On the Rise: Tane Pamatatau-Marques

Jacinda Rogers (JR): Your identify hints at multicultural origins. Inform me a bit about about your background.

Tane Pamatatau-Marques (TPM): On my mom’s facet I whakapapa to the Cook dinner Islands and have Pākehā ancestry. On my organic father’s facet, I’m Portuguese. I used to be born and raised in Tāmaki Makaurau, which is my dwelling. The thought of hybridity is essential to me; I establish with the Auckland-Kiwi context I grew up in, in addition to being an individual of Te Moana Nui.

JR: You obtained the distinguished Kupe Management Scholarship by means of the College of Auckland. What’s its ethos and the way did it impression you?

TPM: The Scholarship brings collectively a broad vary of scholars from throughout the college to take part in a really particular management programme. It was based on an ethos of dedication to put — to Aotearoa, which I believe is what units it aside and what attracted me to use within the first place.

Recipients obtain a stipend, because of some massively beneficiant donors, in addition to a mentorship. I used to be very fortunate to have each Pip Cheshire of Cheshire Architects and Professor Deidre Brown as mentors. I needed to work with them as a result of I felt they represented the perfect of each side of my architectural follow — conventional follow and academia respectively. 

Once I obtained the Scholarship in my fourth yr, it was solely the second yr it had been supplied and now 5 years on there’s a stunning sub-cohort of structure folks too.

Finally it gave me confidence that I’d achieved the appropriate factor in altering careers to check structure. The opposite recipients are all distinctive individuals who have gone on to do heaps of unimaginable issues. It was life-changing; it’s an unimaginable alternative.

Inform me concerning the goals of your thesis dissertation ‘Materials Company, Embodied Dialogue, and Whakapapa: a Case for Extra Delicate Engagement with our Materials Histories’.

TPM: It’s an enormous matter. To offer a little bit of context, I did a philosophy diploma earlier than I went to structure college, and that background made a robust resurgence in my thesis yr. Finally the mission is an try and bridge my pursuits in Western metaphysics and ontology and Indigenous Pacific structure and philosophy. As a lot as I believe the phrase is overused, I suppose it’s an intersection.

Whereas at structure college I observed many similarities between the varsity of Western new materialist philosophy I subscribe to and the Indigenous ontologies of the Pacific I used to be studying about throughout my research.

I took the chance {that a} year-long analysis mission gives to take a look at what I believed the basic state of existence of the world may be from a philosophical perspective, after which apply that to structure. The mission ended up as an argument for a deeper, extra reflexive strategy to architectural supplies and the histories and relationalities they carry inside them. I argued that the fabric world is a single relational aircraft; a common interwoven tivaevae.

It’s thrilling to see some faculties of thought in Western philosophy are catching up with methods of contemplating the world that many Indigenous peoples have had at all times. I actually consider that we’re uniquely positioned right here in Aotearoa and Te Moana Nui to embrace the multitude of philosophical sources at our disposal and lead the world on this sense.

JR: You educate varied studio papers on the College of Auckland Waipapa Taumata Rau. What impressed you to show alongside your work in follow?

TPM: I had essentially the most unimaginable lecturers after I was at structure college, individuals who helped me determine what I needed to do inside structure and helped me perceive my follow and the way in which I take into consideration the constructed atmosphere usually. As I used to be a bit older having accomplished a philosphy diploma, I felt that instructing was an area I may add some worth and provides again — or extra particularly, attempt to go on a few of the unimaginable instructing experiences that I’ve had myself.

With instructing, I attempt to embody an ethos of care and dedication as a result of I believe it makes an enormous distinction when lecturers decelerate and attempt to create house for college kids to determine what they need to do. That may not at all times seem like the everyday development by means of structure college by way of straight to buildings from A-to-B. Every pupil wants time be capable to determine how they relate to the self-discipline, to tertiary schooling, and to the world in common.

There are societal, financial, and political pressures which might be continually sapping away from instructing sources. So, to follow devoted instructing in my very own time or, the place I can, is to attempt to resist these forces and maintain open house for sluggish architectural and studio instructing. It’s given me a lot. It’s given my pals a lot. So it’s a little bit of activism in that method.

JR: Are there some other areas of research, or philosophy, that you just’re engaged in or have an lively curiosity in?

TPM: I attempt to make issues after I’ve acquired time. Strive being the operative phrase right here. I’d wish to proceed the sculpture work that began throughout my thesis yr, in addition to to maintain contributing to nice endeavours equivalent to pre:fab, which is a collective creating house for different modes of architectural follow, analysis, and neighborhood.

I’m attempting to jot down a journal article that’s basically a publication of my thesis. However I’m additionally attempting to learn to be an architect on the identical time. Once I end the unimaginable initiatives that I’m doing at work, I’d love to do some extra research.

JR: Inform me just a little about the kind of initiatives and work you do as an architectural graduate at Monk Mackenzie.

TPM: I used to be fortunate sufficient to start out right here simply earlier than I completed my thesis, working largely with Hamish Monk and Raukura Turei on iwi and neighborhood housing initiatives. We’re performing some superb papakāinga work for Waikato Tainui; 47 properties in Kirikiriroa Hamilton, and 250 in Hopuhopu — a historic piece of the whenua between Ngāruawāhia and Taupiri which is earmarked to turn into a hub for the iwi’s cultural growth.

We’re additionally engaged on a really particular marae and papakāinga mission out west at Te Henga Bethells Seashore for Te Kawerau ā Maki. [You can find out more about that project here].

In my expertise, working with iwi is nice as a result of the emphasis is on the lengthy view. They’re not considering simply concerning the subsequent mission milestone, and even 30 years forward, however holistically concerning the long-term way forward for the land and the way forward for the folks. Whereas there are at all times mission constraints, I really feel there may be capability to create wealthy and significant initiatives that prioritise the relationships between folks, the whenua, and the moana.

JR: Is there something you are feeling may change with a view to give architects extra company to create locations that higher abide by these values you’ve talked about?

TPM: I hope to see structure regain its political company. I believe architectural information is undervalued and underrepresented on the tables the place the large selections are made about the way forward for the constructed atmosphere in Aotearoa. I might like to see the reinstatement of public sector structure positions which might be correctly empowered to deal with the huge infrastructure, housing, and environmental issues we presently face. Maybe it’s time for one thing alongside the traces of a revitalised Ministry of Works with the required cultural, environmental, and technological updates to make it match for at the moment.

JR: Lastly, what was the inspiration behind your Resene temper board and what Resene colors did you draw upon to speak your thought?

TPM: Just lately, I’ve loved in search of second hand native timber bowls to then add one thing of my very own artistic expression to. I attempt to discover a center floor between the fabric, the unique employee’s hand, and my very restricted carving abilities.

My temper board contains a bowl of 1000-year-old matai made by extremely regarded Nelson woodturners Ann and Bob Phillips. I’ve used the nice and cozy, earthy colors of Resene Rata, Resene Rusty Nail, and Resene Finch and the colourful glow of Resene Moon Mist on stones sourced from Piha to go with the nice and cozy honey-tones of the traditional matai wooden. Cloudy whites equivalent to Resene Black Haze, and Resene Moon Mist, have a pure, atmospheric, high quality that enhances a naturalistic color scheme.

I’ve just lately been impressed by the earthen tones we deliver into our architectural work to talk to the whenua we’re working with. Tonally, the palette goals to supply color accents whereas harmonising with the matai in a method that doesn’t overpower the timber.

When it comes to texture, I believe paint is usually under-considered for its capability to deliver a sense of thickness, solidity, and depth. Right here I’ve tried to emphasize its liquid properties along with what it gives in color.

See extra from the On the Rise sequence right here.