The Drawing Board - A new TV series looking at the rise of Māori architecture

A new wave of modern Māori-driven and designed architecture is emerging across Aotearoa, revitalising our architectural landscape with modern Māori influences and weaving a powerful connection between our past, our present and our future.

Examining how indigenous architectural design is reshaping our spaces through a Māori lens is the objective of The Drawing Board, which premiered last night on Whakaata Māori.

The eight-part series examines the past, present and what future architectural designs in Aotearoa might look like.

Hosted by a professor of architecture at Victoria University of Wellington, Derek Kawiti (Ngāti Hine, Ngāpuhi, Tūhoe, Ngāti Porou), the series leads viewers on a journey of exploration, visiting construction sites and completed buildings.

Kawiti says it’s time to broaden our perspectives and to ask the question, “what does contemporary Māori architecture look like?”

“Tikanga and mātauranga Māori as it informs architecture and its relationship to the environment has become increasingly vital,” Kawiti says.

“Māori have always understood that no matter the natural environment, the spaces we consciously create, or unconsciously leave behind, powerfully influence the success of our living environment.

“Māori-led projects, clients, designers and architects are challenging the status quo, and informing more thoughtful decisions based on kaitiakitanga about the places we share.”

Kawiti says that with the growth of the Māori economy, trends are changing.

The Drawing Board takes in Te Raukura in Wellington. Photo / Supplied

“Greater wealth among iwi throughout the country, a growing trend towards people learning te reo Māori and gaining a better understanding of Māori culture is resulting in the development of new Māori-led and inspired architectural projects,” he says.

“Each new structure is an opportunity to make smarter decisions about spatial design, making the outcomes we collectively achieve functionally and aesthetically superior, and forging a space for clear Māori design that incorporates an indigenous aesthetic for a more holistic approach to architecture.”

See the full episodes on Whakaata Māori, Mondays, 7.30pm, or head to Maori+ to watch ondemand.