Conditional grounds : architecture for the Whangamarino wetland

Abstract

The connection architecture can make with the ground is rarely given the attention it deserves. It is the first junction that architecture is required to make. The research project selected a diverse and challenging site in order to bring this fundamental connection back into focus. The Whangamarino wetland has currently no means of public access. In the wetland, the ground, the water, and the vegetation are inextricable linked. These three factors combine in different degrees and create a variety of unique conditions for architecture to connect to. It was found that the connection to the ground could be enriched through stereotomic and tectonic expression coupled with the use of datum to emphasise variations in water and vegetation levels. The resulting architectural interventions demonstrate that by engaging with the diverse ground conditions, architecture’s connection to the ground can enhance the visitor’s experience of the Whangamarino wetland. ... The scope of this project is to design an access facility for the Whangamarino wetland. This facility may include a visitor centre, walkways, bridges and viewing structures. The emphasis of the project will be to explore the way in which these facilities will be connected to the ground.