Ka Hanga Tātou - Homes That Grow with Whānau

<p><strong>Ko te whare e hanga te tangata, ko te tangata e hangaia e te whare.</strong></p><p>The whare builds the people and the people build the whare.</p><p>For Māori, notions of home extend beyond the physical dwelling.  It is multidimensional and includes concepts of whānau, safety, security, and wellbeing (Boulton et al., 2022).  Home transcends a mere physical structure; it centres on how whānau adapt within that space and carry out daily life.  However, colonisation has changed and shaped Māori views and perceptions of home, into a Western, one-size-fits-all housing paradigm that often overlooks cultural needs and values. This research aims to empower whanau Māori in the Wellington region (defined here as families with at least one parent of Māori descent and at least one child under 18) to reclaim culturally grounded ways of inhabiting their homes. This study integrates tikanga and mātauranga Māori with modern architectural solutions to support Māori-centred small home solutions.  By exploring whānau views on small homes (in this case, homes with a footprint of less than 60m²), alongside global examples of functional, compact living, this research develops design principles that can be tailored to the specific needs of each whānau and support Māori ways of living. This research will fill a critical gap in New Zealand on how to make small homes work with whānau Māori. A Kaupapa Māori methodology guides the research, uplifting Māori in having a voice in the process of design in allowing the coalescing of user and technical facets within the design approach, giving a purposeful and pragmatic consideration to every design outcome.  The principle of kaua e takahia te mana o te tangata (humility) is salient in this research through Kaupapa Māori methodology.  Comprehensive thinking beyond academic means with a humancentric approach opens a world of knowledge through perceptive understanding.  This allows research to be richer and more robust as the “data” gained is not through standard research conventions but through whanaungatanga. Ultimately, this study aspires to challenge mainstream assumptions about Māori housing needs and contribute to the decolonisation of architectural design practice in Aotearoa.</p>