The New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC) has announced the winners of its annual Future Thinker of the Year and Emerging Leader awards at the Green Property Summit in Auckland this month.
Sponsored by Mott MacDonald and Resene, these awards celebrate students and recent graduates who are demonstrating leadership and driving change in the green building sector.
Adam Bruce receives the award from judge Amanda Bryan
Adam Bruce, a Master of Architecture student at Victoria University of Wellington, has been named overall Future Thinker of the Year. Judges were impressed not only with the depth of his research and thoughtful integration of climate action and kaitiakitanga, but also with his thoughtful approach and strong potential to lead and inspire others.
After studying 3D-printed earth architecture in Germany, Adam is now applying those insights to traditional materials in Aotearoa.
“I’m honoured to be named Future Thinker of the Year 2025 amongst a group of talented and truly inspirational finalists. Our collective vision towards green building practices has been supported by the NZGBC sharing our mahi with the wider property and construction industry. A collaborative approach has been an integral theme in my research towards progressing the uptake of innovative building systems with natural materials. I wish to see collaboration embraced further as we navigate decarbonising the industry.”
Jean-Luc Ellis receives the award from judge Amanda Bryan
Jean-Luc Ellis, a law student and entrepreneur, has received the Emerging Leader Award for his transformative work in New Zealand’s construction and demolition industry. Jean-Luc has launched three ventures focused on waste minimisation, deconstruction, and circular reuse. His initiatives include resource recovery for communities and the development of an AI platform for real-time waste and carbon tracking. The judges said Jean-Luc stood out for his entrepreneurial mindset, ability to bring systems and communities together, and the tangible impact his work is already having.
“This award is a huge honour,” Jean-Luc says. “NZGBC have recognised how crucial it is to bring Future Thinkers into the discussions around green building and design, because of this the industry will be better equipped to utilise the future of AI, software, and design to minimise our environmental impacts.”
Amanda Bryan, Environment and Society Technical Director at Mott MacDonald, praised the calibre of this year’s diverse range of applicants, and said narrowing them down was a challenge
“As long-time sponsors of Future Thinkers, we’re continually inspired by the passion and innovation of emerging leaders. This year’s finalists – Abdollah Baghaei, Adam Bruce, Jean-Luc Ellis, and Lucy Lee – are all driving meaningful change in our industry.”
NZGBC Chief Executive Andrew Eagles added “The energy and initiative shown by Adam and Jean-Luc in tackling building emissions is remarkable. Congratulations to both – we’re excited to support their journey and see the impact they’ll make.”
The 2025 judging panel included Amanda Bryan, 2024 Future Thinker of the Year Widi Auliagisni, NZGBC’s Josefin Bloom, and Vajini Pannila, Principal at Warren and Mahoney.
With thanks to our Future Thinker Sponsors
