Description:

As a Te Tiriti partner, Te Kāhui Tiki Tangata Human Rights Commission were intent on creating a new home and workplace that forms a tūrangawaewae, a standing place for its organisation in the heart of Wellington.

Designgroup Stapleton Elliott (DGSE) established a co-design partnership with Tihei’s Creative Director Rangi Kipa (Te Atiawa Taranaki Whānui), in collaboration with designer David Hakaraia, to manifest the given pūrākau/narrative that would embody the work and aspirations of the Commission. A series of bespoke architectural interventions were curated to explore the principles within Te Kawa Ora, the most important karakia imbuing life into the new house.

Spaces have been planned with three key functions in mind: sense of arrival, coming together, and collaborative working. The architecture allows zones to adapt and expand into one another to bolster idea sharing and community – all the while linked by a unified aho/thread.