Te Puna cafe’s fluid geometries, reminiscent of a coastline studded with sheltered niches, provides various spaces to sit, eat and socialise. Two clay-brick pod forms rise above a sinuous veranda, perfectly expressing the relationship between concept, shape and structure. Highlights include a skylight above the servery and white-washed glulam timber mullions. The architect's technical rigour and a focus on environmental performance have made this an oasis of calm at the heart of a zoo that is undergoing a 21st-century transformation.