From Saturday 12 February 2011 the Christchurch Art Gallery will host Before After: Let’s Build a Better Canterbury, an exhibition initiated by the Canterbury Branch of the New Zealand Institute of Architects.

In mid September 2010, following the Canterbury Earthquake, the President and CEO of the New Zealand Institute of Architects approached the Christchurch City Council offering voluntary assistance for a period of six weeks. It was agreed that a role of Architectural Ambassador should be established to coordinate the combined efforts of local architects in pursuit of developing a design direction for the region post-earthquake. Early discussions amongst a wider group of architectural practitioners in Christchurch, and the knowledge that the final decisions on how much would need to be demolished or restored led to a change in a design direction to a much wider framework to assist definitive decision making in the future.

We considered that proposing an immediate design solution was inappropriate as any design would require community participation and support. Through discussion it was decided to develop an exhibition dealing with the wider issues facing the city. An exhibition which could inform professionals, the councils, communities and individuals in their process of arriving at the best conclusions for themselves and the greater community.

The exhibition will concentrate on five issues. These are:

1. Environmental Planning: making the right use of our land
2. Urban Design: thinking about the space between our buildings
3. Heritage and Character: asking what should be happening to our older buildings
4. Residential: thinking about housing options
5. Transport and Infrastructure: ensuring all can get around efficiently

In conjunction with the exhibition, weekly panel discussions will be happening in the Philip Carter Family Auditorium, Christchurch Art Gallery, discussing these five issues and the social and economic issues which have arisin from the aftermath of the quake. Public feedback will be sought both at these panel discussions, at the exhibition itself and on our website www.beforeafter.co.nz.

A large number of Canterbury’s architectural community including senior architectural practitioners, retired architects and architectural graduates have given their time freely to develop this overall framework essential for informing and developing confidence in our future decision making. Our goal following the exhibition is to achieve a stronger and respected voice in future decisions for Christchurch; to inform practitioners within our profession and allied professions that their advice and responsibilities are not limited to their own expertise; and to inform individuals and communities of those wider issues to assist in their own decision making. When we are entrusted to work through design proposals these recommendations are fully understood and become exemplars to reunite the physical identity of Christchurch and its surrounds.

ENDS

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