2026 NZ Commercial Projects Award GOLD + National VALUE Award
Horotiu Office (Commercial)
This project stands out for its authenticity and attention to detail.
Every element was designed to celebrate the heritage of the business while creating a modern, connected workplace.
The material palette - concrete, native timber, leather, and wool - reflects the company's rural story, while the interior detailing ensures every space either serves a purpose or tells that story with pride.
With innovative staff-focused amenities, this project delivers functionality and warmth, too - making a building that genuinely feels like home to its people
Project success lay in precision and teamwork. Construction began in January 2024, the project was handed over in March 2025. Through proactive coordination, value-engineering, and minimal rework, the build was delivered seamlessly, maintaining exceptional craftsmanship and programme certainty.
Overall, the project exemplified what can be achieved when a project team with shared purpose align.
Architect: Sheppard & Rout
Contract Project Manager: RDT Pacific
Project Manager/Quantity Surveyor: Fosters
Engineer: DHC
Geotechnical Engineer: Initia
2026 NZ Commercial Projects Awards GOLD
Project Kohia, Hamilton (Industrial)
A design-build industrial facility at Northgate Business Park, comprising an 11,726 m² warehouse, 198 m² office, 2,252 m² breezeway, associated concrete yard, accessway, and 22 carparks.
The scale and engineering of this project makes it exceptional; achieving a 70 m clear-span warehouse with a high-load slab is impressive and rare.
The construction required close coordination and value engineering. Subgrade soft spots were addressed with load compensation during construction without compromising structural integrity.
Sequencing of three simultaneous crane lifts was carefully managed, and polystyrene blocks were installed with ergonomic measures.
Early engagement with subcontractors and consultants allowed real-time adjustments and problem-solving, ensuring efficiency, programme certainty, and minimal rework.
Fosters completed the build in under eight months, three months ahead of programme, while staying under budget.
Client: UPC Group
Architect: T Plus Architects
Project Manager/Quantity Surveyor: Fosters
Mechanical Engineer: Fluid Engineering Consultancy
Structural Engineer: Gray Consulting Engineers
2026 NZ Commercial Projects Awards GOLD
Kinfields Village, Rototuna (Retail)
Kinfields Village Stage 2 (Blocks 2 and 3) delivers 11 new retail units to one of Hamilton’s fastest-growing suburbs.
The single-storey development builds on the success of Stage 1, expanding the range of local retail and service offerings for the Rototuna community.
Designed to integrate seamlessly with the wider village precinct and draw people in, the project prioritises functionality, accessibility, and a cohesive architectural look. The result is a modern retail environment that supports local business growth and enhances the everyday experience for residents.
The project stands out for its speed, efficiency, and cost certainty, as well as teamwork - the same team working through ECI and construction.
ECI gave Fosters input into design and staging, helping identify value-engineering opportunities and build efficiencies.
Delivered in just eight months, the project was completed ahead of schedule and $100K+ under budget.
Client: Kirkdale Investments Limited
Architect: APG Architects Limited
Contract Project Manager: Veros
Project Manager/Quantity Surveyor: Fosters
Surveyor & Geotechnical Engineer: BCD
Services Engineer: Fluid Engineering Consultancy
2026 NZ Commercial Projects Awards GOLD
100 First Avenue, Tauranga (Commercial Fitout)
Located in Tauranga’s CBD, 100 First Avenue transformed a neglected, asbestos-affected, multi-use building into high-quality, A-grade office space, supporting city centre revitalisation.
The client, also the primary tenant (Southpac), sought a sleek and attractive workplace to support business growth, enhance company culture, and attract staff, while also providing a high-quality space for other tenants.
The project stands out as an exemplar of commercial adaptive reuse - breathing new life into a tired, underused CBD building.
The construction process required adaptability, sequencing, and precise coordination to transform the deteriorated structure into A-grade office space. Starting with seismic strengthening - installing new steel bracing and reinforced blockwork – there was also careful remediation of asbestos and roofing defects.
A key achievement was enabling Southpac to move in while fitouts for the other tenancies continued, requiring early starts, controlled noise, and full separation via intertenancy walls.
Each tenancy was distinctly tailored - from Southpac’s refined, timber-accented interior to RCP’s bold industrial aesthetic.
The result is a cohesive, multi-tenanted building that delivers strong visual impact, flexibility, and enduring value for its owner and occupants.
Client: Five Feather’s Limited
Contract Project Manager: Focus on Property
Architect: Edwards White
Project Manager/Quantity Surveyor: Fosters
2026 NZ Commercial Projects Awards SILVER
Harvard Development, Tauriko (Industrial)
Located near Tauranga Airport, the Harvard Industrial development comprises two purpose-built warehouse and office facilities on a landlocked 7,420m² greenfield site.
The development combined robust industrial functionality with refined architectural detailing, particularly through the use of full-height precast concrete panels featuring rough-sawn finishes - a design decision that eliminated the need for secondary cladding and long-term maintenance.
Facing premium steel prices, Fosters worked with structural engineers and Steltech to develop a 45-metre clear-span portal frame system that optimised material use, reduced total steel weight, and improved constructability.
Packaging drainage, earthworks, and foundation works with a single subcontractor, Fosters streamlined site coordination and strengthened accountability.
Delivered in just eight months, three weeks ahead of schedule and under budget, the project showcases the strength of early contractor involvement, structured design management, rigorous value management and transparent collaboration between the client, consultants, and the Fosters delivery team.
Client: Harvard Investments
Client Project Manager: CM Consulting
Project Manager/Quantity Surveyor: Fosters
Architect: Kirk Roberts
2026 NZ Commercial Projects Awards SILVER
Activate Church Trust, Hamilton (Commercial Fitout)
Activate Church was a transformation project, repurposing a dated industrial warehouse into a vibrant, modern community church and gathering space.
The five-month refurbishment created a 290-seat auditorium, café, and youth recreation area, supported by upgraded amenities and a welcoming foyer.
The design by Edwards White Architects intentionally preserved elements of the building’s industrial heritage - exposed structural steel trusses and portal frames with polished concrete floors - while adding modern features such as an engineered, prefabricated canopy at the entrance.
Delivered by Foster Maintain, this adaptive reuse project repurposes a facility with several past lives (from engineering facility, to mail sorting space, to storage for student records) into a space that now brings people together for faith, connection, and community.
This project was stage one of the Activate Church masterplan for a community hub, which includes a range of social services, including education and healthcare.
Client: Activate Church Trust
Project Manager/Quantity Surveyor: Fosters
Architect: Edwards White