Landscape Architecture Dissertations and Theses
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Item Rebuilding identity and resilience for coastal communities: How can we rebuild identity and resilience for coastal communities?(2024) Wright, Ava Roimata; Unitec, Te PūkengaGlenbrook Beach is about 60km from Taamaki Makaurau CBD, and the nearest shopping centres are 15 minutes away in Waiuku. Glenbrook has always been a site my whaanau has used as a means for my mother to pass down Indigenous practices and knowledge. The rapid growth and change at Glenbrook have made existing communities uncomfortable due to the loss of community spirit. Dominating Paakehaa views intensifies the sense of belonging to minority groups. During the January 2023 Taamaki Makaurau floods, houses at Glenbrook were in ankle-waist-deep water. Many properties around Aotearoa and the Pacific have recently experienced extreme climate events, specifically in coastal areas. These events emphasise the importance of anticipating change and preparing communities for climate events. Aotearoa and the Pacific can benefit from this research by understanding: How can we rebuild identity and resilience for coastal communities? This research follows a Kaupapa Maaori Rangahau framework focusing on maatauranga-aa-iwi and contemporary puraakau. The research uses several methods to analyse the site’s context and a mix of iwi and community engagement practices to test nature-based solutions and complex infrastructure to better respond to the social and environmental needs of Glenbrook. The design looks at climate adaptation, mitigation, resilience, planting, materials and lighting to respond to climate issues Glenbrook is facing while enhancing community links through identity and sense of belonging. The impacts of historical and current colonisation impacted Indigenous people’s sense of belonging and created difficulty for Māori in Aotearoa to remain ahi-ka to manage the whenua skilfully. The land relies heavily on Indigenous management to respond to climate change. SITE: Glenbrook Beach, New ZealandItem Heal us, heal you: Applying an eco-centric lens to design(2024) Manoharan, Morgan; Unitec, Te PūkengaRESEARCH QUESTION How can design address climate change-induced mental wellbeing impacts? ABSTRACT The issues of climate change and mental wellbeing may appear to be dissimilar and separate; however, they do converge. Both the impacts of climate change and mental wellbeing are most felt in urban environments, where the natural landscape has been heavily modified, reducing its capacity to function and, with this, causing a psychological impact on individuals’ mental wellbeing. This research set out to explore the relationship between these two issues and their relevance to design. The question posed is: How can design address climate change-induced mental wellbeing impacts? This research first investigates the existing discourse on the relationship between climate change and mental wellbeing, drawing from disciplines beyond design, such as psychology. Once this connection is established, an exploration of the drivers in design that contributed to this socio-ecological crisis is conducted. This research then posits an alternative model—eco-centrism— as a way forward to address the issue of climate change-induced mental wellbeing impacts. From eco-centrism, designing for the health and wellbeing of water is extrapolated; in doing so, designing for the health and wellbeing of all life. The research adopts a research-by-design methodology and utilises hand drawings as an exploratory technique to reach the final design. Social and ecological wellbeing data are collected and mapped to inform an appropriate sub-catchment to be examined for design—in this instance, located in Māngere. The sub-catchment was analysed at two scales: first, at the wider scale, to provide context and understand how water extends beyond the catchment, and then at the finer scale, zooming into the sub-catchment to examine water, the green network, and the land use patterns. From the issues identified with the site, three separate yet interconnected interventions are proposed. The first is the introduction of a new local wetland park to address the surrounding problems with flooding. The second is the enhancement of an existing park and stream system, and the third is a reimagination of our streets. This research concludes by reflecting on the relevance of such a design approach to achieve better socio-ecological outcomes and the practical necessities to get there.Item Trees and stones: How can landscape architectural design improve visitors' experience of a closed cemetery?(2024) Pan, Ziqi; Unitec, Te PūkengaPublic cemeteries, developed in the 19th century and presently closed for burials, are facing problems, such as functional singularity, aesthetic problems and disconnection with other public spaces. As a consequence, these places have become undesirable for visitors. This research aims to explore ways to improve visitors' experience in closed cemeteries in urban areas. It will explore potential functions, including mourning, memorials, ecological and recreational. It will also investigate ways to attract various types of people . The study will employ research by design as the main methodology. It will also draw inspiration from international literature on the theories and case studies and identify a set of design methods. The research will use Hillsborough Cemetery, Auckland, New Zealand as a study case to investigate this problem and test possible design methods. The expected outcomes will include a set of drawings, 3D models and a thesis to discuss more possibilities for a cemetery. The research will shed light on the multiuse of closed cemeteries in a growing urban area. SITE: Hillsborough Cemetery, Auckland, New ZealandItem Te moemoeā: Whānau emerging from colonisation and the urban diaspora in Te Rohe Pōtea(2023) Taokia, Tupuna Moeroa; Unitec, Te PūkengaRESEARCH QUESTION How can the dreams of our koroua be realised? TUHINGA WHAKARĀPOPOTO Abstract Toi tu te kupu, toi tu te mana, toi tu te whenua. It is a plead to hold fast to our culture, for without language, without mana (spirit), and without land, the essence of being a Maori would no longer exist, but be a skeleton which would not give justice to the full body of Maoritanga (maoridom). Na Tinirau of Wanganui (Education 2003). Te Tiriti o Waitangi, in conjunction with He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga ō Nu Tīreni are documents that affirm Māori tino rangatiratanga, maintaining Māori rights. We honour the mana and wairua of our ancestors by keeping their stories alive. Whakapapa is our identity that maintains the connection between their world and ours. There is a saying, ‘Ko au te whenua, ko te whenua ko au,’ I am the land, and the land is me. The essence of identity is the knowledge that emerges from your land/birthplace. The effects of intergenerational disconnection of whānau from their whenua is highlighted in Māori land ownership records only 4% of the NZ land mass is held as Māori free hold land. Since the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi Māori free hold land has gone from 80% to 4% by the year 2000 (Boast, 2008). To achieve a successful project, it’s essential to begin by gathering the history and pūrakau. This will not only identify the connections to the whenua but also restore the lost connections to te ao māori for many tangata Māori. By doing so, we can create meaningful connections with the past, present, and future, and ensure that our project are not only successful but also bring a positive impact to ngā uri o Lillian. A kaupapa Māori approach will be used to rebuild the interconnections of the whānau to their whenua and taiao. A kaupapa Māori methodology approach will be used to interrogate Te Moemoeā research project including the application of both Māori and tauiwi knowledge systems. Māori identity is as much a part of the landscape as the land itself. With the land come pūrākau, stories laden with ritual, knowledge and wisdom. These require reclaiming knowledge uncensored by a colonised worldview, such as utilising pūrākau and a wānanga space to discuss and build understanding.Item Space for zero: A Masters in Landscape Architecture research project(2022) Sommerville, Pippa; Unitec Institute of TechnologyRESEARCH QUESTION How will net-zero living impact the design of urban public space? ABSTRACT This research addresses our need to shift to a net zero lifestyle. It considers how public space contributes to this and what other cities are doing about it before making a case for a community-based participatory approach, empowering people to engage in the process of climate change mitigation. Rānui, an outer suburb of Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland is the site for this research. A localised emissions profile was developed using the FutureFit tool, which provided evidence of Rānui residents’ emissions and their main sources. With support of the Rānui Action Project (a not-for-profit community group), participatory consultation workshops were conducted, which identified three areas for my research by design phase to focus on – local food production, active and community-based public transport, and local fixing and repair. Research into Te Ao Māori and advice from mana whenua further informed and enriched the project, leading to the inclusion of increased ngahere (forest) and restoration of awa (streams) within my design phase. A two-stage design process followed, with consultation on design sketches informing final plans and elevations. In conclusion, it is important to acknowledge that this has been a small and initial research by design project, that should now be repeated on a larger scale, and with greater numbers of community members contributing. However, this project has shown that the process of community engagement on emissions reduction and parameters for retaining and restoring native ecology in the area has led to public space design that is pragmatic and low impact, yet rich and abundant. If delivered, it could provide the Rānui community with every opportunity to lead net zero lives in the future