Final Submission

Individual work

In a time of growing need for housing the concrete jungle appears to be an inevitable outcome. This housing scheme for four families in Ponsonby beckons to an alternative solution, giving families the connection New Zealanders seek to the outdoor environment, whilst still responding to the inhabitant’s spatial needs. Shared and individual spaces are used within the scheme. Colour and lushness of the natural world are inserted as a means of humanising the space, giving inhabitants a connection to nature through indoor-outdoor living. A meadow is implanted as a piece of the wilderness from far away, extracted and then placed as a sanctuary in this urban setting. The form of the building appears manipulated by nature, curving around the meadow as mountains do for a valley at its feet. The rooftops are distorted, their undulations becoming rolling hills and mountain peaks. The meadow feels no boundaries, flowing apparently wild into the living space of each family(which can be closed off or opened up) and then overruling the building through a roof garden which makes up for space lost on the site. Subtle imprints of wood upon the concrete face of the building suggest a natural gesture upon a material commonly associated with the urban environment.

1.200 site model

 

Plan

 



Planting plan

Sections

 1.50 sectional model

Detail drawing

Collages

 

Group work

An iconic outdoor object is transformed in this project in a bid to break down division between children and adults and the interior and the exterior. See-saws are a nostalgic part of growing up, rough and ready objects found at most playgrounds. In an expression of the nuclear family, here three see-saws have been designed as sophisticated, furnished objects, essentially treated as interior objects. Suddenly they become something even an adult could play on. Bells placed on the underside on each see-saw give the installation a playful, interactive edge. This encourages interaction between users, who work together to create a ringing sound. Ultimately this reflects the importance of communication within the family environment and its necessity in enabling families to function as a unit. The appearance of each see-saw clearly reflects the notion of an interiorised object: wood oiled beyond the care of a typical see-saw, the application of collected door cabinet handles rather than conventional see-saw handle bars, and the subtlety of the underside painted a gloss white, a finish which speaks of interiority.