Project: The House that Politics Built: Parliament Aotearoa, 2015

Location: Tāmaki Makaurau

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My dissertation project, The House that Politics Built explores the realms between satire and sincerity, fixity and fluidity and conflict and leisure. Born from a fascination with politics, the media and its influence on our cities and spaces, this thesis proposed a new parliamentary model for Aotearoa New Zealand, one that challenges traditional typologies and the normative origins of design. 

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To accentuate the way the general populous understands parliamentary architecture, I presented the project as a tour guide, much like my experience on tour at New Zealand Parliament House in Wellington. The tour allowed performance and humour to become an integral part of the presentation of the project. It allowed me to present the scheme from an outsider’s perspective, as opposed to the sales pitch of the architect. The poster sent to my critics welcomed them to join me at Parliamentary Orientation week, suggesting Parliament had just opened and was ready to be viewed.