Te Rangihīroa is a 450-bedroom, six-storey student accommodation facility designed to provide a nurturing environment for first-year residents and enable best practice pastoral care. Named after University of Otago alumnus Te Rangihīroa (Sir Peter Buck), the first Māori medical graduate from a New Zealand university, the development embeds Māori values and manaakitanga and cements a genuine bicultural partnership between the University and its iwi partners in accordance with Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Each floor of the building is arranged across four wings, bound together by the He Manawa Ora: Pou Taiki (heart-line) circulation link which provides a point of connection for students to meet and interact. The building’s upper levels are dedicated to accommodation, with whānau rooms on each floor, providing lounge-like spaces for socialisation. Accommodation is divided into 300 standard bedrooms and 150 ensuite bedrooms, incorporating 20 accessible bedrooms and 15 Residential Assistant (RA) bedrooms. On accommodation floors, an ​‘open door’ strategy, facilitated by smart electronic door closers, is seen as imperative to minimise isolation and encourage communication and community.

The ground-floor reception is located centrally within the building, ensuring staff are accessible to students. The ground-floor is also dedicated to communal activities, with amenity and learning spaces, a games lounge, library lounge, whānau room, music and media rooms and study spaces. The design enables the whole college to gather within a large whare kai / dining area to foster collegiality on a daily basis. In addition, outdoor courtyards for sporting and recreational activities and relaxation are easily accessible.