Open Access Te Herenga Waka-Victoria University of Wellington
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Expecting the unexpected: Redefining the home to adapt to the lifetime requirements of its occupants

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thesis
posted on 2021-11-22, 20:44 authored by Groom, Sarah

What happens when the home expects the unexpected?  Since the beginning of the current housing price rise in 2012, homeownership in New Zealand has become increasingly difficult. The desire to enter the property market has been impeded by the unsuitability of current housing stock that no longer meets the needs of the modern household.  While it is widely accepted by economists, yet denied by politicians, New Zealand is amid a housing crisis. The government is addressing the issue by introducing a means to allow housing to be produced more quickly. This new housing is expected to mitigate the issues surrounding a shortage of land and population increase, by developing a large proportion of new developments in the classification of medium density housing.  With a shortfall of 10,000 houses per annum, the current situation presents an opportunity to reassess how medium density housing (MDH) is configured in New Zealand. To break the cycle of housing stock rendering itself unsuitable in the future, this thesis aims to investigate how housing could be designed to allow for change over time.  All age groups stand to benefit from a home that is carefully planned and considers their lifetime needs. An established design framework enables the prefabricated modular system to adapt, reflecting the lifetime requirements of its occupants.  The outcome is an innovative, alternate design solution that considers the wellbeing of occupants through a lifetime design approach, offering adaptability and efficient production through prefabrication.   A home that expects the unexpected.

History

Copyright Date

2017-01-01

Date of Award

2017-01-01

Publisher

Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington

Rights License

Author Retains Copyright

Degree Discipline

Architecture

Degree Grantor

Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington

Degree Level

Masters

Degree Name

Master of Architecture (Professional)

ANZSRC Type Of Activity code

4 EXPERIMENTAL DEVELOPMENT

Victoria University of Wellington Item Type

Awarded Research Masters Thesis

Language

en_NZ

Victoria University of Wellington School

School of Architecture

Advisors

Gjerde, Morten