A Martinborough home set in an olive grove and a builder’s own home on a steep Roseneath site took the top awards in this year’s Master Builders House of the Year competition for Wellington and Wairarapa. Nine homes won Gold, from Wellington’s harbour hills to the Kāpiti Coast and the Wairarapa, and four of them are now in the national Top 100.
The awards land in a mixed market. The Wellington region consented 2,301 new dwellings in the year to July, up 17% on the year before, Stats NZ figures show. But Master Builders’ 2026 State of the Sector survey found a softer market in its Cook Strait region, which includes Wellington, than in Southland or Canterbury.
“What stands out this year is the confidence and care shown across such a wide range of project types and price points,” Master Builders chief executive Ankit Sharma said. He said members were “not only delivering homes of an incredibly high standard but are also helping shape what quality residential building looks like for New Zealand’s future”.
Planit Construction’s Martinborough home, designed by Ponting Fitzgerald Architects, won the Supreme House of the Year over $1 million and the Mitre 10 Trade Craftsmanship Award. Master Builders said the home, which stretches 45 metres across its site, “has been delivered with impressive control”. “Its scale is balanced by thoughtful planning, with the covered outdoor area creating a natural separation between the main living spaces and the guest and rumpus wing.” It also won the new home over $4 million category and the region’s interior design, kitchen and outdoor living awards.
The Supreme House of the Year under $1 million went to Class E Build for its own home in Roseneath, a 98 square metre infill build on a steep, constrained site. Access shaped almost every stage, from excavation and concrete placement to material deliveries. Structural materials and machinery were helicoptered in, and the job needed directional drilling for stormwater, long-distance concrete pumping and crane lifts.
Master Builders said the home “responds exceptionally well to a demanding hillside setting. It sits comfortably within the landscape, while its design and construction provide the strength needed to withstand an exposed and challenging weather environment.” It’s clad in thermally modified timber, with high-performance glazing, airtight construction and hydronic heating in the concrete floor.
Planit Construction’s second winner is also in Roseneath, a 390 square metre penthouse high above Wellington Harbour in a building about 25 years old. Exposed to coastal weather, it needed a full structural upgrade, every part of the façade was rebuilt to improve weathertightness and thermal performance, and a warm roof system went on top. It won the renovation over $2 million category.
In the Wairarapa, Scotty’s Construction’s Greytown home was designed by architect Gregg Crimp to hold a steady temperature through the region’s extreme climate. High levels of insulation, thermally efficient joinery, triple glazing and a heat-exchange system do the work, and independent passive modelling led to slightly smaller windows and external blinds to manage summer heat. It won the $1.5 million to $2 million new home category and the region’s environmental and sustainable excellence and smart home awards.
Ridgeline Construction’s Greytown home, a 260 square metre house with strong gabled forms and natural timber detailing, won the $750,000 to $1 million category. K B Gleeson Building’s 470 square metre home at Wharekauhau, near Featherston, sits on robustly engineered foundations and won the $2 million to $4 million category.
On the Kāpiti Coast, Elevation Homes’ 269 square metre Waikanae home won the $1 million to $1.5 million category. It’s clad partly in kiln-dried Italian brick, has engineered low-carbon concrete in its foundations and runs a 7.04kW solar array. Abode Homes’ 300 square metre Porirua home, looking out over Porirua Harbour and Tītahi Bay, took Gold, as did Landmark Homes Wellington’s 200 square metre Paraparaumu show home.
The award credits also show which suppliers keep turning up on the region’s best work. Flett Painters worked on three of the winners, both Planit Construction homes and Class E Build’s. Prenail Frames and Trusses supplied the Martinborough and Waikanae homes, Renalls Joinery and Four Star Flooring each appear on two winners, and Prestige Joinery is credited on the Roseneath builder’s own home and Scotty’s Construction’s Greytown house.
Planit Construction’s two homes and those by Class E Build and Scotty’s Construction now go forward to national judging, with the results announced on 21 November in Auckland.
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