For Place, Of Place A Framework for Place-led Architecture

This research explores the concept of ‘place’ as a fundamental generator for design in an urban setting, focusing on the southern Te Aro district in Wellington. The research identifies the issues of placeless architecture, emphasising its visual and functional disconnect from its surroundings and placelessness’s adverse effects on community well-being. Through a ‘design as research’ approach, this research explores the multifaceted attributes of ‘place’ and addresses the challenges architects face in navigating complex data sets.

To address the complex nature of place, the fundamental concepts of generative AI is incorporated into the design process. A manual framework is proposed, which takes existing desirable qualities from an area (data) and combines these with design outcomes (prompt) to generate design explorations (output). This process is repeated with different design outcomes, each representing a unique sub-component of place. These explorations are applied to Te Aro, generating mixed- use, precinct-scaled architecture in an under-activated area.

The framework leverages the dynamic between machine analysis and human curation, establishing a hybrid process that combines AI’s ability to handle complex data sets with a human’s holistic consideration of unquantifiable concepts. The research demonstrates that balancing ‘passive’ systematic design with ‘active’ decision-making, results in architecture that directly responds to and enhances the diverse characteristics of Te Aro.

Throughout the design process, it becomes evident that a fully manual implementation of the proposed framework is very time-consuming. However, it serves as a proof of concept, suggesting that with dedicated technology automation, the Framework could be widely applied in the industry. The collaborative interplay between machine and curator presents a promising avenue for future development, enabling architecture to evolve organically from its place.