Ngā Kōrero o Paparahi—Charlotte Goguel
Alumna Charlotte Goguel always wanted to study architecture. It was her time at Te Herenga Waka that enabled this passion to become a purpose-driven career, focused on people, community, and environment.
For Charlotte, Wellington had always been home, so choosing to study here felt like a natural decision.
“Tūrangawaewae (a place to stand) and whanaungatanga (kinship) are concepts spoken of in Te Ao Māori, but they ring true in all people,” says Charlotte. “Although my whakapapa is German, to me, Wellington is home, and the people here foster strong connections to me.”
Studio time with fellow students was the most enjoyable part of her studies, but it was a thesis project that ultimately influenced her future design philosophy.
While completing her architecture degree, Charlotte cared for a young girl with autism, and it inspired her to design a community centre specifically for individuals with autism.
“This was a stage in my career that I’ve been able to reflect upon in my work. My depth of research into the condition and how to make a space that is accessible and welcoming to those who might not experience architecture in the same way that I do, led me to always consider people and environmental psychology in spatial design.”
She began her career during the transition from hand-drawing to digital tools, and often found herself bridging that gap in her early workplaces.
“I could see that many directors of firms didn't have digital skills at the time and so looked to the graduates to keep the firms up to date. Over time, the shift into digital design and BIM (building information modelling) has only been more and more prevalent to the point where the graduates today don't know what to do with themselves if there is an internet outage!”
Charlotte went on to work with leading architecture firms, both locally and internationally, before founding her consultancy, Hauangi, in 2024. Here she has been able to pursue design, research, and publishing, including for two books she co-authored on the Māori martial art mau rākau.
Over her career, projects have ranged from small renovations to large international masterplans. However for Charlotte, the true value in each project has been about design for community.
“People who know me know that I am driven by community and sustainability, and hope for our collective future. The tick boxes never meant much to me. It was always about the process, the collaboration, learnings, and feedback from occupants, those were the things that mattered.”
In 2025, Charlotte returned to the University to complete a Graduate Diploma in Teaching, with a strong desire to support emerging designers and help them connect with industry.
“The hope is that some of this industry knowledge can pass to our young people, and they can be inspired to make a difference. I would like to also provide contacts in the industry, and perhaps through my own consultancy in time.”
Charlotte has always stayed grounded in her principles of designing for environmental wellbeing, through her involvement in design of health spaces like Te Omanga Hospice and Te Nikau Greymouth Hospital; that serve both current and future generations, and embracing architecture as a collaborative medium to bring together many fields of expertise for a positive outcome.
“The main thing that my education helped me with was to provide a foundation of knowledge from which to build upon. The key is that education never ends, and learning continues every day.”