Neighborhood Evolution through "Habitat" Creation: A Cultural in Fill Study of the I-kiribati within the Fabric of New Zealand

Abstract

This project is not simply a relocation project in which a group of I-Kiribati people are placed within the existing neighborhood structure, but instead a type of cultural in fill; a project of the evolution of a neighborhood when two cultures are meshed in such a way that both are represented through culture and architecture. A focus is placed on the changes and relationships that occur through this process. The I-Kiribati, in general, are and forever will be considered guests of the land as the Maori are the natives of New Zealand. Building new structures will be allowed in order to accommodate for the rise in population but special consideration will be taken with regards to the land when broken. It is the mythical belief that Kiribati was created from the Pandanus tree, the sacred tree of the islands.1 Because this is how their nation once came to fruition, the same theory will be applied to their new home in New Zealand and upon arrival, a seed of their sacred tree will be planted as a symbol of a new beginning. Due to the rising sea levels, the I-Kiribati will have no country in which to return. New Zealand is regarded as their new home. They will act as an urban in fill site does in a city, and will become part of the existing neighborhood fabric. The architectural solution of this project will be largely based on space and the notion of relationships; defining the relationships of each culture and interconnecting them. It will include a gathering space for community activities as well as a residential component.