Former Manu Samoa Player Graduates With Masters In Architecture

A Samoan masters student from The University of Auckland’s National Institute of Creative Arts and Industries (NICAI) is blending his Pacific heritage with his knowledge of architecture to become one of New Zealand’s—and possibly the world’s — first research-based Pacific Masters of Architecture.

When New Zealand-born Samoan athlete Lama Tone suffered a near-fatal neck injury in 2001 he never imagined it would lead to a postgraduate degree in architecture.

“I hadn’t planned on retiring at that stage of my career,” says the 37-year-old former builder-turned professional rugby player who spent five years traveling the world as a member of Manu Samoa and playing professionally in France.

“I had to dig deep and find out what I really wanted to do with my life. I enjoyed working as a builder and was always fascinated by the architecture I saw on my travels—so that became the inspiration to pursue architecture at the University. As one door closes, so another will open.”

Lama has a strong respect for, and commitment to, his Pacific culture and traditions, as well as Pacific design.

Lama’s research-based masters thesis, “Designing with Pacific Concepts”, focuses on the ways in which contemporary New Zealand architects (most of whom are New Zealand European) use Pacific themes and ideas for designing sustainable, 21^st century buildings.

By interviewing professional architects and examining case studies, he explores the ways in which mainstream forms of modernism and postmodernism have been enveloped within Pacific forms, themes and ideas.

Lama’s thesis offers insight into how Pacific influences have helped develop a new aesthetic of Zealand Pacific architecture.

“Pacific architecture is about community, the connection and engagement of people coming together within communal spaces,” says Lama, who aims to graduate this month.

Lama’s research has helped established Pacific architecture as a new research discipline at postgraduate level and already other Pacific students have decided to follow their footsteps and enrol in the research-based masters programme with the specific purpose of inspiring change in New Zealand, and Pacific, architecture.

School of Architecture and Planning senior lecturer Deidre Brown, who supervised Lama, says his commitment to embarking on virtually unexplored paths of research makes her particularly proud his achievements.

“Lama has produced high quality, cutting-edge research. I hope his efforts will be recognised within the professional industry and that one day, his work will help form the basis of a respected, if new, tradition of Pacific-influenced architecture in New Zealand.”

(The University of Auckland)

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