Education
Kamo High School
Designed in close collaboration with Mana Whenua, the Te Kamo High School redevelopment masterplan in Whāngārei delivers a transformative suite of new facilities, including “Te Herenga Rauponga”, a two-storey teaching block containing 22 classrooms, a standalone Blomfield Special School satellite unit, a new Marae/Whare Wanaga “Tōmairangi o te Mātauranga”, and a redeveloped main entry and Atea. Together, these elements reflect a thoughtful and culturally grounded approach to contemporary learning environments, laying a strong foundation for future stages of the masterplan.
Response
This project involved close work with the school kaumātua, Māori department staff, and Ngāti Kahu o Torongare in a manner that supports tikanga Māori. Design principles developed by and for Ngāti Kahu o Torongare underpin a set of core cultural values that have become the foundation shaping, informing, and guiding the project. In collaboration with Matakohe Architecture + Urbanism, who led the cultural design component, the outcome is a series of buildings purposefully designed to meet the needs of the community for generations to come.
