The Maungawhau Tihi Boardwalk Project: 2025 Project Award

We asked Simon Button of Isthmus Group what winning the 2025 Project Award meant for the team of Tūpuna Maunga Authority, Richmond Planning and Isthmus Group.

“The Maungawhau Tihi Boardwalk project was recognised for its sensitive, landscape‑led response to one of Tāmaki Makaurau’s most culturally and environmentally significant places. Maungawhau is a wāhi tapu and iconic volcanic maunga that has experienced increasing pressure from public use over many decades. The project addressed the dual challenge of protecting fragile archaeological, ecological and cultural values while continuing to enable people to experience and connect with the maunga.

The boardwalk carefully follows the crater rim and tihi, lifting visitors above the landform to minimise erosion and physical disturbance. Its lightweight, recessive form and material palette were deliberately chosen so the structure remains subservient to the maunga itself. Innovative construction techniques, including removable screw piles and a fully reversible structure, allow the boardwalk to float above the whenua and be dismantled with minimal trace at the end of its life. The project was developed through close collaboration with the Tūpuna Maunga Authority, mana whenua, planners, archaeologists, ecologists and contractors, ensuring cultural values, kaitiakitanga and legislative requirements were embedded throughout design, consenting and construction.

The resource application for the Project navigated a challenging consenting pathway with conflicting objectives and policies by placing at the centre, the mauri and wairua of the maunga. This enabled the tangible expression of the ancestral relationships of mana whenua and their culture and traditions with the maunga.

Receiving the RMLA Project Award was deeply meaningful for the project team. It recognised not only the technical and design outcomes, but also the shared commitment, trust and care invested by everyone involved. Working on Maungawhau carries a significant responsibility, and the award affirmed that a respectful, collaborative and holistic approach can achieve positive outcomes in highly sensitive environments.

Awards like this matter because they highlight best practice in resource management and help set benchmarks for future projects. They celebrate innovation, collaboration and courage in navigating complex consenting and cultural contexts, and they reinforce the value of landscape‑led thinking.

To others considering making a nomination, I would encourage you to do so. Sharing project stories helps elevate the profession, acknowledges collective effort, and contributes to a stronger body of knowledge for how we care for land, people and culture.”