Whanake : Move onwards, move upwards

Abstract

RESEARCH QUESTION How can architecture provide a suitable solution for long-term emergency housing in New Zealand?

ABSTRACT A housing affordability study done by ANZ in 2020 found that New Zealand has the highest rate of homelessness in the OECD. It is almost twice the rate of Australia, which holds the second-highest rate. New Zealand has been experiencing a severe lack of emergency housing over recent years, with the coronavirus pandemic further exacerbating the issue. People living in emergency housing come from a wide range of backgrounds, and there has been an influx of people requiring emergency housing in New Zealand. As a result, an increasingly large of overflow of people are being housed in motels long-term,

This project aims to provide a transitional housing development that not only gives residents the tools to reenter permanent housing, but also gives the residents a sense of dignity. Motels are being used due to the lack of funding to provide the proper facilities, therefore this project proposes an economic solution in the form of prefabricated modular housing units. The idea behind this project is that it would be used as a blueprint to recreate prefabricated modular transitional housing developments wherever they are needed. One factory would produce all of the modular units, and they would be transported via truck to each site.

Having one factory consistently producing these modular units is a far more economic solution than building traditional New Zealand houses and using them for the purpose of transitional housing. The modular prefabrication method allows more units to be provided, and therefore more people housed, for less cost.

This project argues that a well-considered transitional housing development is the solution to the current emergency housing crisis and would aid in permanently decreasing the demand for emergency housing. The project aims to explore how the architectural design of a transitional housing development can be utilised to give homeless people the tools to transition into permanent housing and independence in society.

To achieve this, the project proposes using essential amenities, biophilic design elements, and social architectural elements within one development. The primary focus of which is the integration of social and learning spaces, inviting the residents to interact with and encourage one another. The development includes public and semi-public areas, providing the opportunity for the residents to connect with the local community in an attempt to counter the prejudice and social isolation of the often marginalised residents.

SITE: 46 Bader Drive, Māngere, Auckland, New Zealand