Te Living Pā: Kaitiakitanga; Whanaungatanga; Akoranga

Abstract

The Living Pā is a 3-storey mass timber building currently being constructed for Te Herenga Waka Victoria University at their Kelburn Campus. Full Living Building Challenge certification is a central goal for the project. This is generally considered the most rigorous sustainability standard a building can achieve. Compliance with this standard significantly dictates materials selection for the project. For structure this means widespread use of timber, including a mass timber structure and timber piles. Further to this, the site itself is challenging. It sits on the headwaters of the Kumutoto Stream, which has contributed to a variable rock profile. Varying thicknesses of weak fill overlay the rock and are unsuitable for founding. The geometry of the site means the structure has a high aspect ratio. The ambitious client brief presents significant design and construction challenges. This paper demonstrates how collaboration between disciplines has helped to overcome these challenges in a high seismic zone