A photograph of a hot food truck on a vacant site on Worcester Street, during the launch of Freerange Press's latest journal, Freerange Vol. 7: The Commons. The event was part of FESTA 2013.
A photograph of a musical performance at the launch of Freerange Press's latest journal, Freerange Vol. 7: The Commons. The event was part of FESTA 2013.
A photograph of people gathered at 88 Worcester Street for the launch of Freerange Press's latest journal, Freerange Vol. 7: The Commons. The event was part of FESTA 2013.
A photograph of people gathered on Worcester Street for the launch of Freerange Press's latest journal, Freerange Vol. 7: The Commons. The event was part of FESTA 2013.
A photograph of a musical performance at the launch of Freerange Press's latest journal, Freerange Vol. 7: The Commons. The event was part of FESTA 2013.
A photograph of Clayton Prest with a copy of Freerange Press's latest journal, Freerange Vol. 7: The Commons at the public launch event, which was part of FESTA 2013.
A photograph of Byron Kinnaird reading from Freerange Press's latest journal, Freerange Vol. 7: The Commons, at the launch event, which was part of FESTA 2013.
A photograph of people gathered at 88 Worcester Street for the launch of Freerange Press's latest journal, Freerange Vol. 7: The Commons. The event was part of FESTA 2013.
A photograph of people gathered at 88 Worcester Street for the launch of Freerange Press's latest journal, Freerange Vol. 7: The Commons. The event was part of FESTA 2013.
A photograph of Clayton Prest with a copy of Freerange Press's latest journal, Freerange Vol. 7: The Commons at the public launch event, which was part of FESTA 2013.
A photograph of Freerange Press co-director Joseph Cederwall giving a speech at the launch of Freerange Press's latest journal, Freerange Vol. 7: The Commons. The event was part of FESTA 2013.
A photograph of a participant in Speakers' Corner. Speakers' Corner was an event that gathered citizens, architects, urbanists, developers and government officials to The Commons to speak about the importance of flexible and temporary spaces in the creation of cities. Speakers' Corner was part of FESTA 2014 and supported by Athfield Architects.
A photograph of Speakers' Corner, an event that gathered citizens, architects, urbanists, developers and government officials to The Commons to speak about the importance of flexible and temporary spaces in the creation of cities. Speakers' Corner was part of FESTA 2014 and supported by Athfield Architects.
A photograph of people sitting around a table at The Commons during Speakers' Corner, an event that gathered citizens, architects, urbanists, developers and government officials to speak about the importance of flexible and temporary spaces in the creation of cities. Speakers' Corner was part of FESTA 2014 and supported by Athfield Architects.
A photograph of Speakers' Corner, an event that gathered citizens, architects, urbanists, developers and government officials to The Commons to speak about the importance of flexible and temporary spaces in the creation of cities. Speakers' Corner was part of FESTA 2014 and supported by Athfield Architects.
A photograph of two people wearing neon lights. They are standing under The Arcades Project at The Commons, during Light Up Your Life - a youth-focused procession of glowing activity and wearable art. Light Up Your Life was organised by Gap Filler and was part of the public programme for FESTA 2014.
A photograph of the launch event for Gap Filler's Grandstadium at the Retro Sports Facility (The Commons). The Grandstadium is a re-locatable mini-grandstand. The launch event took place as part of FESTA 2014.
A photograph of the launch event for Gap Filler's Grandstadium at the Retro Sports Facility (The Commons). The Grandstadium is a re-locatable mini-grandstand. The launch event took place as part of FESTA 2014.
A photograph of the launch event for Gap Filler's Grandstadium at the Retro Sports Facility (The Commons). The Grandstadium is a re-locatable mini-grandstand. The launch event took place as part of FESTA 2014.
A photograph of the launch event for Gap Filler's Grandstadium at the Retro Sports Facility (The Commons). The Grandstadium is a re-locatable mini-grandstand. The launch event took place as part of FESTA 2014.
A photograph of the launch event for Gap Filler's Grandstadium at the Retro Sports Facility (The Commons). The Grandstadium is a re-locatable mini-grandstand. The launch event took place as part of FESTA 2014.
A photograph of the launch event for Gap Filler's Grandstadium at the Retro Sports Facility (The Commons). The Grandstadium is a re-locatable mini-grandstand. The launch event took place as part of FESTA 2014.
A photograph of the launch event for Gap Filler's Grandstadium at the Retro Sports Facility (The Commons). The Grandstadium is a re-locatable mini-grandstand. The launch event took place as part of FESTA 2014.
A photograph of Gimme Shelter, a cardboard-box city-building workshop for children aged 10 and older. The workshop was led by Wellington-based artist Simon Gray. Gimme Shelter was held at The Commons and was part of FESTA 2014.
A photograph of Gimme Shelter, a cardboard-box city-building workshop for children aged 10 and older. The workshop was led by Wellington-based artist Simon Gray. Gimme Shelter was held at The Commons and was part of FESTA 2014.
A photograph of Gimme Shelter, a cardboard-box city-building workshop for children aged 10 and older. The workshop was led by Wellington-based artist Simon Gray. Gimme Shelter was held at The Commons and was part of FESTA 2014.
A photograph of a large sign at The Commons that is part of Signs of Things to Come. This was a wayfinding project by Generation Zero and Diadem, for FESTA 2014. The signage gives directions to key central city and FESTA locations, and compares the current and future potential of transport in Christchurch.
A photograph of a large sign at The Commons that is part of Signs of Things to Come. This was a wayfinding project by Generation Zero and Diadem, for FESTA 2014. The signage gives directions to key central city and FESTA locations, and compares the current and future potential of transport in Christchurch.
This thesis revisits the topic of earthquake recovery in Christchurch City more than a decade after the Canterbury earthquakes. Despite promising visions of a community reconnected and a sustainable and liveable city, significant portions of the city’s core – the Red Zone – remain dilapidated and “eerily empty”. At the same time, new developments in other areas have proven to be alienated or underutilised. Currently, the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority’s plans for the rebuilding highlight the delivery of more residential housing to re-populate the city centre. However, prevalent approaches to housing development in Christchurch are ineffective for building an inclusive and active community. Hence, the central inquiry of the thesis is how the development of housing complexes can revitalise the Red Zone within the Christchurch city centre. The inquiry has been carried out through a research-through-design methodology, recognising the importance of an in-depth investigation that is contextualised and combined with the intuition and embodied knowledge of the designer. The investigation focuses on a neglected site in the Red Zone in the heart of Christchurch city, with significant Victorian and Edwardian Baroque heritage buildings, including Odeon Theatre, Lawrie & Wilson Auctioneers, and Sol Square, owned by The Regional Council Environment Canterbury. The design inquiry argues, develops, and is carried through a place-assemblage lens to housing development for city recovery, which recognizes the significance of socially responsive architecture that explores urban renewal by forging connections within the social network. Therefore, place-assemblage criteria and methods for developing socially active and meaningful housing developments are identified. Firstly, this thesis argues that co-living housing models are more focused on people relations and collective identity than the dominant developer-driven housing rebuilds, as they prioritise conduits for interaction and shared social meaning and practices. Secondly, the adaptive reuse of derelict heritage structures is proposed to reinvigorate the urban fabric, as heritage is seen to be conceived as and from a social assemblage of people. The design is realised by the principles outlined in the ICOMOS charter, which involves incorporating the material histories of existing structures and preserving the intangible heritage of the site by ensuring the continuity of cultural practices. Lastly, design processes and methods are also vital for place-sensitive results, which pay attention to the site’s unique characteristics to engage with local stakeholders and communities. The research explores place-assemblage methods of photographic extraction, the drawing of story maps, precedent studies, assemblage maps, bricolages, and paper models, which show an assembly of layers that piece together the existing heritage, social conduits, urban commons and housing to conceptualise the social network within its place.