing was instrumental in ensuring the project’s success.
Recognition of Excellence
The Property Council judges praised the Hiwa Recreation Centre for its technical sophistication, social contribution, and architectural quality, calling it “a project that elevates both form and function in New Zealand’s built environment.”
The Supreme Award reflects the project’s innovation, resilience, and vision — and underscores the importance of effective project management in delivering world-class results.
Reference: Property Council New Zealand – Hiwa Recreation Centre Takes Top Award (2025)
D+DM’s Expertise in Managing Complex Projects
At D+DM, we bring clarity and leadership to every stage of the development process — from early feasibility to delivery. The Hiwa Recreation Centre exemplifies the value of design-led project management, where technical excellence and stakeholder collaboration result in exceptional outcomes.
Whether managing large institutional projects or guiding private developments, D+DM helps clients navigate complexity and deliver enduring value.
Contact D+DM
Talk to us about how our team can support your next project.
D+DM – Design & Development Management
https://ddm.limited | mail@ddm.limited | +64 21 404 278