Making Chinese of Home

Abstract

A country that is considered relatively young and recently established, New Zealand is expanding with expanding local families, and ingest of a diverse range of cultures from around the world. The increasing population growth has therefore demanded more spaces available to house and cater to the new residences - a particularly evident problem in Auckland. Although this has been a contending issue spanning across several decades, some success has shown through the conventional methods of suburban expansion. The one-lot one-unit method of homeownership has been the steeple of living style. While such orientation works in line with the populist way of nuclear family living, the solution introduced a significant amount of urban sprawl, and prime real estate to cost beyond the reach of many buyers. Amongst the on-going issue of housing people, the growing ethnic diversity also put a strain on the cultural implementation of residents. The Chinese community has long been established in New Zealand and accounts for two-thirds of the Asian ethnicity residing in Auckland. For Chinese, a dwelling is more than a place of shelter and food; it is also a place of cultural expression where values are shared with the community. Our western housing model emphasizes individuality and privacy, thereby discouraging immigrants to interact beyond the walls. As a solution the problem, this thesis takes interest in the historical roots of Chinese housing architecture. The oriental nation has long been recognised for its efficiency to cater in volume. Historical research into the balance of dynamics in the vernacular approach shows how family, natural resources, spiritual beliefs, spatial and technical pragmatics are items that could lead to a better approach to our local architecture. These ideas are grasped upon and applied to the suburban neighbourhood town centre in Northcote, which has seen a significant increase in population, many of whom are of Asian descent. Arguably a long-established part of Auckland’s North Shore, its redevelopment through the Panuku scheme sees a new approach to densify and repurpose existing land. The purpose of this thesis is to explore the possibility to conceptualise a new living typology, which hybridises the traditional livings of the Chinese with the local landscape and create housing that may suit a diversifying population, and satisfy the introduction of medium density housing as a norm in New Zealand. The use of the vernacular research paints a fundamental basis of exclusivity in Chinese housing. These points are summarised into a design concept, which hopes to cater a platform for encompassing Chinese culture and medium density housing into our local architecture. This thesis hopes to offer a potential solution to New Zealand’s increasing demand for medium density development, while further enrichening our diverse make-up of population.