Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora E Tū Wairua Hinengaro Mason Clinic is a state-of-the-art forensic mental health facility in Auckland. Designed by Klein Architects, this landmark development signifies a new era of mental health infrastructure in New Zealand. It replaces four outdated mental health units and offers new facilities for the residents, whānau, and staff, improving the delivery of essential health and wellbeing services.
Featurecraft was engaged to deliver our signature timber systems for this project. We worked within Klein’s design brief, which prioritised dignity, connection to nature, clarity of movement, and a calm therapeutic environment. Accordingly, we fabricated a range of feature pieces – several of which were custom – to help improve the performance of the space and support the people within it.
Artist Mei Hill provided cultural design guidance, working closely with tāngata whai i te ora and staff to develop the concepts and narratives that shape the building’s interior design themes.
For the entrance and interior spaces of Mason Clinic, we provided MDF panels with timber veneers, creating a warm timber tone that evokes the presence of nature within the building. Some of these panels were carved with cultural patterns and hand-painted in bright colours, challenging the normative plainness of clinical settings and inviting curiosity and comfort back into the clinic.
The entrance also featured a special Featurecraft contribution: a veneered panel carved with a cultural Poutamu pattern in blue felt. The pattern is a traditional Māori weaving design that symbolises growth and personal development. This standout piece helps set the tone of Mason Clinic right from the entryway, communicating to all visitors that this is a space of nurture and positive advancement.
Other interior elements included a timber screen that sections the interior of the clinic into zones, creating an air of privacy and peacefulness without cutting off airflow or restricting light. We complemented this feature with solid timber batten which lined the walls to create a textured effect and generate visual intrigue. Some interior spaces were also fitted with natural varnished MDF sheets to provide a simple, soothing contrast to bolder visual elements.
Outside the Mason Clinic building is a feature column covered in our highly durable solid Rosewood timber. This was one of the most complex pieces for us to create, as curving solid timber around a substrate is an extremely challenging woodworking endeavour. Our team came up with several innovations that enabled us to deliver this task, helping us to improve our joinery craft and expand our range of offerings for the future.
Mason Clinic was an invaluable experience for our team, as it gave us the chance to create unique and beautiful systems, but we know that it’ll be even more valuable for the healthcare staff, patients, families, and others who use the space.
This monumental project exemplifies our country’s commitment to development and care – and Featurecraft is so proud to have been a part of it.
