The tragic earthquake in Christchurch earlier this year rendered the downtown inoperable. With 40% of building in the central business district set for demolition the face of the city will be changed forever. At the heart of the city lay the campus of the Unlimited Paenga Tawhiti(UPT).
On February 22nd 2011, students and Learning Advisors from UPT were spread throughout their campus. All escaped but only one of their three buildings remains. What made their situation unique is that the campus of their 'special character school' was situated throughout the devastated Christchurch inner-city.
UPT's urban campus was unique and within the New Zealand schooling system they stand out for the way in which they have redefined and shared power and responsibility for the learning process; and there approach that sees that the whole community provides context for their curriculum.
Currently decamped in satellite spaces throughout the city the UPT community overwhelmingly wish to return to inner city. They are looking for a new campus that will not only advance their renowned special character but will act as a catalyst for sustainable re-appropriation of the city. The challenge to develop a non traditional learning environment that can transform the lives of students and bring youth back into the center of the city.
Call for Ideas: What would Christchurch look like if education was the centre of its future?
The submission deadline has been extended to Thursday, December 15, 2011!
Public exhibition of 18 finalists will be hosted in Christchurch from Feb 22, 2011
Unlimited Paenga Tawhiti is a co-educational state high school in New Zealand providing an innovative learning environment where students are central to their learning. They get their name from their firm philosophy to discovery learning. Believing in the potential of youth, pupils are guided to be self-directed in their education, knowing no bounds to their success. 'Paenga Tawhiti' is the Te Reo Maori (New Zealand Indigenous) name given by the local Iwi (Tribe), Ngai Tahu, and reflects concepts of endless horizons, borderless worlds and limitless possibilities.
At the moment, AFH is offering assistance in the form of advocacy and support for Unlimited, who are hoping to move back into the CBD where their unique brand of education works best. This may also involve helping the White Elephant Trust and Youth Health Trust, who were in collaboration with Unlimited before the disaster.
The long term goal for Unlimited is to return to the central city, wherever that might be. This is reflected quite strongly in the student survey conducted following the earthquake and their temporary relocation to a suburban site, where some 84% of the students rated moving back to the 'central city' as being extremely important. Architecture for Humanity recognises that the rehabilitation of Unlimited is akin to an 'urban acupuncture', in the sense that working with Unlimited and their various partners will be greatly beneficial to the youth body in Christchurch, many of which have overcome great trauma and loss, so working with them to create a space to belong to will be of great importance.
Here is an interview with Eric Cesal, Architecture for Humanity's head architect in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and his view on the role of design in post-disaster context:
Interview with Eric Cesal on "Role of the Architect in Disasters"
You can view the Christchurch Council's Draft Central City Plan here:
http://www.centralcityplan.org.nz/
We will continue to upload more videos in the FAQ section in the coming weeks - feel free to ask questions that haven't already been answered here by writing to competition@afh-auckland.org
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