Luggate Memorial Centre wins national architecture award

The Luggate community and the wider district can celebrate the fact that their new community facility has just won a prestigious national architecture award.

Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) is proud to announce Luggate Memorial Centre | Whare Mahana, the first community facility in Aotearoa New Zealand to be built to Passive House standards, won an architecture award at the prestigious New Zealand Institute of Architects Southern Awards.

Queenstown Lakes District Mayor, Glyn Lewers, said it was a great achievement for the Luggate community, QLDC and all involved in the project.

“It’s great to see our efforts rewarded in this way and it’s a great achievement to raise the profile of the district. I’m proud of the work we’ve done with the Luggate community to bring this building to life and I look forward to seeing it used well into the future as an important community space.”

QLDC Community Services General Manager, Kenneth Bailey, said the award was recognition of a successful project achieved by collaboration with several different partners.

“The $5.56m project was a big undertaking by all involved including the Luggate community. This award means so much to everyone involved in the project. It’s already become a popular, well-used venue, but to be recognised as an industry leading design is something very special.”

“It took courage to commit to something like this and the award is a testament to our shared convictions and following through on the project despite several obstacles faced with construction during and after the pandemic.”

Luggate Community Association Chair Rod Anderson said that the award is a wonderful recognition of the local community facility that is, once again, bringing everyone together after the old Luggate Memorial Hall had to be demolished after failing a seismic assessment in 2017.

“We have a beautiful facility that’s been put here for us. It’s lovely and warm and can get the community back working together here again. They’ve included our honours board from the previous centre and it’s a great place to be.”

In addition to Council, the design and project teams included WSP, Salmond Architecture, Hiberna, The Building Intelligence Group and Rider Levett Bucknall. The main contractor was Breen Construction.

ENDS|KUA MUTU.

Media contact: communications@qldc.govt.nz or call 03 441 1802.

FURTHER INFORMATION | Kā pāroko tāpiri:

• To book the Luggate Memorial Centre, just search QLDC’s website and it will be the top result. The building has a catering-standard kitchen and two public spaces: a main hall that can be set up in a variety of ways, and boardroom-style meeting room that can seat up to eight people.