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🏛️ Traditional Architecture

Te Hanga Whare — Building with Purpose and Meaning

🏠 More Than Just Buildings

Traditional Māori architecture is a blend of engineering, art, and spirituality. Every element of a wharenui (meeting house) or pā (fortified village) has both practical and cultural significance. The buildings tell stories of ancestors, iwi history, and connection to the land.

Te Wharenui — The Meeting House

The House as an Ancestor

A wharenui represents a tupuna (ancestor) lying down with arms outstretched:

  • Koruru — the carved head at the apex (the face)
  • Maihi — the bargeboards (the arms)
  • Tāhū — the ridgepole (the backbone)
  • Heke — the rafters (the ribs)
  • Poutokomanawa — the central post (the heart)
  • Poupou — the wall carvings (ancestors standing guard)

🎭 Whakairo — Carving

Carved panels tell stories of iwi history, ancestors, and supernatural beings. Each style is unique to its iwi.

🧵 Tukutuku — Lattice Panels

Woven panels between carvings made by women, featuring geometric patterns with specific meanings.

🎨 Kōwhaiwhai — Painted Rafters

Painted patterns on rafters, often featuring koru (spiral) designs representing growth and new life.

🌲 Traditional Materials

🌲 Tōtara

Preferred for carving — rot-resistant

🌿 Raupō

Bulrush for thatching roofs

🪴 Harakeke

Flax for binding and weaving

🌳 Mānuka

Strong poles for framing

🏰 Te Pā — Fortified Villages

Engineering Excellence

Pā were sophisticated defensive settlements:

  • Location — on hills, volcanic cones, or ridges
  • Palisades — wooden fences up to 3m tall
  • Trenches (pā taiapa) — ditches for defense
  • Fighting stages — elevated platforms for defense
  • Storage pits (rua) — underground food storage

European military engineers were impressed by pā design!

📐 Design Principles

Sustainable Design

  • Local materials — sourced from nearby
  • Climate-appropriate — thick walls for insulation
  • Orientation — doorway often facing east (rising sun)
  • Ventilation — designed for smoke from fires
  • Community needs — spaces for different purposes

✏️ Activities

Activity: Design Analysis

Research a famous wharenui and answer:

  1. What is its name and where is it?
  2. What ancestor does it represent?
  3. What is unique about its design?
  4. What materials was it made from?

Activity: Design Your Own

Design a modern building that incorporates traditional Māori design principles. Consider:

  • What natural materials could you use?
  • How would it tell a story?
  • How would it connect to the environment?

Sketch your design here

👩‍🏫 Teacher Notes

Curriculum Links

  • Technology: Design, materials, construction
  • Te Ao Māori: Whakairo, tukutuku
  • Arts: Visual arts, cultural heritage
  • History: Pre-colonial Aotearoa