The August Vā Korero hosted the Moana Loa inaugural fono of architecture and spatial design professionals at Maota Samoa on Karangahape Road, Auckland. Moana Loa is a newly formed network of Tangata Moana architects, designers and practitioners from around the country. The inaugural fono was hosted by Albert L. Refiti, Rau Hoskins and Tuputau Lelaulu, who are part of the Artefacts of Relations Marsden-funded research project to gather knowledge of current Pacific building practices in Aotearoa dealing with issues such as sustainable developments and environmental wellbeing in design practice. The gathering was attended by early, mid-career and senior architects, including Steven Tupu of Terrain in New York, Elizabeth Seuseu of Architectus in Melbourne, Polisi Faumuina, who has been in practice since the early 1980s, and Andrew Tuʻinukuafe and Elisapeta Heta who are both principles of large architecture firms in Aotearoa.
Thanks to Locker 71 for the photographs.