Dr Meihana Durie [Kaihautū/Academic Director at Te Wānanga o Raukawa at the time] reflected that Tennent Brown was ahead of its time in wanting to honour the Tangata Tiriti-Tangata Whenua relationship and he noted a spiritual dimension in the Tennent Brown approach to architecture. Dr Durie referenced the kōrero ‘He tikanga, he pononga’. Tika means correct or right, and pono means honest or genuine. I suspect that he was referring to Tennent Brown as architects who do what is correct and become agents for such an approach. This project, Ngā Purapura, and successive projects have proven so.

In 2016, our library was badly damaged by fire during renovations. This provided an opportunity to start afresh by creating a student hub, library and large lecture theatre. We wanted the building to be expressive, to tell a story and to promote the practice of wānanga. A key aspect of wānanga is that learning is a collective process where everyone contributes to and benefits from the knowledge of others. It was therefore essential for this andragogical approach to be integrated into the design.

Once again, we engaged Tennent Brown, reminding them that, to fulfill this brief, they needed to understand our stories, learn our reo and immerse themselves in the history of this wānanga. Their task was to capture the essence and connection with our three founding iwi – Ngāti Toa, Te Āti Awa and Ngāti Raukawa. As with Ngā Purapura, Tennent Brown appreciated the opportunity to step into our worldview. They listened carefully, accepted the need to understand how Māori perceive and structure space and redesigned elements to ensure our tikanga was upheld.

Tennent Brown recognised the importance of collaborating with the knowledge holders of the project – iwi, hapū and the makers and designers who understand how narrative shapes the creation of whakairo. The entire design process was significant to them, and they were willing to be guided by the narrative throughout. The dawn opening of this building was a beautiful occasion, marked by Hugh delivering a speech in te reo Māori.

Pā Reo, or He Papakāinga mō te Reo as we now call it, was a project aimed at expressing many of our kaupapa tuku iho – our guiding values – with kaitiakitanga at the forefront. Ewan introduced the Living Building Challenge (LBC) to the project. The LBC is widely considered the most rigorous and challenging sustainability building standard available. It encourages a shift from simply doing less harm to actively being a good kaitiaki, a guardian. For us, the key conditions for using the LBC framework were that it aligned with kaitiakitanga, it was delivered on time, met the required quality and stayed within budget. Ewan had a solid understanding of the LBC and convinced us it was the right way forward. I suspect that if he had known the detailed and often complex compliance requirements upfront, he might have had second thoughts – and rightly so.

Our architectural team demonstrated extraordinary commitment to meeting the rigorous standards of the LBC. They conducted extensive research to identify materials and products that aligned with the framework’s stringent requirements, ensuring every choice supported kaitiakitanga and sustainability. They also worked tirelessly to keep contractors and consultants on task, fostering whanaungatanga – teamwork and collaboration – and ensuring that everyone involved understood and adhered to the LBC principles. This level of coordination required constant oversight, communication and a significant effort to document every step of the process – from material sourcing to compliance verification. The results are something we can all be proud of. Despite the challenges, many consultants, contractors and workers have commented that this was an enjoyable project to work on due to the strong sense of whanaungatanga and kotahitanga, the unity of purpose. And it was done during the height of the Covid pandemic.

Ewan, Hugh and their team at Tennent Brown have helped us create a truly special campus. It has always been a pleasure to be here, but their mahi has deepened that sense of enjoyment. The campus has a unique wairua – spirit – and Tennent Brown Architects understand that. They get it.

Rawiri Richmond (Ngāti Raukawa, Tūwharetoa ki Kawerau, Ngāi Tai) is Kaihautū Manaaki Whenua at Te Wānanga o Raukawa.