Health New Zealand
New Plymouth
June 2025
Te Puna Wai Kātea is Taranaki Base Hospital’s new purpose-built 385m² mental health rehabilitation facility. It was developed by Health New Zealand to better meet the needs of individuals recovering from mental health challenges as they transition to independent living back in the community.
The new facility provides a safe, welcoming, and restorative environment for those in our community who need intensive mental health support. The architectural design carefully balances the building’s clinical and safety aspects with residential living needs. The building houses 4 short to medium stay patient bedrooms, open-plan kitchen dining and living areas, as well as a separate whānau lounge and an activities room. There are specialist facilities for staff and a designated therapy room positioned at the northwest corner of the building with outlook to the garden. The garden was designed to provide respite from the building, and the orientation visually connects the building to the large surrounding trees.
The project incorporates beautiful cultural design elements that align with the campus-wide cultural narrative wai (water) developed by Te Kahui Tikanga and articulated in the design brief in partnership with Taranaki-owned Tihei Limited. A key part of the delivery of the design brief was collaborating with Tihei Limited as well as local product suppliers to realise these design elements in the building. While some features are subtle, others such as the carved kitchen joinery are prominent and create a layer of design that adds to the connected and calm appeal this building holds.
The name Te Puna Wai Kātea was gifted to Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora by the Tiriti partner for Project Maunga, Taumaruroa; a group made up of mana whenua Ngāti Te Whiti and representatives from each of the three waka of Taranaki. It is a celebration of Te Reo Māori and a reflection of this project’s commitment to Taranaki tikanga. The intention or meaning behind Te Puna Wai Kātea is about encouraging patients/whaiora to find clarity in their lives.
The word puna means a pool of water that is formed by a spring. It represents the spring of health and well-being. While the words wai kātea mean clear clean water and represents clarity and the state of having a full, detailed, and orderly mental grasp of something.
