We Are Nō One
Location
Miramar Peninsula, Wellington
Year
2020 - 2021
Client
Thesis Study, Daniel k. Brown (Design Tutor)
New Zealand’s national identity is derived from multiple perspectives including its Māori heritage, colonial heritage, and local community heritage.
Heritage preservation within New Zealand, however, has typically privileged Eurocentric concepts of heritage. Many important heritage stories based on oral tradition and other customs relevant to local communities have faced marginalisation, constraining our ability to preserve them in our evolving society. This thesis explores how architectural interventions can help preserve essential historical foundations that are connected to our local communities and their forgotten tales, to help preserve these heritage stories for future generations
The title of this thesis takes inspiration from New Zealand contemporary Māori artist Hemi MacGregor’s work I Am Nō. One, You Are Nō. One. This statement is a clever play on words using both English and Te Reo Māori languages to create a message of the positive and negative impacts of our country's cultural identity. The English interpretation gives insight into one part of New Zealand's disconnection of selfhood and self-confidence. However, the same statement in Te Reo Māori gives a starkly distinct perspective, “Nō'' means “from, of, belonging to” and “One” means “clay, sand, rock.” Simply stated you may be no one, but you are a part of this land, Aotearoa, and that is what makes us New Zealanders.
This speculative investigation engaged methods of drawing and model making, in conjunction with theories of spatial context and museum curation, to ask:
How can integrated speculative architectural drawings and models be designed to help provide a conceptual framework for preserving heritage stories and oral traditions connected to local communities, while enhancing our awareness of the relationships they inherently hold with features of our natural environment?
04
Karaka Bay
Karaka Bay is the fourth site of seven in the Miramar Peninsular loop, the design is situated around a central figure point of a Victorian villa. The three architectural interventions and their stories hinge off this touchstone since they existed in the same period of the late 1800s. This composition establishes a 90-degree fanning effect and positions itself on the North/East gridlines of the Peninsular, harnessing the spatial context of the coast.
The first of these lost tales is established between the wharf pavilions and the villa. Builders who were digging a house foundation discovered the remains of 3 Māori Chiefs, buried with traditional cultural attire. Unfortunately, the remains were excavated and placed in museum storage. The architectural interventions of this story are symbolised through lookout pavilions that stand as the proud chiefs, gazing back at their old graves and the house that was built over them. The structures below act as their links between each other while also creating a recreational fishing and diving point. Moving closer to the centre of the site a round architectural intervention takes inspiration from the bay’s name, the pavilion symbolises a Karaka tree trunk and its root system.
The front of the design has a framed view, this focal point acknowledges the tragic incident of a local swimmer who drowned in the area. A pole in the water acts as a sentinel to memorialise this tragic event.
The last intervention of the site speaks to the story of botanist John Buchanan. His work helped save the native flora species within the Miramar Peninsular, more specifically the native coastal trees and bushes. The design stretches out over an eroding coastline beach that has been battered by the rising tides. Much like Buchanan, the design acts as a buffer to protect the current native bush. Visitors can walk out on the bridge to observe the bay’s waters and admire the beautiful native flora.
06
Seatoun
Seatoun is the sixth site of seven in the Miramar Peninsular loop, The design is situated against a steep eroding coastline that opens towards the brutal winds of the Cook Strait. Due to the nature of the site the three architectural interventions establish a braced structure that ties into and supports the collapsing cliff face. On approach from the north, the first intervention depicts a large vessel that collects fresh water. The symbolism of this design embraces Seatoun's history of Hydropathic treatment, commonly used in the early 1900s thanks to the abundant supply of natural spring water.
The next intervention in this design highlights a specific viewpoint that is significant to not only Seatoun but the wider wellington region, Te Aroaro-o-Kupe (Presence of Kupe) or commonly known as Steeple Rock. This Pinnacle rock is credited with helping Kupe and the early Māori settlers when they first made land in Wellington. Due to the steep ridge that runs along the coastline of Seatoun Kupe could not examine the area and its surroundings. Swimming out to Steeple Rock, he climbed to the top to view the newly discovered land.
The third intervention of the site acts as an erosion barrier and viewing platform for one of the many gun pits that were created during World War 1 & 2 that scattered the coastline. Lastly, the hoodlike structures that shelter each intervention ties into the famous Māori mythology of Wellingtons Taniwha’s. Each structure represents a Taniwha head that is positioned towards the entrance of Wellington harbour, where it is said Ngake broke through the cliff face that cut off wellington to the sea. The debris created the jagged reefs known as Barrett's reef (Framed in view).
07
Breakers Bay
Breaker Bay is the last of the seven sites in the Miramar Peninsula loop. The spatial composition of this design is based on the North/South grid system, establishing a grid epicentre of plinths that duplicate this pattern.
The other architectural interventions of this site substantiate their stories by skewing 90 degrees off-axis, aligning with views in the distance that have significant importance to their genesis. The centrepiece of this design symbolises a memorial to acknowledge the tragic incident of the TEV Wahine. The plinths create an oscillating arrangement, depicting the tumultuous waves that set the disaster in motion that day. An elevated viewpoint looks towards the ocean where it ran aground on Barrett’s reef.
The second intervention on this site looks towards the East of Breaker Bay. The structure symbolises an architectonic form related to an 1800s stone quarry crusher that used to be prevalent along the coastline. These quarries utilised Breaker Bay’s famous pinnacle rocks for gravel, due to their easy access. This viewpoint structure is an inversion on a quarry crusher, tipping it side on to focus towards the defaced and empty coastline.
The Last architectural intervention on the site is an acknowledgement of one of Wellington’s most famous Māori Pā that belonged to Ngai Tara, Rangitatau. The translation to English means doorway or entrance to the heavens, as being a top of the Pā at night felt like being amongst the stars. The designed structure symbolises a tapering stairway up to a framed view looking towards the Pā on the hill. The large panel is made of a reflective metal material that mirrors the reflection of the sky, simulating the idea of transcending into the heavens.
