Media release

10 July 2013

Studio Christchurch designs for a Prototype City

The collective talent from New Zealand’s architecture schools, are collaborating in an effort to make Christchurch a model city for the 21st Century. The initiative, known as Studio Christchurch is set up as an open exchange platform comprising the four architecture schools: School of Architectural Studies at CPIT, the School of Architecture at Victoria University Wellington, the Architecture Department at Unitec, and the School of Architecture and Planning at The University of Auckland.

Founded in 2012, Studio Christchurch, was conceived to actively engage in the discussion shaping post-earthquake Christchurch, through on-going research and design. Based in Christchurch, the unit’s aim is to foster architecture and architectural education while actively contributing to the development and rebuild of the city.

One of its previous projects, Luxcity, drew 20,000 people back into central Christchurch’s red zone for the night for the world’s first Festival of Transitional Architecture. Hundreds of architecture students produced structures made of light for the event, creating an illusion of an urban centre, which temporarily brought the city back to life.

With its research findings regularly published, Studio Christchurch’s latest book Prototype City: Future Christchurch V3.0 is the collective work of six postgraduate students from the School of Architecture and Planning at The University of Auckland.

More than two years on from the devastating earthquakes, essential decisions on what to build where, will shape the Christchurch of the future. Recognising that resources for reconstruction are limited, the students have developed a strategic approach looking at the types of construction which could attract further investment, and focusing on projects which are more likely to act as catalysts for growth.

With this in mind a framework was established for Prototype City which comprised six streams of economic research: Innovation economy, transport economy, green economy, creating economy, housing economy, and experience economy.

The title of the book stems from research that found Christchurch to be the perfect prototype city for three reasons. Firstly, it has the unique advantage of abundant water, arable land and a moderate climate conducive to farming. Secondly, with a population of approximately 370,000 inhabitants, it is large enough to be relevant as a major city but also small enough for technology and infrastructure to be implemented quickly and efficiently. Lastly, because of the massive rebuilding effort following the earthquakes, there is an opportunity to rethink the urban form. Christchurch could capitalise on this opportunity by recognising these inherent traits and become a world-class model city for the 21st Century.

“The Christchurch rebuild is an opportunity for students to participate in current issues shaping architecture today, it is an incredibly complex series of design problems which involve politics, economics, and history. The students’ work not only prepares them for their future careers, but through the collective knowledge their work lends to the discourse shaping the future city,” says Camia Young, Future Christchurch Thesis Advisor.

To find out more about Studio Christchurch visit: www.studiochristchurch.co.nz

To find out more about the book Prototype City: Future Christchurch V3.0 visit:
http://futurechristchurch.wordpress.com/2013/06/06/prototype-city-3-0/

The University of Auckland’s National Institute of Creative Arts and Industries comprises the School of Architecture and Planning, Elam School of Fine Arts, the Centre for Art Studies, the School of Music and the Dance Studies Programme.

Image caption: Studio Christchurch Summer School presentation at the Christchurch City Council.

ENDS

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