No more token tack-ons: Building mana into Auckland design

Tāmaki Makaurau is a city under construction, but are Māori and Pasifika architects and designers being given the opportunities they deserve? It seems everywhere you go in Auckland right now, there’s a new development of some sort. Whether it’s a new bridge, playground, some public housing or a refreshed streetscape, almost all these projects include … Read more

What does Māori architecture look like today?

Architectural designer Jade Kake looks at the role tikanga and hapūtanga plays in Māori architecture and design, and how tauiwi architects can support Māori practitioners. The notion of tikanga Māori as it relates to architecture is something I’ve had reason to give some thought. This discussion has become increasingly vital as the prevalence of iwi, … Read more

The buildings are ‘uniquely Aotearoa’. Their Māori designers are ignored

When the new Christchurch library Tūranga – widely praised for its indigenous motifs and design references – won a major award last week, the significant Māori input into its design apparently warranted no mention at all. Such erasure is becoming a trend, writes Rebecca Kiddle. I woke up on a grey winter’s morning last week … Read more

How to fix racial inequality in urban design

In the first episode of The Good Citizen, a new podcast of interviews with exciting and innovative New Zealanders, Jeremy Hansen talks to Jade Kake about how the work of the Māori design movement can make life in Aotearoa better for all its citizens. “The problem with subdivisions is that there are too many divisions.” … Read more