Architecture - A Close-Up

Christchurch. July 2009.Ajr

I featured this building here a few days ago but how much better it looks on a blue-skied day. It's Christchurch's newst office highrise (well...a mere 13-stories if you can call that highrise), and New Zealand's first 5-star Green Rated building (NZ Green Building Council). It was a Lattitude Group project and it's located on Worcester Street just across the tram lines from Christchurch Art Gallery. I have taken to photographing its details - in fact, I've been photographing its details for some time. If you enter 'cranes' into the blog search box, you'll find a number of shots of it under construction. I like it overall but I do wonder if anyone will ever use these flimsy-looking little balconies. The building overlooks one of Christchurch's busiest walkways, so anyone standing on the balconies is going to be 'on show' to the passing world.

Shapes

Christchurch July 2009. Ajr

It was a dull, grey winter's day when I returned to capture building progress on this new inner city Christchurch office complex on Worcester Street, just across the tram lines from Christchurch Art Gallery. That didn't bother me, in fact for me, the chill skies lent a little something to the steely, sleek shapes of the building itself. It's the first 'green' office building in the South Island I believe and a new cafe/restaurant opened at ground level earlier this week. I'll be along to investigate soon folks. We could certainly do with another smart cafe addition on what must be one of Christchurch's busiest walking streets.

Going Green - 2

Christchurch. March 2009. Ajr

I like the forms that are taking shape on Christchurch's first 5-star Green-rated office tower on Worcester Street opposite the Art Gallery. I think it would be a perfect place to live in a penthouse apartment - well..... in my dreamland! To see the building in its entirely put Going Green into the blog search box above left.

Going Green

The Club, Christchurch. jan 2009. Ajr

The South Island’s first 5 Green Star rated office tower is getting taller. The Club – named after the historic Canterbury Club next door - is a Lattitude Group project and is the first in the South Island to get the 5-star nod from the New Zealand Green Building Council. When completed the 13-level building will include three levels of car parking and ten levels of office space. It’s located on Worcester Boulevard, directly across the street from Christchurch Art Gallery.

A Nod For Sustainability

sustainability

Definitely the word of the moment

On that note, I loved these plain hessian bags from Sydney-based Murchison-Hume, producers of premium organic cleaning products. I discovered their range in The Enchanted Closet in Woodend. I seem to developed a 'bit of a thing' for carry bags. I can't explain it but for now, I'm running with the urge. On a less frivolous note, if you're interested in sustainability, you should definitely check out the Murchison-Hume website. They've got some great stuff. www.murchison-hume.com

Looks Can Be Deceiving

Lake Forsyth, Banks Peninsular. July 2008. Ajr

When you stand on the edge of Lake Forsyth – known to Maori as Wairewa – it’s hard not to feel a little sad about this poisoned place. A few days ago it looked moody and enticing, pretty almost; but this is not a lake you want to swim or fish in. Thanks to a wide range of contributing culprits - from erosion and bird fouling to human effluent - the lake suffers from algal contamination. Its water is poisoned, fish are dying, it is silting up and boating on the lake is virtually non-existent. Once a valuable food resource for Maori – especially eels – it is predicted it will become a swamp within five years if the problem can’t be solved.

Consider This.......

Here’s a bright idea for Christchurch City Council to consider – now that they’ll be hosting the Ellerslie International Flower Show (to be rebranded shortly) in March 2009. Fresh in my In Box this afternoon, a Press Release from Chicago about Chicago’s favourite Springtime pageant, Tulip Days on The Magnificent Mile, presented by Bank of America. In what seems like a brilliant idea to me, they’ve organised some of Chicago’s top ARCHITECTS to design kinetic art sculptures for the event. Some of the world’s top (Chicago-based) names in architecture have committed to creating moving sculptures designed with sustainable materials – recycled paper, plastic, glass, wood and more – spending no more than US$5,000 on their sculpture design and construction. Something like this might be an edgy, intelligent addition to a sea of blooms and re-worked garden designs. www.themagnificentmile.com

Earth Hour

Prime Minister Helen Clark kicked off Earth Hour at the Christchurch Art Gallery this afternoon.

Christchurch is the first New Zealand city to commit to the global movement that will see 24 cities worldwide turning out their lights for one hour on Saturday, March 29th at 8pm, to show their commitment to fighting climate change.

Earth Hour was pioneered in Sydney in 2007 when 2.2 million Sydney residents and over 1,100 Sydney businesses turned off their lights, plunging iconic buildings and landmarks into darkness.

Due to our position on the globe, Christchurch (along with Suva,Fiji) will be the first of the world's Earth Hour cities to flick off the light switches.

Anyone wanting to support this WWF-New Zealand-led initiative can register online..... see web address on the free t-shirts above.

A Question

Who gives a fig about your GREEN, environmentally-friendly sustainability policies if the rest of your product isn't up to scratch?