Festival of Architecture Official Opening – Ockham Residential Lecture Series: Other Urbanisms

Friday 14 September
Objectspace, Ponsonby

The Festival of Architecture opening night in Auckland was a panel discussion at the tail end of Mahuru Māori last Friday. On stage discussing ‘Other Urbanisms’ were two exceptionally articulate wāhine Māori academics Rebecca Kiddle and Jacqueline Paul, who outlined the prolonged processes of colonialisation in Aotearoa and its effects.

We also heard from Sophie Jerram of Letting Space, recently stationed to København to study shared living situations and their design, and gentleman architect and Fullbright scholar Jon Rennie, who unpicked the traditional role and scope of the architect. Alice Snedden was a brilliant inquisitor for the panel, warmly reexamining her own experience of everyday life in Tāmaki Makaurau.

Opportunities for ‘Other Urbanisms’ emerged as values vested in whenua, property ownership and belonging were prised from a shell of historic architectural praxis and examined on their merits.

We are reminded again of the waning opportunities for true prosperity in many of our communities, that we must wean ourselves from dreams measured by the quarter acre, and move to empower those people deeply underserved by current planning practice and by the built environment.

It’s an exciting time for Aotearoa and the design community; together we have some good work to do.

– Kate Walker, Isthmus

Aga Khan Award for Architecture Exhibition
George Fraser Gallery, 25A Princes Street
Opening night Wednesday 12 September; running until 30 September

An exhibition of projects honoured by one of the world’s most prestigious and distinctive
architecture awards opened on the evening of 12 September. The exhibition is hosted by University of Auckland with the support of GIB. The George Fraser Gallery features the shortlisted and winning projects from the most recent cycle of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture.

From an urban park in Denmark and a floating school in Nigeria to a dual-level, curved pedestrian bridge in Iran and a rural training centre inspired by 3rd century BC ruins in Bangladesh, nineteen projects depict excellence in innovative structures and landscapes that successfully address the needs and aspirations of contemporary societies.

Associate Professor Julia Gatley, Head of the School of Architecture and Planning at the University opened the exhibition. She commented, “It’s a real pleasure to be hosting this exhibition of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture as part of our own move towards increased diversity in the programmes we teach at the school.”

– Miranda Playfair, University of Auckland

Jane’s Walk – Exploring Auckland With A Gender Lens
Friday 14 September
central Auckland

​Used as a tool for local communities to engage with their urban spaces using a more critical eye, Jane’s Walks are popular the world over. Last weekend in Auckland, around 30 people from across three generations gathered to consider six different areas across the CBD.

Focusing on viewing Auckland through a gendered lens, we used a placemaking tool as a framework to scribble down ideas and evaluate the design of these spaces. We explored any barriers, be they physical, economic or social, that could exclude particular types of people from making use of a given area.

Highlighted through carefully chosen examples, we discussed issues relating to design such as density, cycle paths and commute times. Hobson Street stood out as an example of a surprisingly residential area, that has more focus on the needs of vehicles over pedestrians.

At times it was difficult to hear the discussion and a smaller group may have allowed for more time with the enthusiastic guides. However, fewer participants would have made for a less diverse group and discussion. Happily there were a great mixture of Aucklanders in attendance and drawing from our differing backgrounds and concerns, we were able to see the CBD with a fresh perspective. Jane Jacobs would have approved. 

– Sophie Watt

AUT City Campus’ New Building, Nga Wai Hono
Sunday 16 September
St Paul Street

The Jasmax tour of Nga Wai Hono, AUT’s new building for Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences, revealed a project that seeks to push the boundaries on new ways of learning, researching and educating, with current technologies and peer-to-peer teaching at the forefront.

The tour was led by the formidable project architect Barbara Van Zyl, who, aided by Annis Lee, saw the project through the final stages of construction. They were both wonderful guides as they took attendees on a journey from concept, site limitations, brief to final product. They emphasised how the design was centered around showcasing the learning and researching that is going on at AUT, rather than hiding it behind closed doors in laboratories.

Barbara and Annis wove us through large flexible working laboratories, gallery spaces, computer labs, multiple cafes, breakout spaces and gender inclusive toilets – all the dirty secrets of the building are on display, with visibility of everything from services to plant rooms.

In collaboration with Chris Scott, this was Richard Harris’s last project that he oversaw at Jasmax as Principal – it serves as a nice ode to his legacy in New Zealand architecture that strives for community, spaces for people and progress.

The Architecture Festival this year coincides with 125 years of suffrage in New Zealand and feels timely with the completion of this building. With a diverse, talented team – both ethnically and gender inclusive – it gives hope that we may be on a new wave now.

– Raphaela Rose, RTA Studio

Housing the Homeless: Inside The City Mission’s Bold New Housing Project
Sunday 16 September
Warren & Mahoney, 139 Pakenham Street West

Facilitated by curator Jeremy Hansen, the Sunday discussion raised a public dialogue between City Missioner Chris Farrelly and architect Nicholas Stevens. Steven Lawson’s Auckland City Mission project is finally poised to start, with the City Mission filled with excitement for the core of the project: delivering a sense of community and safety to many who have been robbed of one.

After the recorded doubling of homelessness over 2016 and 2017 in Auckland’s CBD, Chris emphasised the real need for increased capacity for the rough sleepers and being able to reach out to them within the city (versus reallocating the City Mission to the suburbs). A few selected images of the plans and sections were shown as Nicholas illustrated the project’s ability to deliver over 80 dwellings, a detox and medical centre, admin space as well as a conference room for meetings with the public.

Near the end of the panel, the point of the apartments including balconies arose and the (possible) need for such, with Nicholas commenting that good living is a right for everyone, that we all deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. The atmosphere at the end of the talk was overwhelmingly optimistic, with many of the crowd praising the design and excited to see the Mission’s transition as the project starts over the next few weeks. 

– Phillip Walker, architecture student, University of Auckland

What the *bleep* do architects do?!
Tuesday 18 September
Warren & Mahoney, 139 Pakenham Street West

We orchestrate, articulate, we problem solve. We sculpt, we adapt, we find opportunities in the margins of business to create something far greater than the sum of its parts. We synthesise, coalesce, build. We make ideas on how to exist, work, meet and raise families concrete. We are business people, connecting ways of being to prosperity, success and culture.

Hamish Monk and Dean Mackenzie of Monk Mackenzie are seeking a wide horizon for expression and formal innovation, linking their business to big thinking. Not aiming to grow timidly but to engage in varied projects from the outset, their broad architectural aims have led them to recently open a New York office.

Barrington Gohns from Warren & Mahoney shared insight into the varied everyday practice of architectural design in a large firm – as both generalist and specialist, it is an attitude and aptitude for problem solving that defines his role.

Kamelia Peneva and Hayley Wright from Isthmus, and the recently-launched Next Door, are extending the traditional role of architect-developer to become community builders. With urban design and landscape expertise at their back, they aim to deliver built solutions that reflect individual, tailored ideas of home in Auckland with deliberative financial models.

With an insightful discussion led by Vanessa Coxhead of Jasmax and Sophie Hamer of Portico, each panelist outlined the different, specific mix that finance, construction, management and value play in a practice. Perhaps it is the unique skill of the architect to take on the risk of combining these parts to suit their time and context that brings focus to our role.

– Kate Walker, Isthmus

See here for the events that took place in other centres across New Zealand and stay tuned for the second update of 2018 Festival of Architecture events next week.