(Re) – adaptation of the St John’s Home Orphanage: The adaptive reuse of heritage buildings to regenerate a local community
Hsieh, Kaho
Date
2021Citation:
Hsieh, K. (2021). (Re) – adaptation of the St John’s Home Orphanage: The adaptive reuse of heritage buildings to regenerate a local community. (Unpublished document submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Architecture (Professional)). Unitec Institute of Technology, New Zealand. https://hdl.handle.net/10652/5770Permanent link to Research Bank record:
https://hdl.handle.net/10652/5770Abstract
RESEARCH QUESTION
How can conservation of a suburban heritage building in Auckland transform the community to serve an alternative purpose than originally intended?
ABSTRACT
This project investigates the possibilities inherent in the adaptive re use of an earthquake prone RBM building located 80 Wyllie Rd, Papatoetoe. The St John’s Home group of buildings share a rich and diverse history dating back to the early twentieth century. The complex was originally designed and built as an orphanage during the first half of the twentieth century, then later transitioned to a mental health facility.1 It was decommissioned as a mental health facility in the early 1990s. In 1994 the Manukau Pacific Islanders’ Presbyterian Church bought the building and acquired full ownership.2 In the same year, the St John’s also gained a heritage status and was declared a Historical Place Category One. The current housing surrounding of St John’s Home is mostly single use dwellings. The research aims to find an adaptive reuse for the existing building on St John’s Home site and to design a community building addition for the local people to use. The surrounding landscape of St John’s Home takes key Te Aranga design principles that help shape the narrative and design of the surrounding space.
The building conservation and adaptive reuse in buildings used in this research project will closely resemble theories such as ICOMOS New Zealand, SPAB Approach and other conservation theories that have set the foundation for the project. The theories provide fundamental principles and design outcomes that retain the identity of the historical building. The adaptive reuise of the St John’s will be guided upon key conservation principles that will reoccupy the unused buildings.