Our works included co-ordination with TMA to develop the vision for the papa-tākaro, engaging with mana whenua and community to understand their aspirations, testing design, planning and consenting, investigation of sustainable materials, ongoing design development with community, mātanga (experts), kaitiaki (guardians) and ringatoi (artists) and implementing the works on site.

It will be the first papa-tākaro in Aotearoa / New Zealand to provide traditional hāngī pits, the first permanent and public kīorahi field in Tāmaki Makaurau with the integration of a Kapehu Whetū (Māori Star Compass), and working with many knowledge holders and sharers to reinterpret the rich pūrākau and sense of place through different design mediums.

Importantly, Whānau Ātea encapsulates the concept of Te Whare Tapa Whā, which is reflected through the sequences of multifaceted spaces. There are four primary spaces which have been built around Te Ara Hīkoi enabling play and learning opportunities for our social, physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing:

• Tākaro-a-Tāne reflects play amongst the ngāhere (forest) integrating hupara and contemporary play elements through climbing, swinging, jumping, balancing and spinning within the realm of Tāne;
• Tākaro-a-Mataoho reflects the volcanic craters of the maunga utilising kōhatu for accelerated and dynamic play, enhancing existing amenities (skatepark and basketball) and offering connections to the wider cultural landscape connecting with maunga and moana;
• Tākaro-Pā-Tūwatawata reflects the remnant pā beneath the gallery forest, reimagining the slopes of the pā through play;
• Whānau Ātea is the central heart; a multi-use space for kīorahi, kapehu whetū, tōka-rona (tug-o-war), public amenities (hāngī, wharepaku and communal picnic tables and seating), connections to land, sea and skies, and providing a space to come together to connect with the maunga.

Whānau Ātea has been an exciting, explorative and collaborative approach to the way we think and design with landscapes in Aotearoa | New Zealand, reinterpreting our indigenous spaces in harmony with our natural surroundings.