Showcase
- NZILA Award of Excellence Institutional and Commercial — 2022
Studio Pacific Architecture / Te Kāhui Toi / Athfield Architects
Te Rau Karamu Marae is a space where students can be physically and emotionally immersed in tikanga, mātauranga, and te ao Māori as an integral aspect of their learning. The marae is a distinctive world-class piece of art, the result of a highly successful collective and collaborative approach working with mana whenua, and which places kaupapa, tikanga and mātauranga Māori at the heart of Massey University’s Pukeahu Campus.
The marae, which can host guests overnight, is to be predominately used for teaching and learning, and the marae landscape is an integral part of this learning space. The landscape design is a bold, creative statement, strong in siting and form, of high-quality materials, and rich in detail and meaning.
Judges’ Citation:
Te Rau Karamu Marae is a seamless blend of architecture, hard landscape and soft landscape, and is an unexpected and exciting insertion into the Massey campus. Every element of this design serves a purpose, and the overarching purpose is to create a place of learning. The marae landscape is an expression of te ao Māori. Rakau have been positioned around the whare to support the kōrero within and the transmission of mātauranga Māori.
Plants were selected to showcase their many cultural values and uses, and to demonstrate the interconnectedness of all living things and to remind us of the importance of protecting and enhancing our natural environment. The Marae landscape has presence during both day and night, with a successful lighting design. Overall, the project is the product of a highly collaborative design process. The mātauranga which informs this concept was provided by Te Kāhui Toi and their toi Māori experts.
Client
Massey University Te Kunenga ki Purehuroa
Design Team
Te Kāhui Toi
Professor Ngataiharuru Taepa, Kura Puke, Hemi Macgregor, Saffronn Te Ratana, Stuart Foster, Wi Taepa, Israel Birch, Robert Jahnke, Maihi Potaka, Te Kahui Toi whanau whanui
Athfield Architects
Ari Stevens, John Hardwick-Smith, Nick Mouat
Studio Pacific Architecture
Tama Whiting, Daniel Roberts, Mark Fletcher
Consultants
Bart Cox, Threatened Plants and Partnerships
Terese McLeod, Zealandia, Te Māra a Tāne
Project Managers
Linda Baxter, Te Kāhui Toi, Toi Rauwharangi College of Creative Arts
Wendy Kelly, Leading Projects Ltd
Contractors
Steven Harlen and Mark Squires, The Garden Company
4PlusFive Ltd
Photography
Andy Spain
All images
