This cultural preservation laboratory in Te Aro, Wellington, embodies the Māori concept of a kete, a woven flax basket that holds and shares treasures. The building responds to its culturally significant site near Te Aro Pā by creating a journey through public and private spaces, from ground-level community workshops to upper-floor research facilities. The woven diagrid structure literally expresses this narrative, creating dynamic transitions between interior laboratories and public realm while honoring traditional concepts of tapu through earned vertical access.
The design positions the building on the site's southern edge, opening a sheltered north-facing public space for outdoor workshops and community gathering. Mass timber construction demonstrates kaitiakitanga, environmental guardianship while achieving a carbon-negative structure (-707.8 tonnes CO₂eq) while creating warm, appropriate spaces for cultural learning. The adaptive facade responds to Wellington's weather conditions through passive ventilation and solar control, symbolizing how cultural treasures can be both protected and openly shared across communities.
