Description:

Ngāti Hine Health Trust is among the largest Māori health providers in Aotearoa, providing whānau ora services to the rohe of Ngāti Hine. Their Torongare offices in Whangārei were facing spatial inefficiencies which were limiting their ability to provide enough dedicated spaces for kaimahi to meet with whānau. The brief was to create a “whānau centre” on the lower level of their existing offices which would act as a community hub and enable them to expand their whānau ora services.

An important part of the design process was looking at the wider context of the site—researching and developing an understanding of Ngāti Hine as a people and of the significant natural elements of the region. However, we also acknowledged that there were limitations to our knowledge of the land and the rohe. We wanted the space to speak of the stories of Ngāti Hine, but they were not our stories to tell. This is where it was important to bring local Māori artists and kaumatua into the process and start to weave their narratives into the space. The project benefitted greatly from continual engagement and collaboration between designer, client, kaumatua and local Māori artists throughout the design process.

The design response was framed around the idea of the environment and its association with health and wellbeing. “Te toto o te tangata he kai, te oranga o te tangata, he whenua, he oneone.” While food provides the blood in our veins, our health is drawn from the land and soil. We sought to create an environment which resonated with, and was unique to, Ngāti Hine. We did this through embodying the natural surroundings of the rohe through colour, materiality, form and art within the centre. Curved walls, screens, and flooring patterns were used to soften rooms and emulate the natural flows of the Taumarere awa, creating a welcoming and soothing atmosphere.

The whānau centre incorporates various art pieces, from window frosting designs to bespoke curved screens, all of which were created by the community, for the community. Local Māori artists and students of NorthTech’s Bachelor of Māori Arts were provided freedom to bring their own interpretation of the narrative into the space, although care was taken to align the colours and patterns of the art with the interior design to ensure a cohesive spatial experience.

Repetition of patterns can be seen throughout the centre, such as the kaokao, Aramoana,and mawhitiwhiti to promote resilience, growth and regeneration to those who use the space.

A key factor to the success of this project was the creative collaboration with local artists who have a deep understanding of the Ngāti Hine rohe and its people. By involving the artists in the design process, the art and architecture were able to complement each other, and the design intent, narrative, and materiality were considered and aligned with the cultural significance of the space. Ultimately, this ensured that the cultural narrative was not an afterthought, but an integral part of the design from the outset.