"This community driven partnership, with the university, is a good start for the community to take ownership of the situation and get things moving."
The winning design would be architecturally pleasing, functional, low cost and could be retro-fitted to any major gateway project in the future.
Other design challenges included the site being partly on beach dunes and within the climate change related coastal hazard zone as well as adding design elements to reflect the strong iwi links to the island.
To help attract the strongest students into the project, the university, which has about 120 incoming master's students at the school next year, is offering two prizes - one $3000 prize for architecture and one $3000 prize for landscape architecture.
There would be a summer scholarship worth $3000 awarded to a student to collate and prepare the work for publication and exhibition at the end of the year.
And to help develop the winning project to a professional standard, in conjunction with some professional practices, a second summer scholarship worth $3000 would be awarded to a student.
A work-in-progress exhibition of the projects half way through the year would keep the community up to date with progress.
The charitable Maclean Trust, based in Waikanae, has come on board with a commitment of $15,000 towards the design project.
Trust member Chris Maclean said the project was a very exciting idea.
"We're keen to support it because at the moment the experience of going to Kapiti Island doesn't really have the appropriate sort of preparation on this side of the channel.
"The trust is very keen to try and help the local community and council develop something that creates a true gateway to what is the most important feature of our district."
He hoped the winning design would be workshopped to the point where the practical challenges are revealed.
John Barrett, who operates Kapiti Island Nature Tours, said the hub was a good idea and felt there needed to be discussions with all the parties that would have an interest in it.
"There's already been quite a bit of work done and research on similar types of opportunities along the beach front.
"I think this is an opportunity for some serious and positive work to be done, and I'd want to be convinced that was going to happen rather it being too narrowly focused. But it's definitely a positive step."
Mr Gurunathan said the hub project came at a time when there were two other significant developments associated with Kapiti Island.
Firstly an eco-lodge on the island, set up more than 10 years ago, would formally be given the tick of public confidence soon, and a lodge monitoring committee, administered by council, would be wound up.
"John Barrett and his sister Amo Clarke have proven that with stringent protocols you can run a commercial business within the extended borders of a nature reserve. The new consent no longer has need for a monitoring committee."
Secondly, Paraparaumu Raumati Community Board has invested $500 to help the newly formed Guardians of Kapiti Marine Reserve, which aims to increase community understanding, ownership and protection of the reserve.
"Four years ago, the board had committed to reviving community involvement in this reserve following moves by DoC to reduce monitoring of this reserve due to budget constraints.
"DoC supported the board's aim of a public meeting and recommended using the expertise of environmental award winner Colin Ryder.
"Backed by the board's funding they are organising a public meeting next month with Mr Ryder as the keynote speaker."
The meeting is at the Paraparaumu library on Sunday, September 4 from 2pm.
