Ō Rua | Architecture Now

Inside this historical lament, composed by the tohunga Rangiuia, we discover reference to the whakapapa of Rua, a descendant of Tangaroa and the atua related to data, reminiscence, wānanga, artistry and craft, akin to whakairo and structure. Rua represents not only one determine however an interwoven constellation of information states, researched and revived by students akin to Dr Wayne Ngata:

– Rua i te Pūkenga – the gathering of data

– Rua i te Pupuke – the swelling, activation and rising of thought

– Rua i te Horahora – the sharing and dissemination of data

– Rua i te Wanawana – the vitality and pleasure of inventive potential.

There are numerous different manifestations of Rua, every with its personal particular expression and area of the states of information and its dissemination and transmission. One vital origin story related to Rua is that of Ruatepupuke, who returned from the home of Tangaroa, Huiteananui, with carvings that shaped the primary fashions for whare whakairo. This establishes a lineage not solely in kind however in which means.

ŌRUA

 grounds its follow as a dwelling expression of Te Kura o Rua. ŌRUA interprets to “of Rua” and carries this lineage intentionally, wanting into the deep strata of mātauranga to tell the current and form the longer term. Being “of Rua” holds our follow accountable to whakapapa and guides the way in which we function.

NGAO I TE KURA – CRAFTING LEGACY

Led by our maxim ‘Ngao i te Kura – Crafting Legacy’, ŌRUA was shaped to re-imagine architectural follow from an inherently tangata whenua (indigenous) perspective. As a Māori follow, ŌRUA challenges the prevailing narrative round structure and enterprise by working from construction, methods and processes by to design, fully from a Māori world view. We give attention to each micro and macro influence: delivering tasks that authentically replicate Māori id whereas driving systemic, societal and industry-wide change.

ŌRUA just lately developed and launched the primary stories of their type, Puritia Te Aka Matua, which amplify Māori voices in structure and panorama structure and supply a transparent street map for change. The stories establish systemic boundaries in training and within the {industry}, whereas providing actionable suggestions to embed te ao Māori authentically into the sector. This work will increase to Māori within the Constructed Atmosphere, with ŌRUA launching an accountability framework to help this in 2026, to make sure measurable and impactful develop into the future.

This authenticity has outlined ŌRUA as an {industry} chief, evidenced by progress throughout a recession, robust demand from each Māori and non-Māori shoppers and a proper partnership with the award-winning follow Architectus Aotearoa. This partnership enabled us to ship large-scale tasks country-wide in addition to to answer requests from international entities for potential alternatives.

By all alternatives, we preserve autonomy to make sure mātauranga stays central and our affect stays equal. The tempo, scale and ambition of ŌRUA’s work up to now has helped to place us as a world-leading Māori and indigenous follow, shaping the way forward for each structure and enterprise.

KA TIPU TE WHAIHANGA – DESIGN PHILOSOPHY

Getting down to reactivate an indigenous strategy to architectural design in Aotearoa, ŌRUA attracts inspiration from the traditional Whare Wānanga of Te Rāwheoro, initially situated within the East Coast area of Uawa, Tolaga Bay. Te Rāwheoro, a standard faculty of upper studying, embodied a profound design philosophy rooted in whakapapa, kōrero tuku iho, oriori, karakia and mahi toi, specialising in toi whakairo. In our traditions, the constructing itself is animated as a dwelling entity related to the broader atmosphere. Whakairo, and mahi toi on the whole, was not merely ornamental however a pedagogical device to precise whakapapa and cosmology, embedding it all through the construction by parts akin to as poupou, kōwhaiwhai and tukutuku. It was handed down by wānanga as each non secular and sensible data.

Artwork and structure are inseparable; they embody construction, ornamentation, materials and cultural custom by the weaving collectively of intergenerational data into constructed types. That is evident within the intricate design and development of our whare of outdated, that join us to our previous, current and future.

We draw on ancestral data methods and translate them into up to date buildings on this similar approach, as genealogical embodiments not only for purposeful areas however for the materialisation of whakapapa, the place structural parts categorical narrative from ancestors, relationships, occasions and historical past of place and folks. Secondly, we combine mātauranga Māori into the design and development course of: integrating artistry and craft into structural and materials expression that’s significant, sustainable and purposeful. Thirdly, by viewing the constructing as a dwelling entity, related to its website, we honour non secular dimensions and embed them in spatial organisation, circulation and kind. Structure, for ŌRUA, is an act of whakapapa, creation and continuity, the place each determination turns into a part of the legacy we depart for future generations.

HINONGA – PROJECTS

Cyclone Gabrielle essentially modified the landscapes of Te Tairāwhiti (East Coast) and Te Matau-a-Māui (Hawke’s Bay), leaving many whānau with the arduous process of rebuilding on broken or unsafe whenua. Hinemaurea ki Mangatuna Marae and Takipū Marae are simply two such examples the place they now should transfer websites and have approached ŌRUA to assist information them. Starting this advanced means of redesign, relocation and long-term planning is multifaceted, as every marae is the essence of its Māori group and can be the head of cultural significance and significance. For ŌRUA, these marae signify two distinct but deeply related journeys, formed by tikanga, whakapapa and future-focused design.

HINEMAUREA KI MANGATUNA MARAE – EVOLVING TIKANGA FOR A CHANGING ENVIRONMENT

Repeated flooding has left Hinemaurea with buildings broken past restore and a website more and more susceptible to local weather impacts. The kaupapa is just not merely to rebuild however to rethink what a marae seems to be like when the whenua can not safely help it.

Working alongside tohunga and famend Māori artists akin to Dr Wayne Ngata, Mark Kōpua, Henare Brooking, Lance Ngata and Randal Leach, who’re all uri (descendants) of this explicit marae, we’ve got engaged in deep wānanga to know how tikanga can evolve whereas remaining grounded. Hinemaurea challenges long-held assumptions about marae kind, together with the methods capabilities may mix or shift whereas nonetheless sustaining tapu, thresholds and cultural integrity.

This mission alerts a return to innovation as a Māori norm, reminding us that our tīpuna frequently tailored, formed and reshaped their constructed environments in response to altering wants.

TAKIPŪ MARAE – HONOURING MASTERY, DESIGNING WITH RESPECT

Takipū presents a unique problem. Its wharenui, carved beneath the steerage of Sir Āpirana Ngata by masters Hōne and Pine Taiapa, is taken into account a masterpiece of Māori artwork and structure. Our position is to relocate this heritage constructing of nice significance and design the auxiliary marae buildings, such that they honour this legacy and intensify the connection of the previous and the current whereas essentially sustaining the significance of cultural id for the brand new marae.

The work requires a fragile steadiness; our up to date structure should complement the whare whakairo craftsmanship and never compete with it. This mission demonstrates the methods wherein fashionable design can sit confidently alongside conventional artistry when guided by tikanga and intentionality.

TŪ ANA KI TE MARAE, TAU ANA – TRADITION MEETING INNOVATION

Collectively, Hinemaurea and Takipū signify the spectrum of Māori structure immediately. One requires adaptation and new types derived from the outdated, whereas the opposite calls for reverence and precision of the previous. Each require design excellence. ŌRUA helps every marae to rebuild not simply by constructed kind but additionally by id, resilience and intergenerational legacy. It isn’t simply in regards to the bodily constructing however about our processes and the methods wherein we honour ourselves culturally and spiritually all through. Our ancestors held structure in excessive regard, recognising the importance of each facet of development. Our tīpuna tailored to new environments and we, too, should allow the foundational rules of tikanga to information us by up to date challenges.

Each tasks affirm that tikanga is just not static. It evolves with folks, place and context and subsequently, for ŌRUA, as a recent Māori follow, we’ve got an integral duty to know and assist form this altering kind. These usually are not merely restoration tasks; they’re alternatives to form the way forward for Māori structure. We don’t see this as a debate between classical and conventional versus up to date and fashionable; we consider that we’re a continuation of the whakapapa and legacy that has come earlier than us and the longer term that can observe.

TITIRO WHAKAMURI, KIA ANGA WHAKAMUA – LOOK TO THE PAST IN ORDER TO MOVE FORWARD

As we head ahead, the query is not: “How will we embody Māori in structure?” It’s: “How can an indigenous world view rework structure?”

The way forward for innovation is cultural. The way forward for sustainability is indigenous. The way forward for structure is relational, localised, data-informed and identity-driven. And being Māori brings all of this stuff. Our ancestors constructed vessels that circumnavigated the oceans. As we speak, we design and construct constructions that can form and affect us right here in Aotearoa into the subsequent century. Our position at ŌRUA is just not solely to protect the previous however to activate it: to translate historical data into types that form our world immediately.

Ngao i te Kura.

ŌRUA is a kaupapa Māori follow imbued in mātauranga Māori, driving innovation and progressive change to encourage and foster Māori excellence and affect within the constructed atmosphere of Aotearoa. Our aspirations and work prioritise te ao Māori throughout methods, constructions and tasks, difficult an space that has lengthy restricted genuine Māori expression. ŌRUA exists to steer this transformation and redefine the established order within the constructed atmosphere.