100 | Telling the story of water Waiaroha’s design winds around the drinking-water treatment plant and two, five million-litre storage tanks. ARCHITECTURE Designgroup Stapleton Elliott T T Karen Phelps Design Group Stapleton Elliott (DGSE) has been celebrated for its innovative architectural approach to the Waiaroha - Heretaunga Water Discovery Centre, winning a prestigious Best Design Award in the 2024 Private, Public and Institutional Spaces category. Working in association with design collaborators Wayfinder and Stitchbird, and cultural leads Hira Huata and Charles Paringatai, DGSE principal Ezra Kelly says the project represents a transformative approach to public infrastructure design. “We’re not just shaping buildings, we’re altering our relationship with nature and influencing social behaviour,” he explains. Located in Hastings and undertaken for Hastings District Council, Waiaroha’s design winds around the drinking-water treatment plant and two, five million-litre storage tanks. The centre is a response to the 2016 Havelock North water contamination crisis, and turns the water-treatment facility into an immersive educational experience. Ezra says the centre’s design is a collaborative effort developed in partnership with Ngāti Kahungunu advisors and local delivery teams. The outdoor space simulates the water cycle, allowing visitors to experience the journey of water from mountain to sea through interactive exhibits. People can pump, spray and twist at hands-on water stations, and feel water from the underground aquifer at the wai ora rock. They can look into the treatment plant and watch animations explaining how it works. Inside, people can play games, watch films, and discover the atua of Heretaunga waters through carved and woven arts. Sustainability was at the forefront of the design, incorporating features such as solar panels, rainwater collection, native plantings and permeable concrete. It uses reticulated water for outdoor features and table tops made of recycled fishing nets. The project embodies DGSE’s commitment to design that goes beyond aesthetics, Ezra says, and with studios across Aotearoa, including in Auckland, Tauranga, Napier, Palmerston North, Wellington, and Queenstown, DGSE offers the same commitment to all its projects. “DGSE approaches each project with manaakitanga – a principle of care and respect that is evident in the Waiaroha centre’s design. What is the spirit of the place? Who are the people? How will our design balance with nature? People, place, and culture are at the heart of our design processes,” explains Ezra. The Best Design Award judges’ comments highlighted the project’s sophisticated approach, praising it for weaving together landscape, Māori perspectives, water, and architecture to create an exceptional experience that exceeds design objectives. It’s far from the only award the project has won. Waiaroha has garnered multiple national awards including the Supreme Award at the LGFA Taituarā Local Government Awards. Ezra says that for DGSE the awards are a validation of its approach to architecture as a transformative social and environmental practice. He says it demonstrates the firm’s ability to create spaces that are not just functional but deeply meaningful to communities. The facility has already made significant impact, attracting over 12,000 visitors since its opening, and hosting more than 110 school groups. “Waiaroha represents a world first in combining education, community engagement, place-making and water management,” says Ezra. “The centre not only addresses the technical requirements of water infrastructure, but also creates a powerful narrative about water’s importance to community and environment.” | | &
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