16/03/2026
The following message is from
Aladina Harunani APA Architects and Project Management.
“Tēnā koutou katoa e te whānau,
For me, today is a day of gratitude.
It was also a day of gratitude back in 2017 when Terewai called and said he wanted to meet to talk about his marae. It was a day of gratitude when I was first invited to your marae around that time, when I was welcomed and shared hongi with some of you.
My gratitude is first to our Creator Almighty, who brought us together and entrusted us with the responsibility to do our very best.
As the architect and project manager, my role has always been to bring out the best in everyone involved. From the client — the trustees, who serve as volunteers yet carry immense passion — to the design engineers and consultants, encouraging them to realize the true potential of this beautiful place and its value beyond materials alone.
It also meant working with the council, who often appear as red tape, but by sharing the kaupapa we were able to make the vision theirs as well, ensuring the project complied with all requirements while turning ideas into practical and legally compliant outcomes.
Another important part was bringing out the best in the tendering contractors and tradespeople, ensuring that the carefully managed and drip-fed funding the marae received always went further than what might otherwise have been possible.
Along the way we faced many challenges — changes in trustees, changes in government from National to Labour and back again, COVID lockdowns, and the loss of a key trustee, our dear Pearl. Yet the project kept moving forward, not because of me alone, but because of all the people and teams I mentioned — and especially the trustees (Nigel Mahara, James Mahara, Tilena Mahara & Hinerangi Mahara) wonderfully led by Miki Apiti.
In the end, while we may have designed it, obtained the consents, managed the project, and completed the sign-offs, the real work was done by the builders and their subcontractors.
A huge thanks and credit goes to the dedicated builders, particularly FM Builders and Livingstone Construction Ltd. They too could not have done it without their responsible leader, Feroz Mohamad from FM Builders.
The list of subcontractors is long, but I would especially like the whānau to recognize the electrician, Islamudin, who tirelessly worked with me, the builders, the design documents, the council, and the network providers — even understanding and integrating previously completed work — to install much of the building’s electrical infrastructure. This work was quite distinct from the existing Waipā network infrastructure.
Another key contributor was Alister from Matrix Drainage, who never gave up on resolving the persistent stormwater challenges on this site. And Ross, who completed the driveway and car parking finishes that helped bring the entire project together and make all the builders’ work shine.
Whānau, this is your marae. You invited us to work on it, and it has been an honour.
While the building is made of timber, steel, and concrete, these materials alone hold little value. Its true worth will come from your aroha, your unity as whānau, and the memories created here through the many events and gatherings to come.
Those moments will be what give all of us a sense of pride and deep satisfaction.
Kia ora, aroha mai, and may God bless you and the marae”.
Yours sincerely,
Aladina Harunani
Apa Architects and Project Management Ltd
