Ngati Hine Health Trust provides integrated whanau ora services to the Northland community, and were wanting to create a "whanau hub" which featured a vast range of whanau meeting rooms, nurse consult rooms and a Hui space which can be used to welcome dignitaries and host events.

Ngati Hine Health Trust is among the largest Maori health providers in Aotearoa New Zealand, offering whanau ora services to the Ngati Hine region.

Our brief was to design a "whanau centre" on the lower level of Ngati Hine Health Trust's Torongare offices in Whangarei, in accordance with their vision of empowering whanau to find their voice, steady their footing, and enhance their well-being.

The narrative draws inspiration from the numerous mountains and hills of Ngati Hine, which symbolize resilience, vitality, and safety. As the indigenous people of the land, Maori have a profound attachment to the land and the surrounding ecosystem, which is both physical and spiritual and plays a crucial role in their wellbeing. The design of the whanau centre was inspired by the natural surroundings of the Ngati Hine rohe, including the maunga, the ngahere, the Taumarere river.

Various elements of the centre, such as the colours, materials, form, and art, were chosen to reflect the connection between the environment and the people of Ngati Hine. This approach was intended to pay homage to the origins and stories of the Ngati Hine people.