A Moment In-Between: The Role of Architecture in Refugee Resettlement in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland

Abstract

The world is experiencing the largest refugee crisis to date, as wars, political unrest and social struggles threaten the lives of individuals, leaving 21.3 million individuals worldwide offi cially identifi ed as refugees.1 They remain in a state of fl ux, awaiting resettlement and the promise of a brighter future in a resettlement nation. New Zealand is one of few nations that provides an acclimatisation process for incoming refugees. Over the course of six weeks refugees are guided through aspects such as health care, learning the English language and general day-to-day life in New Zealand. The Mangere Refugee Resettlement Centre (MRRC) is a repurposed World War II military facility with inadequate amenities to facilitate a comprehensive transition to a new home. The centre rejects connection to the site, climate, surrounding community and required use of the facility. The lack of architectural distinction between varying programmes leads to a disordered spatial arrangement. The existing barracks expose a sense of institutional control where individuals are treated as numbers rather than unique beings. The uniform, homogeneous dorm rooms with allocated barracks for eating, living, playing and learning imply order and strict regulation, a planning strategy commonly employed in spaces such as hospitals, penitentiaries or correctional facilities. The few weeks at the Resettlement Centre mark a transient experience as refugees leave behind tumultuous lives and look forward to a better future in New Zealand. A Moment In-Between proposes a new design language to aid spatial arrangement, way-showing, and organisation of the decentralised, dispersed programme of the site. The proposition explores a sensitive architectural strategy responding to climate, site, neighbourhood and programme. Through the themes of The Contained, The Assembled, and The Threshold, this thesis explores varying levels of private, communal and public spaces where interaction with the local community is encouraged. The fi nal proposition is a space which, rather than promoting feelings of authority and surveillance, evokes notions of acceptance, safety, a sense of belonging, and functions as a threshold for uniting New Zealand’s new residents with the local community.