For Rameka’s Crit, he explained how he could develop his architecture through the perspective of the Maori culture. Before actually presenting his project, Rameka went into extensive detail about the influences he got from the Maori Culture to develop the design from a Marae into a Theatre/Events centre. This included a story called Ki Otahuhu te Waka which was about the captain of a waka’s wife and how she got seduced by the “Sonny Bill” of that day. The Waka which is a traditional Maori canoe was used as the central influence to create the main form of the structure Rameka created. Displacement and discomfort were the two main concepts Rameka used to influence the essence of his design which. Evidence of this was clearly shown in the way he ‘tilted’ his Waka shaped design to show how the Waka would have tilted as if it were crossing the rough seas around New Zealand.
Elements of the Blobs were evident in his design. It was clear that he had used digital means to‘push the boundaries’ of his design. The huge curves and ribbed-like effect he managed to create as part of design seemed very conceptual and almost ‘dream-like.’ Most of his design was computer rendered with the addition of a basic model to give a clear idea of what the form looked like from all elevations angles and views. Personally, I liked how the design was able to give off the feeling of the Maori Culture through its clever rendering (natural textures and aesthetic). The tutors and the architects who were present at the presentation were also quite pleased with the in-depth research Rameka had gone into to influence his design. There was an appropriate amount of sections and elevations to show how humans would be able to interact with the building and what the environmental surroundings would look like with the design. Rameka also mentioned how it was a goal of his to intertwine his building with the natural surroundings. He did this through burying part of his design into the landscape which gave the building a real ‘earth’ feeling.Overall, I think Rameka’s design was successful in showcasing his research and the ideas and themes he got from it. His presentation and verbal skills worked well in conjunction with his project.
adil.balouch. #virtual.portfolio 