Abstract:
It is no secret that the built environment shapes us physically, but what about the emotional impact? Through the design research approach, this thesis speculates as to the influence of architecture on its inhabitants in Auckland’s CBD (Central Business District). Drawing the parallel between my own experience of split childhood in both Russia and in New Zealand, I wonder how life in a particular environment can influence one’s ability to think creatively. I establish the relationship of the environment and embodied image on psychological well being. Journeys through public spaces generate personal psychogeography that we take to our destinations. Auckland's, existing urban condition is predominantly commercial in layout that does not leave much space for its residents to roam freely. Could this then be interpreted as an authoritarian urban order? Might applying, research into ludic, ‘play’ philosophies, establish a critique of this ‘rational’ urban order and settle an argument for a more ‘natural’ way of living. Unused spaces in Auckland’s CBD are seized as sites for this design research as they represent ‘inefficiencies’ or perhaps a looseness of the urban fabric. Tapping into the energies that already exist around the selected sites, I want to create new demand for forgotten spaces and perhaps, with time, to influence the urban fabric. In the design outcome, I aim to balance the primary necessities of public space, while producing an efficient and influential set of facilities for the diverse demographic of potential users. Using my own disciplinary knowledge and intuition of what would work and where, I challenge my own rational thinking through designing ludic interventions.