About

Makacolab™ is an Indigenous-owned and operated design collective working across the Pacific Rim. With projects in Aotearoa, Australia, the Pacific Islands, and the United States, we bring together spatial design, graphics, storytelling, and cultural engagement to create places that honour history, identity, and community. We blend Indigenous perspectives with contemporary practice to deliver work that is as rigorous as it is resonant.

Values

We believe great design starts with culture and grows through relationships. Our work is rooted in place, guided by Indigenous knowledge, and committed to lasting social, cultural, and environmental impact. We listen deeply, uphold cultural protocols, and centre Indigenous leadership so benefits are shared and stories are carried forward with care.

Approach

We partner with communities, creatives, and clients to bring cultural narratives to life. Our process is responsive and accountable: we listen deeply, co-design with the right people at the table, translate story into spatial strategies and lived experiences, and measure impact beyond completion. Every project respects local protocols, builds trusted relationships, and leaves a clear pathway for stewardship.

What We Do

• Collaborative Design & Cultural Insights
  We assemble teams with the right cultural expertise for each project, lead engagement with care, and translate community knowledge into actionable design direction.

• Placemaking, Landscape & Urban Design
  We shape resilient public realms and landscapes that foster connection and belonging, from strategies and master plans to built interventions.

• Art, Graphics & Fabrication
  We transform narratives into crafted experiences, public art, environmental graphics, wayfinding, and material details that hold story in place.