Architecture: We Shape Our Buildings, Thereafter They Shape Us.

The title of this post, attributed to Winston Churchill, is 'shaping' our thinking as we go into the next phase of our city design project. We are applying what we have learned already through the process of designing our own houses, using this to improve our next design ventures. Public buildings, shared by all people in a city must account for the various needs of the citizens. Woven into the design of each of these buildings we are thinking about shaping the building, aware that the design and function of the building will 'shape' us. We are keeping in mind factors we have identified as important in our utopian city. Sustainability; thinking about how our building sits in its environment, how it impacts on nature, how it might enhance the people's lives who use the building. These are some of the important considerations we have front of mind during the design process.

One of our foci this term is developing creativity. Our first idea is not always the best one. Some thinkers on the subject of creativity say that you need to generate thirty ideas before you can be assured you have one good one? We think having about five or six might be enough. Here are some of the ideas in their early stages. Te Tatau Pounamu-Whare Pukapuka Library, The Octoport Transport hub,Local Foods Supermarket are just a few of them.