NewsDawn mihi whakatau marks opening of Aurecon’s Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland office

The new space realises Aurecon’s evolving workplace strategy that ensures the company’s hybrid and flexible approach is blended with valuable time in the office for new connections, collaboration and learning.

Vital to the design process, Aurecon ensured the space is aligned to its He Rautaki Māori (strategy) which sets out Aurecon’s vision to have an authentic commitment to Te Ao Māori and Te Tiriti o Waitangi reflected in the place and way we work.

Tracey Ryan, Managing Director, Aurecon says, “We called the project to design the office ‘Whakakāinga’, which means ‘to create a home’. It was important for us to link our new space with our commitment to He Rautaki Māori from the very beginning.”

"We sought to embed history and nature everywhere that it made sense – so that the space told a story."

Te Aroha Grace, Chief Relationship Officer, Figure Group

Working with office fit-out design architects Warren & Mahoney and Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei (whose rohe/territory the new building sits on) the design team developed an understanding of the history of Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland and Ngāti Whātua Orakei’s relationship to its rohe/territory, and how Aurecon’s culture integrates with that.

Aurecon and Warren & Mahoney worked with Figure Group’s Chief Relationship Officer Te Aroha Grace to ensure design features throughout the office express that understanding.

“Tāmaki Makaurau speaks of ‘Tāmaki the land loved by many’ and it is important that we let that personality influence the development of this space,” he says. “We sought to embed history and nature everywhere that it made sense – so that the space told a story.”

Te Aroha drew from the cultural nuance of Tāmaki and its many narratives to fuel the creative process. The volcanic terrain of the area and the spectacular ocean views of its maunga (volcanic peaks) host an array of legendary heroes and characters who gave life and perspective to the design.

The office design also adheres to Te Aranga design principles of wellbeing developed by Māori design professionals and Te Whare Tapa Whā, a health and wellbeing model designed by Sir Mason Durie were drawn from.

Warren & Mahoney also conceived the design principle of a ‘Curious Adventurer’ who seeks opportunities to go further into the unknown – guided by knowledge of the past, enriched through curiosity, and propelled by a fearless nature into the future.

The fit out has three activity zones with their own distinct colours and layout for Curious Adventurer’s to use: ‘Anchored Spirit’ work points, ‘Melting Point’ innovation spaces and ‘Refined Radiance’ hosting and event expression zones.

Through the expression zones winds a Golden Thread, representing Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei’s presence as guardians of the rohe/territory. An engineered timber internal staircase represents the Curious Adventurer’s waka, or vessel, and features carved Aukaha and Niho Taniwha patterns. The ceiling-embedded Aurecon Compass depicts prominent maunga (mountains), including Maungawhau/Mt Eden which the building rests in the shadow of.

Mansons TCLM developed the new nine-level NZD 250 million building which has a 6-star green star building rating that fits with Aurecon’s wellbeing and sustainability principles and aligns with our commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2025.