News & Events | Kawepūrongo
About | Kaupapa
Designed environments are an important factor in people’s lives and contribute strongly to their ongoing health and wellbeing. Attention to wellbeing becomes more critical as people age or experience ill health and their wellbeing is threatened.
As a bicultural country New Zealand is advantaged by the Māori values which take a holistic view and emphasize that the environment is central to wellbeing.
Our research seeks answers to these questions:
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How can the landscape be therapeutic and rehabilitative?
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What if a doctor could prescribe wellness using a therapeutic landscape?
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Can unobtrusive technology in a therapeutic environment help with early diagnosis?
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How could the richness of Mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) enable this?
Research | Rangahau
Therapeutic designed environments are those spatial elements that interact with people physically, psychologically and spiritually to improve health and wellbeing. The focus of this team is the development of evidence-based research to show how buildings, landscapes and technology can support medical and health related practices.
The multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional research team are grouped in three interconnected streams:
Currently active research projects focus on: Housing for highly dependent people; Indigenous healthcare and wellbeing practices (Rongoā Māori); Participatory and co-design methods; Social prescribing; Intergenerational play; Healthy urban environments; Accessible and inclusive design; Outdoor social support networks; New technologies (embedded sensors and objects, augmented and virtual reality, apps for enabled access and new methods of investigation).
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Architecture and Landscape Architecture | Hoahoanga me te Hangahanga-Whenua
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Medical, Healthcare and Public Health Promotion | Rongoā me te Hauora
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Technology and Industrial Design | Hangarau me te Ahumahi-Hoahoa
At VUW, Summer Research scholarships offer a unique opportunity for external organizations, academics and students to work together in research. Our research team supervises a variety of projects many of which work across disciplines.
Team | Rōpū
Architecture
Jacqueline McIntosh
Victoria University of Wellington | Te Herenga Waka
Public Health Promotion
Melody Smith
The University of Auckland | Te Whare Wānanga o Tāmaki Makaurau
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Rehabilitation Science
Jon Cornwall
University of Otago | Te Whare Wānanga o Otāgo
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Landscape Architecture
Bruno Marques
Victoria University of Wellington | Te Herenga Waka
Physiotherapy
John Parsons
The University of Auckland | Te Whare Wānanga o Tāmaki Makaurau
Computer Engineering and Computer Science
Alvin Valera
Victoria University of Wellington | Te Herenga Waka
Research Project Manager | Landscape Architecture
Maria Rodgers
Victoria University of Wellington | Te Herenga Waka
CONTACT US:
Acknowledgments | Ngā Mihi
Organisations who have enabled our research - our sponsors
