Description:

Te Ō is Kāinga Ora’s largest project to date, requiring a wayfinding system that balanced functionality with cultural and community values. With over 100 homes, shared amenities, and a community centre, the signage needed to help residents feel at home while guiding visitors and connecting to the surrounding neighbourhood. The design embeds te ao Māori narratives and the history of the whenua throughout.

Drawing inspiration from the home, signage forms reference picture frames—arranged in clusters, symbolising whānau and connection. Edges incorporate honohono patterns, reflecting unity between people, land, and sky, and these motifs extend into the architecture, reinforcing continuity across the site. A 90mm modular grid ensured flexibility and visual consistency, while material choices emphasised durability and tactility. Red accents were drawn from the surrounding buildings, and bilingual, high-contrast typography ensured accessibility.

This project elevates wayfinding beyond utility—it creates connection. Cultural narrative is not surface-level; it shapes the strategy, naming, and physical form. The result is a people-centred system that supports movement, fosters belonging, and reflects a shift in public housing—toward places designed with cultural integrity, warmth, and enduring meaning.