The Greenwood Effect

Loading...
Thumbnail Image

Supplementary material

Other Title

Authors

Kerby, Thomas

Author ORCID Profiles (clickable)

Degree

Master of Architecture (Professional)

Grantor

Unitec Institute of Technology

Date

2019

Supervisors

McConchie, Graeme
Jadresin-Milic, Renata

Type

Masters Thesis

Ngā Upoko Tukutuku (Māori subject headings)

Keyword

Greenwoods Corner (Epsom, N.Z.)
Epsom (Auckland, N.Z.)
Auckland (N.Z.)
New Zealand
town centres
suburban centres
urban regeneration
pedestrian experience
public spaces
adaptive reuse of buildings

ANZSRC Field of Research Code (2020)

Citation

Kerby, T. (2019). The Greenwood Effect. (Unpublished document submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Architecture (Professional)). Unitec Institute of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10652/4851

Abstract

RESEARCH QUESTION: How can Auckland’s Greenwoods Corner be redeveloped as the active focus of a thriving and characterful suburban centre for Epsom? ABSTRACT: Auckland is a city experiencing rapid growth. With this growth comes vast development and infrastructure. While this growth has benefited a lot of Auckland’s older heritage areas with developments that embrace the character and increase the urban fabric and feel, others are at risk of losing their identity, character, and heritage connection. Greenwoods Corner in Epsom, the focus of this project, is one of these areas. Two contributing factors toward this issue are a heavy traffic presence creating a large pedestrian disconnect throughout Greenwoods Corner, and the demolition and replacement of character buildings from the immediate area. Many of these replacements are uninspiring, oblivious to the heritage, and insensitive to the areas character and charm. With an obvious problem identified, this research project focuses on reinventing Greenwoods Corner as a thriving suburban centre for Epsom; importantly retaining character and heritage whilst acknowledging the unitary plan and requirements of a growing local population. The site at the epicenter of this project is 583 Manukau Road, containing the Art Deco bank building, standing at the apex of the junction of Manukau and Pah Roads in the heart of Greenwoods Corner. Current knowledge from the fields of building conservation, working within existing architectural fabric, and enhancing public spaces in the pedestrian realm, are investigated to provide evidence toward finding an appropriate design approach. Additionally, existing relevant architectural schemes are acknowledged and critiqued to support this process. This project provides an in depth background of the history of the area and the development that has lead towards Greenwoods Corner and Epsom as they are in present day. This investigative work enables a scheme for Greenwoods Corner that applies adaptive reuse to the iconic bank building structure, as the forefront of a site redeveloped for the local population to provides a strong sense of place. The project is executed with the retention of existing, and the addition of new character. It is hoped that this research project will help inform and provide insight to future development within older, characterful settings, allowing the original built form to be retained into the future whilst being incorporated with sympathetic and meaningful redevelopment.

Publisher

Link to ePress publication

DOI

Copyright holder

Author

Copyright notice

All rights reserved

Copyright license

Available online at