A Sordid Chronicle of Outer Suburbia

Abstract

A reflection on worldly trends arouses the question as to what new attributes our Earth will manifest in the next 85 years by 2100. What effects have we wrought in a lifetime of procreation, consumption and production? With the continual expansion of our population, the sprawling and polluting, reports are depicting a negative future as the climate continues to alter. The effects of this change is most critical for those bound by coastal edges as the sea rises to claim what is now usable land. This thesis looks at one such area, Wellington, New Zealand. The city is dictated by the sea and sprawl inland is not a resolute solution.

This thesis proposes that a sea-based kinetic suburb can improve upon the sordid living conditions predicted for 2100 through adaptive and responsive design. By exploring a vision of the year 2100 that has been defined by the implications of excessive suburban sprawl, in alignment with extreme environmental conditions, this thesis proposes how coastal bound communities can survive in anthropogenic aftermath. It argues that with mobile apartment towers suited to the ocean, socialisation and connectivity within a suburban area can be increased whilst still resisting new climatic demands. This research offers informed insight into the future evolution of living in considering both past and present trends; defining a new chapter for suburbia and a typology that is more flexible and convivial.