Kotahitanga

Kotahitanga, is a community gathering space which opened 25th of March 2018, and was designed and created in collaboration with the Phillipstown Community Hub. Named by the community who it was built for and with, Kotahitanga means togetherness, unity, solidarity, collective action. It was designed to be a space which reflects its name, offering facilities for cooking and sharing kai (food), performances, workshops, and meetings.

We started consultation with the community at the Phillipstown Hub in April 2017, working with focus groups to determine what their wider community wanted and needed from the space. The completed facility has two roofed structures with a pizza/bread oven, dining tables and chairs, a bench space and a raised wooden stage. The area is surrounded by gardens and is modular and moveable. Since its completion, Kotahitanga has hosted numerous events; from communal dinners and lunch meetings, to workshops and community festivals.

Both the design and construction of Kotahitanga were made possible through the generous donation of both people’s time and construction materials. The support from the Phillipstown Hub, the Christchurch City Council and the generous contributions of local businesses was been invaluable to the success and scope of this project. To all the volunteers, sponsors and supporters, thank you!

Media Links: 

Watch former Philipstown school turned into community hub

New community space to continually evolve