The sustainable New Lynn neighbourhood 2020: Balancing environmental efficiency and sufficiency with the quality of social life

Abstract

Developing an understanding and an acceptance of sustainability in the practice of architecture is a crucial step towards restoring global resilience and future-proofing the quality of human life.

The purpose of this project has been to achieve a balance between environmental and social sustainability in contemporary urban residential architecture. This was achieved by stressing the complementarity of the environmental and social agendas rather than rivalry, as demonstrated in this design for a sustainable community in Auckland. The design was informed by a research into the concept of ‘comprehensive sustainability’ as a design paradigm which delivers both natural resource efficiency and sufficiency, and the social quality of life.

The intention was to design an ecologically sustainable and socially diverse sense of community, with a substantial number of medium density dwellings and some key local amenities, located within a high-visibility urban site, in New Lynn.

A key element is to provide a variety of affordable, sustainable housing typologies, appealing to a broad cross section of people.

Up until recently, the industry has paid little attention to minimising the negative impacts on the environment from construction and throughout the life of the building, even though there has always been an awareness about how to build sustainably. As a result, built examples are the exception, rather than the rule.

The New Lynn project demonstrates high standards of sustainable development with the associated environmental, social and economic benefits. The concept could be implemented and accepted, within the immediate future. This is evident in the master plan and the design of buildings and services which have struck a balance between vision and innovation, realism and practicality.