Te whare wananga o Te Maro

A Whare is based on a person. The Whare has a Tahuhu backbone and Heke ribs.
Tahuhu backbone is the piece of wood in the middle of the roof which helps keep up the Whare.Heke ribs are pieces of wood that lead up to the Tahuhu backbone to help support it.
The reason you take off your shoes and have bare feet is so then you are connecting to the earth and part of the Maori culture.
In a Whare the ground is like earth and the roof is like the sky.
All Whare should always face north so the they can see the sun rise because it is part of the Maori culture.
Here are some photos from the Tauranga Intermediate School Whare.