Hoa Hoa Māori Māori Design

E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā karangaranga maha…

This is the world’s leading resource on Māori design where you’ll find insights, resources and examples of Māori design best practice. The bedrock of the guidance provided here is the seven outcomes-focused around the Te Aranga Principles. These principles express the thinking, input and tikanga of numerous iwi throughout Tāmaki Makaurau and beyond.

Ma te kōrero ka mōhio
Ma te mōhio ka mārama
Ma te mārama ka mātau
Ma te mātau ka ora ai tātou

By discussing, learning begins By learning, understanding follows
By understanding, knowledge acquired
By acquiring knowledge, we all prosper

Waimahara is an interactive artwork designed to deepen our connection to place. It describes the memory of water, specifically Te Waihorotiu, the stream flowing beneath the Myers Park underpass to Waitematā Harbour. Like the stream, this artwork is alive. It responds to the environment, weather and our presence by changing light patterns and sound.

Te Aranga Principles

The Te Aranga Principles were developed and refined by and with Mana Whenua over many years and have been tested on large scale public and private projects. Their purpose is to enable everyone who calls Tāmaki Makaurau home to connect to and deepen our ‘sense of place’.
Tāmaki Makaurau: Ngā Iwi Māori

Te Kaunihera o Tamaki Makaurau (Auckland Council) follows the guidance of the Office of Treaty Settlements and officially recognises 19 iwi/hapū as Tangata Whenua/Mana Whenua. Find out more about these iwi/hapu and see a map of their ancestral rohe here.
Māori housing resource

This section has been designed to share resources that will help you design and develop housing that allow Māori to live and thrive as Māori. It includes case studies of papakāinga built on whenua Māori as well as examples of innovative design thinking for developing urban Māori housing on land held in general title.
Māori design resources and entities

This page provides an up-to-date list of national and local government policies, strategies and toolkits relating to the delivery of Māori housing in Tāmaki Makaurau plus a list of Māori housing entities in our region.

Rangahau take hoahoa whaitua tūmataiti Māori Māori design case studies

Tōia

Toia is a multi-purpose community facility located in central Otahuhu.

We see Kāinga tuatahi three-storey walk-ups arranged around a communal garden. It is a sunny day and the wooden planter boxes contain mulch with food plants about to grow up to the sun. The paths between the beds are white chip. The walk-ups each have a large single pitched roof, with a mix of corrugated iron and timber cladding.

Kainga Tuatahi

Situated in Ōrākei on Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei ancestral whenua, the development comprises 30 townhouses, with a range of two, three and four bedroom configurations.

Architecturally beautifull in wood panelling at various angles along the frontage, this Music and Arts centre expresses place and Māori culture

Te Oro

Te Oro comprises of three two-storey pavilions linked by a naturally lit circulation space.

Te Wananga designers perspective aerial view

Te Wānanga

Te Wānanga integrates public space with upgraded ferry infrastructure to revitalise the City Centre’s interface with Te Waitematā (Waitematā harbour).

The Ukutoia design replaces 2 state homes on traditional quarter-acre sections with 14 new terrace homes, communal facilities and a range of private, shared and public spaces. Overall the development creates 53 bedrooms

Ukutoia Kāinga Hou

Ukutoia Kāinga Hou is a housing solution that enables Māori whanau to live and thrive together, as Māori.

Commercial Bay

The Commercial Bay development demonstrates the value that meaningful engagement with Mana Whenua and application of the Te Aranga Māori design principles.

Three quarter view of a development with two buildings with three storeys each, arranged around a communal space.

Tuakana/Teina

This design concept modifies a typical suburban site to create extended Māori intergenerational living, with enough housing for up to 8 family units.

The papakainga design provides a mix of communal and private spaces across 3 dwellings.

Tuatahi Kāinga Hou

This papakainga example is situated on a typical large suburban site.

The papakainga is centred around a communal green space, which provides space for dining, fruittrees, a vegetable patch and an open green play area.

Tuarua Kāinga Hou

Suburban papakāinga / multi-generational housing solutions can be developed on suburban sites.

Photograph taken from outside Toi o Tāmaki - Auckland Art Gallery

Toi o Tamaki - Auckland Art Gallery

Toi o Tāmaki (Auckland Art Gallery) demonstrates how Mana Whenua engagement across a project’s life can directly lead to unique, meaningful and beautiful design outcomes.

Urban design guidance

Places and spaces

Design and consenting processes

Auckland Unitary Plan (AUP) Hub

Developing infrastructure

Case studies

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