IN SITU CONFERENCE 2015
Just as my cellphone needs regular recharging, my creative juices need replenishing.
Every two years our Institute arranges presentations for us, from an array of local and international architects.
They inspire, entertain, agitate and impassion us.
Between the 10th and 13th of February last, this event happened at the Viaduct Events Centre in Auckland and it was brilliant.
It’s great to learn how different cultures respond to design issues common to architecture, especially those dealing with urban intensification that we are only just beginning to experience.
ATH 1940-2015
Ath was adopted.
His birth parents were 17 years old, so maybe that it why his mind remained perpetually young and inquiring.
In November last year, a few of us architects of a certain age had our regular lunch in Wellington.
At 12.30 Ath said he had to leave, in order to catch a flight to Dunedin at 2.30.
‘Thats fine’, we said, ‘you’ve plenty of time.’
Ath replied that he just had to pop into the hospital on the way to the airport, to have a spot of nuclear radiation on his lymph glands.
This was typical of his communications in respect of his health.
We knew that Ath – the mind, creative genius, soul and spiritual being, and Ath – the body, were separate entities that didn’t speak to each other, but nonetheless his sudden death last Friday 16th January was a devastating shock.
STAR GAZING
The children arranged a very clever and special gift to celebrate my turning 70.
This followed on from their 65th birthday prezzie to me, which was a dinosaur shark tooth to which was attached a plaque reading ’65 million years young’.
An anti ageing theme has been established. Read More
LAND LOCKED
I feel driven to join the hullabaloo surrounding affordable housing.
Design and construction are separate considerations beyond the scope of this blog.
In many minds, including my own, housing costs relate fundamentally to the supply of land upon which to place those houses.
Land at present represents more than a 1/3rd of the cost of a property.
Hero House
While the Bay of Plenty recently I got the opportunity to indulge my interest in sustainable design with a visit Te Uru Taumatua, the new Tuhoe headquarters in Taneatua.
I was fortunate in that both Tamati Kruger the chair of the Tuhoe Trust, and Kirsten Luke, its CEO, were on hand. They gave me an enlightening and inspiring tour of their pride and joy.
