Housing: The living areas of the housing become invitation spaces with the inclusion of top-hinged doors. When the food is up, residents are signaling that their house is open to hosting the other residents. It allows families to foster stronger relationships with their neighbours. The deck at the front of each house extends this space, allowing for larger gatherings. Sharing an open sleeping space not only reduces the size of the building, but allows the Whanau to be close together.
Communal Kitchen: Gives residents a chance to prepare meals and eat together. The window seats not only allow seating, but the addition of a horizontal shutter gives the children a surface to study on. The vertical shutters open out to give each child privacy, they can turn around to face the interior when eating or if they need to raise a question.
Community Building: The community building’s role in the scheme is to foster the relationship between the residents and their wider Hapu, Iwi and the public. The public arrives from the North side, into the verandah and then moves inside. Groups meet inside, where they have the ability to rearrange the space according to their needs. The space gives each group the opportunity to meet and share- the embodiment of Manaakitanga and Mahakitanga. The large southern windows allows the groups to share the view of the local maunga.
Landscaping: The Gardens allow residents to cultivate fruit and vegetables together. They are able to pick and choose what they want to grow and care for the produce, then they can share the ‘fruits of their labour’ together.
Windows and Doors: Embodies the Samoan concept of Vā. Fosters the relationship between residents, as well as inhabitants and the surrounding landscape. It allows residents to extend their space beyond the walls.
All building design, physical and digital modelling, and perspective drawings completed by me.