The 2026 Futurespace Award is now open and we want to hear about the amazing mahi consultants are doing within their organisations and communities.
We spoke with 2025 Futurespace Award winner Tania Hyde (Technical Director and Circular Design Lead at Beca) about how the award has supported the next stage of her work turning future-focused ideas into practical approaches.
What did winning the 2025 Futurespace Award mean to you?
Winning the 2025 Futurespace Award was incredibly meaningful. It recognised a body of work that has often sat at the edge of traditional infrastructure practice, those being circular economy, systems thinking, indigenous approaches and climate resilience.
It felt like recognition that the future of our sector is not only about delivering projects well, but about asking better questions: what outcomes are we creating, who is involved in shaping them, and how do we design infrastructure that supports people, place and future generations?
It also gave me confidence that this kind of work matters to the industry, and that there is space for different forms of leadership within engineering and consulting.
Why would you encourage people to enter this award?
I would encourage people to enter because the Futurespace Award creates room to recognise work that is shaping where our industry needs to go next.
Often, people doing future-focused work are working across boundaries, between disciplines, organisations, communities, sectors or ways of thinking. That work can be hard to describe, and it does not always fit neatly into conventional project categories. This award provides a platform for that kind of contribution to be seen and valued.
It is also a great opportunity to pause and reflect on the impact of your work. The process of entering helps you articulate not just what you have done, but why it matters.
Has the award led to any opportunities for you? How have you used your prize?
The award has helped create visibility and momentum around the work I am leading in circular economy, living labs and systems change.
I used the prize to complete the European Network of Living Labs practitioner training, which has been incredibly valuable in helping me deepen my understanding of how living lab approaches can support meaningful, place-based system change. Since then, I have been exploring several opportunities with clients to apply this type of thinking in practice.
I’m also excited to be exploring a permanent Living Lab between the University of Auckland and Beca, plus delivering very complex circular (plastic systems) value chain work in Fiji using this training. Both are focused on moving beyond one-off projects or technical solutions, and instead creating the conditions for long-term collaboration, learning and change.
This is the real value of the award for me. It has supported the next stage of my work: turning future-focused ideas into practical approaches that can help our clients and partners shape more resilient, circular and equitable systems.
How to apply for the 2026 ACE Awards
Applications for this year’s ACE Awards close on 22 June and will be presented at the ACE Awards Gala on 5 November in Auckland.
Find out more:
- Diversity and Inclusion Award in association with The Diversity Agenda
- Emerging Leader Award sponsored by Tonkin + Taylor
- Futurespace Award sponsored by AECOM