Is this Armistice anniversary the time to ask “Should Pukeahu be formally declared a heritage area?”
The opening of Pukeahu during ANZAC celebrations this year was an acknowledgement of the past but also of the ability of heritage to contribute to the future. (more…)
Last Sunday (12th October) John Key announced that the Housing Accords legislation would be incorporated into the Resource Management Act (RMA), and that the Basin Board of Inquiry was evidence of a need to combine sections 6 and 7, and include a reference to “infrastructure” in this new section in an amended RMA. (more…)
*Guest Post by Bill Toomath, one of our well-respected architect members of the Architectural Centre
To gain a virtually realistic experience of what it would feel like to be alongside and under the proposed NZTA flyover at the Basin Reserve one can easily beam down on Google to a similar project at Bucharest in Romania. There a major overbridge was completed in 2011 with a concrete and steel overpass across the end of a main boulevard and extending alongside several streets, all closely resembling the present nature of the NZTA’s proposals.
By going on Google Earth to long/lat 44 26′ 57″N, 26 04′ 09″E one will land at a part of the Basarab Overpass system in the north of Bucharest. One can then move about on Street View to experience from many angles the impact of the structure on the city environment. Discounting its pylon suspension bridge over railway yards and an increase of lanes on the overpass, the structure is directly comparable with the Wellington proposal and conditions. Its bulk and height are similar, as well as the proportions of supporting piers.
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NZTA continues digging the underpass tunnel below the future Memorial Park: pictures enclosed.
The route through is now almost complete from end to end, open for the first time ever, direct from Taranaki St right through to the Basin. It is a busy worksite, clogged full of diggers, excavators, soil-nailers, trucks, and still: an awful lot of rich brown clay. (more…)
The WCC has issued a report which evaluates Alternatives to the NZTA’s proposal for a flyover at the Basin.
Download a PDF to read our response to the WCC report.
Arch-Centre_Response to WCC report
Mitigation is a funny word.
“mit·i·ga·tion [mit-i-gey-shuhn] noun
1. the act of mitigating, or lessening the force or intensity of something unpleasant, as wrath, pain, grief, or extreme circumstances: Social support is the most important factor in the mitigation of stress among adolescents.2. the act of making a condition or consequence less severe: the mitigation of a punishment.
3. the process of becoming milder, gentler, or less severe.
4. a mitigating circumstance, event, or consequence.”
(source: Dictionary.com)
In the case of the Basin Reserve flyover, the Wellington City Council has asked for further “mitigation” of the proposed Flyover (concrete bridge / Option A). For its part, NZTA has also promised some “mitigation” of the effects of the flyover, and says that they will focus on “mitigation” to ensure that the flyover is “integrated”. Trouble is, I’m not really sure that they are talking about the same thing.
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Boundary issues
Sunday, November 1st, 2015I was watching crits at VUW last week, and the issue of fences arose in a discussion about one masters’ student’s proposed alternative to stadium design. (more…)
Tags:Basin Reserve, David Walmsley, Environment Court, fences, Frank Kitts Park, Guy Marriage, harbour view, High Court, Hyde Park, Memorial Park, mobile phones, option X, Paul Walker, Peter Aitchison, private space, Public Space, Roseneath, smart phones, temporary fences, VUW crits 2015, WCC, Wellington City Council
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