Demolition work on Christchurch's "distinctive" former civic building and the Front Runner store. On a walk around Christchurch May 9, 2013 New Zealand. Demolition work on Christchurch's "distinctive" former civic building is under way. The category-2 heritage building was designed by G A J Hart and opened in 1939 as the Miller's department s...
The former Government Life building in Christchurch's Cathedral Square will be demolished. On my walk around the city May 21, 2014 Christchurch New Zealand. www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/christch...
Demolition underway on a walk around the city to catch up on events happening June 25, 2014 Christchurch New Zealand.
Victoria Apartments demolition is under way on a walk around the city to find out what is happening in the city. Feb 17, 2014 Christchurch New Zealand. "soft-stripped", which means that any remaining belongings will be removed, as well as furnishings and internal walls.
Working at getting things out of the Victoria Square before it is demolished. www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/christchurch-earthquake-20... What I found on my walk around the city January 15, 2014 Ch...
The centennial pool demolition is under way. On a walk around the city to catch up on events happening June 18, 2014 Christchurch New Zealand. Swimsuits have been hung on the fence around the Centennial Pool by campaigners against the complex's demolition. The Armagh St facility is being pulled down to make way for the new Margaret Mahy Fami...
On a walk around the city to find out of the Demolition work on the Victoria Sq Apartments. Taking up a digger it took some times to manmover it up there! Feb 17, 2014 Christchurch New Zealand. www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/ne...
After my visit at the hospital for physiotherapy on my hand I took a walk around the city on my way home. Demolition of the Victoria Square apartments February 12, 2014 Christchurch New Zealand. www.s...
On a walk around the city to catch up on what is happening May 29, 2014 Christchurch New Zealand. Demolition work on Christchurch's "distinctive" former civic building is under way. The category-2 heritage building was designed by G A J Hart and opened in 1939 as the Miller's department store. It featured the South Island's first escalator, w...
Demolition of the old Millers building is just about complemented. On my walk around the city in the rain.. thought it may have stopped.. but didn't so I just kept walking! June 12, 2014 Christchurch New Zealand.
Earthquake damaged building on a Walk around the city, May 1, 2014 Christchurch New Zealand. Demolition work on Christchurch's "distinctive" former civic building is under way. The category-2 heritage building was designed by G A J Hart and opened in 1939 as the Miller's department store. It featured the South Island's first escalator, which...
Christchurch "New Zealand" architecture building "Demolition of old Millers building" demolition detail rubbleDemolition started on the old Millers building on a walk around Christchurch May 6, 2013 New Zealand. The building was originally designed in 1935 by G. A. Hart for the retail store, factory and warehouse Millers and was completed in 19...
The centennial pool demolition is under way. On a walk around the city to catch up on events happening June 18, 2014 Christchurch New Zealand. Swimsuits have been hung on the fence around the Centennial Pool by campaigners against the complex's demolition. The Armagh St facility is being pulled down to make way for the new Margaret Mahy Fami...
I am going away for a short time for a holiday and well get back to you all when I get home. Demotion of the Victoria Sq apartments on a walk around the city Feb 26, 2014 Christchurch New Zealand. www...
The centennial pool demolition is under way. On a walk around the city to catch up on events happening June 18, 2014 Christchurch New Zealand. Swimsuits have been hung on the fence around the Centennial Pool by campaigners against the complex's demolition. The Armagh St facility is being pulled down to make way for the new Margaret Mahy Fami...
Earthquake damaged building on a Walk around the city, May 1, 2014 Christchurch New Zealand. Demolition work on Christchurch's "distinctive" former civic building is under way. The category-2 heritage building was designed by G A J Hart and opened in 1939 as the Miller's department store. It featured the South Island's first escalator, which...
An interview with Chris Whitty, Site Manager at the Christchurch Arts Centre, about the recovery of the Townsend Telescope from the rubble of the Observatory tower. The interview was conducted by Sebastian Wilberforce.
Knox Church Rebuild/ repair on a walk around the neighbourhood May 17, 2014 Christchurch New Zealand.
At the conclusion of the 2010 and 2011 Canterbury earthquakes more than 5100 homes had been deemed unsafe for habitation. The land and buildings of these were labelled “red zoned” and are too badly damaged for remediation. These homes have been demolished or are destined for demolition. To assist the red zone population to relocate, central government have offered to ‘buy out’ home owners at the Governmental Value (GV) that was last reviewed in 2007. While generous in the economic context at the time, the area affected was the lowest value land and housing in Christchurch and so there is a capital shortfall between the 2007 property value and the cost of relocating to more expensive properties. This shortfall is made worse by increasing present day values since the earthquakes. Red zone residents have had to relocate to the far North and Western extremities of Christchurch, and some chose to move even further to neighbouring towns or cities. The eastern areas and commercial centres close to the red zone are affected as well. They have lost critical mass which has negatively impacted businesses in the catchments of the Red Zone. This thesis aims to repopulate the suburbs most affected by the abandonment of the red zone houses. Because of the relative scarcity of sound building sites in the East and to introduce affordability to these houses, an alternative method of development is required than the existing low density suburban model. Smart medium density design will be tested as an affordable and appropriate means of living. Existing knowledge in this field will be reviewed, an analysis of what East Christchurch’s key characteristics are will occur, and an examination of built works and site investigations will also be conducted. The research finds that at housing densities of 40 units per hectare, the spatial, vehicle, aesthetic needs of East Christchurch can be accommodated. Centralising development is also found to offer better lifestyle choices than the isolated suburbs at the edges of Christchurch, to be more efficient using existing infrastructure, and to place less reliance on cars. Stronger communities are formed from the outset and for a full range of demographics. Eastern affordable housing options are realised and Christchurch’s ever expanding suburban tendencies are addressed. East Christchurch presently displays a gaping scar of devastated houses that ‘The New Eastside’ provides a bandage and a cure for. Displaced and dispossessed Christchurch residents can be re-housed within a new heart for East Christchurch.
“One of the most basic and fundamental questions in urban master planning and building regulations is ‘how to secure common access to sun, light and fresh air?” (Stromann-Andersen & Sattrup, 2011). Daylighting and natural ventilation can have significant benefits in office buildings. Both of these ‘passive’ strategies have been found to reduce artificial lighting and air-conditioning energy consumption by as much as 80% (Ministry for the Environment, 2008); (Brager, et al., 2007). Access to daylight and fresh air can also be credited with improved occupant comfort and health, which can lead to a reduction of employee absenteeism and an increase of productivity (Sustainability Victoria, 2008). In the rebuild of Christchurch central city, following the earthquakes of 2010 and 2011, Cantabrians have expressed a desire for a low-rise, sustainable city, with open spaces and high performance buildings (Christchurch City Council, 2011). With over 80% of the central city being demolished, a unique opportunity to readdress urban form and create a city that provides all buildings with access to daylight and fresh air exists. But a major barrier to wide-spread adoption of passive buildings in New Zealand is their dependence on void space to deliver daylight and fresh air – void space which could otherwise be valuable built floor space. Currently, urban planning regulations in Christchurch prioritize density, allowing and even encouraging low performance compact buildings. Considering this issue of density, this thesis aimed to determine which urban form and building design changes would have the greatest effect on building performance in Central City Christchurch. The research proposed and parametrically tested modifications of the current compact urban form model, as well as passive building design elements. Proposed changes were assessed in three areas: energy consumption, indoor comfort and density. Three computer programs were used: EnergyPlus was the primary tool, simulating energy consumption and thermal comfort. Radiance/Daysim was used to provide robust daylighting calculations and analysis. UrbaWind enabled detailed consideration of the urban wind environment for reliable natural ventilation predictions. Results found that, through a porous urban form and utilization of daylight and fresh air via simple windows, energy consumption could be reduced as much as 50% in buildings. With automatic modulation of windows and lighting, thermal and visual comfort could be maintained naturally for the majority of the occupied year. Separation of buildings by as little as 2m enabled significant energy improvements while having only minimal impact on individual property and city densities. Findings indicated that with minor alterations to current urban planning laws, all buildings could have common access to daylight and fresh air, enabling them to operate naturally, increasing energy efficiency and resilience.
This topic was chosen in response to the devastation caused to Cathedral Square, Christchurch, New Zealand following earthquakes in 2010 and 2011. Working amongst the demolition bought to attention questions about how to re-conceive the square within the rebuilt city. In particular, it raised questions as to how a central square could be better integrated and experienced as a contemporary addition to Christchurch city. This thesis seeks to investigate the ways in which central squares can be better integrated with the contemporary city and how New Urbanist design principles can contribute toward this union. The research principally focuses on the physical and spatial integration of the square with the contemporary city. A drawing-based analysis of select precedent case studies helped to determine early on that overall integration of the contemporary square could be attributed to several interdependent criteria. The detailed studies are supplemented further with literature-based research that narrowed the criteria to five integrative properties. These are: identity, scale and proportion, use, connectivity and natural landscape. These were synthesised, in part, from the integrative New Urbanist movement and the emerging integrative side of the more contemporary Post Urbanist movement. The literature-based research revealed that a more inclusive approach toward New Urbanist and Post Urbanist design methodologies may also produce a more integrated and contemporary square. Three design case studies, using the redesign of Cathedral Square, were undertaken to test this hypothesis. The case studies found that overall, integration was reliant on a harmonious balance between the five integrative properties, concluding that squares can be better integrated with the contemporary city. Further testing of the third concept, which embraced an allied New Urbanist / Post Urbanist approach to design, found that New Urbanism was limited in its contribution toward the integration of the square.
A document describing the early warning system to alert team members of ground and structural movement at the Arch.
A document outlining the methodology for rebuilding horizontal infrastructure in the central city, covering wastewater (local reticulation and trunk), wastewater pump stations, storm water (local reticulation and trunk), potable water, roads, and bridges.
A document outlining how the rebuild of wastewater, water supply, storm water and roading infrastructure was to be managed and coordinated with other programmes of work in the central city.
A PDF copy of a spreadsheet used to identify the impacts of traffic management in the central city.
A diagram illustrating how the rebuild of the three waters and roading infrastructure was to be managed and coordinated with other programmes of work in the central city.
A document which outlines several of Downer's safety initiatives, developed when working in the Central Business District.
A bowtie diagram which SCIRT used to evaluate the risks associated with and analyse the causal relationships associated with service strikes.
A pdf copy of a presentation delivered at Building a Better New Zealand (BBNZ 2014) Conference. The presentation examines the relationship between innovation and productivity improvement in the construction industry.
A video of a CTV News broadcast of a Ministry of Women's Affairs initiative to attract more women into trades and construction related jobs.