Quake rebuild an opportunity for Maori design

6:46 am on 3 August 2011

A grouping of Maori designers says the Canterbury earthquake has created an opportunity for the local iwi to put its architectural stamp on the new Christchurch.

An architect from the Nga Aho network, Rau Hoskins, says there's a trend towards using native resources and local inspiration in the redevelopment of the city, with architects looking less to the US and Europe for their design influences.

Mr Hoskins says Ngai Tahu is well represented among planners deciding on the city's rebuild and Nga Aho supports Ngai Tahu involvement in the redevelopment.