Thriving Over Surviving: An Inquiry of Disaster Resilient Seaside Building Intensification

This thesis is a response to the evolving urban coastlines of Aotearoa, New Zealand. As a popular location to dwell, architecture has an obligation to preserve and protect the landscape and lives of those in vulnerable areas. This exploration of the intensification of a coastal suburban Wellington site will challenge the traditional quarter-acre building typology. Considering the risks and rewards of building and living on sites that are at risk of reclamation by the sea permanently or temporarily to create a framework to be tested at a larger scale and ultimately implemented across New Zealand. Developing an alternative building typology that will prolong and enhance the safety of residents on the coast as an alternative for ‘managed retreat’ from our oceans.

A global pandemic, climate change and economic challenges have resulted in many people spending more time in their homes, considering how and where they would like their spaces to be. These factors, combined with the ever-expanding population mean that the demand for quality housing has continued to grow in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Changing building and renting standards are also contributing to an evolving market, challenging the traditional building typologies throughout the country.

International media commentary suggests that these challenges are not unique to Aotearoa. The coast presents a unique set of rewards and challenges from the mundane to the extreme.