Cultural educator
Taita College
Taita College is located on a former bend of the Awa Kairangi/Hutt River. The site itself presents challenges with defined wetlands nearby and overland water flows to be considered. The school is surrounded by light industrial sites to the north and west and backs onto steep hills to the east, while a busy local road abuts the north-west school boundary. In addition, seismic strengthening and weathertightness for retained buildings is required.
As a result, safety has been a design driver of the masterplan, creating safe pedestrian connectivity, welcoming and environments, and ultimately highly resilient built infrastructure.
From the very start Warren and Mahoney took a holistic approach to understanding us as a school, and made a commitment to understand our history, vision, values, community, demographic, culture, and our critical link to our local environment.
Taita College’s demographics are 50% Māori, 35% Pasifika and 15% of other cultural origins. The proposed masterplan seeks to understand and celebrate these cultures along with the core values of the school. Workshops with stakeholders focused on the importance of participation, partnership and protection.
These three ‘P's' are the driving force of the master plan process and embodiment of the built environment – both existing and new.
Collective Effort
Collective Effort
