Māori powerhouses

Written by

13 May 2019

 • 

8 min read

banner
In Aotearoa, iwi groups are having a greater role in how the direction of contemporary architecture is being expressed. Here, Hugh Tennent, of Wellington practice Tennent Brown Architects, talks about designing educational projects for iwi around the North Island.
The concept for Tennent Brown’s latest educational building at Te Wānanga o Raukawa in Ōtaki relates to Māori cosmology and local history.
Mana Tamariki, a kura kaupapa (primary school) in Palmerston North, is an exemplar project by Tennent Brown Architects – the start of their journey of designing educational buildings for iwi. 
In 2017, Tennent Brown Architects won the national architecture award for Te Wharehou o Waikaremoana visitor centre in Te Urewera forest.