Weathering the Storm

The coast, a geographical area where the land meets the sea, have been inhabited by New Zealanders since the first arrival of Māori. Presently, a majority of our population resides in close proximity to the coast.

However, the escalating frequency of extreme weather events and accelerated weathering processes, attributed to climate change, is transforming the coast into a formidable and relentless environment for both people and architecture.

This thesis explores the nuanced interaction between architecture and the raw nature of coastal environments, concentrating on weathering dynamics and an intention to engage with the experience of the sublime. This investigation utilises diverse design tools to develop five architectural interventions, each tailored to interact with the distinctive weathering and sublime qualities of five specific sites along Wellington’s South Coast. Each intervention unfolds first from the conceptualisation of the bodily experience, illustrating that architecture, through its engagement with weathering processes, has the capacity to shape the sublime experience by evoking awe and managing fear. Furthermore, it is proposed that by dissolving thresholds between exposure and shelter, architecture empowers individuals to mediate their experience of the coast.

Consequently, this study acknowledges that by embracing the harsh weathering conditions of the coast, architecture facilitates an inhabitation that allows individuals to appreciate the formidable power of nature