Nature & Architecture at Scale (First Year, First Semester)

This project looked at how architecture and nature interact at different scales. Specifically how the relationship between the natural and man-made takes a dramatic swing as the scale adjusts from 1:5000 down to 1:10. The project output was a set of 5 models each at a different scale.

(From left to right) The first model at 1:5000 shows the dominance of nature and its power over how we arrange our cities, at this scale man-made has to fit within nature. The next model at 1:1000 still shows natures dominance over our built environment at a large scale. In the central model at 1:500 the play between natural and man-made becomes tougher as we are able to shape our environment much more. Second from the right is at 1:200, the man-made begins to control nature and place it within the spaces where we need it and want it. Finally at 1:10 man-made controls nature, we put plants in boxes, we tidily tuck it away into the spaces where we need it.

The material choices here were simple. Man-made was highly processed, industrially clean white plastic whilst nature was the earthy, warm, textured radiata pine.

The Wellington Waterfront Model (First Year, First Semester)

After visiting the ‘cut out’ in the Wellington waterfront site, what resonated most with me was that entering the site I was taken down beneath the waterfront.  On display were the detailed beams and framing that provided the support to hold up everything surrounding. As I entered it felt as though the hidden structures of the waterfront that I had never really thought about before were being revealed to me. Previously I had always just walked along and not given second thought to what was beneath my feet keeping me safe from water below. All had been revealed.

The model I created was to display this revealing and edifying experience the waterfront cut out site had given me. I chose to use a leaf to display this as it is a common example of a form we just assume can be there and we never really think about the detail and intricacies behind its shape. We can see some of the larger veins that run through it and we know this has something to do with it but do not think further. This is the same with Wellington's waterfront, we know something is there but we do not realise how detailed the structures are beneath our feet. The top half of the model is the leaf by itself, and we assume nothing more about it. Then we look below and see the ‘hidden detail’ and we get a deeper understanding for the leaf shape and form.