From coastal homes to civic landmarks, these award-winning projects use Viblock structural blocks and bricks to bring ambitious designs to life.
What separates a good project from a great one? For many of New Zealand’s top architects, it starts with a clear vision — supported by durable, locally made materials that bring that vision to life.
Viblock products have been selected for some of the country’s most recognised architectural projects. From custom elements that reflect local identity to structural systems designed for thermal performance and simplicity, these seven award-winning builds show what’s possible when strong design meets the right material solution.
Whether you’re an architect, builder, or design-led client, this collection highlights how Viblock products help great ideas take shape — with craft, precision, and care throughout the build.
Project by Threefold Architecture | Featured Products 390 Fluted | Photography Hamish Storey
1. Threefold Studio – The Rise of Fluted Concrete
In Sydenham, Christchurch, Threefold Architecture transformed a modest warehouse into a sharp, design-led studio space — and made a confident material statement along the way.
The façade features Viblock’s 390 FLUTED bricks, introducing texture, depth, and shadow play against a backdrop of cedar and corten steel. The result is a crisp contrast of industrial form and refined rhythm, recognised as a finalist in the Best Design Awards (Workplace category).
Fluted bricks offer more than just aesthetic impact. They’re non-combustible, low-maintenance, and contribute to thermal performance — making them ideal for compact studios, commercial fitouts, or residential feature walls.
This project shows how structural concrete can be both expressive and considered — offering function, form, and a distinct material language.
Project by Jasmax | Featured Products: Custom Drycast Pavers | Photography Jasmax
2. George Street, Dunedin – A Streetscape That Speaks
For the largest civic redevelopment in central Dunedin in decades, the project team didn’t settle for off-the-shelf solutions. Working alongside Jasmax, Viblock developed the custom ‘Poti Paver’ — a drycast concrete unit designed to reflect whakapapa, local water patterns, and traditional weaving forms.
Led by the Ō3 Collective and mana whenua through Aukaha, the project received a 2024 ACE Silver Award and won the 2025 Southern Architecture Award in the Planning and Urban Design category. The jury commended the deep collaboration with Kāi Tahu to embed cultural narrative into the retail environment — moving beyond generic civic design to express a place-specific identity.
Viblock supported the project with locally sourced aggregates, custom mould development, and precise drycast manufacturing. As Jasmax’s Rob Lawry noted, “That paver and pattern is unique to this place.”
This is urban design shaped by collaboration — where craft, cultural meaning, and material care come together at street level.
Project by Three Sixty Architecture | Featured Products: 20.02 Blocks and Masonry Blocks | Photography: David Straight
3. RHR House – Designing for Climate, Not Just Code
On Christchurch’s Southshore spit, RHR House by Three Sixty Architecture responds to a complex site with bold confidence. Designed to withstand flooding and liquefaction, the house is also an aesthetic triumph — recognised with a 2025 Canterbury Architecture Award, a Bronze in the Best Awards (Residential category), and a Climate Response honour at the HERE Awards.
Viblock’s 20.02 concrete blocks, arranged in breezeblock-style screens, provide permeability and light play on the lower level. They provide both climate resilience and architectural rhythm – showing how concrete can enhance a building’s adaptability and character.
Sustainability is layered into every part of the project: recycled timber, elevated living zones, and Viblock’s enduring concrete blockwork, designed to perform with minimal upkeep, form a structure that is both rugged and refined. This is what design resilience looks like when you combine architectural intent with proven materials.
Project by Roberts Gray Architects | Featured Products Structural 20 Series and 390 Half Grey | Photography Simon Devitt
4. Wānaka S.K.I. House – A Masterclass in Thermal and Spatial Precision
Winner of the 2024 NZIA National Architecture and Southern Architecture Award and shortlisted for HOME Magazine’s Home of the Decade, the Wānaka S.K.I. House by Roberts Gray Architects is more than a home – it’s a design case study in how to build for place, climate, and people.
Built for the architects’ own parents, the home utilises double-skinned Viblock concrete walls – offering structural stability, thermal mass, and acoustic comfort. The decision to work with Viblock was grounded in more than aesthetics.
As Jimmy Gray explains, “Masonry units are really nice to work with as they are modular. The widths, heights, and lengths can all be divided by each other. This allowed us to be really rigorous and playful in using the blocks to inform the design.”
Viblock’s slimline bricks and 20 series blocks were selected for their modularity, consistency, and ability to showcase Central Otago aggregate in a timeless palette. Local manufacturing kept transport emissions low – a small but meaningful detail in a house where every choice is intentional.
Project by R· B· Studio | Featured Products Structural 25 Series | Photography Simon Devitt
5. Te Mata House – Thermal Mass Meets Timeless Form
Set in the stunning Tukituki Valley with views to Te Mata Peak, this three-bedroom residence by R· B· Studio is a quiet revolution in passive design. The project, widely featured and award-nominated, uses Viblock’s honed concrete blocks in charcoal to anchor the home both visually and thermally.
These low walls, reminiscent of stone foundations in ancient hill towns, do more than look grounded – they store and regulate internal temperatures through seasonal shifts. With a Trombe wall system and strategic solar orientation, Te Mata House dramatically reduces the need for electrical heating and cooling.
The use of Viblock blocks enabled a high-end architectural finish without compromise on performance. As a locally made, enduring solution, they also align with the home’s environmental goals. This is where concrete becomes climate-conscious design – delivering craft, precision, and care.
Project by Hierarchy Group | Featured Products: [Product(s)] | Photography: Lightforge
6. Roxburgh Pool – Architecture That Reflects Its Landscape
Jurors noted how the building’s simple geometry and ochre-toned screen reflect the seasonal colours of the Teviot Valley, offering a sculptural yet grounded presence in the Central Otago landscape.
Viblock’s structural blocks formed the backbone of the structure, chosen for their affordability, performance, and ability to integrate into Central Otago’s golden landscape. The folded roof form, floating solar array, and ochre aluminium panels all sit in dialogue with the masonry – a grounded material palette that speaks of resilience and local identity.
Project by Bull O’Sullivan Architecture | Featured Products: Structural Blocks | Photography Patrick Reynolds
7. Green Family Home – Expressive Concrete at the Coast
Winner of a 2023 NZIA National Architecture Award, the Green Family Home by Bull O’Sullivan Architecture is a masterclass in form, rhythm, and contextual response. Perched above Cass Bay, the home uses Viblock concrete blocks as both structure and sculptural statement – anchoring the residence to its site while framing views and outdoor rooms with geometric clarity.
The NZIA jury praised the project for its “controlled rigour and strength of form”, noting how each space feels crafted for light, shade, and movement. The exposed blockwork, left unadorned, becomes a core architectural device – providing thermal mass, visual contrast, and enduring simplicity.
This project shows how thoughtful detailing and material expression can elevate even the most elemental materials. With blockwork at its core, the Green Family Home proves that strength and subtlety can coexist – especially in architecture that embraces its landscape.
