The construction of a marae on the Mt Albert campus is a dream long cherished by the Unitec whanau. We wanted to build a marae that would be a focal point for our three campuses. It is a place for ceremonial and celebratory gatherings of worship, kinship and friendship, a repository of local and historical knowledge and a centre for shared learning.

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The idea to build a marae for Unitec came after the former chief executive officer, Dr John Webster, attended the opening of Manukau Institute of Technology"s marae in 1999. A challenge to build Unitec·s first marae was taken up by the late Sir John Turei, and Haare Williams, Unitec·s Pae Arahi at the time, on behalf of the institution.

The first foundations of Te Noho Kotahitanga were laid on 26 February 2007, following a blessing of the land by Kaumatua Haare Williams at 7am.