New research projects

Claire Macky, Senior Specialist – Walking & Cycling, Auckland Transport discussing a new research project with Nemo

Daryl Lim, Senior Civil Engineer,  and Rob Truter, Survey Manager, discuss the development of a new research collaboration between Babbage consultants and new MLA  student Kevin Zhu

Post graduate research scholarships

The 2015 Unitec post graduate research scholarships was awarded to five of our top researchers; Riyasp Bhandari, Shayne Noronha, Shoujun Chen, Shanmugam Kangatharan and  Komal Bhatt ( absent).  Nikolay Popov chair of the Department of Landscape Architecture research committee gave the awards.  

Waterways

David Shearer, Labour’s Shadow Minister of Foreign Affairs and MP for Mt Albert recently joined other critics; Juan Molina, senior architect and urban designer at CPRW Fisher, Bill McKay Senior Lecturer and Associate Head (Student Relations) in the School of Architecture and Planning, UoA, and Katrina Simon, senior lecturer in the Faculty of the Built Environment University of New South Wales, Sydney at the April Masters by Project Workshop. David was particularly interested in the work of MLA student Raewyn Davies Martin whose research project sought to develop localized treatment for black water in the Mt Albert catchment. David commended Raewyn on an extensive design investigation into how this problem might be treated and also produces a new-public space for the citizens of Mt Albert.

The first workshop

The first Master by Project workshop of the year had a record number of students, 16 presentations and one exam, spread over two days.  Thursday kicked of with Grace He, an experienced landscape architect who is working at Isthmus Group, discussing her research work at her third workshop; her research question is ,how can urban design practice accommodate and enhance the intersection of diverse culture in the public/third spaces and contribute positively to the social exchange within diverse communities? Gemma Gao Followed Grace with an exploration of her research question, how can Open spaces be designed so they can act as evacuation places in case of volcano eruption in Auckland? Qian Wang  followed with a discussion about her research interest in how can an urban green infrastructure and low impact design approach encourage multi-functional management of water in parks. After the break, Junjie Xu presented his research project; how can landscape ecology assist in achieving sustainable outcomes for the brownfield development? Terry has chosen a site New Lyn to carry out a test case design. Terry was followed by Rithy Heng who is looking at an Urban Renewal and Revitalization project in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Quin Luo, a new masters student, followed Rithy with the presentation of her preliminary research project looking at remediation of coastal erosion in Auckland. The students where closely questioned by a distinguished panel including ; Mike Thomas, Principal Jasmax, Stuart Houghton, Urban Designer, Associate Principal, Boffa Miskell, Dr. Paola Trapani senior lecture Unitec and Desna Whaanga-Schollum Desna Whaanga-Schollum, Rongomaiwahine, Ngati Kahungunu, artist and designer.

Friday morning started with a Master of Architecture exam for Eloise Veber. Her research question was; Meeting at the edge. How would we design Te Papa today? Eloise concern is that Te Papa Tongarewa has always faced controversy over the lack of relationship to its historically/culturally significant waterfront site, the ocean, and the surrounding urban environment. Eloise’s project developed a new design for the Museum of New Zealand. Reading the national museum as a place of self-representation and inter-cultural exchange, the project explored our obsession with the coast and the foreshore as a place of gathering for New Zealanders, to inform a new design for the museum.

Eloise received  a close but rewarding examination of her work ad passed with flying colours.  Eloise was followed by new masters student Komal Bhatt who introduced her research question, how can a cemetery function as a place of ‘Healing’ for the many cultural groups in Auckland? Raewyn Davie followed Komal with her research project, Mountain to Sea: Water for Resilient 21st Century Cities. This was Raewyn third workshop before her exam. Riyasp Bhandari, another freshman introduced his research question which explores the positive and negative impacts on Auckland’s waterfront, further understanding the values of cultural shifts, trade, productivity, transportation, social cohesion and ecology in the urban realm.

Katrina Simon a senior lecturer in the Faculty of the Built Environment at UNSW Australia, Juan Molina is a senior architect and urban designer at CPRW Fisher, Bill Bill McKay a Senior Lecturer and Associate Head (Student Relations) in the School of Architecture and Planning and David Shearer the MP for Mt Albert and Spokesman for Foreign Affairs and Consumer Affairs, where the critics for the mornings session.

After another great lunch, Xinxin and Alex presented their work for the second workshop   Xinxin Wang presented her research project, preserving a green network for a regional city. Xinxin was followed by Xu Gao who presented his research question, how can we develop coastal line as a part of urban area for future and can we develop coastal line with tourism as well? Two freshmen followed presented their new research questions. Shan Kangatharan is interested in how transport infrastructure can effect/determine the future growth of Auckland and  Shoujun Chen is exploring how can Peri-urban Agriculture contributes to Low Carbon Auckland?

Before we had the final three presentations we had a delicious afternoon tea of koru road ice-cream, (I cant recommend the salted caramel highly enough) Three new masters students started our last session of the day with their first research thoughts, Zara Jawadi started by talking about her interest in how to makes public space with the provision of new PT system. Shasha Li (Nemo) talked about her research interest in the provision of a  physical activity accessible traffic network in Auckland. And Shayne Noronha finished the day by reimagining the edge: reclaiming the coastal lifestyle from rising currents

A distinguished panel of experts including Tommy Honey, Dean of Collage, Whitcliffe Collage of Art, Bob Dey, creator & writer of The Bob Dey Property Report, Will Thresher, Director Thresher Associates, and . Juan Molina a senior architect and urban designer at CPRW Fisher ably critiqued the research work.