World Green Building Council chief executive Jane Henley said the building didn't just accommodate children, it also taught them about their culture, customs and the environment.
Its passive environmental design included north-facing glazing to maximise solar gain in winter and a super-insulated earth roof. Exposed concrete and natural ventilation allowed passive cooling in summer, with minimal heating in winter from an underfloor solar hot water system. All spaces were naturally lit and rainwater captured on site was used to irrigate the green roof.
Ms Henley said Te Mirumiru was 70 per cent more energy efficient than similar code-compliant buildings. It was one of only three buildings in New Zealand to achieve a 6 Green Star rating and was the only Green Star-rated early childhood centre in Australasia.
Its symbolism includes the earth bank's womb-like shape with the building formed inside, like a child of Papatuanuku (the Earth Mother), and the cut in the north facade which is its only entrance.
The cut represents the caesarean birth through which Ngati Hine trace their lineage - about 600 years ago ancestor Hine a Maru was the first recorded Maori woman to deliver a child by caesarean section and survive.
The earth mounded up over the building refers to Ngati Hine-pukerau (Ngati Hine of a hundred hills) while the interior represents the nearby Waiomio caves and Ruapekapeka pa where Kawiti used underground shelters in the final battle of the Northern Wars.
