Analysis

Set 1

Quantitative Information to Gather

These provide measurable, statistical data to inform space planning, service offerings, and population needs.

1. Demographic Data

  • Population size and growth projections

  • Age groups (children, teens, young adults, elderly)

  • Ethnic makeup (strong Pasifika, Māori, and multicultural presence)

  • Education levels

  • Languages spoken

  • Digital access at home

Sources: Stats NZ, Auckland Council open data, Ministry of Education, local schools.

2. Library Usage Stats

  • Foot traffic in nearby libraries (e.g., Manukau Library)

  • Most-used resources (books, computers, study rooms, events)

  • Membership numbers and borrowing rates

  • Wi-Fi usage

  • Event attendance numbers

3. Urban Data

  • Foot traffic in and around Westfield

  • Public transport usage (especially buses and trains)

  • Proximity to schools, tertiary institutions (like MIT), homes

  • Climate and daylight hours (for passive design)

Qualitative Information to Gather

These help uncover feelings, perceptions, habits, and cultural values.

1. Community Insights

Ask locals via interviews, surveys, focus groups or hui:

  • What do you value about current libraries (if you use them)?

  • What’s missing in your community space-wise or culturally?

  • What would make you want to spend time in a library?

  • Do you feel represented in public spaces?

  • What would make a library feel welcoming or safe?

2. Youth & Tamariki

  • How do you currently study or learn outside school?

  • Would you use a space with gaming, music, creativity, or chill zones?

  • Do you go to the library now? Why or why not?

3. Elders / Kaumātua / Parents

  • Would you come to events or classes at a library?

  • Is there enough quiet, green, or spiritual space in your area?

  • Do you feel safe and comfortable in shared public spaces?

  • How can a library reflect Pasifika/Māori values?

Questions to Find Your Design Focus or Lens

These help shape your architectural response — it could be cultural identity, intergenerational learning, safety, future tech, or belonging.

  • Whose stories need to be told here? (Identity lens)

  • What is missing in this part of Manukau that a library could offer? (Needs-based lens)

  • What does the future of learning look like for this community? (Futurist lens)

  • How can design reduce loneliness or disconnection? (Social wellbeing lens)

  • How should this space reflect and serve the cultures of its people? (Cultural lens)

  • What does ‘home’ feel like to you in a public space? (Comfort + belonging lens)

Examples of Design Lenses You Could Choose:

  • Cultural empowerment – A library that champions Māori and Pasifika storytelling, oral histories, art, and language.

  • Intergenerational learning – A space where elders teach youth, and vice versa.

  • Digital access and equity – A future-proof tech hub for people without devices or internet at home.

  • Rest and retreat in the city – Creating quiet, healing zones in the busy, urban, concrete-heavy Manukau area.

Set 2

  1. How often do you visit the area around Westfield Manukau? What brings you here?

  2. Do you use any public libraries in South Auckland? Why or why not?

  3. What places in Manukau do you go to when you want to relax, learn, or spend time with others?

  4. Do you feel like there are enough safe, welcoming public spaces here?

  5. What’s one thing you wish existed in this area for your whānau or community?

Library-Specific Questions

These help you understand expectations and design needs:

  1. If there was a new library here, what would make you want to visit it?

  2. What would a “future library” mean to you?

  3. Would you be more interested in quiet spaces, creative zones (like music, art, gaming), tech access, or cultural events? Why?

  4. What would make a library space feel comfortable or inviting for you or your family?

  5. What kinds of things should a library have besides books? (e.g. café, garden, music rooms, spaces for kids, digital tools)

Cultural and Identity-Based Questions

For understanding how to reflect the area's diversity:

  1. How important is it that a library reflects your culture and values?

  2. What symbols, materials, languages, or stories should be included to represent your community?

  3. Do you feel seen or represented in public spaces around here? How could that improve?

  4. Would you come to cultural workshops or events at a library? What kinds?

Future-Focused and Aspirational Questions

These help you define a lens or long-term impact:

  1. What do you want young people in this area to experience in a space like this?

  2. How could a library help people in Manukau thrive in the future?

  3. What worries or challenges do you see young people facing that a library could help with?

  4. What’s one thing that would make you proud of a new library here?

Optional Questions for Specific Groups:

For youth/teens:

  • Where do you usually go to hang out or study outside school?

  • Would you want things like gaming, music rooms, or study pods?

For parents:

  • What kind of space would be useful for you and your children?

  • Do you feel there are enough safe and affordable spaces for families here?

For kaumātua or elders:

  • Would you like a space to share knowledge with younger generations?

  • Is there anything you'd want a library to include to support your wellbeing?

Set 3

Connection to Identity and Representation

  1. Do you feel your culture is represented in public spaces like libraries or community centres? Why or why not?

  2. What makes you feel seen and valued in a public space?

  3. What elements of your culture would you like to see in a new library?
    (e.g. artworks, carvings, language signage, materials, colours, layout, traditional knowledge)

  4. Are there any stories, whakataukī, or cultural practices that you think should be embedded in the design or purpose of the library?

  5. What languages do you speak at home, and would you like to see them reflected in signage, books, or events?

Knowledge, Storytelling & Learning

  1. What does knowledge-sharing mean in your culture? How could a library support that?

  2. Would you be interested in seeing or participating in:

    • Oral storytelling

    • Cultural workshops (e.g. weaving, language, carving, drumming)

    • Ancestral knowledge spaces or archives

    • Intergenerational learning programmes

  3. What are some traditional ways of learning in your culture that a modern library could honour?

  4. Would you like to see elders or cultural leaders involved in the library’s activities or design? How?

Cultural Comfort and Belonging

  1. What would make a library feel like a space where you and your whānau belong?

  2. Are there aspects of other libraries or public spaces that feel unwelcoming or not culturally safe?

  3. Should the library include spaces for gathering, reflection, or wānanga? What should they look or feel like?

  4. Would you want to be involved or consulted in the design process of a space like this?

Vision and Aspirations

  1. What kind of message should this library send to future generations about your culture?

  2. If this library could be a symbol of cultural pride in South Auckland — what should it include or feel like?

  3. How can a library help young people feel more connected to their roots and confident in their identity?

  4. What’s one cultural value that you’d want this space to be built around?