The seismic tremor that shook Christchurch on February 22, 2011, not only shattered buildings but also the spirit of the city’s residents. Amidst the ruins, this design-focused thesis unravels two intertwining narratives, each essential to the city’s resurrection. At its core, this thesis probes the preservation of Christchurch’s memory and character, meticulously chronicling the lost heritage architecture and the subsequent urban metamorphosis. Beyond bricks and mortar, it also confronts the silent aftershocks - the pervasive mental health challenges stemming from personal losses and the disfigured cityscape. As a native of Christchurch, intimately connected to its fabric, my lens reflects not just on the architectural reconstruction but also on the emotional reconstruction. My experience as an autistic individual, a recently discovered facet of my identity, infuses this design journey with a distinct prism through which I perceive and interact with the world. The colourful sketches that drive the design process aren’t mere illustrations but manifestations of my interpretation of spaces and concepts, evoking joy and vitality—a testament to embracing diversity in design. Drawing parallels between healing my own traumas with my colourful and joyful neurodivergent worldview, I’ve woven this concept into proposals aimed at healing the city through whimsy, joy, and vibrant colours. Personal experiences during and post-earthquakes profoundly shape my design proposals. Having navigated the labyrinth of my own mental health amid the altered cityscape, I seek avenues for reconciliation, both personal and communal. The vibrant sketches and designs presented in this thesis encapsulate this vision—a fusion of vivid, unconventional interpretations and a dedication to preserving the essence of the original cityscape while still encouraging movement into the future.
Old tyres on this demolition site near the Casino have been decorated with artificial flowers.
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Rock fall damaged this house".
1. INTRODUCTION. Earthquakes and geohazards, such as liquefaction, landslides and rock falls, constitute a major risk for New Zealand communities and can have devastating impacts as the Canterbury 2010/2011 experience shows. Development patterns expose communities to an array of natural hazards, including tsunamis, floods, droughts, and sea level rise amongst others. Fostering community resilience is therefore vitally important. As the rhetoric of resilience is mainstreamed into the statutory framework, a major challenge emerges: how can New Zealand operationalize this complex and sometimes contested concept and build ‘community capitals’? This research seeks to provide insights to this question by critically evaluating how community capitals are conceptualized and how they can contribute to community resilience in the context of the Waimakariri District earthquake recovery and regeneration process.
A photograph of a warning sign placed next to a river in Christchurch. The sign reads, "Warning contaminated water. Due to sewage overflows this water is unsafe to human contact and activity and a public health risk. Please keep all people and pets out of contact with the water and do not consume any seafood or shellfish collected from this area".
Rocks from the fallen cliff have rolled inside the carport of this house in Redcliffs.
Rocks from the fallen cliff have rolled inside the carport of this house in Redcliffs.
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "This masonry house has been hard hit".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "A sign reading, 'Police vehicles only past this point'".
A photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "A container creating a safer entrance to this building".
A photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "This bus shelter just survived the earthquakes. Norwich Quay, Lyttelton".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Significant lean on this wooden building".
This article is a critical commentary of how political documentary embodies the traits and functions of alternative journalism. I explore this notion through Obrero (‘worker’) my independent documentary project about the labour migration of Filipino workers to Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand, after the earthquake in 2011. This article maps out the points at where the theories and practices of alternative media and documentary intersect. Analysing political documentary as a format of alternative journalism has links to the long tradition of film and video production as a tool for social critique. As a form of practice-based research, Obrero falls under the rubric of alternative journalism—able to represent the politically marginal sectors of the polity and report on issues underreported in the mainstream press. This article concludes that a distribution plan that is responsive to fragmenting audiences works best when alternative journalism no longer targets a niche but transborder audiences.
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "This man was often outside the Canterbury Museum playing the recorder".
The top section of the A and T Burt building's facade. Bricks from this section have crumbled away.
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Rock fall that destroyed this house, 54 Raekura Place, Redcliffs".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Rock fall that destroyed this house, 44 Raekura Place, Redcliffs".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Rock fall that destroyed this house, 44 Raekura Place, Redcliffs".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Rock fall that destroyed this house, 54 Raekura Place, Redcliffs".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Flowers for someone who died in this area. 593 Colombo Street".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "This house has moved substantially off the foundations".
Damage to Cranmer Courts. The top of this facade has fallen away, exposing the beams behind.
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "68 Lichfield Street. This scaffolding fell on June 13".
This document contains a catalogue of the layers of the SCIRT GIS Viewer and associated metadata.
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "This aerial view shows many empty sites including SBS House".
Bricks and this building's facade litter the footpath on Oxford Street in Lyttelton.
Seen through the cordon fence, ingredients still sit on the counter of this sushi restaurant on Hereford Street.
Pink USAR codes can be seen at the bottom of this building on Gloucester Street.
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "The violent shaking on February 22 snapped off this road sign. (Linwood Avenue)".
The "Tree of Hope" at the River of Flowers event held in Riccarton Bush, commemorating the second anniversary of the 22 February earthquake. The photographer comments, "Luggage labels and pens were supplied, and people were encouraged to write a message of hope for Christchurch and tie it to the tree. Although the turn-out this year was just as big as last year's, there were not as many messages tied to the tree - perhaps we're all feeling less hopeful this year".