The New Zealand Archives Building is a medium scale building with concrete as its primary structure. We were asked to 'connect the building to the whenua (land) that it sits on and acknowledge the Hapuna who lived there before. This was produced through a Developed Architectural Design, Structural Report and Structural Model. I learnt how architectural planning is not only about functionality, rather it should follow the creation of different experiences with the spaces.
The Taonga, which translates to a narrative of reflecting a metaphorical "treasure chest" that encompasses the cultural, historical, and environmental elements that define New Zealand. Located on sacred ancestral grounds, it pays homage to the rich heritage of the local iwi and their ancestral narratives. The planning process of the New Zealand Archives Building was a thoughtful and purposeful journey, about the significance of Taonga. This development process enabled myself to produce a complex resolved architectural outcome.
