Project - Office Development for the Ministry for Culture & Heritage, incorporating a National Storytelling Centre
Location - Wellington, New Zealand
Type of Project - Commercial/Public
Design Parameters - A medium cost office complex (approx 4000m²) for the Ministry for Culture & Heritage (http://www.mch.govt.nz) and a National Storytelling Centre (500m²). The two functions of the building were to have separate identities within the overall building while forming a single architectural form.

The first part of the project was to develop our own site specific design brief based on a site chosen from our urban design proposal (http://www.pushpullbar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7489)from the first half of the semester. The site was one located on a new main street across the road from a public park. The height limit in the area is 27m.

Design Approach - The site for this development is located on what is currently the container port. The urban plan proposal includes developing this entire site into a new government & cultural precinct and mixed use commerical/residential areas.

While this building is intended to be modest in scale and design, it will be one of the early developments in the area, and also must provide a strong identity to the new National Storytelling Centre.

The design is intended to give the Storytelling Centre a recognisable presence that exceeds its relatively small size and relates the building to its neighbours and the park it faces across Hill Street.

Tools/Programs- Primarily Sketchup and Photoshop (this one was all about speed, effectively a 4 week project)

panel 2

panel 3

site, showing the old container port

site plan

urban design diagrams

aerial view

exterior view

exterior view 2

exterior view 3

atrium

ground floor

second floor

Ok I'm done. Questions please! What did I forget...

Ok I'm done. Questions please! What did I forget...

Hi Steve,
I think your panels are really impressive, especially for a 4 week project! well done! Its clear and straight to the point.

One thing i was wondering about though, is that in panel 3, you have shown what appears to be culturally important people/places/historical figures and what not, (in the faded strip at ground level section) but its exactly that which which i feel is missing from the design.
There seems to be no references to, or indications of NZ culture or heritage in the building that would help distinguish it from "just" an office type building, Dont get me wrong, i like the design, its a well thought out and accomplished pieces and perhaps it is not necessary to have any references as its not a museum or gallery, but i think its needs something which elevates it above being a good functional office block, gives it more of a culturally important presence.

Another thing i was unclear about was the roof spaces of the Auditorium and Storytelling Court/Function Space, are these useable, like does anything take place up there? I cant really make it out from the plans.

Overall its great work, i love the diagrams and presentation style.

you have shown what appears to be culturally important people/places/historical figures and what not, (in the faded strip at ground level section) but its exactly that which which i feel is missing from the design.
There seems to be no references to, or indications of NZ culture or heritage in the building that would help distinguish it from "just" an office type building...


I agree! Because so far there is only one "Storytelling Centre" in the world, and its in Scotland, and is basically just a room, none of us really worked out what it was. Also, the focus of the project was more on the urban design issues. The office space was specified as "modest", as NZ Government Departments don't typically pay for 'A grade' office space. But yes I agree, I would have liked to have got into more detail and explore how the architectural detailing could be more representative.


Another thing i was unclear about was the roof spaces of the Auditorium and Storytelling Court/Function Space, are these useable...

I imagined that they would be, but never resolved fully how they would be used. basically I didn't want to see balustrades on the tops of my boxes!! haha

love ur presentation!!

Nice work......

In your first plate, there is something called 'design rationale'.. is it possible to blow it up and post it pls?

nice work steve
congra ^^

In your first plate, there is something called 'design rationale'.. is it possible to blow it up and post it pls?

I actually copied and pasted it into my first post in this thread. I tried to let the drawings do the talking, and the diagrams were the key part of this anyway.

Cheers

Congratulations Steve, I think your project is impressive and it's very well presented too.
The building seems to address the context in a very correct manner, giving continuity to the urban fabric, and yet displaying a kind of controlled monumentality, appropriate to its funcion. The program seems to be organized in a very logical and coherent manner too.
Constructively it looks as it could be built with little or no changes. In fact, your work seems very professional, I really can't see anything wrong with it.
However, if any, this would be my only criticizm: it looks a little too serious, some more experimentation would be allright, not that there's anything wrong with your design approach though, but as a student maybe you could take some more chances.

good presentation! impressive!

whoops...Thought it would be some high end theory that would screw up my brain...
your diagrams speak, a lot, about your context and your reaction to the context.
Reactions are simple yet innovative (floating volumes). what was the 'starting point' for your design? (curious abt design process)