Our Whare Our Fale - Central Pacific Collective
Our Whare Our Fale is the vision of reimagining the Pacific village in Aotearoa, transforming the life outcomes of the Pasefika community in Wellington through design that is by Pacific, for Pacific. The cultural force at the heart of the design makes it different to anything seen before. The central malae and common fale, express the principle of anoafale – it is not so much about the house, but the people living in the house and the relationships between them.
The project was conceived, led, and delivered by Central Pacific Collective (CPC), who hold the design authorship with integrity and purpose. The project anchored in the Pacific principle of vā – the relational space between people, place and the environment, has been shaped under the visionary and cultural leadership of Fa’amatuainu Tino Pereira and architectural leadership of Elyjana Roach.
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Built: 2025
Client / Design Lead: Central Pacific Collective
Builder: South Coast Construction
Images: David Hensel PhotographyProject Description continued.
The brief was to deliver 18 affordable, intergenerational homes that embody Pasefika identity, nurture wellbeing and restore dignity through community-led housing, challenging conventional housing models by centering cultural narratives as the foundation of place. First Light Studio worked alongside CPC to translate this vision into an affordable, buildable and high-performing architectural outcome, providing technical and environmental sustainability expertise throughout the design process. The homes were delivered through local Pasefika builders, creating employment opportunities across the region, with high-quality construction led by South Coast Construction.
Located in eastern Porirua within an established suburban context, Our Whare Our Fale is founded on a life-partnership with mana whenua, Ngāti Toa Rangatira. A perpetual land lease removes land cost from the equation and supports long-term affordability through shared equity. Planning constraints around density, height and vehicular access required close cooperation with Porirua City Council, balancing affordability, performance and cultural authenticity while meeting compliance.
Material and construction decisions were driven by cost discipline and performance. Homes are timber framed with high insulation values, insulated slabs, continuous mechanical ventilation and low-emissive glazing, achieving Homestar 6. The large roof forms reference traditional Pacific fale while accommodating stacked density and providing privacy to upper-level bedrooms. Ground floor living spaces are intentionally flexible to support formal and informal gathering, intergenerational living and wider family events such as funerals and devotions.
The malae and common fale are integral to cultural sustainability, upholding strong Pacific communities through ceremony, gathering and everyday village life. The central garden includes productive planting and communal garden spaces that nurture food security and intergenerational knowledge sharing. Our Whare Our Fale delivers not only homes but a cultural, social and economic foundation for Pacific families to thrive. It offers a blueprint for hundreds more homes and demonstrates how culturally led design can reshape neighbourhoods and contribute to the wellbeing of Aotearoa.
