Waiaroha Heretaunga Water Discovery Centre
Hastings District Council - Te Kaunihera ā-Rohe o Heretaunga
COLLABORATORS:
Stitchbird Studio, Jen Craddock, Emily Fletcher Design, Charles Paringatai, Scott Parker Creative
Photographs: Alex McVinnie-Maidment and Fran Parker
A Visitor Experience
Built Around Water
Waiaroha Heretaunga Water Discovery Centre is a purpose-built visitor education centre in Hastings, dedicated to helping the community understand and care for their water. Working with Stitchbird Studio alongside a team of strategists, designers, writers and animators, I created illustrations that run throughout the entire centre - from character-driven interpretive panels to science displays, animations, tactile interactives and take-home challenges.
The Journey of Water
The heart of the centre follows an aunt and her nephew as they walk from the mountains to the sea. Character-driven interpretive panels tell the story of Heretaunga's water through their eyes - building empathy, meeting local wildlife, and making the science feel personal along the way.
Whare Ako
The pathway leads to the Whare Ako, a space for learning, play and reflection. The glass windows are wrapped in an illustrated story of the whakapapa of water. Inside, science education unfolds in bite-sized pieces - layering the natural and built water environments with humour and visual storytelling to keep visitors of all ages engaged.
Choose a Challenge
Visitors leave with something to do. Simple illustrated facts and challenges make it easy for people to act at home - using character and humour to make the messages stick.
