An award – winning new Taranaki health building is attracting global attention.

Te Huhi Raupō (The Taranaki Renal Unit), designed to give patients a warm and inviting functional treatment space, has won the European Healthcare Design Awards, The Green Building Design New Zealand Rider Levett Bucknall Property Industry Awards and the public architecture Western Architecture Awards 2023.

Many aspects of the space were created using the generosity of in-kind donations including the more aesthetic aspects of the space, and the unit’s award winning external stainless steel artwork.

“A dollar raised or a dollar saved has the same benefit,” says Adrian Sole, General Manager, Taranaki Health Foundation. “Some of the nice finer details that make a big difference to staff wellbeing and patient enjoyment get cut because the funds have to go into functional stuff.”

Rivet Innovate (then Rivet Ltd) played a key role in bringing the artist’s vision to life on the building’s exterior.

“Rivet have been involved with the Foundation since 2016, first involved with the mobility garden and now this latest project here at the renal unit,” says Steve Scott, Rivet Innovate Ltd Managing Director. “We always look to support things that support families and our community.

“We were able to take (the artist) concept sketches and turn them into a design that would suit our profile cutting and then make them out of some stainless steel. The material fits, so does the theme behind it and the story that the artist wanted to create follows right through the building as well.”

Light fabrication is the art of the engineering world, Steve says.

“Our guys are quite artistic so to take a little bit of what we’ve done at places such as The Len Lye Centre, which is purely art, and to splash it around here, we’re really proud.” “It’s about all of us pitching in, helping clients, just having a go and making a difference,” Steve says.

Taranaki Health Foundation partners have been giving in-kind donations since 2013, Adrian says. “It’s a real testament to the community that they’re leaving these legacies. We appreciate it.”

The Taranaki Health Foundation team are happy to hear from anyone interested in supporting their work.

“If you’re interested in following in the footsteps of Rivet … give myself or the team a call and we’ll have a coffee, have a chat and see how it would work for you.”