Mā te kimi ka kite, mā te kite ka mōhio, mā te mōhio ka mārama

Over the past 200-years, urbanisation has shaped how society resides in Aotearoa; particularly, where Indigenous Māori dwell. Concerning the west coast of Aotearoa, specifically Taranaki, urbanisation is no different. Within Taranaki, most Taranaki Māori reside in urban districts distant from their Indigenous origins, with some of these Māori not knowing their Indigenous foundations. Consequently, most Taranaki Māori are disconnected from the Taranaki landscape, thus detached from their tribal province and in part separated from their Taranaki Māori identity.

To resolve this issue of cultural separation within the Taranaki region, this thesis develops Te Ara Mōhio. Te Ara Mōhio is a navigational framework for (re)connecting Taranaki Māori with their Indigenous identity through the spiritual essence of the Taranaki landscape. This study applies Te Ara Mōhio through design processes to develop various architectural interventions, where the driving force behind the architectural interventions is to provide a place where culturally detached Taranaki Māori can return and connect with the physical and spiritual essence of the Taranaki landscape.

The site where these architectural interventions are situated is Taranaki te maunga, a culturally significant location with spiritual ties to Māori within the Taranaki rohe. By implementing said architecture(s) on Taranaki te maunga, the architecture(s) employ Te Ara Mōhio as a framework to connect occupants with the physical and spiritual essence of the maunga. Thus, facilitating the connection between culturally detached Taranaki Māori and the Taranaki landscape, resulting in the (re)connection of culturally detached Taranaki Māori with their Taranaki Māori identity.

This thesis demonstrates how architecture works to bridge and facilitate (re)connection with Indigenous identity by (re)connecting urban Taranaki Māori with the Taranaki landscape.