Te Wao Nui

Te Wao Nui - Child Health Service

What if a hospital wasn’t a cold, sterile place, but an environment rich with life and fantastic guardians that kept kids safe and nurtured wellbeing? Following a $50M donation from philanthropist Mark Dunajtschik, the Capital & Coast DHB seized the opportunity to completely redefine Wellington’s Child Heath Service. Everyone™ was approached to work alongside Weta and SDA Architects to create a brand identity, that built on a ‘Tree of life’ concept, for a state-of-the-art space solely dedicated to healing and caring for our future tamariki.

In-depth stakeholder engagement revealed strong support for a Te Reo Māori name for the service. Through collaboration with the Maori Partnership Board, we developed the brand narrative around the name ‘Te Wao Nui.’ Te Wao Nui is derived from Te Wao Nui a Tāne, which translates to ‘the great forest of Tāne’. The name reflects the symbiotic relationship between the health of young people and the wider environment. Based upon Weta Workshop’s forest murals, we created a whānau of kaitiaki (guardians). Each kaitiaki plays a special role in helping look after tamariki during their hospital journey. All have made their home in the incredible ‘tree of life’ at the heart of the building.

Two children coloring and drawing various colorful bird and nature-themed illustrations on sheets of paper spread over a wooden table.

Child and adult reading a green book titled 'Tall Tales From Te Wao Nui' together.

Child holding a green plush toy with big eyes and red felt antennae in a playroom.

Child wearing a black knit hat and striped shirt reaching up to press a button on an elevator door with colorful cartoon forest characters painted on it.

Person in large green mascot costume with big black and white eyes and red spiky top holding a small matching plush toy.

Green plush dinosaur toy with a colorful cartoon animal-themed bandage on its foot.

Young child facing colorful screen with thank you message and cartoon forest characters around in a bright, leafy environment.

Bright hallway with three elevators and a door decorated with a colorful forest mural and cartoon animals, columns numbered 2 and 22 with green and purple floor patterns.

When you look closely within Te Wao Nui, you can spot the kaitiaki going about their work. Where kaitiaki are present, everyone feels supported and cared for and the forest hums with positivity and light.

Reception desk at Te Wao Nui Child Health Service with colorful cartoon insect decorations and a mural of forest animals on the wall.

Hospital directory sign for Te Wao Nui Child Health Service with floor levels and services listed, alongside a woman walking past glass doors.

Wooden wall with a display of five green plush toys with red tops next to white text reading 'TE WAO NUI CHILD HEALTH SERVICE'.

Hospital floor 2 directional sign with icons for main exit, lifts, reception, cafe, rooms 1-15, audiology, plaster room, child safety, observation room, community nurses, and gym, featuring a large green number 2 with a smiling flower character.

Hospital or public building hallway with open double doors, overhead bilingual signs for main exit, lifts, reception, and cafe, and a blurred person walking by.

Curved wooden ceiling installation with green accents and hanging cylindrical white pendant lights in a modern interior.

Toddler in striped shirt, blue pants, and knit hat holding a stuffed toy, standing indoors near a wooden wall and a staircase with green leaf murals.

At the heart of the building, SDA Architects created an incredible ‘tree of life’, providing a magnificent home for the kaitiaki. Each of the kaitiaki play a special role in helping look after tamariki during their hospital journey.

Waiting area with padded chairs separated by glass panels decorated with frosted cloud patterns.

Sign with green leaf background and number 2, featuring a cartoon character with red antennae and direction arrow pointing to 'Whare kori tinana Gym'.

Green toilet sign on a wooden door featuring icons for wheelchair access and baby changing, with a person blurred in motion reaching the door handle.

Young child wearing a blue beanie and striped shirt holding a stuffed bunny, walking past a colorful mural of cartoon animals on tree branches.

Two young children looking at a wall decorated with a large orange number 3, cartoon yellow flowers, and the text 'Kōwhai Ward'.

Child in tie-dye shirt standing at a reception desk with colorful forest-themed murals in the background.

Yellow wall sign depicting a person holding a baby, indicating a nursing or baby care room.

Hospital hallway with wooden double doors labeled Seminar Room and a directional sign for hospital levels and wards beside a blurred person walking wearing a mask.

Elevator doors and surrounding wall painted with a colorful mural of a tree branch, green foliage, and whimsical birds and creatures against a blue sky with clouds.

Reception desk with the sign 'Piko Taupaepae - Reception' and three children playing in a built-in play area, with a colorful mural of blue skies, clouds, and trees on the wall behind.

Large blue number 4 with two small blue cartoon birds and a blue cloud shape containing the text 'Piko Ward'.

Blue cartoon bird sitting on top of a white sign with directional information and icons inside a building, including bed and family area, with a large blue number 4 in the background.