Design-based partnership VUW / PCC 

The Porirua City Council and the School of Architecture of Te Herenga Waka / Victoria University of Wellington have proposed a joint project for Te Manawa.  Vital to the project has been collaboration with mana whenua, Ngāti Toa Rangatira. The project has utilised the expertise of VUW Landscape Architecture staff and students to run a participatory project whereby the parties have collectively designed Te Manawa’s outdoor space and its surrounding landscape. The main objective of the Project has been to explore design solutions that integrate ecological, social, economic, and cultural factors through a landscape architecture lens, conceiving the outdoor space as the structural element of urban development.

Design Principles 

• Conceive a well-documented framework for a new resilient and sustainable city centre to be gradually implemented over time, depending on the available resources; 

• Assess and improve the existing network of public and private outdoor spaces, transforming Te Manawa into a multifunctional, inclusive, and active urban centre;   

• Assess and improve the mobility of the area, especially the pedestrian network, its connectivity and accessibility, including the boundaries of the site, the transport nodes and the key areas of activity; 

• Reveal through design the intangible heritage, and the existing and hidden Māori heritage sites, contributing to shape culturally related narratives and cultural identity to Te Manawa;

• Design mixed-use medium-density and high-density housing developments that combine residential with retail/commercial near transport hubs;

• Given the presence of multiple active fault lines, design for earthquake resilience through public open space on "no-build zones", with building setbacks of 10-20 metres from identified fault traces;  

• Design a new destination skatepark and playground (referencing the Awarua narrative integration) that serves as a major destination, incorporating Ngāti Toa cultural narratives and design principles;

• Re-design the waterfront to improve recreational use while respecting coastal processes and habitat restoration through careful detailing to manage erosion, storm surge, and harbour pollution;

• Integration of Māra Kai (food gardens) and cultural planting in the public spaces of Te Manawa; 

• Strategize planting in relation to succession, phasing, and resilient species to facilitate climate adaptation, biodiversity restoration, stormwater management, and human wellbeing;

• Integrate water-sensitive urban design strategies to reduce flood risk while treating stormwater before being discharged to the harbour through blue-green infrastructure and nature-based solutions; 

• Conceive an all-weather pedestrian network that connects the public transport nodes, public car parks, public buildings, the recreational hubs, the waterfront, and the new mixed-use housing developments;

• The covered pedestrian network should function as a cultural trail, interpreting Ngāti Toa histories through integrated signage, artwork, and landscape elements that celebrate cultural identity; 

• Integrate a cycling network that includes existing and proposed bicycle lanes, providing secure, covered bicycle parking and end-of-trip facilities at all major destinations to support cycle commuting;

• Beyond historical interpretation, the CBD should incorporate contemporary Māori and Pacific Island artwork that reflects the living culture of Porirua's communities;
  

The Design process: 

The design process was divided in several parts.
These were:

1 Diagnosis: 

• Collective analysis: 

Students developed collective research (individually or in groups) around a specific topic previously assigned to each student. Information was collected, processed, drawn and shared with the whole class as part of thematic seminars. 

• Intentional analysis and initial design strategies: 

Students started the design process working in groups of two, processing and combining the information collectively gathered and shared. A strong attention to collecting relevant inspirational precedents was given during this stage. The ending goal was to produce an intentional site analysis and conceive some initial design strategies. Final reviews with PCC were organized. 

2 Dreaming: 

• Design workshops: 

Four design workshops were organised, related to environmental, cultural, and social aspects. Workshops were thought to be informal and inclusive, with a varied range of participants with different interests and backgrounds. These were Ngāti Toa Rangatira (workshop #1), PCC elected members (workshop #2), community stakeholders (workshop #3), PCC staff members (workshop #4).    

• Concept designs: 

The students continued to work in groups of two, producing a variety of designs that responded to the site and its setting, as well as considering what locals thought was missing from their town. Final reviews with MDC and Ngāti Toa Rangatira were organized. 

3 Defining: 

• Developed designs:

The work done during the conceptual phase was continued to produce developed designs, considering sustainable ecological, cultural, and social factors in diverse ways. Designs are grounded in site knowledge, Mātauranga Māori, and the aspirations of mana whenua, the local community, and PCC. They are also pragmatic yet ambitious, connecting Te Manawa to comparable international urban centres.

• The exhibition:

The exhibition aims to explain the work done and facilitate support for the project.  Visitors will be able to provide feedback on the project and the different designs using analogue and digital mediums. 

• Post-exhibition:

This final phase will be used to process the feedback received during the exhibition and facilitate a deliberative process around the future of Te Manawa.