As a part of Auckland Architecture Week 09, ten teams (2-4 people per team) were invited to take part in a one day (8 hour) design charette. The site for the charette was a 25,000 m² parcel of land within the Wynyard Quarter bounded by Madden Street, Halsey Street, Pakenham Street West and Daldy Street.
The brief was issued at 8.30am together with a site plan and site photographs. Teams had the day to produce a design with each team having 2 minutes to present their ideas to a judging panel at the end of the day (6.00pm).
The brief asked to identify and explore development opportunities that display exemplar urban design principles, demonstrating how high-density city living and working could best be achieved in this area. It also asked for a “big idea’ that this city desires; an ever-changing and subjective question. We weren’t convinced of a solution. Instead, we proposed a building as a vending machine. With the provision of a moment resisting frame that provided an ‘empty structure’, we essentially proposed a catalogue of living blocks that construct the building through supply and demand. Moreover, the proposal became a method for selling architecture in a way which is not dissimilar to how IKEA sell furniture.
The life of the building.
Purchased building blocks are programmed to move throughout the structure. This dynamic environment allows for a scenic journey throughout the building, as well as presenting possibilities in flexible community building.
Design Team
(Collaboration with Jasmax)
-Anna Hopkins
-Mary Henry
-Frazer Baggaley
-Dean Stewart
-Neill MG
-Jun
