A collaborative design studio approach to safeguard waterfront resilience in Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand

Abstract

This paper discusses the potential of an interdisciplinary design studio to develop innovative thinking in response to the climatic and social challenges facing contemporary waterfront redevelopments. Climate change has a broad and growing range of environmental effects on coastal cities that demand urgent responses. The paper describes the development of a collaborative and interdisciplinary design studio that identified a number of design responses to meet the challenges of climate change. The studio brought together students and lecturers from architecture and landscape architecture along with relevant stakeholders (government agencies, practitioners, community) to collaborate on the redevelopment of the Onehunga Port in Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand. Engagement with mana whenua (the indigenous people of specific areas of Aotearoa New Zealand) was critical. The students worked in teams to conduct critical research and design throughout a masterplanning design process. The outcomes of the studio included open-ended and propositional designs rather than the conventional masterplans. Students design work addressed complex problems, such as sea level rise, to develop a more resilient urban future. Beyond the immediate objectives of the studio, the interdisciplinary collaboration demonstrated a range of benefits, including students learning to work in teams, sharing complementary views, broadening perspectives and increasing social awareness.