An Investigation into Heritage, Sustainability, and Place Attachment: The Ōtātara Case Study

Heritage not only concerns old buildings, but also the layered quality of historic places. These are buildings or sites that help create a sense of value, discovery, and mystery that can lead to increased levels of place attachment. The Ōtātara site in Hawke's Bay is one of the oldest villages in New Zealand with strong historic, cultural, and spiritual associations with local indigenous Māori. In 1975, an arts program was established there in an attempt to connect modern knowledge with tradition. Although the program has since moved, the cultural and social associations are still present, linked to the only remaining building, a log cabin that has been refurbished to create a new layer of values by showcasing sustainable building design. This article investigates the factors that explain people's attachment to a heritage place, including the Māori population's unique connections to land, while engaging in designing a sustainable project that looks to the future. A series of interviews were conducted with those involved to understand the influence of the psychological and cultural dimensions of making places based on sustainable building. Place attachment emerged as a theme in the analysis as the interviewees highlighted the inspirational power of the historic and cultural dimensions in addition to the natural and ecological factors.