Abstract:
Tourism in New Zealand is often about nature. On the Kapiti Coast, tourism is preoccupied with the island, but this research looks at possibilities of cultural tourism in Paraparaumu township: away from risks of coastal erosion, sea level rise, and potential tsunamis. Sport is important to local culture and the objective is to explore the architectural potential for the Paraparaumu Domain. The existing Paraparaumu Rugby Club, Old Boys Cricket Club, Athletics Club, and Memorial Hall are all in separate buildings, used at separate times, during different parts of the year. What kind of architecture could help celebrate local sports culture? What kind of processes might be cultivated through such a project and how could they influence the design? Through the design of a shared sports clubrooms in the domain I searched for design processes and typological hybrids that could both connect to the local cultures, but also to discover more complex technical and spatial possibilities. Beginning with a typical cement block I explored an interior quality of the existing clubrooms; one that is unpretentious and modest. I experimented with analogue and digital processes to draw out a relationship between qualities, thinking how blunt instruments can come together with more sophisticated ones.
