The Nohonga (seat) design challenge is a new collaboration between Brick Bay, Britomart and the Auckland Branch of the New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects Tuia Pito Ora, challenging students and all levels of graduated landscape architects to design and construct creative nohonga for the people of Tāmaki Makaurau.

Brick Bay’s successful ‘Folly’ architectural competition has stimulated the imaginations of architecture students and graduates since 2015. With the inaugural Nohonga (seat) design challenge, the attention turned to landscape architects to make their mark on Auckland’s urban landscape and contribute to the generation of unique and exciting public spaces. We’re grateful for the support of our sponsors - Britomart, Resene & media partner Viva.

Entries closed in May, 2020, submissions were judged the following month, and the winning teams had 3 months to build their designs. The finalists’ seats were constructed and installed at Britomart for the duration of November and were then relocated to Brick Bay for the summer season - providing creative seating elements to the sculpture trail and property.

We are delighted to present these innovative designs and congratulate the teams on their success. Connection vs. Isolation by sisters Anne Wilkins and Rosemary Wilkins is a measured ‘2 metre distance’ structure perched on the hill by our kitchen garden and framing the view of the Glass House, Whiria by Katherine Eastman, Erin Diao and Alex Smith provides bold and bending colour accents next to the Blackwood dam, Te Whakatōhenehene ‘The Disruption’ by Bela Grimsdale, Luke Veldhuizen and Sam Gould extends its red ribs across the hill in the Cork Oaks grove, and Bioluminescence by Topsy Steele and Anna Li shows off its curvilinear form in our idyllic shaded pecan orchard.

See below for further information on the applicants and finalists. Photographs from the Britomart opening are credited to Joe Hockley, photographs of the four Nohonga at Brick Bay are credited to Tanja Dove and the associated video content to Craig Ray.

With special thanks to the generosity of the 2020 NOHONGA sponsors and supporters.