Loose Space and Place:

Finding Sense of Place within an Industrial City Fringe Site

Written by Anthony Sephton

An explanatory document submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of
Master of Architecture (Professional) at Unitec New Zealand,
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Table of Contents

1. Introduction

1.1 Project Outline..............................................................................................4

1.1 Key Definitions.............................................................................................5

1.3 The Problem: Placelessness as a Result of Urban Renewal .........................9

1.4 The Architectural Question.........................................................................14

1.5 Aim and Key Objectives...............................................................................14

2. Methodology

2.1 Research through Literature.......................................................................15

2.2 Research through Site Analysis..................................................................15

2.3 Research through Precedent.......................................................................16

2.4 Research through Design............................................................................16

3. Review of Current Knowledge

3.1 Literature concerning Urban Change..........................................................17

3.2 Literature concerning Sense of Place and Placelessness.............................17

3.3 Literature concerning Conservation............................................................19

3.4 Literature concerning Loose Space.............................................................20

4. Research Findings

4.1 Site Description...........................................................................................23

4.2 Loose Space Theory.....................................................................................26

4.3 Conservation of a Sense of Place................................................................28

4.4 Rhubarb Lane...............................................................................................30

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5. Project Development

5.1 key Planning Issues.....................................................................................34

5.2 Brief.............................................................................................................34

5.2.1 Main brief..................................................................................35

5.2.2 Mixed Use Development...........................................................36

5.3Site Permeability..........................................................................................37

5.4 Site Massing and Form................................................................................38

5.5 Materiality....................................................................................................39

5.6 Robustness....................................................................................................40

7. Critical Appraisal of Finished Work and its theoretical Framework..........41

8. Bibliography................................................................................................................................44
9. Appendix........................................................................................................................................48

9.1 Appendix A: Declaration..............................................................................48

9.2 Appendix B – Precedents..............................................................................49

9.3 Appendix C – Site Context...........................................................................51

9.3 Appendix D - Presentation Pictures..............................................................58

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1. Introduction

1.1 Project Outline

The following section provides an introduction to the following explanatory

document in support of a design scheme. An outline of the of the key concepts are defined
and explained and context for the design process established.
Problem: This paper argues that urban renewal within Auckland City leads to
the loss of "place" a concept highlighted by Edward Relph in 1976 as the city pursues
development strategies that result in homogeneity. Urban renewal is responsible for
producing placeless environments in areas which hold significant value to communities and
individuals. Urban change is constantly affecting our city. It is an ongoing process within the
built environment meaning urban areas are never static; they are constantly changing systems
of interconnected parts.1 As the city continues to change, the conservation of key areas
becomes all the more important. These environments need to be conserved in the hope of
retaining meaningful places within Auckland's urban landscape and reducing placeless
development.
Purpose: The project aims to identify tools that advance architectural design
practices in relation to retaining a sites existing “sense of place,” despite the redevelopment
of an area, thereby reducing further “placeless” development in a unique area of the city. As
this paper aims to provide an insight into possibilities of addressing placelessness due to the
market-led process of physical urban renewal, an architectural scheme is proposed using
Auckland City as a case in point. This scheme will act as a test to determine whether the
intervention can in fact reduce the associated effects of urban renewal which lead to the
spread of placelessness within an urban environment.
Method: This project uses a standard scientific method to carry out research
within the context of architecture. Research through literature, site analysis and design will
provide the basis for a critical appraisal to be carried out on a final design scheme.

1
Chris Couch, City of Change and Challenge : Urban Planning and Regeneration in Liverpool (Aldershot: Ashgate,
2003), p.6.
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Hypothesis: By broadening strategies associated with “conservation” to

encompass existing social aspects of a site (the way in which the site is used by a community)
the retention of a sites “sense of place” can be retained during the renewal of an existing
urban environment thus reducing the spread of placelessness within our cities. Loose space
involves the adaptability of a site for various human activities to occur. It is created when
people recognise the potential in a space and use it for an activity they want to partake in. As
loose space created sense of place within the chosen site, a hypothesis was also formulated in
direct relation to the chosen site. It stated: By conserving loose space within this particular
site, as well as physical features, the sense of place experienced within the site, can be
retained therefore minimising the effects of placelessness.
Results and conclusions: A review and search of literature suggests that
large scale comprehensive “urban change” known as “urban renewal” has potential negative
impact on a site's “sense of place”. A primary relative consequence of such renewal is
“placelessness” and serves as the key focus of this project. Secondary issues also affect the
site's sense of place, such as “beautification” and “gentrification”. These two issues prove to
be troublesome aspects of urban renewal, and are therefore also addressed within this project.
Furthermore, it is noted that within the site examined, one of the key aspects which allowed
the creation of a “sense of place” was the “loose space” associated with the site. The idea of
“loose space” becomes the a focal point in adversity to the problem of placelessness. The
concept of conservation is also utilised and together these concepts guide decisions made
during the design process leading to the production of the finalised design scheme.
Key words and themes: “urban change”, “urban renewal”, “sense of place”
and “placelessness”, “conservation” and “preservation” and “loose space”.

1.2Key Definitions

Within the context of this paper, the following definitions apply:

• Urban Change: Any kind of transformation at any scale imposed on

an existing built environment.
• Urban Renewal: Large scale comprehensive urban change where
large plots of the built environment is often demolished to make way
for new infrastructure. In addition to this “for our purposes, urban
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change is seen as the physical change, or change in use or intensity of

use of land and buildings, that is the inevitable outcome of the action of
economic social forces upon urban areas”2
• Urban Regeneration: Small scale incremental urban change imposed
on the built environment. Urban regeneration will often demonstrate
“the process in which the state or local community is seeking to bring
back investment, employment and consumption and enhance the
quality of life within an urban area.”3
• Sense of Place: is the personality of a location generated through
social and physical characteristics. Two quotes support this definition:
as T.F. Gieryn notes "place has physicality"4 and secondly “places
become what they are through the people who live there, it is the
people that integrate the features of topography, natural conditions,
symbolic meanings and built form through their value systems, to form
a sense of place.”5
• Placelessness: Placelessness does not describe a place with no sense
of place; rather it refers to places which are ubiquitous and
monotonous. “Placelessness describes both an environment without
significant places and the underlying attitude, which does not
acknowledge significance in places...As an unselfconscious attitude
placelessness is particularly associated with mass culture – the
adoption of fashions and ideas about landscapes and places that are
coined by few ‘experts’ and disseminated to the people through mass
media. The products of these two attitudes are combined in uniform,
sterile other-directed and kitschy places – places which have few

2
———, Urban Renewal Theory and Practice, Macmillan Building and Surveying Series (London: Macmillan
Education, 1990), p.2.
3
Ibid.p.3
4
Thomas F. Gieryn, "A Space for Place in Sociology," Annual Review of Sociology 26, no. 1 (2000). Academic Search
Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed September 1, 2010).
5
Gunila JivÉN and Peter J. Larkham, "Sense of Place, Authenticity and Character: A Commentary," Journal of Urban
Design 8, no. 1 (2003). Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed September 2, 2010).
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significances and symbols only more or less gaudy signs and things
performing functions with greater or lesser efficiency.”6
• Beautification: Beautification is the process of making visual
improvements to urban areas. if not carried out well it may lead to
Kitch or Disneyfication. “City beautification as a way to improve the
living conditions and civic virtues of urban dwellers. Proponents of the
movement advocated for sizable public investments in monumental
public spaces, street beautification, and classical architecture, with an
emphasis on aesthetic and recreational values.”7
• Urban conservation: Urban conservation is retaining the existing
character of a built environment. It is about the continuity of qualities
and is often done through the use of designated conservation areas.
“Conservation Area might well be defined as one where the character
of the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, for it is the character
of the ensemble that is most important, and such an area need not
include any individual buildings of special architectural or historic
interest, although many do.”8
• Loose Space: Loose space refers to a person having and realizing the
ability to carry out a significant activity which is not specifically meant
to occur in any given space. A space becomes loose when it is used for
something other than what it was designed for. For example, when a
parking lot is used as a market place the car park exhibits the quality of
loose space. Loose space is made up of four parts: Appropriation,
Tention, Resistance and Discovery. "These themes and there sequence
indicate different kinds of relationships between acts of looseness and

6
Edward Relph, Place and Placelessness (London: Pion, 1976). p.90
7
Gerald Carlino, "Beautiful City," Business Review (Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia) (2009). Academic Search
Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed September 2, 2010).
8
Gerald B. Dix, "Character, Conservation and Change: The Place of Preservation in the City," Ekistics 61, no. 368/369
(1994). http://www.proquest.com/ (accessed ,August 27 2010).
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their wider social context: that is there relation to the more orderly, and
expected uses of various settings."9

9
Karen A. Franck and Quentin Stevens, Loose Space : Possibility and Diversity in Urban Life (London: Routledge,
2007).
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1.3 The Problem: Placelessness as a Result of Urban Renewal

In the following section it will be argued that placelessness is a problem which

requires attention within city environment. Created through the process of urban renewal,
placelessness leaves our cities lacking significant meaning to the occupants living within
them. This section then goes on to introduce a chosen site which is facing urban renewal.
Urban renewal is a bulldozer approach to the redevelopment of city areas and
in this way is unsympathetic towards the existing built environment. Chris Couch defines
urban renewal in “Urban Renewal Theory and Practice”, “Urban renewal is seen as the
physical change, or change in the use or intensity of use of land and buildings, that is the
inevitable outcome of action of economic and social forces upon urban areas.”10 Urban
renewal means spatial alterations (refurbishment, change of use in building or demolition and
construction) are employed to allow intensification of land use in some areas or reduction of
use in other areas.
Let us first consider the positive effects Urban renewal can have. Replenished
housing stock may increase density and reduce sprawl; it might have economic benefits and
improve the global economic competitiveness of a city's centre. It may, in some instances,
improve cultural and social amenity, and it may also improve opportunities for safety and
surveillance. Urban renewal is also often used by city councils to produce motorways and
other infrastructures in the hope of reducing city congestion.
Despite these positive effects there are also major negative consequences to
urban renewal, one of these being the creation of placelessness. Change to the urban fabric is
carried out with physical demolition, knocking down aged buildings and landscape. One
extreme example of urban renewal is that of the Newton gully motorway project in Auckland.
Situated between the retail areas of Karangahape Road and Symonds Street, Newton was
once a densely populated suburb, mainly of a working class nature. The suburb had many
boarding houses and was the location of several primary and intermediate level schools as
well as about six churches. In the 1960s, this area faced urban renewal due to the Auckland
city council proposing a motorway through the area. As the motorway was constructed,
much of the housing was lost or changed to industrial use. The process of a poorer social

10
Couch, Urban Renewal Theory and Practice.p.2
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class moved to other suburbs (Gentrification) occurred and beautification of the site resulted
in a change in physical characteristics. Due to the loss of these social and physical
characteristics this redevelopment of the site ultimately destroyed the sense of place which
existed in the city fringe area and produced 'placelessness'.
The placelessness referred to in this sense does not mean the given location
has no longer a sense of place; rather, the sense of place resembles that of thousands of places
across the world. To further draw upon the Newton gully example, the unique sense of place
generated by the local community of Newton over decades of development has been replaced
by a monotonous motorway which exhibits the same sense of place as thousands of motor
ways around the world. This is only one example of how placelessness can demonstrate “both
an environment without significant places and the underlying attitude, which does not
acknowledge significance in places”11, though there are many other ways in which
placelessness could be created.
The trends and issues of globalisation, technique and technology mean
renewed urban environments often result in placelessness. Globalisation describes
phenomena where regional economies and cultures around the globe are increasingly
becoming integrated through a global network of communication, transportation, and trade.
Globalisation has meant techniques have been appropriated and shared resulting in
similarities around the world. ‘Technique’ is defined by Edward Relph as “self-conscious, yet
inauthentic, response to places, which often manifested in forms of physical planning.12 The
technique by which authorities go about demolition and the technique they employ to rebuild
in any given location has homogenizing effects. In addition to this, increasingly ubiquitous
technology has meant places become increasingly similar. Therefore, placelessness typically
becomes apparent when large scale comprehensive urban change such as this is carried out
for new infrastructure.
Placelessness is also associated with inauthentic beautification of urban
environments. Architecture and urban design which is criticised for being inauthentic to a
place exhibits traits of historical illusion or `Disneyfication’ and bears no direct connection to
the history of the area. The legitimacy of a proposed urban scheme is very important to the

11
Relph, Place and Placelessness.p.90
12
Ibid.p.87
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redevelopment of an existing urban area and there is no necessity to beautify a scheme to the
extent to which it becomes a fraudulent tourist attraction.13 Relph's description for these types
of places is ‘kitsch’. This is where an architectural scheme would be considered an inferior,
tasteless copy of an existing architectural style.
The ideas surrounding the theory of placelessness and why it occurs are not
new but placelessness continues to be problematic within redevelopment projects. It is not
possible to simply stop urban renewal. The way human societies function create the need for
urban change and sometimes parts of our cities simply have to be rebuilt.
Urban change is an ongoing process within the built environment meaning
urban areas are never static; they are constantly changing systems of interconnected parts.14
Considering urban change as a continuum, at one end it may be a door to a shop being
painted, on the other, it may be urban renewal leading to the demolition of an entire
neighbourhood.
It is therefore important to note that the need for urban renewal is often
brought about by shifts in urban conditions. Economic and social forces create a need for
cities to adapt and these are in fact the major drivers behind urban renewal. These factors are
an inherent part of the society we live in and therefore urban renewal will always be
considered an option to address these forces.
As architects we can therefore take on the problem of placelessness as we play
a major role in shaping the urban fabric of where people live.
This project focuses on the city fringe area of Auckland which is about to face
small scale urban renewal over the following 10 years, and argues that as architects and urban
planners we can provide schemes which retain aspects of an existing sites “sense of place”.
The city fringe of Auckland is made up of buildings which are generally mundane and
detestable to the general public. These areas which typically comprise of warehouses, car
parks and old factories are, however, essential to the functioning of a city due to a
requirement by inhabitants of the city for functional, low cost buildings close to the city
centre.

13
Ahmed M. Salah Ouf, "Authenticity and the Sense of Place in Urban Design," Journal of Urban Design 6, no. 1
(2001). Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed August 29, 2010).
14
Couch, City of Change and Challenge : Urban Planning and Regeneration in Liverpool. p.4
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The accumulation of these types of buildings generates a strong industrial

sense of place which is often deemed ugly, uninhabitable and lifeless. However, many of
these urban environments have a deep and meaningful sense of place associated with their
historic industrial past and despite their ugly and dangerous appearance they often have a
more meaningful “sense of place” than many of the shopping precincts and suburban
developments generated to support mainstream culture.
Many of these areas are also an integral part of the greater urban environment
where “loose space” allows buildings and public open space to be appropriated by people for
various activities. The activities carried out, specifically art related, (exhibitions, fashion
shows and studio spaces) are often made possible due to the low cost of such space and the
“looseness” these areas offer. This “loose space” in turn brings vibrancy and life to the aged
urban landscape and helps to generate an interesting “sense of place” where people carry out
day to day life.
These places are often marked for “urban regeneration” or “renewal” and face
destruction of their unique physical and social characteristics. The particular site chosen for
this project is a good example of how a wonderful piece of the industrial heritage on the
western fringe of Auckland city is facing this type of destruction. The site is located in what
is known as “Victoria Quarter” which is the historic warehouse and industrial area bordering
the western side of Auckland's CBD. It is enclosed by Fanshawe, Union, and Hobson Streets,
as well as the Southern Motorway, it also includes Victoria Park. This area has a well
documented history as it served as the industrial hub to early Auckland. It is now a diverse
combination of historic buildings and commercial industry and exhibits a rough vibrancy as
many people use this industrial site for various activities.15

15
Auckland City Council, "Victoria Quarter Plan,"
http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/council/projects/cbdproject/victoriaquarter.asp.
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This site in Victoria Quarter is to undergo “urban renewal,” as construction in 2011

will begin for stage one of the “Rhubarb lane” development. The rejuvenation of Victoria
Quarter as a place to live has become an objective for local council. On the Auckland City
council's website, ideas were conveyed stating that Victoria Quarter is a piece of city fringe
real estate with promising economic return and that research into the area showed
overwhelming support among businesses and residents for change. The website also noted
that in the area there was no sense of community and it was considered an unattractive and
bleak place for pedestrians, with little street-level activity or ambience. They finish by saying
“We aim to make the quarter into the CBD's dynamic western fringe, providing a diverse
choice of alternative, intensive inner city urban living and working opportunities."16

This paper rejects much of the statements made on the web-site and this
projects justification stems from the change about to happen within this city fringe area, due
to the effects this redevelopment will have on the site. Many of the architectural outcomes

16
Ibid.
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these developments have are “placeless”, as are many of the other developer led
developments around Auckland. This paper aims to provide an insight into possibilities of
addressing “placelessness” due to the market-led process of physical urban renewal in the
Auckland city fringe.

1.4 The Architectural Question

How can the problematic issue of placeless development, due to urban renewal
in Auckland City, be addressed through the conservation of loose space within
a city fringe site?

1.5 Aim and Key Objectives

The aim of this project is to provide for architects, and other associated
professions partaking in redevelopment projects, an insight into how the concept of loose
space can be drawn on to retain an urban environment’s unique sense of place.

The key objectives for this project include

• Define problems associated with urban renewal which effect a sites

sense of place as new (placeless) development occurs.
• Investigate the potential of loose space as a solution to the problems
associated with urban renewal
• Collate design strategies which use loose space as a key principle and
apply these to an architectural scheme to accompany this explanatory
document.
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• Evaluate the scheme and test a hypotheses formulated through

preliminary research.
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2. Methodology

This project uses a standard scientific method to carry out research within the
context of architecture. Research through both literature and site analysis serve as the basis
from which a hypothesis is proposed. Research through design is then carried out to test this
hypothesis. Results and conclusions from this research are then documented in a critical
appraisal of the finished design proposal.
This explanatory document used various methods of research to answer the
primary research question. These methods can be broken down into three distinct areas:
research through literature, research through site analysis and research through design.

2.1 Research through Literature

In order to develop a hypotheses which could be tested through a design

scheme, analysis and critical reading of existing, relevant texts was carried out through
various architecture and urban design theoretical frameworks contained in books, web articles
and other research papers. The literature covered, is expressed in this explanatory document
through the review of current knowledge. Three key themes: urban renewal, sense of place
and placelessness, urban conservation and loose space are presented as individual topics
under separate headings. Information gained through the research into these topics was
collected to develop a hypothesis, tested and argued through a design proposal. This literature
was also used to generate visual qualities and building use which are worked into the
supporting architectural proposal.

2.2 Research through Site Analysis

Rigorous site investigations and review of documentation was necessary to

gain a comprehensive understanding of the site and its wider context. This meant extensive
time was spent on site and within the wider western fringe area to gain an in depth
understanding of the social and physical characteristics of the site. Interviews with relevant
people were conducted to gain further understanding of the site. In addition to interviews,
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Council plans, historical documents and a range of other sources have been utilized to gain a
detailed knowledge of the site and its surrounding environment.
Research into the “Rhubarb Lane” development was also conducted, as this is
a major redevelopment proposed for the site. This serves as a problematic instance of small
scale urban renewal. A range of advertising collateral and marketing documentation available
through the internet, and from their display suite in Auckland, provided valuable insights and
more than sufficient information on this project. Also utilised were various media articles on
the development and a radio interview.17

2.3 Research through Precedent

A number of built architectural schemes which relate to the themes

investigated through the research conducted have been used as architectural precedent. These
supplemented literature and site analysis to formulate a design. These works are exhibited as
an appendix to this explanatory document.

2.4 Research through Design

The design itself is the most fundamental part of this project as it serves as the
test within this scientific method. It involves the critical understanding and translation of
theories into a piece of architecture. The architectural process carried out to produce the
proposal involved applying strategies derived from literature, site analysis and precedent to
prove the expressed hypotheses. It also involved resolving common issues experienced
during the production of any piece of architecture. This means key design issues such as
planning, site massing, materiality and robustness all helped to produce the architectural
outcome presented in the final examination. A combination of physical and digital modelling
as well as drawing has been used to carry out the design experiment.

17
Douglas Rikard-Bell (Rhubarb Lane & Shed 5 Developer) interview by Murry Sweetpants
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/9005683
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3. Review of Current Knowledge

The following text positions this research in its relevant theoretical framework
and discusses topics which have been useful in developing hypotheses towards the problems
of urban renewal. The primary research question is explored in depth through several topics
linked with both architecture and urban design. This explanatory document draws on these
topics and the associated theory in order to develop hypotheses. Themes which have been
investigated through a literature search include urban renewal, place, urban conservation, and
loose space. Through this research subsequent concepts have been discovered, these are also
explained in the following writing. The findings from these topics are expressed under the
following headings with particular reference to the chosen site.

3.1 Literature surrounding Urban Renewal

Urban renewal was the first topic covered in this literature search. As this
paper deals with the re-development of a city fringe site it was important to gain an
understanding of the theory related to urban renewal. In particular, it was important to gain an
understanding of large scale urban change and the implications connected with it, thus setting
the context in which this project is based. Urban renewal is seen by many people, particularly
planners and developers, as a positive act of revitalisation, generating economic wealth and
revamping run down areas. This paper notes that there are several issues associated with
urban renewal. One of the main commentators on the topic is Chris Couch. Couch brings to
light several problems in his work “Urban renewal: Theory and Practice” in which he writes
“Urban renewal is clearly a multi-faceted and complex process... responses need to be based
upon a multi-disciplinary understanding of the social and economic forces affecting urban
areas; the nature of government and organisations and the physical nature of towns and
cities”. This explanatory project draws mostly on two of these areas, those being the social
and physical elements.

3.2 Literature surrounding Sense of Place

Sense of place and placelessness is the next topic to be addressed. These two
terms are addressed under the same heading because according to Relph placelessness is a
P a g e | 19

sense of place.18 Therefore this component of the research requires a theoretical

understanding of sense of place in order to address placelessness. Christian Norburg-Schulz
(1976) interprets place theory from an architectural point of view which popularised the topic
in architectural and urban design fields in the 1970’s. In his book Genius Loci: Towards a
Phenomenology of Architecture (Norberg-Schulz, 1980) he uses the term, genius loci to
describe a sense people have of a place, Norberg-Schulz goes on to note four thematic levels
by which this genius loci can be characterised by, the topography of the earth’s surface, The
cosmological light conditions and the sky as natural conditions, Buildings and Symbolic and
existential meanings in the cultural landscape.19
The idea of “place making” began to be used by architects and urban designers
in an effort to achieve design schemes that leave people with an agreeable feeling generated
by a particular built environment. These efforts came in the bid to counter monotonous
developments which had become prevalent due to the effects of globalisation, technique and
technology. The ideologies associated with sense of place are based on ones perceptions of a
location or the characteristics of a certain environment which evoke or arouse feelings. David
Canter defined sense of place as the “relationship between actions, conceptions and physical
attributes.”20
Placelessness and monotony concerning the general built environment became
prevalent at around the same time as the theory of “sense of place” became popular. The
various commentaries on built environments becoming monotonous often became prevalent
due to the critique on modern design and in particular the “international style”, where no
vernacular style of any country is reflected. “Modernism of the early and mid-1900s was
clearly against keeping heritage areas as they were perceived to hinder future developments.
Postmodernist thinking in later years was more sympathetic to heritage as a means of
countering the ‘placelessness’ of the modern city”21 Mahyar Arefi writes: “Modernism

18
Relph, Place and Placelessness.p.90
19
Christian Norberg-Schulz, Genius Loci : Towards a Phenomenology of Architecture (London: Academy Editions,
1980).
20
David V. Canter, The Psychology of Place (London: Architectural Press, 1977).p.24
21
Ahmed M. Salah el-Dien Ouf, "Lower and Higher Urban Quality Cycles in Urban Heritage Areas: Rejuvenation Vs.
Conservation," Journal of Urban Design 13, no. 3 (2008). Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed September
2, 2010).
P a g e | 20

disrupts the emotional attachment to place. Implicitly, sense of place spawns the seeds of
placelessness. As a conscious act and a legacy of modernism, sense of place is often
considered a romantic, nostalgic approach toward identity formation.”22 One of the more
noted writers on placelessness, Edward Relph writes in his book Place and Placelessness:
“Placelessness describes both an environment without significant places and the underlying
attitude, which does not acknowledge significance in places. It reaches back into the deepest
levels of place cutting roots, eroding symbols, replacing diversity with uniformity and
experiential order with conceptual order”.23 Placelessness is an effect of globalization, which
generates standardized environments and in authenticity which spreads due to redevelopment
during urban change.

3.3 Literature surrounding Conservation

Concepts of urban conservation have also been researched in this project.

These concepts are introduced as the associated principles of urban conservation is used to
argue for the conservation of a sites unique sense of place. Firstly, a distinction between the
terms conservation and preservation is made. This is because the application of conservation
theory to a design would differ greatly to the application of preservation theory despite the
similarity in meaning of the terms. Both terms are to do with sentimental attachment to the
past. Preservation is concerned with keeping a building or townscape in its exact state.
Conservation conversely allows some change permitting the building to evolve slightly while
retaining its most important characteristics. “There is no statutory definition of what is
sufficient by way of appearance or otherwise to constitute conservation nor what features
there should be to make it in some way special; nevertheless it must be of special interest and
it must also be one the character of which it is desirable to maintain or enhance”24 However,
preservation is not concerned with allowing buildings to change and asserts that a conserved
building be left as is in a static state. “Historic preservation’s sense of history is not aimed at

22
Mahyar Arefi, "Non-Place and Placelessness as Narratives of Loss: Rethinking the Notion of Place," Journal of Urban
Design 4, no. 2 (1999). Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed September 2, 2010).

23
E. C. Relph, Place and Placelessness (London: Pion, 1976).p.93
24
Dix, "Character, Conservation and Change: The Place of Preservation in the City."
http://www.proquest.com/ (accessed ,August 27 2010).
P a g e | 21

telling dynamic stories in which urban life is constructing itself, but instead is aimed at
establishing a static Past When Things Were Nicer.”25
There has been little research into the conservation of building use and in particular
the conservation of loose space. A leading commentator in this field Nahoum Cohen asserts
“Successful urban conservation is significantly more than merely preserving a few buildings.
Unless a comprehensive approach to conservation is taken, more cities will lose their battle
against urban blight.”26 This move towards conservation which focuses on more than just
singular buildings should be taken further in an attempt to gain a better understanding on
what needs to be conserved within our cities. A comprehensive approach should also seek to
conserve building use and its associated culture. This project researches a standard approach
to conservation by retaining certain physical qualities but also looks at a more comprehensive
approach by conserving social characteristics of a site as well. Karl Kropf, James H. Carr and
Dolores Hayden give good insight into the place creation due to social and cultural aspects of
a site. Conservation of urban landscape which allows cultural aspects of a site to become
more apparent became a decisive point in answering the research question. Dolores Hayden’s
view is that gender, race and ethnicity as well as the practice of public history and public art,
enlarge urban conservation and move the ideologies of the topic towards a social matter. In
the paper "Vernacular Culture and Urban Economic Development" by James Carr states: "If
local policy makers and planners care about preserving the diverse urban fabric of their
neighbourhoods, they must integrate the maintenance of vernacular culture into their larger
economic development plans."27

3.4 Literature surrounding Loose Space

Loose space forms a key focus of this project. Authors Karen Franck and
Quentin Stevens are called upon to support the hypotheses that loose space can benefit urban
environments and should be conserved within our cities. The term, loose space does not
imply looseness in terms of spatial quality; instead the term loose space implies looseness

25
E. C. Cromley, " Public History and the Historic Preservation District," in Past Meets Present, ed. J. Blatti (Washington, DC,: Smithsonian
Institution Press, 1987). p32
26
Nahoum Cohen, Urban Conservation (Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1999).
27
James Carr, "Vernacular Culture and Urban Economic Development," Journal of American Planning Association 75,
no. 1 (2009). Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed August 20, 2010).
P a g e | 22

within a functional sense, meaning the space is loosely available and easily inhabitable for
various needs. “Accessibility, freedom of choice and physical elements that occupants can
appropriate all contributes to the emergence of a loose space, but they are not sufficient. For a
site to become loose, people themselves must recognise the possibilities inherent in it and
make use of those possibilities for their own ends, facing the potential risks of doing so.”28
Studies by Jan Gehl have been executed on public spaces which demonstrate the use of loose
space in everyday life. These studies provide valuable insight into the conditions of urban
space allowing various activities to be carried out and make an important point that in urban
environments "people and human activity are the greatest object of attention and interest".29
In urban environments the activities of people are the most interesting aspect. The built
environment is subservient to the hustle and bustle of city life.
Literature surrounding looseness as an architectural tool has also been
discussed by various authors. Such research is important to this project as it provides insight
into how loose space can relate to interior architectural space rather than only public open
space. Some of the earlier literature on loose space was written by Alex Gordon (1977), in
his paper "Architects and Recourse Conservation". Gordon coined the phrase “Long life, low
energy, loose fit", where the meaning of "loose fit" describes the idea of looseness in
architecture and the loose fit building typology.30 According to Gordon, this typology uses
flexibility and adaptability in terms of building use. This allows various functions to occur
over the buildings life span thus prolonging the longevity of a building. The idea of loose
space is specifically related to urban design though it is clear to see the similarities between
looseness, loose fit and loose space through their ability to allow different activities to occur.
Robustness was also covered in this wide ranging literature review and is a
quality of design referred to in the book "Responsive Environments". When this quality is
produced within a scheme, the ways in which the scheme can be used is increased, meaning
people have the ability to use a building or public space as they need or want. "Robustness -
Places which can be used for many different purposes offer their users more choice than
places whose design limits them to a single fixed use. Environments which offer this choice
have a quality we call robustness...our objective is to make their spatial and constructional

28
Franck and Stevens, Loose Space : Possibility and Diversity in Urban Life.p2
29
Jan Gehl, Life between Buildings : Using Public Space (New York ; Wokingham: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1987).p.29
30
Alex Gordon, "Architects and Resource Conservation," RIBA Journal 81, no. 1 (1974).
P a g e | 23

organisation suitable for the widest possible range of likely activities and future uses, both in
short and long term."31Robustness is an important quality in many of the same respects as
loose space because these two terms are very similar in meaning. However, the authors of
"Responsive environments" talk about the added issues of patronage, where the person
paying for the development is often not interested in user choice. The patron is only
interested in their own benefit generated through the actual user as a rent payer (paying rent),
shopper (buying items) or worker (maximising production within factories or offices). This
often means that within architectural projects the architect is limited to providing a very
monotonous program and scheme." given that patrons have the power, and will use it to
further their own interests, there is still nearly always some room for manoeuvre in designing
for robustness, even when patrons are not prepared to pay extra for it."32

31
Ian Sue McGlynn Bentley, Graham Smith, Alan Alcock, Paul Murrain, Ian Bentley, Responsive Environments : A
Manual for Designers (London: Architectural, 1985).p.56
32
Ibid.p.56
P a g e | 24

4. Research Findings

The following chapter highlights findings from research noted within the
methodology section. The chosen site and its surrounding urban context is described in detail.
This is followed by the theory of loose space, as loose space has been noted as a key
sociological aspect within the site, due to the way it is used by people. Conservation of sense
of place is introduced to argue that conserving such social aspects (like loose space) can
result in a more accurate representation of the sites sense of place. Following this is the
findings from research into the Rhubarb Lane development are discussed highlighting the
placelessness it will cause.

4.1 Site Description

To provide a description of how the above theory relates to the chosen site the
following site description is provided.

Having carried out research on various topics relating to my primary research

question, a physical site was in need in order to test my theory around loose space having the
ability to retain a sites sense of place. In order to develop a design proposal that is attuned to
the sites sense of place, a comprehensive site investigation took place over the course of this
project. These studies are the foundation upon which urban schemes programme and design
are formed and have influenced the choice of key design issues. Having studied various
relevant sites for this project one stood out due to its relevance to all the topics studied in the
literature review: urban change and renewal, sense of place, conservation and loose space.
This chapter gives a concise overview of the site containing a description of the site uses and
activity, a description of the sites physical characteristics, followed by a description of how
these elements combine to create the sites sense of place.
The site is situated within the same city block as the old Cook Street council
depot. Entered from 61-87 Cook St & 105 Nelson Street the 2.8ha block is bound by Cook
Street on the south, Nelson Street on the east, Wellesley Street and Sale Street to the North
and Morton Street on the west. From the late 1800s to the 1960s, this part of Freeman’s Bay
P a g e | 25

was considered Auckland’s slum. In the 1950s the city council started an urban renewal
scheme in this area. Many of its old houses were demolished and replaced. On this particular
block the Council built a large depot containing workshops and warehouses, this was sold
and used by the Courier Post Company in the 1990's. Recently, this block has been bought by
property development company Pelago. As they wait for the pending development to occur,
Pelago has allowed the site to be appropriated for various activities. Tournament Parking
Company currently leases most of the area, meaning the primary use for this site is currently
car parking, this provides paid parking for local businesses in the surrounding blocks.

C
u
r
r
e
n
t
l
y

t
h
e

Council building on the site is used for far different purposes to what it was originally and
has been broken into “Sheds” numbered from 1 through to 10 with varying activities carried
out in each. Shed 10, the biggest open section of the old building is typically used as an
internal car park during office hours. Shed 5 is a popular cafe and motorcycle work shop
running through the middle of the building from north to south with the cafe being situated in
the area just inside the entrance. Opened in Auckland late in 2009, the cafe ‘Deus Ex
Machina’, offers a place where people can relax with breakfast or lunch and later shop for
motorbikes. It is a unique situation that has proven to be popular with both casual diners and
as a venue for large-scale events. There are always motorbikes out the front parked there by
P a g e | 26

the patrons who love this place, not only for the cafe, but also the enormous store dedicated
to motorcycling. Inside there are many retro custom bikes and a glassed-in workshop where
you can watch the gleaming Deus bikes being built.

As well as their intended purposes, the sheds have played host to various art
exhibitions and fashion shows over the past few years. In 2009, parts of New Zealand
Fashion week were held in Shed 10 which saw 16 local and international fashion designers
exhibit 2010 clothing collections to live music followed by a lavish after-party. The Auckland
Triennial used shed 6 (part of the depot building) as one of the venues to exhibit and view art
as part of the 2010 celebrations. This cornerstone exhibition of international contemporary art
P a g e | 27

in New Zealand is a hallmark for contemporary art and dialogue in the Asia pacific region.
The other sheds in the building are used for various purposes including art studios, a
performing arts school and storage. The large covered parking space beneath the sheds was
used at one stage as a flower market.

These various uses of the sheds are made possible through the physical
characteristics of the site. The large industrial building is rough, and robust, loose fit and
cheap. These properties exhibited by the built environment are what allow people to inhabit
and use the site for day to day activity. The rough nature of the building allows creation to
take place without second thought for the buildings well being. In an interview with "shed
8's" artist Mathew Arbuckle he stated "we love the rough nature of the space, being made of
concrete and metal we can't really damage the building, it's a real work shop in that sense.
Having those roller doors means we can back a car right in and load it up as well."33 This
rough nature could also be the reason the motorcycle workshop, store and cafe has been
situated on such a site. As you enter the cafe it is as though the cafe is themed in some
industrial workshop setting. This however is no theme, the rough industrial aesthetic is
authentic in the sense it is actually an industrial building and it does house a working

33
Matt Arbuckle (Artist of Shed Eight, Auckland), interview by Anthony Sephton, March 20, 2010.
P a g e | 28

motorcycle shop. The notion of loose fit can be noted in this building as well. The spaces in
and around the building are of varying size and demonstrate that they can be used for a
number of activities for either the long and short term occupation. The low-cost and
affordability of the building is another characteristic of notable importance. As the building is
far from new and in a less than desirable condition for most tenants, there are no high rents to
pay for the occupants of the sheds.

It can be noted that both the activities occurring within the sheds and the
physical characteristics of the building and site together create the sense of place within this
site. It can also be noted that the qualities of space and activities currently carried out within
the existing site echo the exact merits of loose space. Loose space in this case, is therefore
associated with creating a sense of place in this particular site. The sense of place experienced
P a g e | 29

within the site shows the three features of place according to T.F. Gieryn's definition. It is a
unique place within the universe and it has both physical and social attributes reflecting the
personality of the site. The sense of place in this case exhibits a “messy vitality of the
metropolitan condition with its unpredictable intermingling of classes, races and social and
cultural forms”.34 However, as with a lot of sites, this sense of place is not totally obvious at
first glance. In fact many people dismissed this site and contend that the site is in severe need
of being redeveloped. In an internet forum where users can comment on the rhubarb lane
development comments include, "Wow it really is a big giant hole in the middle of the city...
Exactly what we need, and a good way to revitalise a pretty crap part of the CBD."35

Despite the fact this great building contains a unique sense of place and allows
occupants to carry out various activities, future redevelopment will see displacement and
demolition of various site characteristics. As a consequence the sense of place which these
artists, performers and retailers create will be lost. This paper argues for the conservation of a
sites loose space and that the concept of loose architecture needs to be implemented within

34
Gieryn, "A Space for Place in Sociology."
35
Greg Ninness, "Rhubarb Lane | Approved | Mixed Use Precinct," Skycrapercity,
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=633496.
P a g e | 30

schemes to allow more freedom of expression from the occupying community. With the tank
farm situated 2 kilometres from this site at the water’s edge also facing redevelopment in the
near future, the entire city’s western fringe is going to face beautification. This will see much
of the city’s historic industrial past replaced with new buildings holding no historical or
cultural meaning to the people of Auckland. It is essential that urban conservation be used as
a technique to retain the existing loose space or to at the very least provide an architectural
intervention which recreates the existing loose space. This in turn, will address the
problematic issues surrounding gentrification, beautification and loss of place. Urban
schemes and the surrounding architecture should therefore allow for sporadic use of public
space that will bring about a social ambiance and vitality, bringing with it a sense of place.
P a g e | 31

4.2 Loose Space Theory

Through research by site analysis, loose space became the focus of this
project. The original interest which precedes this assignment was in the relationship between
sense of place and building use. The ability for loose space to create a sense of place became
apparent when a secondary question was asked; how exactly is a sense of place generated
within the chosen site? The answer to this question lay in the way the building and the
surrounding site was used. Loose space facilitated various activities together with the
physical characteristics of the site creating a sense of place. Sense of place, in this instance, is
defined as the personality of a location generated through social and physical characteristics.
Loose space becomes apparent when a space is used in a way which is
unintended as the spaces primary function. The possibility of loose space developing depends
on place type. Place types; any sort of space made up of many qualities, allow people to carry
out different activities depending on the characteristics of the type. "What one does and how
one does it differ significantly according to the type one is occupying, with some types
allowing for more freedom of choice of activities and more means of carrying them out."36
Take for example a prison cell. This type of space is hard and restricting and the possibility
for a large variety of activities to be carried out is very low. This is due to the many qualities
acting on the space suppressing the ability to conduct different activity. However, a garage,
for example, is a very loose space as it has qualities which allow many activities to occur
besides its primary function. In addition to parking a car, you can also hang some washing
up, fix a bike, play the drums and many other activities which illustrate the versatility of the
space.
High density urban areas provide good place types for loose space to become
apparent. Cities offer many privately owned hard spaces such as banks, hotels, apartment
buildings, and office towers. However, in between these spaces lie various types of public
space openly accessible for various needs. "Here is the breathing space of city life, offering
opportunities for exploration and discovery, for the unexpected, the unregulated, the
spontaneous and the risky."37 Streets, parks, plazas, and other infrastructure offer people the
ability to carry out needs and desires. The activities created in doing so are placed on display

36
Franck and Stevens, Loose Space : Possibility and Diversity in Urban Life.p.2
37
Ibid.p.3
P a g e | 32

for other people to notice and be a part of. These activities can be diverse in nature and occur
at any time. People may sunbathe on street furniture, a market may be held with permission
from local authorities, or a teenager may graffiti a wall.
Many spaces in the city are used for their intended primary function only part
of the day. For example, car parks which are used during the nine to five business hours often
lay empty during latter hours. This offers usable space which often goes unused during much
of the buildings life cycle. Loose space can utilise this space maximising the buildings
potential for use.
"Loose spaces give cities life and vitality...Loose spaces allow for the chance
encounter, the spontaneous event, the enjoyment of diversity and the discovery of the
unexpected."38 Having found loose space within the chosen site it is of foremost importance
to retain this vital aspect. An unsympathetic approach to Urban renewal of this area will
destroy the loose quality of this site, therefore conservation strategies must be implemented.
The focus of this paper looks at the possibilities for architects to find existing
loose spaces within a site facing redevelopment and use it to establish a design concept which
promotes the sense of place that the existing loose space originally created. It is through the
application of these concepts that sense of place can be built upon. By bringing to attention
loose space and emphasizing its positive attributes, loose space can be a great place-making
device and retain a sites sense of place as it undergoes urban renewal. Different types of
space within the city allow for different activities to take place, whether the activity is
intended or not. Urban design schemes and the accompanying architecture should embrace
this random use of the public domain instead of forcing people to inhabit a scheme as
preconceived or dictated by the architect.
It is this realization and execution of any random activity, not predetermined
by design, which creates loose space. This activity may never actually occur in the square,
but any other activity will become evident on numerous occasions, markets, art, advertising
may be some more common activities which contribute to the square becoming loose space. "
the creation of a brief for a given site and the prime uses for which it is designed are the
absent prelude to the cycle of loosening or re-use... At the beginning, uses are carefully

38
Ibid.p.4
P a g e | 33

conceived and defined. then things loosen up."39 Town squares are “soft” in nature and allow
easily for loose space to occur, though lose space can also be carried out in any space
including “hard” spaces such as café’s and libraries.

4.3 Conservation of a Sense of Place

As discussed earlier, Urban Renewal generates placelessness, a problem that

needs to be addressed. This section argues that conservation and sense of place are linked
ideas and through conservation people in place making professions do not always achieve a
good sense of place as architects too commonly focus their attention on physical qualities. It
is then argued that the focus on sociological aspects of a site such as the way people use a
particular site should also be considered in the retention of place.
Urban conservation and sense of place are two ideas which often occur in the
same discussion due to the fact that conservation is frequently applied to an area in the hope
of retaining its sense of place. These two ideas are therefore related through practice which is
commonly known as character conservation. Urban conservation is often regulated through
council policy and applied to small areas of the town which are deemed to have a quality
worth retaining. These areas are generally older parts of the greater metropolitan area which
exhibit qualities of urban antiquity. For example, Auckland’s suburb of Ponsonby is under a
tight conservation act as this area was one of the first suburbs to be established in Auckland
and consists of many late 19th century villas and bungalows establishing its sense of place.
Conservation has therefore been employed to protect this area through conservation policies.
This idea of conservation serving a means of retaining a sense of place is supported in Sense
of Place, Authenticity and Character: A Commentary where Gunila Jive'n and Peter J.
Larkham (2003) write "In some contemporary planning documents the need to create,
reinforce or celebrate ‘character’ or ‘sense of place’, whether for historic places (which are
already palimpsests) or for newly created places, has been highlighted... ‘character’ and
‘appearance’ are key elements to consider when designating a conservation area, although
they are hardly defined. "40

39
Ibid.p.28
40
JivÉN and Larkham, "Sense of Place, Authenticity and Character: A Commentary."
P a g e | 34

Architects, urban designers and planners use predominately physical

characteristics when place making and therefore the resulting schemes do not always exhibit
a true sense of place. As noted earlier, places are made up of more than just physical
qualities, simply representing the characteristics of existing built form, or using construction
materials rooted within a site does not present a total picture of the existing sense of place in
many situations. "To use Norberg-Schulz’s [genius loci] schema, the contributions of
topography, natural conditions and variations, and symbolic meanings, tend to be given less
weight than built form."41
Sense of place is made up of many elements; therefore the expansive scope
conservation entails should be broadened. The scope should also incorporate cultural and
social aspects within a site to reflect its true sense of place. As Karl Kropf points out: “this
underlines the need to put any account of physical characteristics within the context of other
aspects such as activities and intentions in order to move towards a better account of
character”42. Despite an approach to place that solely seeks to represent physical
characteristics being a valid response to place making, it could also prove worthwhile to
incorporate characteristics surrounding individual people and communities who make use of
such physical characteristics, to gain a better grasp of a sites true sense of place,
As commercial development takes place and architectural efforts fail to protect
Auckland's identity as a city, architects, urban designers and planners must look for new tools
and techniques to help preserve the unique sense of place parts of our city offer. "Many
writers have pointed out increasing privatisation, commodification and sanitization of quasi-
public space in cities. These forces do indeed prescribe and homogenise urban activities and
identities, placing people in the role of passive consumer rather than active creator or
participant. They pose serious threats to the continued existence of loose space but they have
not eradicated it."43 The vernacular culture which emerges through functions within and
around such dilapidated buildings bring immense cultural values to the local community,
providing reason as to why these should be retained during redevelopment of such a site. This
paper is therefore looking for ways in which the ideologies of urban conservation can change

41
Ibid.
42
Karl Kropf, "Urban Tissue and the Character of Towns," URBAN DESIGN International 1, no. 3 (1996). Academic
Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed September 5, 2010).
43
Franck and Stevens, Loose Space : Possibility and Diversity in Urban Life.p.4
P a g e | 35

and make better places through the conservation of loose space that fosters vernacular
culture.

4.4 Rhubarb Lane

The Rhubarb Lane development proposed for the site under exploration is a
good example of the way urban renewal can affect a city fringe site. This development has
many positive aspects which will result in beneficial effects for Auckland city, but there are
also issues which will more than likely have negative consequences for Auckland city. These
issues are mainly bought about through urban change. As noted earlier, certain aspects of
urban change and renewal including displacement and purification have a negative effect on a
sites sense of place as they strip key sociological and physical characteristics from a site
undergoing redevelopment and replace them with placeless urban schemes. In this chapter a
description of the Rhubarb Lane development will be presented followed by a case study of
the scheme. The case study will show how the proposed scheme will inevitably affect the
sites sense of place and highlight the impact of such development on the sites existing sense
of place.
Rhubarb Lane is a commercial urban scheme about to commence construction
on the site of which this paper is exploring. Once complete, the mixed-use redevelopment
will contain 147,876m² of gross floor area. Pelago (the company responsible for the
development) has proposed erecting: 20 new buildings containing basement parking &
loading areas for occupants, tenants & visitors, 1084 residential units, 360 residential/office
spaces, 3793m² of retail, food & beverage and service activities, 2530 ancillary & 560 public
short-term parking spaces. All facilities are to be located in accordance with a comprehensive
master plan of the 2.8 hectare site, including through-site pedestrian links, internal streets,
landscaping & open spaces available for public use. Under the council’s plan change 1 for the
Victoria Park Quarter, the proposal will also need consent for some buildings exceeding the
maximum permitted heights of 24m & 35m above defined contour levels, bonus floor area
for through-site links exceeding the maximum total floor-area ratio and the provision of
short-term public visitor parking. This will see the demolition of existing buildings, and
industrial structures for the establishment of the new mixed-use buildings. This in turn causes
not only the existing physical characteristics of the site to be demolished but also the
P a g e | 36

sociological characteristics to be removed; the sites existing sense of place is therefore

erased.44

Rhubarb Lane is set to create displacement of sociological groups using the

site. As noted earlier in this paper, one negative consequence of urban change is
gentrification, or displacement of social groups from within the area of which these groups of
people live and work. The Rhubarb Lane development shows clearly that this gentrification is
inevitable and even goes as far as to boast about it stating “a gentrified town plan has now
45
provided for the city dweller in a most considered way”. The Rhubarb Lane development

44
Bob Dey, "Comprehensive Redevelopment for Old Cook St Depot," Bob Dey Publishing Ltd,
http://www.bdcentral.co.nz/afa.asp?idWebPage=8338&idBobDeyProperty_Articles=6051&SID=957186880. (accessed
August 20, 2010).
45
"Rhubarb Lane," ed. Multiplex Living (Auckland: Brookfield Multiplex Group Rhubarb Lane LTD, 2010). (accessed
August 20, 2010).
P a g e | 37

will further gentrify the city block on which it is situated by demolishing the buildings which
currently facilitate artists, performing art groups, retailers, and car park users.

Purification and beautification is also generated by the Rhubarb Lane

development. “Rhubarb Lane is set to transform the area, offering a style of urban living so
desired internationally, but until now unavailable in Auckland… What is exciting people is
the opportunity to get in on the ground floor of an up-and-coming revitalization of the entire
area. There is a strong underground vibe – Auckland is ready for this kind of property
46
offer”. Despite this type of development bringing about revitalization and beautification
that appeal to so many people, the true nature of Auckland’s identity with its working port
and historical appeal is not represented. The idea of refraining from cleansing a city of its
“ugly parts” is supported in previous research which suggests parts of a city should retain its
true aesthetic rather than generating an artificial aesthetic which appeals to mass culture.

46
Paul Blomfield, "Rhubarb Lane Set to Redefine Auckland's Historic Western Cbd,"
http://paulblomfield.com/?p=303#more-303. (accessed August 20, 2010).
P a g e | 38

earning tolerance, a sign of cosmopolitanism, depends on a certain amount of controlled

"Learning
“anarchy”, absent in “Disneyland cities” that are
a cleaned-up,
up, tidy, purified... where nothing
47
shocks, nothing disgusts”.

The Rhubarb Lane development seeks to renew the entire city block, which
will therefore create a new a sense of place. The new sense of place is generated through
different physical and sociological characteristics, a new community within a new purified
and sterile environment no different to new and purified developments anywhere else in the
world. This is the creation of placelessness where the surrounding characteristics of the
scheme
heme are devoid of social and cultural meaning. This redevelopment of the site inevitably
produces placelessness, “cutting roots, eroding symbols, replacing diversity with uniformity
and experiential order with conceptual order.”Relph also argues that “The current scale of the
destruction and replacement of the distinctive places of the world suggests that placeless
geography is increasingly the more forceful of these, even though a considerable
considerabl diversity of
places persists.”48 With this in mind, the importance of conserving the loose space of this site
becomes pertinent to combating the creation of placelessness.
placelessness

47
Franck and Stevens, Loose Space : Possibility and Diversity
D in Urban Life.p.22
48
Relph, Place and Placelessness.p141
P a g e | 39

5. Project Development

This chapter will present a brief review of the design process which has been
utilised, resulting in the final design scheme. To validate the research which has been
performed during the course of this project, a design scheme has been also been developed on
the chosen site of which the paper is based. This design proposal supports this document and
acts as a experiment to test the hypothesis stated at the beginning of this paper. As the chosen
site is occupied in a way which does not maximise land use value and arguably requires
redevelopment due to economic pressures, a scheme has been proposed to act as one stage of
the rhubarb lane master plan.

5.1 Key Planning Issues

The development of this project is broken down into seven sections. These
sections act as steps in the design process carried out to produce the final scheme. The key
planning issues as they have been named, act as an exploration into design possibilities. The
issues include, program, permeability, site massing and form, materiality, and robustness

5.2. Brief

The chosen site, through massing and permeability investigations was

basically split in half, creating eastern and western ends. At the eastern end of the site
generated in response to the current site uses, a brief has been proposed that creates an events
centre or expo centre, with loose space allowing people to occupy spaces within the building
for different activities of various proportions at different times. This will act as the main brief
of the eastern end of the site. At the western end, a mixed-use development has been
proposed to investigate whether looseness can retain a sites sense of place within a more
common means of redevelopment. This acts as a secondary brief providing support to the
main brief within the site.
P a g e | 40

As a result of the site research the following conclusions were drawn

• There are various interesting activities carried out by diverse groups of

people,
• The industrial nature of the site and building allow these people to go
about these activities,
• It is both the activity and the physical environment that creates sense of
place within the site,
• An architectural development which takes into account these qualities
can conserve the sites sense of place as the site is redeveloped.

5.2.1 Home for Contemporary Arts and Culture

Based on these conclusions it was recognized that the site would be suitable
for a multi-use building that offered use of the facilities for creative means but also spaces
suitable for exhibition or conference type events. With this approach the new building will
act as an extension to the existing "Sheds" and serve as "a cultural quarter of available space".
This space will contain different rooms and spaces that can be adapted to suit any occasion -
from small intimate gatherings to some of this country's biggest indoor and outdoor events.
Built on a vision of a vibrant cultural life for our people and artists, it is a place for creativity
and innovation to take place, where artists are given the opportunity to conceive, develop and
present their work in an inspiring and creative atmosphere.
The project will be developed in conjunction with three main share holders
being the original developer of the site Palago, Auckland Super City and The Arts
Foundation. It is seen that paid car parking will be integrated into this scheme to provide
financial return on the building and act as an instigator for loose space.
The event centre will contain
• A multi-venue centre focused on the creation and presentation of
contemporary art and culture. There are large flexible theatre spaces,
gallery and exhibition spaces, rehearsal rooms, and studio space for
P a g e | 41

practicing artists. It will provide a working hub for practitioners and

audiences from the small to large arts sector.
• This venue will also have the ability to hold trade shows, expos,
festivals, product launches and even large scale corporate seminars.
• Retail spaces to promote and sell the occupying artists work to the
public and increase vitality within the scheme.
• An easily accessible café area drawing the public into the facility and
better use of the available space.

It is hoped that this event centre will function as a working environment and
the vibrancy of this day to day activity, and appropriation of space by people occupying the
environment, will create vitality and a strong sense of place in the same way "the sheds" have
done. It is hoped that the general public will also produce loose space through the
appropriation of space for their own purposes. Changing activities and loose space
experienced in the site is somewhat contagious to others who are moving through the site but
are not necessarily associated formally with the site.
This brief is a realistic development based on CarriageWorks in Sydney
Australia. More information is provided on the CarriageWorks scheme in the appendix 9.2 on
page 47.
P a g e | 42

5.2.2 Mixed Use Development

The second part of the scheme uses a mixed use type development to test the
hypotheses on loose space. Mixed-use is a logical building type to use as the site has been
zoned for mixed use development by the Auckland City Council. This brief also came about
through research into locations and types of space which created loose space. Research
showed that through the implementation of various building uses a more dynamic atmosphere
P a g e | 43

can be created leading to loosening. "Mixed-use neighbourhoods with buildings of different

sizes and ages and short blocks are robust and long-lasting because they do not have a tight,
singular relation of form to function; they are loose and adaptable."49 This type of dynamic
mixed use brief allows people to experience a vibrant atmosphere as they move through such
spaces. As they notice people using spaces for different things it is hoped that they are
encouraged to use spaces for their own needs and desires.
Mixed use development is defined by an urban plot consisting of retail,
commercial and residential uses. In this project however, there has been a move made to
incorporate some light industrial program into the scheme to retain the sites industrial sense
of place. It is felt light industrial activity does not pose the health risk it once did with today's
environmental awareness. The active environments this type of activity creates will be
beneficial to creating a loose environment. Industrial environments are often deemed
unsightly but a certain amount of industrial space can help to encourage inventive new uses
in the space. In the book Loose Space it is noted that "a certain amount of physical disorder
can encourage new and inventive uses...because it provides spaces and material that expand
the potential scope of actions"50
The program situated in this development will consist of:
• Medium density residential accommodation, in the form of multi level
flats,
• Commercial offices,
• Individual retail stores servicing residents who live in close proximity,
• Light industrial workshops and warehouses providing services and
goods to the surrounding area.

5.3 Site Permeability

The council building and surrounding site is of some historical importance as

well as of functional value therefore the site deserves to be more publicly permeable. By
allowing for good permeability, the site will be better integrated with the rest of Victoria
Quarter in a more cohesive pedestrian orientated manner. With more public access to the site,

49
Franck and Stevens, Loose Space : Possibility and Diversity in Urban Life.p.6
50
Ibid.p.9
P a g e | 44

its sense of place can be exhibited and the promotion of people who currently occupy the site
and their vernacular culture can also occur.
Permeability also helps loose space to occur by offering people choice. The
quality of permeability is the number of different ways available for people to navigate
through an urban environment. With a higher amount of access into a area there is more
movement and encounters between people within the area. "The easy availability of different
kinds of places and people, doing what they choose, give people the chance to enact
particular individual and collective identities, to learn and to find others like themselves"51.
With a higher amount of occupants moving through and using the site, a more diverse crowd
is created within the environment providing the basis for a more diverse range of activities to
occur.
Pedestrian links have been created from east to west through the site as well as
from north to south. Vehicle access is also provided from north to south though the site
though this access will be restricted to goods and services vehicles and resident's cars to
reduce the amount of traffic through the site and ensure its pedestrian orientated nature.

5.4 Site Massing and Form

The massing of the proposed project is determined by various factors, these

include:
• Free space on the site, respective of the future Rhubarb Lane
development and structures that currently exist in and around the site
• The need to provide different qualities of space
• The need to respond to environmental conditions such as sunlight and
wind
• Legibility through extended views
The site massing takes into account the master plan of Rhubarb Lane and my
proposed scheme seeks to develop one part of the Rhubarb Lane master plan which will stand
in contrast to the their scheme, showing that the renewal of a site does not have to create a
placeless environment. A southern strip running along Cook Street between Morton and
Nelson streets serves as the area of Rhubarb Lane where I have placed my proposed scheme.

51
Ibid.p.20
P a g e | 45

Parts of the site were identified where development could occur. This development of
massing was explored through sketches and modelling.
The need to provide different qualities of space also influenced the design of
built form within the site. "Looseness depends in part on the overall structure of the urban
environment. Some kinds of urban layouts generate more complex spatial interconnections
and interrelations and offer more choices than others. A greater variety of streets and land
uses simulate the emergence of loose space."52 One of the main aims to be achieved through
site massing was a diverse range of spatial characteristics. Through massing, streets, alley
ways, large and small squares, roof top gardens, other spaces become prevalent. Each of these
spaces exhibited a range of qualities which included enclosure, exposure, light, dark and so
on. Through these differing spaces people can find the right type of space to suit their
activity, furthering the schemes ability to host loose space.
These new forms responded to the established buildings on the site by
speaking a similar industrial language. "Many aspects of urban form help to shape a person's
impression of a city."53 By emphasizing the existing form through representation, the
physical character of the existing site is maintained. In turn, the sites sense of place is
conserved.
Legibility in terms of the relationship between the site and its wider context
was also worked into the scheme through site massing. This was done by providing framed
views of key characteristics within the surrounding environment such as the Sky Tower,
Ponsonby Ridge and the Waitamata Harbour.

5.5 Materiality

The Materiality of the proposed scheme was also determined by the existing
material featured within the site. The council sheds have a great pallet of materials to
represent a proposed neighbouring architectural scheme. These consist of steel I sections,
glass panels, long run steel cladding, plywood flooring and concrete, all of which have been
used throughout the proposed scheme to reflect the existing characteristics within the chosen
site. Through the design process, what has been aimed between the new and the old buildings

52
Ibid.
53
Dix, "Character, Conservation and Change: The Place of Preservation in the City."
P a g e | 46

is an “agreement to differ within a recognised tolerance of behaviour... Within the commonly

accepted framework- one that produces lucidity and not anarchy-we can manipulate the
nuances of scale and style, of texture and colour, and of the character and individuality
juxtaposing them in order to create collective benefits.”54 By drawing a commonality
between the new and the old through the materials used it is hoped that the industrial sense of
place is conserved. This will reduce the placelessness imposed on the site by the other
Rhubarb Lane buildings which do not acknowledge the physical characteristics existing on
site.
The industrial atmosphere emphasised through the use of materials will also
help with loosening. As the site stands, it was this industrial nature which allowed many of
the current occupants the ability to appropriate this space as they did due to its rough nature
and its affordability.

5.6 Robustness

Large scale robustness has also been worked into this scheme through the
design process. As noted in the literature review, robustness is the ability to provide a
building for multiple uses.
“Experience suggests that there are three key factors which support long-term
robustness: building depth, access, and height”55 Most building uses require natural sunlight
and ventilation which best occurs by having a shallow building depth. Buildings which are
deep, struggle to get sunlight into the middle of their plans while natural ventilation struggles
to pass across the entire floor plate. Plenty of access in and out of the building is another
characteristic which makes a building more robust. Having many access points allow for
more usability. Building heights were also considered in the design process as taller buildings
have greater difficulty of being accessed. Therefore the higher the building the less usable the
top floors are for various functions.56
The changing building uses, which robustness allows for, reflects the way in
which the site has been used over many years, thus reflecting the site’s ability to be used for

54
Gordon Cullen, Concise Townscape ([S.l.]: Architectural Press, 1971).p.4
55
Bentley, Responsive Environments : A Manual for Designers.p.57
56
Ibid.
P a g e | 47

many activities. Adding to this, urban change will continue to generate the need for urban
renewal. Robustness allows the change of building use to take place without the need for
demolition which ultimately wrecks a sites sense of place. In this quality the ability to retain
physical characteristics, while a building use changes, becomes possible. This therefore
reduces the need for urban renewal which produces placelessness development.

6. Critical Appraisal of the Finished Work and its Theoretical

Framework

The finished design project represents an example of architecture which has

identified and used design tools in the hope of retaining a sites existing “sense of place”. In
doing so, “placeless” development in a unique area of the city was minimised. This piece of
design comes in the bid to counter the increasing homogeneity of urban areas and in
particular focuses on a site within the western fringe of Auckland City.
The hypothesis that was carried through this text consisted of two parts. The
first was concerned with theory and stated: By broadening strategies associated with
conservation to encompass existing social aspects of a site (the way in which the site is used
by a community) the retention of a sites sense of place can be retained during the renewal of
an existing urban environment reducing the impact of placelessness within Auckland's
western city fringe area.
The second part of this hypothesis relates directly to the chosen site. Loose
space involves the adaptability of a site for various human activities to occur. It is created
when people recognise the potential in a space and use it for an activity they want to partake
in. As loose space created sense of place within the chosen site, the hypothesis formulated
stated: By conserving loose space within this particular site as well as physical features, the
sense of place experienced within the site, can be retained therefore minimising the effects of
loose space.
Through the research process several points in relation to the city fringe site
and the looming urban renewal projects were uncovered. A literature search suggested
several points: Large scale comprehensive “urban change” known as “urban renewal” has a
negative impact on a site's “sense of place”. A primary consequence of such renewal is
P a g e | 48

“placelessness.” Therefore, steps need to be made in order to provide a non-placeless

environment for people when a site is due to undergo urban renewal.
Further research into the topic of sense of place suggested that architects
generally focus on the physical characteristics when considering sense of place and therefore
do not always capture the true essence of a sites sense of place. Literature suggested that
social aspects of a location are also characteristics of place. The conservation should also
consider retaining cultural aspects of a site leading to a better representation of a sites sense
of place.
Site analysis suggested that within the chosen site, one of the key aspects
creating the sites sense of place was loose space. Loose space therefore became the key
focus for conservation and guided the design process resulting in the final design scheme.
The design process and its resulting final design is somewhat capable of
retaining the sites sense of place. This highlights the fact that despite Auckland's urban fabric
having to change, (due to economical and social pressures) new buildings do not have to
damage a location’s sense of place. The design scheme presented achieves this in two ways.
Firstly, the sense of place is retained by representing the current physical conditions through
the new development. Secondly, the sites sense of place is retained by using the existing
social activities and building uses as a means of generating a brief for the new development.
As noted earlier, sense of place is made of physical and social characteristics;
therefore the design scheme looked at ways to conserve the sense of place by representing
existing physical and social characteristics within new buildings. As the key factor creating
the sites sense of place was loose space, the characteristics which created loose space were
represented. Design aspects which have assisted in the retention of loose space and therefore
the sites sense of place are; program, permeability, site massing, materiality and robustness.
This conservation of the sites sense of place was achieved through the strategic
formulation of the proposed brief. The brief which was generated for the design scheme, is a
social aspect as it involves people and the activities they carry out within the proposed
buildings. The brief was separated into two parts. On the eastern side of the site an event
centre was proposed which mimicked the way in which the council sheds are currently used,
and on the western side, a mixed use development mimics the mixed use nature of the greater
area.
P a g e | 49

Permeability is another social aspect worked into the design. However, it does
not help to retain the sites sense of place. Instead, this design element brings outsiders into
the scheme increasing the diversity of the social group within the site. Diversity proves to be
a positive aspect within the urban realm and increases the chance for different people to
partake in activity, thus increasing the vitality within the scheme.
Site massing is a physical characteristic of the proposed scheme which firstly
provides for loose space and secondly, acts to retain the site's sense of place. The massing on
the site is set in a way to provide many different exterior spatial qualities such as lanes,
alleys, and squares. This is done so that there are many different types of space available to
be appropriated. This mixture of space creates a higher chance of someone recognising the
potential in any given space for an activity they wish to carry out. The form of this massing
mimics the forms of the existing council sheds. Through this representation of form, the
existing sense of place is built upon in a physical manner.
Materiality was another physical characteristic which helped to retain the sites
sense of place. This was probably the most successful design element because of its explicit
representation of the existing materials. The idea of robustness was also included into the
design scheme to provide ongoing usability during future urban change in this area.
As a result of this design process, the proposed scheme somewhat proves the
stated hypotheses to be correct: It is possible to retain this particular site's sense of place by
the conservation of loose space. Despite the success achieved through the design, there are
issues associated with this research, they require further investigation Having provided many
of the characteristics that allow loose space to eventuate, it is uncertain whether it actually
would in reality. This could only be proven through testing the occurrence of activity within
an actual built scheme. Loose space relies on relaxed regulations and bylaws permitting
certain activities to occur. As this project is carried out on privately owned land there is a
good chance that regulations and security would be imposed on the site suppressing many
activities which happen to arise. Further research needs to be presented showing the positive
aspects of loose space. Through this research, loose space could be fostered by loosening
laws and security in both council-owned and privately owned open space, encouraging
people to use space for positive activity.
The use of social characteristics within a given site to conserve a sites sense of
place during redevelopment also needs further research. Very little available literature spoke
P a g e | 50

specifically of existing social characteristics contributing to an architectural scheme. This

paper serves as one of the first to show worked examples of how such social aspects of a site
can be worked into a piece of architecture and is a novice piece of research.

7. Bibliography

1. Arefi, Mahyar. "Non-Place and Placelessness as Narratives of Loss: Rethinking the Notion of
Place." Journal of Urban Design 4, no. 2 (1999): 179.
Notion of Place." Journal of Urban Design 4, no. 2 (1999): 179.
This paper includes a study which explored how over recent years the way in which we
design and construct our built environment has seen a transformation from place to non-place
and placelessness. The intended audience, would consist of academics or architectural
designers interested in the concept of place. This work is similar to the concepts of Edward
Relph with photographic examples of placelessness. this work basically provided a deeper
understanding on placelessness.

2. Bentley, Ian Sue McGlynn, Graham Smith, Alan Alcock, Paul Murrain, Ian Bentley.
Responsive Environments : A Manual for Designers. London: Architectural, 1985.
Responsive Environments : A Manual for Designers. London: Architectural, 1985.
This book is a guide book to urban design. It surrounds seven key design principles that lead
to a responsive environment. these are permeability, variety, legibility, variety, visual
appropriateness and richness. These are universal concepts that can be applied across a wide
range urban environments. Ian Bentley is the main author who is accompanied by four others
all of which have mixed backgrounds. This book provided insight into gesign stategies for the
proposed scheme.

3. Blomfield, Paul. "Rhubarb Lane Set to Redefine Auckland's Historic Western Cbd."
http://paulblomfield.com/?p=303#more-303.
This is simply a the website of a company who acts as the personal relations manager to
rhubabrb lane. it gave insight into the way rhubabr lane was being presented to the public
despite the neggitive effects which may result due to its completion.

4. Canter, David V. The Psychology of Place. London: Architectural Press, 1977.

The Psychology of Place is a book which gives a wide ranging discription of place for the
disipline of pyschology, but makes links to geography and architectural professions. It is an
older book and was published when place as a topic was first becoming popular. It provided a
conprehensive view of place as a topic.

5. Carlino, Gerald. "Beautiful City." Business Review (Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia)
(2009): 10-17.
The article provides a discussion on how the beautification of a city increases population and
growth of employment in metropolitan areas within the United States in the 1990s. This
provided insight into the process of beautification which can lead to the result of
placelessness if not done carefully.
P a g e | 51

6. Carr, James. "Vernacular Culture and Urban Economic Development." Journal of American
Planning Association 75, no. 1 (2009).

7. Cohen, Nahoum. Urban Conservation. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1999.

Through this book Cohen presents an argument for conservation and provides insight into the
way conservation can be carried out. It did not provide insite into the conservation of soical
aspects within a site so further information was needed in the regard.

8. Couch, Chris. City of Change and Challenge : Urban Planning and Regeneration in
Liverpool. Aldershot: Ashgate, 2003.

9. ———. Urban Renewal Theory and Practice, Macmillan Building and Surveying Series.
London: Macmillan Education, 1990.
This book is intended for students and provides and an introduction into the theory and
practical experience of urban renewal. It is not based on a strong hypotheses towards the
topic rather it presents a comprehensive view for those who wish to interviene in the market-
led process of urban renewal to produce a better outcome. This was a key reference to this
text.

10. Council, Auckland City. "Victoria Quarter Plan."

http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/council/projects/cbdproject/victoriaquarter.asp.
http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/council/projects/cbdproject/victoriaquarter.asp.
This website is run by the Auckland City Council and gave information on the urban
environment in which the chosen site was located. The text produced as a result of certain
research dismissed much of the statements made on this website and therefore poses as a
contradition to this paper.

11. Cromley, E. C. . " Public History and the Historic Preservation District." In Past Meets
Present, edited by J. Blatti, 30-36. Washington, DC,: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1987.

12. Cullen, Gordon. Concise Townscape. [S.l.]: Architectural Press, 1971.

13. A classic book based in the context of urban design produced information on the principles of
creating place through drawing on certain physical elements within an urban environment.
This was used in the project to produce a piece of urban design that spoke of the place in
which the project was located.

14. Dey, Bob. "Comprehensive Redevelopment for Old Cook St Depot." Bob Dey Publishing
Ltd,
http://www.bdcentral.co.nz/afa.asp?idWebPage=8338&idBobDeyProperty_Articles=6051&S
ID=957186880.
This reference was a website which provided facts on the rhubarb lane developement which
is going to be constructed. It gave qantitvie insight into the size of the scheme and how much
demolition of the sites existing feature is to be carried out.
P a g e | 52

15. Dix, Gerald B. "Character, Conservation and Change: The Place of Preservation in the City."
Ekistics 61, no. 368/369 (1994): 261.
Dix addresses appropriateness of planning and architectural policies relating to urban change
and how it can be fixed with conservation, citing relationships between buildings and their
environments. This provided insight into the ideologies surrounding the conservation.

16. el-Dien Ouf, Ahmed M. Salah. "Lower and Higher Urban Quality Cycles in Urban Heritage
Areas: Rejuvenation Vs. Conservation." Journal of Urban Design 13, no. 3 (2008): 403-14.
This document discusses the meaning of heritage architecture and the approaches towards it
through different architectural styles. The research paper takes the stand that urban planners
and designers face cycles of higher or lower urban quality instead of neglect and upgrade
cycles in the future of urban heritage areas.

17. Franck, Karen A., and Quentin Stevens. Loose Space : Possibility and Diversity in Urban
Life. London: Routledge, 2007.
Loose Space served as the key text to support this research paper. It provided the essential
information into the topic of loose space and helped to support the an argument for
conservation of social activity. there was no other texts on loose space.

18. Gehl, Jan. Life between Buildings : Using Public Space. New York ; Wokingham: Van
Nostrand Reinhold, 1987.
This book is based on the research behind urban planning. It is not of urban design, but rather
what happen in urban design and how spaces are actually used. This book provided essential
information on the activities that are carried out by people within urban areas on a day to day
basis

19. Gieryn, Thomas F. "A Space for Place in Sociology." Annual Review of Sociology 26, no. 1
(2000): 463.
The point of this writing indicates that sociologists have an interest in place no matter what
they study. Thomas Gieryn asks How do places come to be the way they are, and how do
places matter for social practices and historical change? this provided a deep understanding
of place from a sociological point of view

20. Gordon, Alex. "Architects and Resource Conservation." RIBA Journal 81, no. 1 (1974).
This writing is perhaps some of the first writing on the subject of sustainability. It is a review
of Gordons speach where he talks about the principles of long life loose fit low energy. this
was a starting point for this project when looking at the term loose fit.

21. JivÉN, Gunila, and Peter J. Larkham. "Sense of Place, Authenticity and Character: A
Commentary." Journal of Urban Design 8, no. 1 (2003): 67.
This commentary provides a the theoretical framework for sense of place. this was a key texts
as it makes the point that social characteristics are also a major part of a sites sense of place.
the paper states "Conservationists and urban designers in particular need to revisit the
theoretical underpinnings of the terms and concepts that they employ, in order fully to
understand the potential contributions of sense of place, authenticity and character."
P a g e | 53

22. Kropf, Karl. "Urban Tissue and the Character of Towns." URBAN DESIGN International 1,
no. 3 (1996): 247 - 63.
This paper was very important as it noted the necessity of seeing character as a process
involving humans and their environment is noted. This underlines the need to put any account
of physical characteristics within the context of other aspects such as activities and intentions
in order to move towards a better account of character of place.

23. Ninness, Greg. "Rhubarb Lane | Approved | Mixed Use Precinct." Skycrapercity,
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=633496.

24. Norberg-Schulz, Christian. Genius Loci : Towards a Phenomenology of Architecture.

London: Academy Editions, 1980.
Norberg-Schulz draws on Heidegger’s essay 'Building, Thinking, and Dwelling to explain
place in architectural terms. This has not been one of the main texts used for this paper but
never the less was very insightful. It uncovered ideas surrounding genius loci and the way in
which architects generally focus on physical qualities.

25. Relph, E. C. Place and Placelessness. London: Pion, 1976.

26. Relph, Edward. Place and Placelessness. London: Pion, 1976.
This book was the main text used in this paper. As he states at the start of the book, his research
method is “a phenomenology of place”. Phenomenology is the interpretive study of human
experience. The aim is to examine and to clarify human situations, events, meanings, and
experiences as they are known in everyday life but typically unnoticed beneath the level of
conscious awareness. Relph begins Place and Placelessness with a review of space and its
relationship to place. This book was a fundamental starting point in realising a problem which
could be fixed in through architecture and the book obviously provided essential insight into the
theory of placelessness.

27. "Rhubarb Lane." edited by Multiplex Living. Auckland: Brookfield Multiplex Group
Rhubarb Lane LTD, 2010.
A pamphlet advertising the proposed rhubarb lane development. this provided information
into the physical characteristics of the scheme.

28. Salah Ouf, Ahmed M. "Authenticity and the Sense of Place in Urban Design." Journal of
Urban Design 6, no. 1 (2001): 73-86.
This paper talks of the relevancey of authenticity to the processes of conservation in urban
design. this paper provided valuable insight into the relationship between conservation and
sense of place.
P a g e | 54

9. Appendix

9.1 Appendix A : Declaration

Name of candidate: Anthony Sephton

This Research Project (Design and Explanatory Document) entitled:

Loose Space and Place: Finding a Sense of Place within an Industrial City Fringe Site

is submitted in partial fulfilment for the requirements for the Unitec degree of Master of
Architecture (Professional)

CANDIDATE’S DECLARATION

I confirm that:
• This Research Project represents my own work;
• The contribution of supervisors and others to this work was consistent with the Unitec
Regulations and Policies.
• Research for this work has been conducted in accordance with the Unitec Research
Ethics Committee Policy and Procedures, and has fulfilled any requirements set for
this project by the Unitec Research Ethics Committee.
Research Ethics Committee Approval Number: Candidate Signature:

……….…………………………………….
Date: 30/09/10 Student number: 125-7137
P a g e | 55

9.2 Appendix B - Precedents

1111 Lincoln Road

Miami, USA
Herzog & de Meuron

This project is named 1111 Lincoln Road, the building incorporates 300 parking
spaces. Eleven shops and three restaurants are located at ground level, with further shopping on the
fifth floor and another restaurant on the roof. The scheme is designed by Herzog & de Meuron and
represents the collaboration of renowned architects, landscape architects, artists and designers to
create a unique shopping, dining, residential and parking experience in Miami’s. This project was of
value because it highlighted and prominent scheme which uses functional parking space for other uses
when parking is not required therefore exhibiting the trait of loose space.
P a g e | 56

CarriageWorks
Eveleigh, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects

Opened in January 2007, CarriageWorks is the new home for contemporary

arts and culture in Sydney. The complex was built on a vision of a vibrant cultural life for
artists, it’s a place for creativity and innovation, where artists are given the opportunity to
conceive, develop and present their work in an inspiring and creative atmosphere. The
scheme is an adaptive reuse project situated in the old Eveleigh Rail Yards in Redfern
Waterloo precinct. This centre was developed by the NSW State Government through Arts
NSW and serves as architectural precedent to my scheme as a similar is programme used to
form one aspect of the urban scheme.
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9.3 Appendix C - Site Context

P a g e | 58

9.3 Appendix D - Presentation Pictures

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