Reclaiming the urban environment : mixed use architecture as a means towards urban sustainability

Abstract

This project investigates the mixed-use building type as a form of sustainable urban architecture for the city of Auckland, New Zealand. Auckland lacks higher density architecture that applies sustainable techniques of building and stimulates local sub-centre economic developments. The city's inner suburbs offer opportunities in this regard: they are zoned for higher density and easily find tenants for a mix of secondary retail shopping, creative industries offices and studios as well as small apartments. As a location for these businesses and social activities the inner suburbs have become significant, and have started to generate high property values in the last decade. Assuming that architecture can be highly influential in changing the perspective of our lifestyle choices, the proposal in this study is a mixed-use building type, occupying half a city block between three streets in Eden Terrace, offering sustainable and convenient work-live-play lifestyles. The design is based on extensive research into urban design strategies and mixed-use architecture from Australia, America and Europe. Topics relevant to the project are urbanism, place, colour and building materials and services, all of which have relationships with environmental sustainability. The resulting concept design, while mainly driven by an unconventional and complex programme, is also highly site-specific. Nevertheless, it represents a model applicable on many similar sites in Auckland. This type of architecture should be equally attractive to the city council, property developers and owners, and several types of tenants. As such, it represents the future of Auckland's inner suburbs' economic regeneration and physical renewal.