On the Move | May 2023

Jasmax is pleased to announce the appointment of Anahera Rawiri (Ngāti Whātua) as Principal and Kaihautū based in its Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland studio.

Bringing a wealth of experience in Māori engagement, strategy and commercial acumen across the property and urban development sectors, Anahera’s appointment represents a critical next step in realising the bicultural design vision established in the Jasmax Manifesto and follows the recent appointment of Professor Robert Jahnke as Expert Advisor – Māori to Jasmax.

Within her role as Kaihautū, Anahera will focus on reinforcing the practice’s commitment to design that reflects a strong connection to place and supporting the practice to understand and interpret cultural narratives through engagement with Māori. She will also join Kaihautū Whaihanga Elisapeta Heta in leading the Jasmax Waka Māia rōpū to support emerging Māori designers, enhance and develop cultural capability across the business, and deliver key strategic support to project teams.

In her previous role, Anahera was Head of Culture and External Relations at Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei’s commercial arm Whai Rawa, where she became a client and collaborator of Jasmax during the design of Kāinga Kaumātua, which delivered housing for kaumātua on their papa kāinga at Ōrākei.

Anahera is the Founder and Principal of consultancy firm ABH Limited, where she provides innovative, tactical advice and solutions for Māori, the property sector, local and central government. She currently sits on the Waitematā Local Board, advocating for the protection and restoration of local natural resources, supporting the economy, urban development, and diverse community needs.

Jasmax firmly believes that bicultural design is best achieved through a meaningful, authentic, and respectful relationship with tangata whenua. “There is a real calling for Māori and indigenous knowledge to permeate through the design industry and I hope to set a positive tone for those that see this as a way to meaningfully impact the built environment and corporate strategy. It is important that design practitioners are cognisant of privilege when engaging with Māori, and respect and embed the kōrero that is shared to enhance the places where we all live, work and play. I am excited to join Jasmax and lead long-term thinking about how we care for our whenua and place,” says Anahera.

Jasmax CEO Sjoerd Post says that Anahera’s appointment reflects Jasmax’s intention to design and deliver authentic outcomes that reflect a modern Aotearoa. “We are delighted to welcome Anahera to the practice. I look forward to seeing how her unique worldview will guide Jasmax in our ongoing quest to be authentic partners and strengthen our relationships with Māori,” says Sjoerd.