NGĀ REO O TE WHENUA | Voices of the Land | Kees Liefting & Thomas Eales (Group 04)
Our design project is concerned about engaging Ngā Reo o te Whenua- Voices of the Land with respect to the cultural, historic, natural and social aspects of Mātai Moana. This means giving expression to the voice of these different dimensions both metaphorically and/or literally.
The current landscape has very limited if any voice of expression for the rich and diverse heritage assets that are present at the area. The existing sites of cultural significance for Māori are not distinguishable or defined. The military heritage is in a state of abandonment, with no maintenance or communication of their importance. The old Prison site is similarly abandoned with no perceivable utterance to the trauma and history that it represents. And despite the admirable efforts of local groups engaging with revegetation, large portions of this site are still governed by invasive and colonising species. The local community has successfully attained a predator free status for Miramar which establishes a strong foundation for transforming the site.
Our project seeks to help the landscape speak for itself, expressing all that is bound to and wound up across this treasurable environment. It aims to give expression to:
- Voice of Tangata whenua cultural heritage through techniques that will engage discovery, education and influence from taonga pūoro.
- Voice of Bicultural heritage through a heightened use and site presence of discovery and education.
- Natural voices through the implementation of design elements that draw from taonga pūoro- profoundly connected to the sounds of the natural world and ecological restoration as enhancing wildlife presence and their associated voice (i.e. bird songs)
- Social voices through the ecological restoration efforts that will connect people in a great sense of local pride through community-based design implementations and structured initiatives.
