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The first custom-made building at Te Wananga ō Raukawa's Otaki campus is winning applause from designers and construction industry bodies.
Ngā Purapura is a gym with netball courts, cafe and teaching facilities designed to reflect the Whare Tapa Whā model of holistic health that includes spiritual, mental, physical and social elements.
It won architects Hugh Tennent and Ewan Brown the Ngā Aho Māori design award in the 2013 Best Design Awards, and it has also won awards for concrete sustainability and timber design.
Facilities manager Arama Moore says the architects worked closely with staff, students, kaumatua and other stakeholders.
He says in the past, the wānanga has moved old buildings onto the site and made them work, so working with architects gave them a chance to design something fit for purpose.
Copyright © 2013, Uma Broadcasting Ltd
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