In the early hours of Friday 12 May 2023, members of Te Āti Awa, Ngāti Raukawa and Ngāti Toa Rangatira, workers and contractors for McMillan Lockwood, Pritchards Civil Engineers, Tennent Brown Architects, students, kaiāwhina and staff of Te Wānanga o Raukawa gathered at the Ōtaki campus to participate in the opening of four new buildings. Led by tohunga, the buildings were named and dedicated. The names are: Waitapu, Rangataua, Miria te Kakara, and Te Moana o Raukawa. The names are taken from the whakatauki (saying): “Mai i Waitapu ki Rangataua, mai i Miria te Kakara ki Whitireia, whakawhitia Te Moana o Raukawa ki Wairau ki Whakatū,” which describes the rohe of the three iwi. 



Te Moana o Raukawa is for management and administration staff, and the other three have classrooms and offices for teaching personnel. The campus has also become more pedestrianised, with a new student centric central courtyard encouraging walking and cycling.

Construction followed the “Living Building Challenge” For more information on the living building challenge, see https://living-future.org/lbc/ Rawiri Richmond, Kaihautū of Te Whare Manaaki Whenua (Director, Facilities and Maintenance) for Te Wānanga o Raukawa is confident that construction has met the “Living Building Challenge” standards. “We will know after twelve months of the buildings being operational whether certification has been awarded,” he say’s.

This new area of campus will produce 105% of daily energy needs via solar power, capture rainwater for all potable and non-potable needs, treat sewage on site, and have extensive planting of rongoā (medicinal native flora) and hua rākau (fruit trees). The result will be a purpose-built carbon positive site with green, resilient, and healthy buildings. The expectations are that the monetary costs to maintain the grounds and buildings will reduce significantly, and people will find the buildings and grounds beautiful and conducive to their creativity and wellbeing. The whole design is an expression of kaitiakitanga. 

Breakfast followed the ceremonial aspects of the opening, and then presentations were delivered in Te Ara a Tāwhaki by Ben Law, the project manager for McMillan Lockwood, Ewan Brown and Cameron Whyte from Tennent Brown Architects, and Chris Gerretzen, tohunga whakairo (master carver), who spoke about the artwork “Mahutonga” in Te Moana o Raukawa.

Staff and students alike are excited about the campus improvements.

An open day will be held on Saturday 7 October 2023 between 10am and 2pm, when campus tours will be conducted. Information about the academic programmes offered by Te Wānanga o Raukawa will also be available along with some fun activities. The public are welcome to attend. 

For more information contact:

Rawiri Richmond

Kaihautū, Te Whare Manaaki Whenua, Te Wānanga o Raukawa

E. Rawiri.Richmond@twor-otaki.ac.nz

P. 06 364 9011