AUT architecture student wins $5k award
AUT Master of Architecture (Professional) student Nathan Moore has landed the 2026 UXBRIDGE Malcolm Smith Architecture Fellowship.
The $5,000 fellowship, funded by the Uxbridge Community Charitable Trust, supports emerging architectural practitioners connected or engaged with East Auckland to realise new projects, or undertake professional development opportunities.
Currently completing his Master of Architecture (Professional) at AUT, Nathan will expand his research through the fellowship by developing a new community-led design toolkit for East Auckland.
Drawing on kaupapa Māori research methodologies and grounded in concepts of kaitiakitanga, co-occupancy, and regenerative design, his project focuses on listening closely to whenua and coastline, mapping relationships between land, sea, climate, and community, and distilling these insights into tools that communities can actively use.
“This fellowship is about translation – distilling lessons from our land and transforming them into tools for our communities,” says Nathan. “The aim is to create a resource that doesn’t sit on a shelf, but actively supports East Auckland in resilience, heritage, and community voice.”
A key public-facing outcome of the fellowship will be an exhibition in the Malcolm Smith Gallery at UXBRIDGE, presenting the toolkit and the research behind it through drawings, models, diagrams, and material studies. The project places strong emphasis on accessibility, ensuring the work speaks not only to architects, but to residents, community boards, and local organisations.
The fellowship is a new initiative by UXBRIDGE, recognising the place of architectural practice and thinking in the future of East Auckland. UXBRIDGE Director Paul Brobbel says: “We’re fortunate to be a cultural organisation with a contemporary gallery space named after an architect. With Malcolm Smith, we have a local figure who connected community, art and architecture.”
He adds: “This project honours that legacy – it reflects the depth and clarity of emerging voices today and reinforces our commitment to supporting young thinkers working at the forefront of contemporary practice. The work doesn’t just speculate about the future – it approaches it with practical intelligence and purpose.”
Nathan's previous research is informed by his Hapū, Ngāi Tūāhuriri of Ngāi Tahu and Ngāti Mamoe. His recent accolades include the 2025 Unbuilt Design Award from the Auckland Architecture Association (Highly Commended), the 2024 Architectural Designers NZ Design Technology Award, and the Eke Panuku Award, which recognises his Māori excellence in undergraduate studies, demonstrating his ability to blend whakairo Māori with contemporary architecture
- Malcolm Smith (1930–2010) was an architect and town planner whose career and community service left a legacy in East Auckland. He was deeply involved with UXBRIDGE (becoming a Life Member in 1993) and played an important role in supporting cultural and educational initiatives, including the Howick Historical Village and Ō Wairoa Marae.
- UXBRIDGE Arts and Culture is East Auckland’s creative hub, supported by Auckland Council through Howick Local Board. Around 100,000 people make use of the Centre annually, participating in classes, workshops, events, exhibitions, and community activities.
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