Te Waikoukou - Wellington City Council

DGSE is leading the design of Wellington City Council’s new headquarters at 68 Jervois Quay on the Wellington waterfront. The 18,000m² project spans ten storeys and will bring together more than 1,200 staff from across the city into one unified home for the next 25 years.

The design reimagines the modern civic workplace by combining public-facing facilities, council chambers, hearing rooms and open-plan offices within an environment that supports transparency, wellbeing and connection.

Co-created in partnership with Ngātaiharuru Taepa of Te Atiawa, Taranaki Whānui and Tumarangai Sciascia of Māpuna Consultants, the project is shaped by the narrative of Te Waikoukou, the ancestral awa that once flowed through this site. It celebrates the life-giving and connective qualities of wai (water), reflecting the Council’s role as kaitiaki for Wellington’s people and place.

Inspired by the creative and resilient spirit of Pōneke, the interior evokes the natural movement of water through palette and forms the grounding influence of the surrounding landscape. Spaces are designed to encourage collaboration, flexibility and a strong sense of belonging.

Through an approach that combines cultural storytelling, sustainability and forward-thinking workplace design, Te Waikoukou represents a new chapter for Wellington City Council and the civic heart of the capital.