This spring the 2010 New Zealand Architectural Awards recognized the country's most distinguished buildings for their unique architectural designs. The categories that were assessed varied from residential and commercial architecture to interior and sustainable architecture. Every project was assessed and judged on their exemplary design solutions and degree of sophistication and innovation. It was a close call, but featured below are winners of the honorable accolade in excellence... Commercial Architecture: Ironbank, RTA Studio Interior Architecture: NZI Centre, Jasmax Limited Private Architecture: The Mana Tamariki Maori school, Tennent+Brown Architects Public Architecture: The Landscape Architecture Building at Lincoln University, Sheppard & Rout Architects in association with Royal Associates Residential Architecture: Wanaka Lodge, Patterson Associates Residential Architecture: Fox-Hansen House, Ian Athfield Rsidential Architecture: Clements House, Ian Athfield Small Project Architecture: The Yellow Treehouse Restaurant, Pacific Environments Architects NZ Ltd Small Project Architecture: Wiroa Station Wine Cellar by Modern Architecture Partners Small Project Architecture: The O'Sullivan Home on Mangere Mountain by Bull/O'Sullivan Architecture Public Architecture: NZi3 Innovation Institute, Warren and Mahoney Ltd Urban Design: The Beaumont Quarter Project, Studio Pacific Architecture Urban Design: Liardet Street Overpass,Boon Goldsmith Bhaskar Brebner Team Architecture Urban Design: Hillcrest Road Bridge, Jasmax Limited The winners were also granted entry as finalists for the annual New Zealand Architecture Medal, the highest achieving architectural award in the country. Iron Bank, design by RTA Studio for Samson Corporation took the Medal awarded by the Institute of Architects.