Description:

Kei te tua o Manukau, te kite ki muri, ki te kupenga a Taramainuku - When you pass out beyond the Manukau waters, do not look back until you reach, or pass, the net of Taramainuku. We open with this whakataukī as a way to mihi Kōtukutuku Papakāinga. It now embodies this proverb, which also mapped a course in the design process: that the design was to be a safety net for Mahitahi's Tangata Whaiora (client base).

Kōtukutuku Papakāinga is a fit for-purpose social housing project located in Otara, South Auckland, led by Mahitahi Trust and designed by TOA Architects. The brief for this project called for a facility which reflected the identity of the Mahitahi Kainga Trust and the Tangata Whaiora who would live in the Papakāinga. The brief for this project called for the outcome to be more than housing and create a papakāinga which would create a sense of community and collectivism rather than individual space. To do this we combined private exterior space to create the central courtyard surrounded by an oversized breezeway with fixed external seating and covered areas. Likewise individual apartments were kept to an efficient size allowing generous shared facilities to be provided such as the Whare Manaaki with whare kai and whānau space. The Trust's services support people and community in well-being journeys and rangatiratanga. The Papakāinga is made up of 41 single bed apartments, a larger whānau ground floor fully accessible apartment and a Whare Manaaki. Common space is clustered together in a central landscaped courtyard creating a community focused approach encouraging interaction and connection between residents. The Whare Manaaki provides communal space for gathering, kai, hui and other events as well as three office or consult spaces on the mezzanine allowing services to brought on to the site to enable the Tangata Whaiora better access to healthcare, social and financial services.