Kaumātua Housing on Hospital Road – Auckland, NZ
Indigenous Housing + Community.
Culturally grounded affordable housing for elders, with community and care at its heart.
Client
Te Whānau o Waipareira
Architect-of-Record
Isthmus Group
Project Lead
Tom Kenny, Associate (Isthmus Group)
Budget
$60M
Status
In construction
Benchmark
Homestar 7 + Lifemark 5
Housing with mana and dignity.
Developed with Te Whānau o Waipareira, this 124-apartment project provides affordable homes for kaumātua (Māori elders) and whānau with disabilities within a larger indigenous-led precinct.
Our founder’s design leadership (as the lead architect) focused on co-design and everyday dignity: communal whare (gathering spaces), accessible circulation, and landscape that supports social connection. Housing is integrated with childcare and wellness services so elders can live close to family and care networks. The architecture is direct and generous – robust materials, warm entries, and motifs honouring identity – delivered to tight programme and budget to meet urgent need.
This is a model for culturally responsive community housing, designed for long-term stewardship rather than short-term optics.
Images courtesy of Isthmus Group.
Culturally led design with community at the centre.
Strategic approach:
We centred elders’ lived experience: universal access, simple wayfinding, daylight-rich corridors, and safe communal spaces on each level. A rational structural grid and repeatable unit types control cost, while façades incorporate cultural references with durable, low-maintenance detailing – supporting pride and longevity.
