Small House for a Couple: Part II of Consumerism Project - Site at Pt. Chev, Auckland.
Projecting the same Atrium site from part one through, the form of the Inhabit installation takes on an apparent liquidity and explores gradual motion to enhance the users ongoing experience of the space. The idea retains its use as creative social space but through motion is able to adapt to the various states of the building. On the hour, when traffic through the atrium is at its peak, the installation reveals large gateways over the stair case. During lectures, in between each hour, the design allows the form to change gradually with no restrictions. The same spaces would never be seen twice.
Inhabit [Part I]: The inhabit project involved changing a space in the Owen G. Glenn Building, at the University of Auckland, through occupation and installation. The building is often criticised on its many drawbacks so the aim of my social installation was address some of these issues. My design aims to bridge the gap between the clear segregation between undergraduate students and staff/post-graduates in the building. Currently undergrads occupy only the ground level and the basement of the business school, while the postgrads and staff occupy all higher levels from two upwards. A stairwell over the ASB atrium runs all the way down from the top level to level 2, where it stops. In order to travel between level 1 and level 2 an elevator, fire exit, or flight of stairs outside the building must be used. My installation is the bridge of this threshold between the level of study.
The second issue was that the building is based almost entirely on movement and work. At times it resembles an airport, with people coming and going and occasionally stopping to do some work or access the internet. The building has very limited social space, there are few informal meeting spaces for students to hang out, the building is serious and focused solely on academic results. By providing a contrast completely to this I have created a social space in amongst the busiest area of the building, the staircase in the atrium, which leads directly to all the lecture theaters in the building.
The curvaceous, organic form aims to entice students into its realm, bringing them out of their usual study regime and providing a moment or two of socialisation and relaxation. The main interior space on Level 2 of the installation provokes thought on how people wish to use the space. Instead of setting up chairs and tables, directing the user to use it as intended, I have allowed for creativity. With intention of no intention, the space can only be presented as an opinion of how it should be used and my audience has limits only of their own mentality.
Thrash-old: This project (Courtyard Soundscape) plays with idea of exploring threshold within sound. The installation set in the courtyard outside the School of Architecture and Planning at Auckland University captures sound as architecture, altering the exterior experience and challenging the users perception of the space through only sound. No physical forms are present in the design which is what makes this an alternative experience for students to process. The Soundscape is driven by six inconspicuous speakers designed to blend in and not become a feature of the concept. Their function is to emit sound, they are not to be noticed or considered part of the architecture. My research here is vastly incomplete and I feel that I can take it further. Over the course of just a three week project, time and resources as well as required assistance were limited and I have only just scraped the surface of a topic which interests me greatly and I hope to continue with in the future.
Trash-Can: Creation of a device utilised in my studio space to promote disposing and reintroducing “junk” ideas into your design process. Essentially a recycling process rather than a trash-can in my opinion. Design promotes communal use of the device allowing studio users to deposit ideas in the form of rolled paper which they themselves have discarded. Situated near other forms of trash and recycling my design aims to capture good ideas: What one person believes is total junk may be another’s inspiration. The untouched finish of the laser cut wood adds to the theme of undeveloped, unresolved ideas and the recycling, shuffling and randomizing process is an extended metaphor relating to thought processes in the human mind. The cycle operates continuously until a studio user requires inspiration. The push of a red button interrupts the cycle and presents them with a random idea.
The Bunker: Virtual office constructed on Putahi, Second Life.
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Myers Park Atrium: Located in the epicenter of performing arts in Auckland, this is a concept for the city’s first dedicating busking venue. Drawing inspiration from the trees and landscape of the park the idea ties in with redevelopment of the surrounding park areas and the broken link between Myers Park and Aotea Square. The translucent facade aims to take away the busyness of inner city and draw pedestrians off the street and into the atrium, flowing through to the hidden park.
Transient Occupancy: Recreation of a portion of the Sendai Mediatheque (Toyo Ito) floor plan at full scale. Collaboration with David Partington.
Winner of the Simon Devitt Prize for Photography 2010.
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Ernest Rutherford Memorial: Design inspired by Rutherford’s discovery of the atom model and brings themes of light, shadow, reflection and memory. Structure leads out from the shoreline via a multi level causeway. Bridge accessibility varies depending on the ever changing tide in the bay - at high tide access is only just granted to the central platform. The large concrete and steel arches symbolise electron orbits around the central column of the structure. At midday the shadow created on the water forms Rutherford’s atomic model and during calm water a complete atom can be observed in the reflection.
