1. Maori & Pacific Design Practices
SARC461_Assignment1
William Hatton

2. Contents P3_Practices P4_Maori & Pacifica Understandings P6_History
P7_Traditions
P8-10_Landscape Architecture
P11_Maori & Pacifica Networks
P12_Maori & Pacifica Outcomes
P13_Personal Response & Advice
P13-14_Bibliography

3. Practices COLLABORATION & VALUES History Cultural Traditions Heritage
“the way Māori architecture has borrowed from European architecture, and the way that New Zealand architecture has borrowed from Māori and Pacific architecture to give us an emerging architecture style that is distinct from its Eurocentric origins” – Appendix 6
History
Cultural
Traditions
Heritage
Vision
Preservation
Harmony
Balance/Unity
Maori & Pacifica design practices has faced many challenges since the arrival of Western culture. Pacific context and culture have always been at the heart of design and certainly has been in growth over the past decades.
Understanding the “relationship between modernization and the national styles of architecture” (appendix 8) has certainly been influential for the uniqueness of Pacific Design. Design practices of the historical, cultural, and traditional have allowed for the collaboration which values the outcomes for vision, preservation, harmony and a sense of unity with relationship to Maori & Pacific design.
COLLABORATION & VALUES

4. Maori & Pacifica understandings
fig: 3 (inner structure & form of the fale, Auckland University)
Pacific architecture certainly stands out and expresses the one-ness with the land and the entity of the world. Pacific culture values the spiritual and the cosmological realms where the balance of life has reflected upon traditional design. These put forward the practices of ancient tradition of the taha wairua, taha tinana & taha hinengaro (spiritual, physical & mental realms). It is the respective nature which allows the emotions and expressions to be understood and reflected upon.
fig: 1 (Maori wellbeing representation on design)
fig: 3 (wharenui cosmological & ecclesiastical meanings)

5. History
“In contrast to European architecture, which is architecture of mass and solidity, Pacific architecture is a lightweight architecture of posts and beams and panels and big roofs. This architecture has been persistently present in our history, it survived a century of colonization, and it is increasingly distinctive” – Appendix 8
fig:4 (traditional fale, 1902)
fig: 6 (traditional Maori dwellings-wharepuni, circa 1780)
History realises how our inner understanding on how the landscape functions, reflects Pacific & Maori cultures. Pacific Design is fascinating in this sense, where the influences whether be literal have helped create a contemporary version of its ancient culture ‘the paradise’ (appendix 13). The pacific culture is refined as simplistic as the devotion to the ancestors through expression of art, design and architecture promote the harmony with change and time. In doing so the practices of old can promote a reflection on past and future tendencies on design influences.
fig: 5 (modernised fale, Auckland University, built 2004)
fig: 7 (New style of traditional Marae, built 2009)

6. Traditions
“traditionally Māori architecture has been confined to marae architecture and sometimes churches, and now Māori architecture manifests across all environments”- Appendix 6
Examples
MAORI
Conceptual design has lead to a deeper portrayal of tradition & culture from an object into a design
fig: 8 (Maori Eel Trap)
fig: 9 (Waitomo Caves Centre-replicates the Hinaki)
Traditions in the landscape certainly have a high importance in New Zealand architecture. For it is the whenua (land) that the nature of the landscape’s context and value is expressed. Maintaining kaitiakitanga is a key practice for landscape architecture. “The thing about traditional Māori learning and technologies is that it’s always applied to a real solution” (appendix 8). In today’s design practices, using tools and ideologies of past activities have prompted a reflection of these values into more emotional states of expression of traditions on design.
PACIFICA
Paying homage to a culture while also respecting its traditions and history, past, present and future
fig: 10 (traditional Fijian Hut New Caledonia)
fig: 11 (Tjibaou Cultural Centre New Caledonia)

7. “we have to understand the indigenous practices that have long been etched into the Pacific and Maori cultures. However, future understanding and reflection certainly needs to be expressed into future architects and designers. For it is the national differences of these traditions where architecture is increasing homogenously across the world” :William Hatton
In doing so, we have acknowledged the indigenous practices that have long been etched into the Pacific and Maori cultures. However, future understanding and reflection certainly needs to be expressed into future architects and designers. For it is the national differences of these traditions where architecture is increasing homogenous across the world. As well as Maori tradition, Pacifica traditions have certainly ventured into these forms exposing rich and collaborative design, which enhance the overall integrity of the native architecture.

8. Landscape architecture
Landscape firms certainly have an acknowledgement to the landscape within New Zealand’s context. “Wraights & Associates design methodology recognizes the complex relationships between a landscape, its people, and its history. By mapping the history of landscape and settlement WA have designed places that are rich and textured, spatially complex, programmatically flexible and overlaid with stories that reveal and interpret the locus” (appendix 12). The value of collaboration is of meaningful importance which appreciates the culture, history and the contextual forms of the landscapes. Architects are a form of kaitiakitanga who design in a way to promote unity and contrast between two identities and the outcome of the responses on design.
“Wraights & Associates design methodology recognizes the complex relationships between a landscape, its people, and its history. By mapping the history of landscape and settlement WA have designed places that are rich and textured, spatially complex, programmatically flexible and overlaid with stories that reveal and interpret the locus”
Referencing & imagery refer to Appendix 12

9. Landscape architecture
“at the heart of our practice is the drive to create meaningful, enduring spaces and places that respond to context and culture”
Isthmus recognizes, “at the heart of our practice is the drive to create meaningful, enduring spaces and places that respond to context and culture” (appendix 4). Meaningful spaces reflect the emotions of past and future tendencies. These cultural expressions exemplifies a simple way of life and an appreciation of the elements (land, sky and water) importance of everyday life. Just like Maori, the appreciation of past allows to preserve traditions which express how the practice of the tradition and culture within ones-self is evident and crucial as a design principal in the modern-day architecture.
Referencing & imagery refer to Appendix 4

10. Landscape Architecture
Studio Pacific highly regard collaboration referencing heritage and culture as a fundamental element of their design processes, “we believe that the best of modern technology can be used to strengthen, restore and modify existing buildings to extend their working life. As well as representing a more sustainable approach, this allows us to preserve, and add to, our architectural heritage” (appendix 3). The fale & whare have been the papakainga of the Pacific cultures the contemporaneous of the social, political, spiritual, technological, and economical have been designed around the ideology of culture exposing tradition and context. This too reflects the landscape form and representation of the design practices.
“we believe that the best of modern technology can be used to strengthen, restore and modify existing buildings to extend their working life. As well as representing a more sustainable approach, this allows us to preserve, and add to, our architectural heritage”
Referencing & imagery refer to Appendix 3

11. Maori & Pacifica networks
The practices are a pivotal point of Pacific architecture and allow for networks to be better prompted and exposed. It is these practices that “respect the native architecture” (appendix 9) which allows our identity to be expressed within the landscape. It allows us to identify ourselves with design and promote others to form a sense of connectedness to ourselves and others reflecting upon our customs and beliefs.
fig: 12 (website of Maori & Pacific professionals)
fig: 13 (website of Maori & Pacific professionals)
“While there are now many understandings of the broad term landscape, it has become clear that it is a cultural construct, a part of culture”
- Appendix 2
“Our identity is based on our landscapes. For Maori this is about whakapapa, location, and about memories; for those with a Western heritage, this is about place and who we are; for those with Eastern origins it can mean poetry, literature and many other things” - Appendix 2

12. Maori & Pacifica Outcomes
Promoting health and wellbeing of the landscape both human and environment values the native architecture. It is an expression reflecting past, present and future understandings, however overtime rather than disregarding the conceptual forms and elements of the Pacific cultures, a high regard of its simplistic designs have indeed influenced design in New Zealand forming a unique and collaborative approach across the Pacific.
Referencing refer to Appendix 11

13. Personal Response & Advice
“Recognizing traditional native forms and values of Maori & Pacifica is crucial in understanding how New Zealand's indigenous cultures value the environments. Whilst maintaining the balance and unity of one’s culture, we can truly help provide a better understanding of the context, heritage and traditions and influence these through design. It is through design that our acceptance portrays the people and understandings of diversity” :William Hatton
Future generations of designers and architects can promote a better wellbeing for people through collaborative design. I envision that a better understanding of matauranga Maori & Pacifica will help enable designers to form ideas of maintaining unique forms across the Pacific states. Undertaking the knowledge for future designers will allow for the expressions of one self and one’s culture to form and reflect the world and traditions, history and acceptance through diversified designs.

14. the people will thrive!”
“Nou te rourou,
Naku te rourou,
Ka ora ai te iwi!”
“With your basket,
and my basket,
the people will thrive!”

15. Bibliography Imagery Referencing:
figure 1: Hauora wellbeing. (n.d.). Retrieved March 19, 2016, from
figure 2: Fale Pasifika. (n.d.). Retrieved March 19, 2016, from
figure 3: Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand. (n.d.). Retrieved March 19, 2016, from
figure 4: Samoan Fale, Fale_Samoa_Construction_1902.jpg. Retrieved March 19, 2016
figure 5: Energotech | The University of Auckland. (n.d.). Retrieved March 19, 2016, from
figure 6: Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand. (n.d.). Retrieved March 19, 2016, from
figure 7: DesignTRIBE. (n.d.). Retrieved March 19, 2016, from
figure 8: Fishing Methods and Devices of the Maori. (n.d.). Retrieved March 19, 2016, from
figure 9: (n.d.). Retrieved March 19, 2016, from
figure 10: (n.d.). Retrieved March 19, 2016, from Marie_Tjibaou_Cultural_Centre#/media/File:Kanak_house.jpg
figure 11: Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Centre. (n.d.). Retrieved March 19, 2016, from jean-marie-tjibaou-cultural-centre-by-renzo-piano-workshop
figure 12: Paul Addison (Secretary). (n.d.). Retrieved March 16, 2016, from
figure 13: Te Aranga Home. (n.d.). Retrieved March 16, 2016, from

16. Appendices:
Brown, D. (2009). Māori architecture: From fale to wharenui and beyond. Auckland, N.Z.: Raupo. Book. Retrieved March 12, 2016
COMMENT. (n.d.). Retrieved March 18, 2016, from
Home | Studio Pacific Architecture. (n.d.). Retrieved March 12, 2016, from
Isthmus. (n.d.). Retrieved March 16, 2016, from
Jasmax Māori Cultural Advisory. (n.d.). Retrieved March 18, 2016, from
Māori Architecture. (n.d.). Retrieved March 12, 2016, from
Maori architecture creates a sense of place: Designer. (2012). Retrieved March 16, 2016, from korihi/118177/maori-architecture-creates-a-sense-of-place-designer
Māori and Pacific Architecture feature in the New Zealand the 14th Venice Architecture Biennale (n.d.). Retrieved March 14, 2016, from
McKeon, B.K (1959). The History of Design in New Zealand: From Maori times to the present day. Wellington, NZ: Victoria University of Wellington. Book. Retrieved March 12, 2016
Sundt, R. A. (2010). Whare karakia: Māori church building, decoration & ritual in Aotearoa New Zealand, Auckland, N.Z.: Auckland University Press. Book. Retrieved 12 March, 2016
Te Aranga Home. (n.d.). Retrieved March 16, 2016, from
WA | Landscape Architecture and Urban Design. (n.d.). Retrieved March 12, 2016, from
Ypma, H. J. (1996). Pacific island. London: Thames and Hudson. Book. Retrieved March 12, 2016