Architecture + Women . NZ

A+W NZ  has added another role to our core team structure, and are pleased to announce Amber Ruckes as the first person in the role of Kaiurungi. Warren and Mahoney also announced this in their recent News item.

Kaiurungi can be translated to english as an ocean steerer, a guide for A+W NZ in our process of finding our feet / our place in Te Ao Maori. Amber's poetic description is of Kaiurungi as a gentle helmsman, "particularly with Aotearoa being the land that connects two bodies of water. The relationship between water and land from a Pacific lens, and arrival."

In welcoming Amber, we also acknowledge and warmly thank our first unofficial / un-named Kaiurungi, Elisapeta Heta. For the four years she was part of A+W NZ, Elisapeta helped us navigate our way through our education and committments as an open, community-based organisation in a bicultural country.

The full core team structure, and current leaders, is now the following;
Co-Chairs: Lynda Simmons and Divya Purushotham
Secretary: Sukshma Paranjpe
Treasurer: Suchi Undevia
Kaiurangi: Amber Ruckes ((Tūhoe/Ngāti Porou)
Networks: Anner Chong
Events: Ysabelle Empiso
Research:Ashleigh Smith
Policy: Lynda Simmons
Mana Taumata: Sarah Treadwell

Image credit: Dawid Wisniewski for Warren and Mahoney. Amber is seen fourth from the left, smiling. The image shows members from Te Matakīrea, Warren and Mahoney’s Advanced Māori Design Unit.