Manipulating Standardisation using Parameter based controls

Abstract

Today home ownership sits at a 60-year low, and families are forced to live on the street, or in overcrowded houses; it is clear the New Zealand housing system is failing. (Alan Johnson et al. 2018). Along with our fragmented construction processes continuing to prevail, demand continues to outpace affordable supply (Rowe Don, 2018). This thesis sets out to discover a future for Auckland’s residential housing sector, by investigating an unrealised potential for multipurpose consenting on repetitive design scenarios. It draws upon legislative proposals to determine recommendations towards legislative reform, therefore provoking a greater uptake of modularisation as a housing solution for Auckland. In addition techniques to remove standardisation, while maintaining the necessity of speed will be investigated; a design reaction against the provocative ‘Kiwi Dream’ ideology. This research started with a contextual analysis of Auckland’s Housing Crisis, a historical context and the current situation. A similar process was taken to document an introduction to prefabrication. The process of research revealed our fragmented process of construction is unable to cope with demand. Conclusions revealed prefabrication as a viable solution if options to mitigate standardisation prevailed. Using a case-study research approach it was found with legislative reform ensuing, a standardised module may be multiplied and manipulated relative to correlated data as per user, to output an adaptive and individualised design scenario. This investigtion provided recommendations for a viable housing solution to meet Auckland’s growing deficit. An argument is made that by manipulating a readily consented, standardised module relative to demographic data, we can provide an individualised design theory, while maintaining the necessity of speed. A key outcome is the potential for speed of design and delivery while offering an individualised design theory in a consumerist scenario, providing an anti-elitist solution that gives control back to the people. An important finding from this investigation is the design possibilities that may ensue with legislative change, in addition to the theory of manipulating standardisation using parameter based controls as a contemporary design solution.