In 2022, HomeGround, the Auckland City Missions unique and visionary wrap-around social services complex, opened after being a dream for over 20 years. Photographed by Mark Smith and with text by renowned writer Simon Wilson, and Professor Deidre Brown and Dr Karamia Muller of the University of Aucklands School of Architecture, this book represents an enduring record of a remarkable building built for a remarkable organisation, created through the aroha and vision of many. It documents and records a key moment in Aotearoa New Zealand, when a visionary social services agency, a committed architecture practice, courageous funders, and skilled construction specialists combined forces to create a facility that will transform the delivery of services to and create hope for a better future for Aucklanders in the greatest need.
Simon Wilson is a senior writer with the New Zealand Herald. He is a former editor of Metro, Cuisine and Consumer magazines, and has also been chief subeditor for the New Zealand Listener and a commissioning editor for book publisher AH & AW Reed. Simon was chair of the non-fiction judges panel at the 2016 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards. His novel The Age of Light was published in 1994. He is the winner of many journalism awards, both as a writer and an editor, including magazine of the year (for both Cuisine and Metro), feature writer of the year (twice), first-person essayist of the year, opinion writer of the year and reviewer of the year. He is a recipient of a Presidents Award and the Auckland Cup from Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects.