Puāwai Pavilions Hero Image Visualisation
Ka ora te wai, Ka ora te whenua.
Ka ora te whenua, Ka ora te tangata.
If the water is healthy, The land will be nourished.
If the land is nourished, The people will be provided for.1
Ka ora te whenua, Ka ora te tangata.
If the water is healthy, The land will be nourished.
If the land is nourished, The people will be provided for.1
Puāwai engages with the watery landscape and inhabitants of Te Awahou (Foxton), in particular, the natural wetland and township alongside the polluted Piriharakeke River Loop. Puāwai explores the confrontation and re-connection of vitality among the diverse inhabitants that have become fragmented by habitat loss. The weaving of community and whenua through a series of built structures that aspire to interact, confront, and revitalise for a healthier future.
1 The following is one whakatauk̄ı (proverb) reflecting the holistic relationship māori have with the environment
Puāwai Pavilions Front Elevation with material details
Puāwai Pavilions Front Section
Immerse Canopy Exterior Perspective
Te Awahou Immerse Short Film
Look Down Platform Perspective, Above
Look Down Platform Perspective, Floor-windows
Touch Platform Perspective
This project has explored how regenerative theories and sustainable spatial practices can respond to the dire social and ecological issues within Te Awahou. Through a series of infrastructural elements weaved into the awa and wetland, these structures facilitate feelings of confrontation, contemplation, and reconnection. The process of designing within a fractured space resulted in structural details to ignite awareness and support communities in restoring vitality.
If this project were to develop further I can imagine Puāwai Pavilions and Te Awahou Pathway is a great stepping stone in supporting already active and driven organizations to continue their mahi, with onsite facilities and a prime space to engage with the community the vision of a healthy future can be a reality.
Overall, Puāwai strived to spark awareness and re-connect us to better treat our whenua and inspire healthier futures. This can be achieved by educating communities about the current environmental state and providing tools, information, and support.
“Ka manawatu te awa, ka manawaora te iwi.
When the river is in good heart,
the people are in good health.”3
3 Quote from Save Our River Trust
PUĀWAI Booklet, Amy Cooper, 2024
