From Darkness to Light: Embedding Māori Values in Healthcare Design

Designing landscapes for hospitals is rarely straightforward. Often, the available space is fragmented—leftover pockets between expanding wards, new wings, and essential services. As a result, landscape design can become secondary to clinical functionality. But what if we made space, even a small courtyard, central to a healing journey?

In 2022, I had the privilege of leading a team tasked with rethinking the role of landscape in intensive care environments. Our project at Waitakere Hospital, in Auckland’s western suburbs, was more than a design brief—it became a deeply cultural and emotional inquiry, guided by the name gifted to us: Manaaki Hōhonu — “Deep Care.”

Designing with Purpose and Cultural Depth

The name Manaaki Hōhonu came from Dame Naida Glavish, a leading figure in the revitalisation of Te Reo Māori. But her contribution was much more than symbolic. She encouraged us to go deeper than superficial cultural references and to truly consider the emotional and spiritual experience of those who walk hospital corridors—especially those in Intensive Care Units, where lives often hang in the balance.

This meant stepping beyond technical solutions and clinical requirements. It meant asking: What does care feel like in moments of fear, hope, and grief? Can landscape hold space for that?

Drawing on Personal Experience

Having visited loved ones in ICU myself, I knew the emotional weight these spaces carry. No matter how well-furnished or well-lit a waiting room might be, the emotional terrain is always dark—hovering between despair and a fragile thread of hope.

I drew from these memories and conversations with others who had experienced intensive care environments. That personal insight became a design lens—one grounded in empathy.

At the heart of the new ICU building sat a dark, unused courtyard. For me, it symbolised the inner landscape of uncertainty. And it became the starting point for a narrative: a journey from darkness to light.

Māori Narratives of Creation and Transition

Seeking resonance with Māori perspectives, I consulted with colleagues at Boffa Miskell. We discussed the Māori creation story—the separation of Ranginui (Sky Father) and Papatūānuku (Earth Mother) by their son Tāne, who allowed light to enter the world.

Even after their separation, Ranginui’s tears fall as rain, and Papatūānuku’s sighs rise as mist—a beautiful metaphor for enduring connection and transformation. It was the perfect conceptual framework for our design response.

Bringing the Narrative to Life in the Landscape

The dark courtyard became a forest. We introduced tree ferns and shade-loving understorey plants to reflect the dense native bush, a space where light must fight to break through. Water would be allowed to cascade from the rooftop into this space—symbolising the birth of a stream and the beginning of a journey.

From here, a corridor—lined with Māori artwork and water-based narratives—connects the courtyard to the outer grounds. It represents movement through space and emotion: from the internal space of uncertainty to the external world of recovery and reconnection.

To the east, a dry creek bed runs from the courtyard toward an existing stormwater pond—a metaphor for wellness, return to whānau (family), and life beyond illness. The journey ends at a proposed Mānea stone, a spiritual marker rooted in the whenua (land), offering a moment of stillness and a place to release emotional burden.

What I Learned as a Designer

From a small, overlooked space, we shaped something much larger in meaning. Manaaki Hōhonu showed me that:

• Cultural narratives can profoundly inform spatial design.
• Deep care is not just clinical—it is emotional, spiritual, and symbolic.
• Even the smallest spaces can hold powerful stories.

Designing with empathy means stepping into the emotional reality of others. Designing with culture means listening first. Both are essential in healthcare settings, where people are at their most vulnerable.

He Kupu Whakamutunga — Final Words

I’m grateful to have worked on a project that asked more of us than aesthetics or performance. It asked for heart, memory, and cultural respect.

We closed the design process by reflecting on this Māori creation karakia (chant), which perfectly mirrors the journey we aimed to design:

I Te Tīmatatanga – In the beginning

Ko Te Kore – There was a void

Ko Te Pō – Within the void there was night

Ka puta i Te Whai Ao – Movement from darkness to light

Ki Te Ao Mārama – Into the world of understanding and life

Tihēi Mauri Ora! – Let there be life!

What Does Deep Care Mean to You?

I’d love to hear from others who are working at the intersection of design, culture, and healthcare. How do we make our spaces speak to the emotional and spiritual as well as the practical?

Let’s continue the conversation. #healthcaredesign #landscapearchitecture #maoriculture #ICUdesign #empatheticdesign #manaakihohonu