Abstract:
This thesis acknowledges the potential in the multicultural communities of New Zealand. It investigates the social aspect of communal living and compares the cultural elements of the demographic. Conflicts are inevitable in housing communities; however, the benefits of multiculturalism tower over the disadvantages of the communal lifestyle. The thesis progressed through stages of detailed site mapping and demographics, analysis on the communal lifestyle, and research on vernacular buildings belonging to three different ethnicities: Pākehā (New Zealand European), Māori and Chinese. Design issues are addressed through a residential community project on a site in Belmont, Auckland. This project is an investigation into how architecture can make this community more integrated with its residents. The impact of the liveliness of a community and the educational factors through interaction will be rewarding for the community. The conventional notions of public and private are challenged, utilising the ambiguous spaces between, which are pivotal for the design of this community.
