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RESEARCH QUESTION: How can architecture assist with the preservation and restoration of Ngāpuhi identity? ABSTRACT: Identity has continually been subject to change through history and circumstances. As time has progressed Ngāpuhi identity within progenies has become eroded from the impacts of urbanisation and colonisation. These foreign concepts have consciously subverted Ngāpuhi history, spirituality, land, lore and laws; elements critical to the formation and continuation of identity within Ngāpuhi iwi and its descendants, resulting in a loss of Ngāpuhitanga intergenerationally. In essence, this design research project asks, how can architecture assist with the preservation and restoration of Ngāpuhi? As architecture is a manifestation and expression of identity and culture, for this research project, a whare taonga as the architectural response will endeavour to respond to the design research projects inquiry. Accordingly, this research project seeks to capture the diverse knowledge of architecture and identity through literature and precedent investigations. These sources of knowledge will provide supportive information that will contribute to responding to the project’s underlying issue. Site: Pouērua, Pakaraka, Northland.

RESEARCH QUESTION: How can indigenous design principles drive the design of a Fijian museum that allows the younger generation to reconnect to their cultural heritage? Breaking down the research question into sub-categories: - Researching into Fijian material culture. - An exploration of Fijian design principles, architecture and Fijian built environments. - Practical design application ABSTRACT: As time progresses and globalisation takes hold, cultural heritage knowledge slowly fades away from memory. The memory of where we came from, our stories, arts and crafts, religious beliefs, traditions, and the way we built our architecture. Those elements of traditions that created our identity are slowly fading. The deeper purpose for this research project is to reconnect us and future generations with our culture on a metaphorical, physical and spiritual existence. For this research project, a museum as an architectural typology can be used as a platform to recreate that lost connection with our cultural heritage. As a worldwide solution, a museum’s role is to collect and preserve culturally significant objects, ranging from religious artefacts, historical artefacts and tools to clothes, and in particular antiquities. This project seeks to go beyond the traditional role of a museum to be a place where visitors get to immerse themselves in Fiji’s living culture. Site: Thurston Gardens (Suva, Fiji)

RESEARCH QUESTION: How might architecture promote the culture and heritage of the Seychelles, while also reflecting a contemporary and vibrant architectural culture? ABSTRACT: For many, the Seychelles conjures images of white sandy beaches, clear blue sea waters and lush vegetation. This is the common view of what tropical islands are. Yet, today, as an independent island state, the Seychelles also has a multifaceted history and rich culture which is the result of a unique mix of people, who are descendants of African slaves, Chinese and Indian traders and servants, and French and British colonists. The influence of Western and European architecture and lifestyle and a combination of several other factors, after its independence in the mid-1970s, led to the decline in popularity of traditional Creole architecture, and so did the importance placed on its culture. Today buildings built in the Seychelles are poorly adapted to its hot tropical climate. Nevertheless, the evolution of architecture in the Seychelles is inevitable, but how can it ensure that its culture and heritage does not fade in the process? This paper aims to achieve this, first by plotting the course of architecture of the Seychelles through analysing buildings built during colonial and post-colonial periods. The theory about the way islands are perceived is also investigated, particularly through what Uma Kothari and Rorden Wilkinson refer to as “island imaginaries”. In their article, they highlight the risks associated with the usage of this concept by small island states. It is also found that the demise of traditional Creole architecture may be linked with modernism and globalisation, as ascertained by British architect, Robert Adam. The threat cultural homogenisation poses underscores more reasons for the diverse culture of the Seychelles to be protected. Consequently, relevant precedents such as Renzo Piano’s Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Centre is analysed, as the design was directly influenced by the culture of a people. Additionally, African slaves are an underappreciated part of the Seychelles’ cultural legacy; this paper aims to rectify this. Therefore, a precedent which deals with a similarly sensitive subject matter was also analysed: the National Memorial for Peace and Justice. Informed by this research, along with the conditions of the Seychelles based site, this research project proposes the design of a cultural centre with a museum component. A search for initial form is done by using a method where the Seychelles’ artefacts, heritage items, and cultural practices are analysed and ‘architecturalised’. Guided by the requirements of a museum, the cultural centre and museum programme are then applied. It is hoped that the culmination of this research paper will add to the scope of culture-inspired architecture; and that its culture and heritage can be a source of inspiration for its self-promotion, and for artistic, as well as architectural expression.

RESEARCH QUESTION: How can the natural history significant to the Waitākere Ranges be best articulated through a Source-Community approach to architecture? ABSTRACT: The Waitākere Ranges, just west of Auckland City, are identified as one of the most important ecosystems in New Zealand. However, only a fraction of the population is aware of the thousands of indigenous species of flora and fauna that have lived there for thousands of years, and continue to contribute to the scientific study and documentation of the country’s vital ecological system. These species, some found nowhere else in New Zealand nor the world, now reside largely in civic institutions such as Auckland Museum and New Zealand’s national museum Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington. These museums are subject to providing the public with a considerably inauthentic interpretation of where these important species originated, their habitats and their indigenous ecosystems. This is concerning, as not only are visitors educated on a materialised version of the truth; the species themselves are stripped of their own mauri, or life force, with the essence of their habitat lost. This research project aims to find an alternative to the detached civic museum experience. This is achieved through an in-depth understanding of a Source Community strategy, repatriation of specimens, culturally appropriate curation methods, as well as a thorough analysis of site and program. The investigation concludes the design of a regional Natural History Museum in the Waitākere Ranges, for the Waitākere Ranges. This museum shall offer a glimpse into the rich and often overlooked layer of this country, providing the visitor with an immersive, authentic learning experience. Visitors shall be able to move through, see, and feel the environment in ways which would otherwise not be achievable.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS: How can architecture create and sustain a ‘sense of place,’ in a culturally diverse city, such as Auckland? How can multiculturalism be represented with architecture? ABSTRACT: Place is a multifaceted phenomenon. We experience it as the coherence of locale; geographic features; architectural presence; people, their routine and personal experiences; and in the context of other places. When we talk about place in terms of a city, we need to understand that we share places and contribute to them collectively as a society. They in turn convey our stories. The story of Aotearoa begins with the arrival of Maori settlers, who migrated to this land from Polynesia. Later European settlers arrived, bringing people of other nationalities with them. Over the course of time, many people ventured to Aotearoa for different reasons. Some came in search of adventure, while others came looking for jobs and/or a better life. People of Aotearoa are united in their migratory journey to this new land; they left their place of origin in search of a new home, bringing with them the stories of their past. Migration of people to Aotearoa New Zealand, has resulted in its diversity. This is most evident in Auckland City; whose residents belong to 180 different ethnicities. The natural and built environment of Auckland is beginning to share the narrative of a bi-cultural society, but representation of the rising multiculturalism of our city is insufficient. Rising from a personal need to establish a ‘sense of place’, this research project addresses the need for public architecture that provides the opportunity to embrace and display the diversity of Auckland city. Investigating the concept of place; public space; migration as a collective memory; and contextual understanding of Auckland city, has resulted in Architecture of diversity. The resulting architectural outcome is the Museum of Migration, which displays the migratory history of Aotearoa through exhibitions and street style artisan market. This project inhabits Pukekawa hill at the Auckland Domain, serving as an extension to the existing Auckland War Memorial Museum.

RESEARCH QUESTION: How can contemporary architecture preserve and celebrate Samoan cultural identity? ABSTRACT: The arrival of the first settlers in the late 1760s ignited the influx of foreign cultures to Samoa, resulting in the colonisation and the loss of traditional knowledge and culture. Its effects on the nation today are evident within the architecture of Samoa and the relevance of cultural traditions. The introduction of new materials and tools, as well as globalisation, have shaped the traditional art forms and their relevance within modern-day society. The demand for certain art forms, including siapo, has decreased over the years with the ie toga remaining prominent within Samoan customs. The traditional knowledge associated with Samoan culture has been passed on to future generations, through oral tradition. The result of foreign influences has impacted this form of communication and has lead to the loss of cultural heritage. Foreigners brought their architectural styles to Samoa impacting the previous aesthetics of the country. The influence of foreign styles replaced traditional vernacular architecture of Samoa, resulting in a lack of Samoan culture. An example of this is the current museum of Samoa. Although its intention is to preserve the intangible culture of Samoa, the museum itself, which was previously a German school, is of colonial style. Traditional knowledge is in danger of becoming extinct and the Samoan landscape is becoming more vulnerable. This calls for a new method that helps to return the previous vernacular architecture. This research project refers to traditional Samoan culture and heritage to influence the design of a new museum. The museum’s intention is to preserve the traditional knowledge and customs of Samoa that are at risk, while celebrating both its tangible and intangible material culture

RESEARCH QUESTION: How can an architectural intervention facilitate the return of taonga to iwi in Aotearoa/New Zealand? ABSTRACT: Taonga Māori are generally understood as a treasure, or anything of high value. The term has become a part of New Zealand legislation through its inclusion in the Treaty of Waitangi and the Resource Management Act 1991. This project focuses on the importance of the reconnection of taonga to their people. The project uses architectural design as a kaitiakitanga (guardian) to aid in the preservation and retrieval of Taonga Māori, enabling their return to iwi of New Zealand. The resulting building not only provides for preservation of taonga but also accommodates the cultural and spiritual aspects required to facilitate a strong bond between iwi and taonga. This project is intended as a koha (gift) to Māori, in order to enable further development within this field, using architecture in taonga retrieval and rehabilitation. This project is a response to the belief that Māori should create their own cultural centre. The need for a specific centre, such as the one proposed in this study, stems from the existing conflicts between traditional western museum practices and approaches and the spiritual and cultural needs of indigenous people. There are currently limited facilities to aid in culturally appropriate treatment, return, and reconnection of Taonga Māori. Investigation into Tikanga Māori, consultations with Māori cultural and architectural advisors, as well as a culturally based understanding of Puketutu Island, have resulted in the design of a Taonga Rehabilitation Centre.

RESEARCH QUESTION: How can architecture represent the colonial past of Tahiti? ABSTRACT: Located in the heart of the Pacific Ocean, Tahiti is one of the 118 islands that make up French Polynesia. It was first “discovered” by British explored Samuel Wallis in 1767, followed by Louis Antoine Bougainville in 1768 and by James Cook in 1769. All of them were charmed by the natural landscape and the beauty of the local people. However, like many other colonised islands in the Pacific, the first contact with Europeans was a turning point for Tahitian society. Tahitians were nearly decimated by diseases, guns, alcohol and aspirations brought by Europeans. The introduction of money and the gospel changed the traditional culture, which revolved around nature and Polynesian deities, and eventually led to the end of the Tahitian Monarchy and the annexation of Tahiti by France in 1880. Tahiti’s tourist appeal is legendary, as Tahiti has held a special place in the Western Imagination since its discovery. But this romantic image, boosted by the tourism industry, distracts from the social and environmental destruction caused by France’s 30-year nuclear testing program in French Polynesia. With the closure of the Centre d’Experimentation du Pacifique (CEP) in 1996, the local government is now looking to tourism for salvation. This project investigates the origins of the first settlements in the Pacific and the means Polynesians used to cross the ocean. A chronological study of Tahiti’s colonial history follows, from the first encounter with the Europeans to the Nuclear Era in the 1960s. The colonial past is analysed, along with the colonial discourse, to see how the European vision of the Pacific has shaped and reshaped the geography of Tahiti over time. The research led to a design proposal of a memorial museum commemorating the colonial past of Tahiti with an emphasis on the nuclear testing in French Polynesia. The project aims to initiate social, economic, and political changes that will benefit Tahitian society and help it recover from the ills of colonisation.

This proposal develops a design for a textile museum and gallery. The design has been produced as a result of an indepth analysis of textile arts and the information that can be derived from their application in architecture. The research is based upon the theoretical influence that Gottfried Semper specified in his writings on the topic of textiles and their relationship in architecture. The design explores the application of textiles in architecture in various ways; from translating textile inspired structures into tectonic materials, to the incorporation of textile materials with traditional building construction, all with the aim of exploiting textiles and all that they can offer to the development of a New Zealand contemporary architecture.

Architecture is the art of space. There is no doubt that humans are influenced by architectural space. This research project – writing and design – focuses on the influence of architectural space. By means of case studies of the design of museum space, other public building space, and urban space, the writing discusses the space elements, the features of space and the influence on human feeling. Relating to the design of a history museum, it could evoke a certain feeling or memory of a historical event. The design component of this project is located in Shenyang, a big city in the northeast of China. It intends to impress visitors with a vivid history of Shenyang in order to improve the image of the city.