It has started already!

Wellington City Council are beginning phase one of their redevelopment of the Kilbirnie town centre http://www.wellington.govt.nz/projects/new/kilbirnie/kilbirnie.html 

Now I just need to convince them they want to build an urban park/ transit hub too...

Kilbirnie Tram Station: Part A

This is the first part (research and master planning) of our second project: A light rail station for our chosen site. I became fascinated by the diversity of Kilbirnie, as well as the history of its landscape, and the landscape of its atmosphere (with Jun'ya Ishigami in my thoughts - if you can, watch  http://youtu.be/tgIelBds_OQ with Table at 08:30 and then 29:00 for KAIT Workshop, but really it's just full of weird and wonderful projects)

Open publication - Free publishing - More kilbirnie

A Walk in Spring

I found a beautiful walk this afternoon, and I wanted to share it with you

I had been sitting in the second year studio, trying to think of ideas for design, when I spotted a beautiful tall tree out of the window, with branches glowing white on the distant hills of Mount Victoria...

I decided to take a break, and go for a walk to try and find it. And on my way, I discovered...

A strange new language, reminiscent of Shaun Tan's The Arrival.

White blossom.

The main entrance of a local house.

Narrow stairs that lead to beautiful views.

Forest paths,

That find quiet landscapes.

And the White Tree.

With a swing!

And back again.

Tokyo to London

I was working in the library today, when I noticed something that looked remarkably familiar...
It was in an old special issue of Japan Architect dedicated to the then current 1964 Tokyo Olympics, and featured the Yoyogi National Gymnasium by Kenzo Tange:

Maybe you can see it too...

Non-other than Zaha Hadid's London Aquatics Center for the 2012 London Olympics / Paralymics, possibly my favourite out of all the London 2012 architecture.

I can only assume Zaha reads her Japanese architecture. The symmetry in the above photography is a bit uncanny too

And yet I can find no reference or connection made between the two buildings on the internet. Maybe it's just me?