Mahora Te Aroha
Photography by: Paul McCredie
Mahora Te Aroha Community Village is the flagship community housing development for Dwell Housing Trust, located within the established suburb of Kilbirnie, Wellington and provides warm, dry, healthy homes for people previously living in unstable or transitional housing. Originally conceived as a modest nine‑home development, the project evolved over time as adjoining sites became available and now provides 29 social-housing homes. This incremental growth shaped the design approach, which embraced adaptability through a modular system capable of responding to different site sizes and configurations while maintaining architectural coherence.
The village stitches together former backyards and narrow street‑front sites along Mahora Street, Coutts Street, and Onepu Road into a connected, T‑shaped development. A pedestrian walkway and central landscaped courtyard form the social heart of the village, complemented by a small pocket park. Commercial spaces activate the street edge, including Dwell’s offices on Coutts Street and a café on Onepu Road, strengthening the development’s connection to the wider neighbourhood.
The buildings are composed of repeating three‑storey apartment modules, each accommodating four homes: two accessible one‑bedroom apartments at ground level, with larger two‑ and three‑bedroom homes above. Homes are deliberately generous in size, exceeding minimum standards, and designed to feel residential rather than institutional. Durable, low‑maintenance materials were selected for longevity and familiarity, ensuring the development sits comfortably within its surrounding context.
Housing is arranged around the shared garden, which was planted with the support of local community groups and reflects Dwell’s vision of homes where people can thrive — Ka whakarato ngā kainga whakaruruhau kia hāpai i ngā tāngata. A resident‑painted mural within the courtyard speaks to themes of safety, belonging, and growth.
