Abstract:
As the needs of small rural communities have evolved, their architecture
has remained idle. Unchangeable buildings and a changing demographic
have lead to the ongoing depreciation of many religious and civic
buildings. Obsolescence is explored through the counterintuitive idea
of Design for Change to ensure these buildings maintain relevance and
continue to persist.
Our bias towards architectural permanence is challenged with an inquiry
into the life cycle of a structure from a reserve perspective. It is argued
that we must learn from the past before we can design for the future;
thus, we must disassemble before we can assemble. Deconstruction and
Disassembly are pursued as an alternative to demolition. While Assembly
describes the process of reusing existing elements in new ways. This
begins with rigorous recording and documenting of an existing building.
The inquiry is tested through four Reassemblies of a deconsecrated
church in rural Hawke’s Bay. The Church’s elements are translated into
new tectonic assemblies and unique spatial possibilities to fulfil more
suitable uses. Informed by an understanding of the natural environment,
the outcomes address contextual changes and aim to foster a stronger
connection to place. This is supported by local engagement through
participatory building processes. Each Reassembly follows a familiarity
of scale and materiality to the existing Church, but departs from the
formal religious structure and programme. By maintaining the layered
timber-frame construction, alongside the introduction of new reversible
connections, the combined outcomes ensure ongoing relevance and
embrace future change.