Otago Architecture student named top in NZ

Otago Polytechnic School of Architecture student Mila Makasini has been crowned the best in the country, after winning top prize at the 2025 Resene Student Design Awards.

Mila’s project - Lalava’i Fonua - was one of three architectural projects exploring Pasifika cultures to be recognised with top honours at the award ceremony in Wellington on Thursday night (at Victoria University of Wellington).

The Resene Student Design Awards are presented by Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects, with this year's top projects selected from 15 finalists across Aotearoa.

This was the first year that students from the Otago Polytechnic School of Architecture took part in the awards, following full accreditation by the New Zealand Registered Architects Board (NZRAB) in June for its Master of Architecture (Professional) programme.

Mila’s winning project Lalava’i Fonua was described as lashing and weaving architecture as a continuum mechanism for Tongan culture.

2025 Resene Student Design Award winner Mila Makasini with his project 'Lalava’i Fonua'. (PHOTOS: Mark Tantrum)

Mila designed a fale for the cultural arts, located in the green town belt of Ōtepoti. The structure was cohesively formed of native hardwood timber, steel plate structural connections, basalt stone, clay earthen floors, and profiled metal cladding.

The site integrates a series of Tongan handicraft studios, performance spaces, and material art workshops, with an outdoor theatre performance space intended for large gatherings.

In his entry, Mila said he used principal values of tā [time] & vā [space] to inform the design concepts, "from which culturally identifiable motifs organically manifest".

He noted Tongan diaspora of Aotearoa often face disconnection with their fonua [place, people, culture], and believes architecture can act as a medium to bind this disconnect and actively bridge the gap.

The projects were assessed by a 4-person judging panel - Huia Rerit (Perehitini/President of New Zealand Institute of Architects), Murali Bhaskar (Director Boon Architects), Karl Wipatene (Director a.k.a  Architecture), and Tina Williams (NZIA Wellington Branch Chair).

They described Mila’s Master's project entry as “an extraordinary and spellbinding project that speaks to the strength of sacred Tongan traditions, grounded in Aotearoa.”

“Sophisticated and demonstrating cultural sensitivity in its development, this is a bold project for Ōtepoti Dunedin with poetic connections to the moana.”

“From the macro to the finest of finishing details, the sketches that accompany this project demonstrate a phenomenal depth of thinking.”

Jury convenor Huia Reriti said the judges were blown away by the quality of this year’s projects.

Pasifika focus for top three - Mila Makasini, Sarah McLeod-Venu, and Amelia Lee Chee with the judging panel

“It was certainly challenging to select from so many worthy finalists, but we’re delighted to recognise these finalists representing Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa and Aotearoa with the top awards,” he said.

Two other Otago Polytechnic Master of Architecture (Professional) students were also recognised as finalists - Erica Morris (for her project Where People Go) and Hunter Dale (for his project Filling in the Gaps).

Otago Polytechnic School of Architecture finalist Erica Morris with her project 'Where People Go'

Otago Polytechnic Head of Architecture Associate Professor Tobias Danielmeier travelled to Wellington with the nominees for the Resene Student Design Awards and described the success as “a triumph”.

Otago Polytechnic School of Architecture finalist Hunter Dale with his project 'Filling in the Gaps'