Endangered Māori construction methods capable of withstanding earthquakes

One of the first projects funded by EWAP has started to produce findings. We can report that recent research conducted by Professor Anthony Hoete has shown that endangered mātauranga Māori construction techniques can withstand major earthquakes. The project was partially funded by EWAP to record the endangered construction technique called ‘mīmiro’ as they created a full-scale timber structure. Further funding was provided by Toka Tū Ake EQC (Earthquake Commission) and QuakeCoRE, the Centre of Research Excellence for seismic resilience, to test the prototype against earthquake requirements for modern buildings. This knowledge will be used to help rebuild a historic Bay of Plenty whare tīpuna (ancestral house).

© Hoete, 2023

The team has been working closely with the Ngāti lra o Waioweka community, who built the original Tānewhirinaki wharenui near Opōtiki in the 1870s, only to witness its collapse in the 7.8 magnitude earthquake in 1931. Carvings representing their tūpuna were saved from the wreckage and remarkably stored in a shed at the marae for nine decades.

With a team from Waipapa Taumata Rau, the University of Auckland, Hoete consulted with architects and engineers to interpret and design the new construction based on the traditional technology. Timber portals were designed and built using interlocking compression joints, instead of bolting parts together, and ropes were used to pull the structure to the ground like a tent. Hoete says the origins of mīmiro can be traced back to the ships and strong sail lashing that his ancestors used to travel across the Pacific.

The project team has involved the entire hapū in the project, through outreach events with local schools and the community. Hoete feels that the learnings from this project have the “power to transform communities”.

Watch a short video about the project here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GCliixmoZ4