The winner has just been announced in Parliament of a competition to find a good-looking house that can be built for $168,000.
The winning house was designed by Stephen Smith of S3 Architects. He says architects get a kick out of good design, be it a high-end project or a small start house for people on a modest income.
"There's an assumption that people in that kind of group don't have aesthetic sensibilities, but obviously that's a misconception," Mr Smith says. "And sometimes people living in those conditions need it more than others."
The winning design was a three bedroom, two bathroom house built around a courtyard all for 168 thousand dollars.
Around 140 architects and designers entered the competition, and the judges were looking for good planning, design, innovation, and of course low cost.
"Everybody should have access to good design," Mr Smith says. "It's not only about style and appearance, it's about how it fits into the context of the neighbourhood anywhere in New Zealand and how it relates to the way we live."
To keep the price down, Mr Smith used commonly available materials like brick and tin, and standard sizings so there is little waste.
Housing New Zealand are to build a house based on the design in Mangere. But it won't serve as a state house, but rather an example of what you can build even if you're not a millionaire.