Te Motu a Hiaroa
Puketutu Island Papakainga & Marae
21 units
3 waters servicing design
Accessway design
Earthworks design
Planning and Consenting
In collaboration with Te Motu a Hiaroa Charitable Trust and the award winning TOA Architects, Ruru Engineers are currently underway with resource consenting for the Puketutu Island Marae and Papakainga Project. Often dubbed as "The westminister abbey of te ao maori", Te motu a hiaroa is considered a deeply sacred and spiritual place for the decendants of the Tainui waka. Once a place where tohunga were trained in the arts of incantation and magic, its history has been scarred by years of mistreatment under colonial rule. Finally being given back to Te Motu a hiaroa Charitable trust, the reverance to the historical significance of the island is being brought to the forefront to restore the once sacred marae and papakainga located on the northern shores of the island.
Ruru engineers have taken a sophisticated modern approach to the infrastructure which is deeply rooted in tikanga maori, while maintaining the principles and matauranga shown to them by their ancestors. Wastewater is conveyed back to papatuanuku through wastewater dispersal fields, Stormwater is conveyed back to the harbour through swale drains, rain gardens, and green outlets, and water supply is being upgraded to ensure those using the marae have a constant source of water for tikanga purposes. Earthworks are minimised to ensure the outstanding natural features are maintained, while bringing true reverence to the mana of the area through sweeping and gradual paths intertwined between detailed native landscapes designed by boffa miskel landscape architects.
