Nikita Dornan

This project explores how design can foster identity, belonging, and connection within the Petone Community House. Through narrative-building, branding, and site-specific interventions, it introduces the Kahikatea Collective—a visual identity inspired by the kahikatea tree and guided by community values. Reflecting koha, kaitiakitanga, oranga, manaakitanga, māramatanga, and wairua, the outcomes reimagine spaces as culturally rich, inclusive, and rooted in place, strengthening community ties and shared identity.