Te Wa Kainga is a subsidiary of Maori Initiatives Trust, a not-for-profit organisation.
Te WA Consortium was established in response to the national housing crisis beingfaced across New Zealand at this time. Many whanau have long given up on theprospect of their children and grandparents living in a healthy home and whereaffordability is a throw away line for politicians.
Te WA comes from the Whakatauki – proverb;
Nga Whetu o te Wa – The Stars of this Time
Gifted to our team by Kaumatua Nau Epiha of Ngapuhi. It reflects the aspirations
of the team to chart a new course as Maori did when navigating by the stars in
support of whanau as they find their way to a place to call home.
Our team of qualified and registered professionals is committed to making home ownership accessible and affordable to families and communities throughout Aotearoa New Zealand.
Our homes are designed on tikanga Maori + Kiwi living practice to achieve optimal environmental design outcomes and healthy affordable living solutions for whanau,hapu and papakainga.
FOCUS
Our focus is on providing quality affordable housing for Maori to better meet the needs of whanau and that aligns with Maori cultural values. This is primarily through good design and the integration of tikanga Maori based design principles and processes in collaboration with industry partners.
The Nga Whetu o te Wa approach to addressing housing needs, including design, construction, manufacturing and training, is uniquely:
• Tikanga Maori
• Values Based
• Systems Focused
• Design Led
• Community Owned
• Effective Regional Economic Development
DESIGN
Our design approach is guided by the principles of Mannakitanga and Kotahitanga, working in unison for the greater benefit of all. This is through an emphasis on valuing relationships and a holistic approach to engaging with the complex systems of urban development and papakainga that includes the restoration of land and water, expression of cultural heritage values and the socio-economic support required for whanau to prosper.
Our team of collaborating businesses provide strategic planning, design, build and project management services, in collaboration with our builder partners to assist whanau, hapu, communities and government in the delivery of quality affordable housing for Māori and others throughout Aotearoa.
CONSTRUCTION
Our construction process uses a modular panel system that can include a mix of light timber framing, Structurally Insulated Panels (SIP) and Cross Laminated Timber (CLT), depending on the specific house type or client's needs, along with durable low maintenance claddings and fittings. European building techniques and ventilation systems are used within the Maori design process, to achieve an average power bill (for heating) of less than $100 a year, that along with other water and solar based technologies enable kainga to be self-sufficient and their environmental impact minimised.
ASPIRATIONS
Our ongoing aspiration is to work with regional Maori communities to support the establishment of tikanga Maori based off-site construction, trade-training, and manufacturing of timber based building materials that add value to the forestry industry and ensure a sustainable supply of materials for future generations. This will also assist with the delivery of more affordable homes across the country, and support job creation and economic development, in particular for Maori who wish to build on their whanau land, or achieve personal home ownership. We are currently supporting Maori community aspirations for housing, jobs and training in Kaikohe through Ngā Whetu o te Wā Kaikohe, alongside the Maori Initiatives Trust who established Te Wā Kāinga.
Our focus is on delivering kāinga that:
- Are built to the best environmental standard possible to fulfil our obligations as Kaitaiki
- Support multi-generational living for Whanau
- Are Tika in terms of physical relationships provide opportunities for communities to Ahwi and
support each other
- Restore the Mana of the Tangata Whenua
- Provide opportunities for Maori economic development
- Support Māori and others to achieve a better quality of life make healthy living choices easier for
all
and that:
- Can be predominately built off site
- Have a streamlined consenting and construction process for ultimate efficiency
- Provide adaptability for change of time and personalisation
- Utilise international best practice technologies where appropiate
- Ensure a high standard of workmanship and quality control
Our values are aligned with Tikanga Maori, and in particular we are guided by the following: KAITIAKITANGA / ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY WHANAUNGATANGA / FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES MANAAKITANGA / IMPROVED QUALITY OF LIFE KOTAHITANGA / WORKING IN UNISON
Kaupapa | Principles
Te WA Consortium promotes a holistic model of practice tailored to supply places (homes
and spaces) through...
Prefabrication manufacturing + Architecture + Construction
+ Training + Social support = P-A-C-T-S
Te WA Consortium’s approach is uniquely:
• Tikanga Maori • Values Based
• Systems Focused • Design Led
• Community Owned • Multi-regional Economic Development driven
Our values are aligned with Tikanga Maori.
Kaitiakitanga | Environmental Responsibility
Best practice environmental design in both building design and site layout. This includes use of non-toxic materials that reduce carbon emissions and ongoing energy consumption, waste reduction, with water sensitive and ecological design features and minimizing earthworks.
Whanaungatanga | Families and Communities
A whole of life approach to designing houses for families so homes can easily be adapted to different stages of life, and different family groups. This includes flexibility to adapt houses for elderly, papakainga and the needs of children and providing multigenerational and extended family housing typologies within communities that create safe family friendly environments.
Manaakitanga | Improved Quality of Life
Our houses are designed for optimal health and well-being, so they are not just warm and dry but also affordable to heat and maintain. Homes are located to provide a connection to the land with space for growing food and interacting with friends and family and can be easily adapted to suit cultural and living preferences.
Kotahitanga | Working in Unison
Using our newly developed modular walling system called TRISIPS with our design and construction systems offers highly co-ordinated and streamlined efficient building to ensure quality homes. Utilising tikanga
Maori design best practice ensures house designs work with the whenua/land, environmental conditions and character of existing neighbourhoods and is of a cohesive design quality whilst also being suited to whanau needs.
If you are interested in partnering with us to help all New Zealanders "have a place to call home" or would like to know more about us, we would love to hear from you.
