Abstract:
The mountain was purged, punctured and pierced of all its stone. Where now a development of over 2000 people live, remnants of its past life as a mountain turned quarry are exposed through the strata of earth. Stonefields is now a residential suburb with homes arranged monotonously throughout mirroring the image of Suburbia with its freshly manicured lawns and repetitive exteriors. Reflected pools of water rest on the far side of the development forming the Wetlands. The interest in this quarry not only lies with what exists now but the past of this land. It lived its life for 50 years where rocks were mined to make most of the roading and paving for Auckland city. The Quarry was originally a Basalt lava field; therefore the mountain was originally used by the iwi as a storage for agricultural food supply with some occupation during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the quarry closure in 2008 it has been hollowed out and leveled with its history fraying edges. ... This thesis aims to emphasise the thresholds of different architectural experiences and pry open the strata of the land by creating an architectural earth vessel. The thesis question is: How might the experimental process of a design methodology help realise a community (architectural) vessel for the suburb of Stonefields?The earth vessel is a symbolic understanding of how spaces can be moulded to shape and enhance the object and the inhabitants. The thesis aims to identify shifting of the datum line where the perception of movement and space is challenged.