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workforce, previously siloed in smaller buildings dotted around the Te Papa Tipu Innovation Park, together in one ‘innovation hub.’ It also provides a new arrival point for the campus, strengthening the institute’s public face. Now, as visitors encounter the building at the entrance to the campus, they are presented with an impressive, three level, 1800 m2 timber diagrid structure of laminated veneer lumber.


Having created a building whose timber structure is easily read as such from outside, the architects hope the strong expression of the material’s use will inspire building designers of the future, showing them how timber framed buildings on this scale can provide a viable alternative to their steel and concrete counterparts. However it’s also aimed at potentially achieving even more, providing an exemplar of working within the constraints of a zero-carbon future.


ADF MAY 2022


Not just an homage to timber, however, the building also respects the Māori culture of Rotorua, resulting in a form rich with symbolism. Its name, Te Whare Nui o Tuteata, pays homage to the Tuteata, from whom the region’s three Hapu (Māori tribes) descend.


The brief


The brief given to two practices working in collaboration, RTA Studio and Irving Smith Architects, was to reimagine the headquarters, creating a ‘new front door’ for Scion, and showcase timber technology and the institute’s work. However the design also needed to “engage with the forest, acknowledge the cultural significance of the region, and to create a contemporary workplace environment that brings Scion together,” said the architects. This meant employees, the public and also its commercial partners. According to Dr Jeremy Smith, design


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A TRIO OF PEAKS A trio of glulam 'peaks' framing the entrance represents


the three Māori 'hapu' of the region Photography © Patrick Reynolds


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