Both leading up to and in the wake of the 2013 Deed of Settlement between the Crown and Tūhoe, the iwi had been working toward the revitalization of autonomy and self-governance - mana motuhake - with a focus on protecting their heartland, Te Urewera, which is now a legal entity with “all the rights, powers, duties and liabilities of a legal person.”

Tūhoe needed a meeting place to reinforce their identity and bring together urban and rural iwi for festivals. The resulting project, which includes a building and landscape design, was intended to symbolise, strengthen and reaffirm Tūhoe beliefs and values, and also demonstrate the iwi's commitment to re-develop regenerative infrastructure. The iwi were adamant the new development reflected their inherent connection to the land - mana tangata.

A rich layer to Te Kura Whare’s story is the people behind it. The design and construction team was an eclectic mix of professionals: Māori and non-Māori, Tūhoe and non-Tūhoe, aged 24-84.

The project contributed to local economy and tourism with 70% of budget spent within 100km radius of the site. Trade packages were broken down to allow local businesses to tender for work competitively, and local Tūhoe people were employed, and in some cases upskilled, in construction and landscaping.

Designed to the most challenging sustainable building criteria in the world, every element of the building from design and construction, to on-going operation, aims to minimise its impact on, and even restore, the natural ecosystem.

The building structure and finishes are primarily timber, 95% of which was sourced from local forests with FSC certification. Structural engineers MLB developed an innovative and award winning seismic resistant timber structure to stabilise the building - especially important due to its proximity to a fault-line. The building operates as Tūhoe’s Civil Defence centre after a natural disaster event.