Last week was an exciting one for Beca, with our clients, teams and project partners earning a series of prestigious honours at the 2025 ACE Awards, and the Central Region Property Council Awards.
Individual excellence: Tania Hyde’s Futurespace Award
ACE Awards: Celebrating innovation and collaboration
The University of Auckland was recognised with the Client Award for its projects B201 and the Hiwa Recreation Centre. This award highlights the University’s commitment to building trusted relationships, empowering consultants, and fostering innovation. Their collaborative approach and aspirational goals have created a thriving environment for all, delivering better outcomes for students and for Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.
Our work on the B201 project also received a Gold award. The University challenged our team to deliver an ambitious adaptive reuse of the 1971 social sciences building. By re-engineering the existing structural frame, we accelerated delivery and created a high-quality, upcycled asset. The result stands as an exemplar of adaptive reuse, low-carbon design, and enhanced thermal efficiency.
The B201 Social Sciences Building upgrade was a multidisciplinary effort, including seismic performance improvements, modernised building services, and full electrification of heating via a two-stage heat pump system. The project achieved significant reductions in operational and embodied carbon, improved energy efficiency and comfort, and earned New Zealand’s highest 6 Green Star Certified Design rating.
The Hiwa Recreation Centre, another University of Auckland project, also won Gold. Hiwa is a striking visual landmark and vibrant community hub, delivering competition-level amenities in a vertically stacked, eight-storey, 26,000 m² facility on a compact city campus site. As one of the Southern Hemisphere’s largest and most complex recreation facilities, Hiwa sets a new standard for innovation and student wellbeing. Beca’s structural and building services expertise was instrumental in realising the University’s vision for a high-performance, student-focused facility.
Additionally, our work with NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi on the SH1 Mangatoetoenui Stream Bridge Superstructure Replacement earned a Merit award. The last timber-decked bridge on SH1 was replaced using Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) principles, retaining the existing substructure. In partnership with NZTA and Oxcon, we delivered a sustainable, cost-effective bridge replacement at a challenging site and on a tight schedule.
Sector leadership: ACE Legal Roundtable
We are also proud to celebrate, alongside peers from across the sector, the President’s Award going to the ACE Legal Roundtable – which is currently chaired by Alex Hazledine, Principal Counsel at Beca.
This forum of in-house lawyers from ACE New Zealand member firms generously volunteers expertise to support fair and insurable terms and good procurement behaviours in the market. The Roundtable identifies emerging issues, assists with contract negotiations, develops guidance, and supports ACE in issuing practice alerts - making a significant contribution to the sector.
Central Region Property Council Awards: Teamwork and sustainability
The winning streak continued at the Central Property Council Awards in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty. The ‘Best Team Award’ went to the 90 Devonport Road project team, a powerhouse collaboration between public and private partners, including Beca.
This project delivered New Zealand’s largest modern mass timber office building - a landmark of innovation, sustainability, and cultural pride. This cutting-edge 10,400sqm sustainable building was acquired by Property Income Fund, and is fully leased to Tauranga City Council.
Congratulations to Willis Bond (award submitter), LT McGuinness Ltd., Warren and Mahoney, Dunning Thornton, and Tauranga City Council.
Another standout project, Amohia Ake, received both the Sustainability Champion Award and the Supreme Excellence Award. Guided by the values of kaitiakitanga, manaakitanga, and pono, the team delivered the Central region’s first NABERSNZ 6 Star rating, the project sets a benchmark in cultural, environmental, and community leadership. The Supreme Excellence Award further recognised the project’s foresight, integrity, and measurable impact.
Delivered by Tainui Group Holdings for ACC, the official name “Amohia Ake” means “the wellbeing of the people is paramount.”
Congratulations to all involved in Amohia Ake: Tainui Group Holdings Limited, Taylor Coleman, Warren and Mahoney, Boffa Miskell Limited, Mott MacDonald, Rider Levett Bucknall RLB, and Hawkins.
Celebrating excellence across the sector
A huge congratulations to all winners, finalists and runners-up at the different ceremonies - and the talented people and teams making everyday better across the sector.
These awards, which we are proud to support, are a testament to the power of collaboration, innovation, and a shared commitment to excellence.