Proposal: Arataki Centre Volcanic Experience

The extinction of New Zealand’s Kauri trees is looming, and the majority of us remain ignorant to the matter. Kauri dieback disease is killing off Kauri forests one-by-one, yet tourists and locals, turn a blind eye to the decontamination signage. Te Kawerau-ā-Maki have worked closely with the council and have placed a rāhui (ban) on the tracks within the affected Waitakere ranges, forcing people to stop using them. While this may raise some awareness, I have still witnessed visitors ignore the blatant requests to scrub their shoes to walk the only accessible track, resulting in a not-so-friendly scolding on my behalf.

We need to make people more aware about these ecological issues, and signage and rahui’s have proven ineffective. So I propose a walkway, extending from an existing lookout based on the top level of the Arataki visitors centre. My concept will encourage people to experience the nature and beauty of the site, without harming it. I aim to encourage the public to respect the site, and for my addition to showcase the existing beauty without obstructing the organic landscape from a submerged perspective. This structure is biomimetically designed because its interiors have a strong correlation with volcanic natural form. I will also explore how light will interact with this geologically inspired space and how the natural lighting or lack of, can create mood and effect within a space.

An important concept of my process was to consider ways of designing to force environmental awareness. The experiential walk intends to create an exposition of the ranges, showcasing the native trees and fauna. Humans have become accustomed to experiencing nature from a standard eye-level perspective, or from lookouts which provide a birds eye view, as opposed to getting close up to the detail and beauty of the natural world, this encounter will mean viewers are witnessing the forests from new perspectives. I wanted to create an experience which is uncommon yet simplistic in it’s ideas. The layout and positioning is influenced by geological layers and historic volcanic flow which lies below the forest. Based on historical lava flow movements, is a submerged, abstract, “cave- like” path embedded within the earth. Cutting into the side of the earth’s contours, the concrete basin will also weave in and out of ground level. I have contemplated with the idea that respect is generally more common in unfamiliar spaces, similarly to how people are more respectful of other people’s houses and property than they are of their own. How can I force an oblivious species to respect and care for something which may not directly affect them? Humans tend to be selfish beings and are often unconcerned or unaware of their effect of the environment. So I have designed an obvious dialogue, one which talks about the state of the Waitakere ranges, and the inevitable future of the Kauri tree.

📷Designs that inspired my final design

As discussed, an important concept of my process was to consider ways of designing to force environmental awareness. The experiential walk intends to create an exposition of the ranges, showcasing the native trees and fauna. Humans have become accustomed to experiencing nature from a standard eye-level perspective, or from lookouts which provide a birds eye view, as opposed to getting close up to the detail and beauty of the natural world, this encounter will mean viewers are witnessing the forests from new perspectives. I wanted to create an experience which is uncommon yet simplistic in it’s ideas. The layout and positioning is influenced by geological layers and historic volcanic flow which lies below the forest. Based on historical lava flow movements, is a submerged, abstract, “cave- like” path embedded within the earth. Cutting into the side of the earth’s contours, the concrete basin will also weave in and out of ground level. I have contemplated with the idea that respect is generally more common in unfamiliar spaces, similarly to how people are more respectful of other people’s houses and property than they are of their own. How can I force an oblivious species to respect and care for something which may not directly affect them? Humans tend to be selfish beings and are often unconcerned or unaware of their effect of the environment. So I have designed an obvious dialogue, one which talks about the state of the Waitakere ranges, and the inevitable future of the Kauri tree.

📷By creating a unique simplistic convention which addresses the unspoken rules of the site and its rahui, I may be able to prompt the public to listen. The geometrical steel frame that encloses the pathway speaks for itself, it’s cage like aesthetic articulates the rahui in structural form, by creating an inferred restraint to the natural world. With a similar concept to an art gallery or museums use of unspoken rules such as; ‘don’t touch’ ‘keep away from the exhibits’ ‘no rubbish’, hopefully my proposed structure can portray this indirect plea for respect, and coerce the public to understand the current ecological state, and the need to make a change in human interaction with organic environments.

Submerging the public within the organic space I am optimising the design of the existing terrain. The experience follows the contours of the land, identifying the lava flow which occurred 15-22 million years ago, and exhibiting the forest floor and canopy. Nature commonly inspires designs in architecture and design across the globe, this technique is Biomimetic design. Biomimetic design can be relevant to nature’s surfaces as well as its methods. ‘La Sagrada Familia’ is designed upon a tree canopy concept, and ‘The Algae House’ in Hamburg uses a bio- adaptive facade, which participates in light control and acts as an energy source. This biomimetic technique resonates strongly with the Waitakere ranges because of its natural setting and the historic volcanic value of the site. While this text discusses basing structural design on nature, I think it is also important to create space for nature to be the star attraction. So I have designed a natural cave space as the final destination of the walk, this is a realistic depiction of a volcanic space composed of natural rock forms inspired by volcanic flow. This space responds to this text through the purpose and aesthetic, because the interior space has no obstruction from modernity. The geometric tunnel simulates my earlier proposed design of a volcanic tunnel. The shards and triangular shapes replicate forms found in rocks, volcanic caves, and mountain ranges. While natures geometries have influence over the exterior structure, it still remains contemporary through the material use of steel and concrete. The concrete corresponds with volcanic rock found in caves and will be a scoria blend, to include authentic geological form in the design and making of the structure.These were also purposefully chosen as modern and harsh materials to juxtapose with the soft, unrefined fauna and to activate the forest as an exhibition in itself, once again evincing natures status.📷

Considering nature’s influence on the viewers and on the structure I wanted to consider how light would react to the organic design, and how it would cause people to perceive the space. I considered how when light is obstructed we are able to discover the space further and its qualities, and I feel as if light produces invisible detail. In designing the cave like structure, I not only placed it underground to make it mimic a natural cave, but also so the lighting, or lack of could provide an experience in itself. While the cave is replicating the rock forms of existing underground caves, these are also accompanied by elements of geometry and materials found in the tunnel leading to the hot pools. Darkness from within the cave slowly filters out as the light enters the threshold between the interior of the cave and the the walkway. Making the stairway an intricate moment, where the public can experience the verge of darkness. I have also considered elements and materials which are able to interact with small amounts of light that will reach the interiors. I wanted my space to be transformed and experienced by illumination and reflection through my material choices, without interfering with the natural atmosphere. So I decided to include water in my proposal, the water also provides a rare, calm, rejuvenating and purposeful encounter.

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Creating a walkway experience, replaces the loss of accessibility to the existing paths without the further spread of Kauri dieback disease. The design utilises the interplay of biomimetic design, articulating space through light and structural silent dialogues, in order to make the public more aware, more mesmerised by, and respectful of our natural world. Although the walk is short and doesn’t compare to an organic bush-walk experience, it is more educational and effective. While the luxury of an genuine forest walk is something that is missing on the sight, my design proposed to create an attraction which not only provides ‘the kiwi bush- walk experience’ but also opens up a conversation about why the space has an obstructing cage, especially as the frame doesn’t disable interaction with the site, simply implies it. So while the site is touchable, the design aims to show people that our own decisions should be conscious ones, and our actions should be analysed before interfering with the natural world. To further my concept of raising environmental awareness in a natural setting, I think it would be really effective if I could make my walk longer, and deeper in to the forest, so the public is able to admire, what standard bush walks make not sure from an above ground perspective. By doing so my proposed architecture may be able to open a strong dialogue ad curve people’s ignorance towards our environmental state.📷