Sahil, a Delhi-born, Papakura-raised architecture graduate, writer, and teacher who’s passionate about the connections between people and place.

His installation, “Tapestries of Tāmaki,” borrows weaving and modelling as forms of mapping, inviting us to record and reflect on our own experiences of the isthmus. Inspired by Rewi Thompson’s idea that architecture mediates between people and land, this work asks us to see our city as a tapestry of relationships — between place, memory, and each other.

Norman, a practicing architect of Zhuang Chinese heritage with a focus on the experimental and tectonic sides of design.

Together with Ekta Rakholiya, Udit Goyal, and Franklin Gaspar, he presents “Aux-Siah Bagh” — a fictional competition entry imagining Shah Jahan’s unfinished work across from the Taj Mahal in Agra. Shown here in Aotearoa for the very first time, the project reopens a dialogue with one of history’s most iconic architectural sites.

Vinayak Garg, a New Zealand-born Punjabi designer based in Auckland, whose work explores the journeys of found objects and their stories.

His retrospective exhibition, “The Page of Wands” (2024), combines collage, readymade objects, and experimental fabrication to question binaries and explore pluralism, diaspora, and narrative in space. Drawing inspiration from trickster archetypes like Krishna and Prometheus, Vinayak transforms everyday materials into works that reflect memory, ritual, and the transformative power of fire — not as destruction, but as a ceremonial beginning.

Nyle Macaranas, a Filipino architecture graduate from Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland.

His project, “Between Life and Death,” explores the Manila North Cemetery, where tens of thousands of impoverished families live informally among the dead, turning burial grounds into homes, markets, and everyday spaces. Through a series of thoughtful interventions, Nyle exposes the deep social inequalities that make both the living and the dead invisible within the urban fabric. His work amplifies marginalised voices and reimagines these spaces with dignity, revealing how architecture can engage with social, political, and cultural realities. This project was also a finalist for the 2024 Student Design Awards.

Alyssa Aisyah, an Indonesian architectural designer based in Auckland, with experience at Herbst Architects and Yvette Adams Interiors.

Her project, “The Sacred and the Profane: Restoring Cultural Resilience in Bali,” investigates how modern tourism has transformed Balinese identity, traditions, and livelihoods. Centered on the subak water temple network, Alyssa integrates traditional frameworks — Tri Angga, defining sacred-to-profane spatial hierarchies, and Tri Hita Karana, supporting social and ritual harmony — into a design proposal that fosters community stewardship, cultural continuity, and regenerative tourism. Her work won joint first place in the 2022 INDE.Awards “The Graduate” category, highlighting the importance of architecture in preserving cultural resilience.

Terry Cheng, an Auckland-born Chinese architectural graduate who has worked with Fearon Hay Architects and Monk Mackenzie.

His project, “Hearts and Minds,” uses water as a metaphor to explore the climate crisis. Set in the Waitākere Ranges, Terry reimagines aqueducts, water towers, and housing 500 years into the future, creating a provocative architectural proposal that blurs the lines between scientific and architectural knowledge. His work fosters what he calls a ‘critical environmentalism,’ using architecture as a tool to challenge, warn, and imagine new possibilities.  This project was also a finalist for the 2024 Student Design Awards.

Yoo Jin Kim-aish, a Korean-Turkish graduate who spent 16 years in Türkiye and strives to be involved in disaster relief architecture.

Her project, “The Blood on Our Moon: A Celebration of Vessels,” explores home, belonging, and foreignness for diasporic communities in Aotearoa New Zealand. Yoo Jin frames ‘vessels’ as architectural objects that carry identity, translating multiple cultures into a sense of belonging. By collaging these vessels, her work transforms spaces, turning foreign houses into homes that resonate with diasporic experiences.

Simon Jo, a Korean third-year architecture student at the University of Auckland and founder of the student-led publication behind the skin. Passionate about community, storytelling, and exploring architecture as a vessel of cultural expression, Simon brings a thoughtful perspective to design.

His project, “Life Happens One Room at a Time,” reimagines what it means to inhabit a home. Instead of a single room, Simon designed seven interconnected rooms, each responding dynamically to changing weather and the South Island landscape. The project emphasizes the intimate relationship between the inhabitant, the space, and nature — showing how life, identity, and environment can unfold one room at a time.

Elim Hu, a 5th-year Master of Architecture student of Taiwanese descent, born and raised in New Zealand. Elim works at Bureaux and teaches Media and Design courses at the University of Auckland. Her thesis focuses on designing a school for special needs children, reflecting her commitment to architecture that cares for and uplifts communities while responding to climate challenges.

Her project, “Dwelling in the Wrath of Nature: A Tale of Building Resilience in the Face of Climatic Adversity,” blends storytelling and architecture to explore resilience in a changing climate. Through stilt-house typologies, handcrafted models, watercolour storyboards, and cinematic drawings, Elim imagines homes as vessels navigating apocalyptic landscapes, turning narrative and climate response into a poetic architectural experience. This project won gold in the Best awards for Student & Spatial category 2023

Myint San Aung, a Burmese designer who spent the first 12 years of his life in a Thai-Myanmar refugee camp before resettling in New Zealand. His lived experience fuels his belief in architecture’s transformative potential, approached with empathy and resilience.

His Master’s thesis, “Pyit-Taing-Htaung,” takes its name from a traditional Myanmar children’s toy that always stands upright — a symbol of perseverance and hope. The project explores how community-based refugee camp architecture can foster belonging, resilience, and agency. Using sustainable materials like bamboo and adobe, and engaging refugees in the building process, Myint San Aung’s work demonstrates how architecture can create safe, empowering spaces that honor lived experience and promote social connection. This project was the Winner for the Student Design awards 2021


 Karl Mendez, Joelle Tolentino, and Don Pengpala — Filipino- and Thai-Kiwi architectural designers based in Auckland.

Their project, “The Western Samar Coastal Agriculture Project (WSCAP),” brings an Aotearoa-Filipino perspective to architectural design, providing consultancy, site development, and a localized design language that celebrates cultural heritage. WSCAP empowers vulnerable Filipino communities by transforming agriculture into a resilient source of stability, with training hubs, irrigation, and post-harvest facilities. Rooted in the spirit of Bayanihan and enriched by Aotearoa-Filipino design values, the project shows how architecture can preserve identity, foster innovation, and support communities to build with pride. It was highly commended in the 2023 Auckland Architectural Association Awards in the degrowth category.

Karl Mendez, a Filipino architect based in Aotearoa New Zealand, whose work explores identity, cultural dignity, and the diaspora experience.

His project, “MALAYA – A Cultural Shift of the Filipino Diaspora,” is set in the Port of Cebu and reimagines an architectural port as an empowerment agency for overseas Filipino workers. By equipping diasporic communities with skills and knowledge while honoring cultural heritage, the building becomes a beacon of hope — acknowledging the past while boldly looking towards the future.

 Michelle Wang, founder of Asia Kiwi Architects, Professional Teaching Fellow at the University of Auckland, and an architectural technician with experience in residential project management.

Her project, “Metabolism Rebirth: Recontextualised Metabolist Housing in Wynyard Quarter,” reimagines Japanese Metabolist architecture for urban Auckland. By proposing four Metabolist-inspired building types across Wynyard Quarter, Michelle explores how architecture can respond to socio-economic upheavals, housing crises, and climate challenges. Drawing from the post-war Metabolist movement in Tokyo, the project demonstrates how speculative, adaptive design can anticipate and address the urban challenges of the 21st century.

Rosemary Li, a Chinese architectural designer with broad experience across practice, committed to design that uplifts communities.

Her thesis, “Dou Gong Revival,” revives the traditional Chinese bracket system, Dou Gong, using modern fabrication techniques. Through research-driven design and construction, Rosemary explores how ancient craftsmanship can be reinterpreted today, creating monumental installations that commemorate the COVID-19 pandemic. Her work includes the Hashtag Wish Tree for Auckland Art Week and Kaipara Coast Sculpture Gardens, and the Sentimental Piece, a top finalist in the 2020 Brick Bay Competition.

Dian Fei Wang, a Fujianese Chinese architect currently based in Naarm/Melbourne, whose early experiences on construction sites shaped her path in architecture.

His project, “Yeah Nah Chinatown,” explores how architecture can create safe spaces for diasporic communities. Using the Chinese-New Zealander community as a case study, Dian Fei investigates nomadic, adaptable market structures that celebrate cultural heritage while responding to historical and contemporary challenges, including racism and social exclusion. The project reimagines “Chinatown” as a flexible, inclusive, and resilient architectural strategy that fosters community, belonging, and dialogue.

Raphael Angelo Gannaban, a Filipino architectural graduate from the University of Auckland, born in the Philippines and raised in New Zealand.

His project, “Lilim ng Pamayanan – Cultivating Filipino Culture & Humanitarianism through Architecture,” investigates Filipino identity through architecture. Reflecting on cultural heritage, migration, and socio-economic challenges, Raphael explores how architecture can celebrate Filipino culture, foster community, and provide spaces that respond to both identity and humanitarian needs. The project merges personal reflection with broader socio-cultural insights, creating a thoughtful, culturally grounded architectural narrative.

Hailey Yeyeon Kwak, a Korean architectural designer who moved to New Zealand in 2018. Struggling with language barriers, Hailey found visual expression through architecture as a way to communicate across cultures, bridging differences and fostering environments that celebrate individual experiences.

Her project, “Mong-hyun-gak (몽현각),” imagines a home on a small island, adrift in a sea of uncertainty, where wooden pillars rise from rocky foundations and pohutukawa trees embrace the architecture. By blending traditional Korean architectural principles with Māori design conventions, Hailey’s design creates a space where dwelling, culture, and land are inseparable — a home that both reflects her personal journey and visualises a harmonious, cross-cultural dialogue.

Janae Van Panahon, a Filipino New Zealander and Master of Architecture (Professional) Honours graduate of 2023, whose award-winning work includes the Tāmaki Makaurau Architecture Supreme Award and 2nd Prize in the World Stage Design Theatre Architecture Competition. She is currently a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University of Auckland and works as an interdisciplinary designer.

Her project, “Diwaniyat Al-Masrah,” explores public assembly, poetry, and performance within theatre architecture. Inspired by Middle Eastern hospitality and local Sharjah context, Janae’s design creates a filigree timber kit-of-parts forming a central hall and surrounding gallery, offering a spatial paradigm for performance and gathering. The project celebrates collaboration with indigenous artisans, blending local craft with scenography to stage poetics, dialogue, and community in architecture.

Jiwon Heo, a one and half -generation Korean-Kiwi architectural graduate who believes in architecture’s power to bridge cultures and foster connection, empathy, and belonging.

Her project, “Fermentation Fusion,” explores food sharing and cultural exchange on Auckland’s waterfront. Through a public kitchen and dining space, Jiwon envisions an immersive experience where cultures mix like fermentation — transforming, interacting, and celebrating difference. Using spatial storytelling, the project reimagines architecture as a medium for dialogue, empathy, and a more inclusive, multicultural Aotearoa.

Betty Han, a Master of Architecture (Professional) graduate from the University of Auckland and a second-generation Chinese New Zealander from Waiheke Island. Her work explores identity, belonging, and how diasporic narratives shape architectural expression.

Her project, “Carving Identity: Exploring Chinese Heritage through Wood Prints,” uses wood carving and printmaking to explore the duality of heritage and personal experience. Transforming traditional carving into prints becomes a metaphor for evolving identity, creating a space where cultural roots and individual history merge, shaping an authentic sense of home and self.