Design King Company was invited to submit a residential design proposal as part of a second stage of development for the city and residential rebuild of Christchurch. This proposal envisages a city of rich community and physical connections, a city of sustainable scale that is easy to move around by foot, by bike and by various means of public and private transport.

A city that protects the integrity of the landscape areas envisaged along the Avon and within the designated Urban Frame, and adds another layer of public spaces and connections. A city based on densities, building forms and building functions that are not only rich and diverse, but encourage activity and commercial opportunities at ground level. This is a ground floor city where human scale and human relations are given priority.

Importantly and fundamentally it is also a proposal that provides a technical and financial model that signals an energetic and optimistic path to recovery from the tragedy and loss of the earthquakes. Here, innovation in building technique and financial thinking work in sympathy with an architectural proposal to provide a visionary and achievable future for the city.

Most importantly, this residential design proposal shows commitment to the 8 key objectives of this competition and adds one more, that is a replicable model. We wish to demonstrate that the solution proposed is; Viable, Affordable, Liveable, Sustainable, Enduring, Distinctive, Innovation, Deliverable and Replicable.

See Stage 1 of the competition here.