Barnaby Bennett is a well-respected, Christchurch-based architectural designer, PHD student and writer, and the co-founder of Freerange Press, a small cooperative publishing company focusing on issues relating to post-quake Christchurch, design, politics and art.

Urbis caught up with Bennett ahead of the Auckland Writers and Readers Festival on 19 May, where he is will be speaking on his recently published (and co-edited) book entitled Christchurch: The Transitional City Pt IV. This new title bears witness to the myriad of projects, events and installations that have popped up in Christchurch since 2010.

Urbis: What is your relationship to Christchurch?

Barnaby Bennett: I moved to Christchurch over a year ago so I’m not a native Cantabrian, but my grandparents lived there for decades and my father grew up there, so I have spent a lot of time in the city and have a connection to the place. I had just started my PHD in architecture at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) on the emergence of temporary and transitional architecture in post-quake Christchurch when the second quake hit, so my subsequent move to Christchurch was partly in response to the desire to help out where I could. Naturally, the focus for Freerange publishing also began to shape around what was happening in the city. Partly, this was the result of some of the Freerange members ending up in Christchurch, but more substantially there was and is a real need to respond to the extraordinary situation that is Christchurch at the moment.  

U: How has the reception been to Christchurch: The Transitional City Pt IV?

BB: Quite amazing. It’s a great pleasure to see an open and collaborative approach to publishing work so well. The book has sold well in Christchurch, but much more importantly than that, it has revealed a really positive narrative about the quake that people hadn’t seen formalised yet. Nationally, I think the book has been positively received for the same reason. The standard response towards Christchurch seems to be ‘sympathy’, and while it’s well-intentioned, it isn’t often that helpful. I think publications like this give people more clues about what is going on down there, and also how people can bring their skills to specific projects. We’ve also had orders from prestigious overseas universities.

U: You have a background in architecture. Did you find this valuable when looking at the rebuild?

BB: I’m an unregistered architect and doing my PHD has definitely informed my view of what is happening in Christchurch, probably less so in terms of having a set of particular skills, and more in the sense that I’m more aware that no one really knows what they are doing in a situation like this. I think it’d be a much more productive way to engage with the future of this city if it was treated as a collective exercise in making it up, rather than as the groups of managers disguised as experts doing things to the city on our behalf, which is how it is at the moment.

U: What projects happening in Christchurch are you particularly excited about?

BB: There are loads. At the moment the main one that I’m excited about is this year’s Festival of Transitional Architecture. Last year, this festival emerged very rapidly and was, for many, one of the best bits of new energy to emerge post-quake and one of the first deeply urban experiences this city has ever had. This year the team is building towards some more experimental projects that will erupt on Labour Weekend. 

U: What is your take on the Christchurch Council’s role in the Christchurch rebuild?

BB: I think the council has had a really difficult time. I think local councils generally in New Zealand are under-funded by the rates system, and it’s probably fair to say that across the country the best talent isn’t attracted to the political positions. Given this, I don’t think any council could be prepared for what Christchurch has been through, and after some initial problems they are doing some good work now. The imposition of CERA (Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority) on the city has brought some serious muscle to the situation, but they seem to have a real distrust of the Council which has led to the creation of separate power bases over the same areas of jurisdiction and this is really problematic. I’m yet to meet a staff member at the council who isn’t hard working, talented and completely committed to Christchurch. There is a localness about their knowledge that makes council great to work with.

U: In an ideal world, what would be your vision for Christchurch?

BB: I’d love to see Christchurch become the green city the people of Christchurch asked for in the original ‘Share an Idea’ campaign in 2011. What was originally a really powerful and well-articulated vision for an ecological city has turned into an economic model with a few more parks than it had before. I would love to see some leadership take up this challenge and put Christchurch in the position of being a place that anticipated the changes that are going to take place to the global economy and climate in the next 50 years. It’s not too late to take this approach seriously, but as yet there is a real lack of leadership. What we are getting now is a strange version of state capitalism with some green lipstick on it.

U: What are you looking forward to at Writers and Readers?

BB: Firstly, I feel quite privileged (and a bit scared) to be invited to talk on a programme filled with such interesting people. I’m only up in Auckland for a short time, but I’m eyeing up a talk on Sunday about Pat Hanley that looks really good.