Striated territories: Uncovering latent cultural practices

Abstract

The design research explores Māori architecture through an investigation into the architectural typology of the Hākari stage. A dissection of the Hākari stage through readings of historical writing, artworks and subsequent investigations have been carried out through both physical and digital modelling. This has led to design explorations interrogating the construction techniques and building materials used and how these can be applied towards a modern day architectural typology giving Māori and in particular, Ngāi Tahu an architectural voice within post-earthquake Christchurch.

The resulting design is a confrontational, political statement of Ngāi Tahu’s reformed wealth, power and influence on the central and lower South Island of New Zealand. Furthermore it presents a model to test whether or not Māori design can be accepted into a predominantly Western model bringing into question whether New Zealand as a country really is a bicultural or binational environment.

The thesis argues that Māori influence towards architecture needs to be moved beyond an ornamental application or semiotic approach upon otherwise standard Western buildings that do not speak in an articulate way towards the deeper meanings of traditional Māori architectural typologies. The thesis therefore demands a deeper engagement with Māori design, truly exploring, critiquing and evolving to influence New Zealand’s architectural identity further.