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webeinthecity · 6 years

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WEEK 10/11 Human Based Investigation + Final Reflection

Journal task 1 Using your reflection and in-class work, make notes (written or visual) of any changes to your investigation.

I have further developed my aim on my proposal. My goal now is to find the best possible solution for the lack of green spaces in Wellington CBD, I will do this by coming up with different ideas of how nature could be broughtin to the city.

Conduct your second investigation (allow 4 hours for this)

Reflect, communicate, reflect (allow 3 hours for this)

Journal task 2 Reflect on what you did and what you learned from your second investigation. Add this to the narrative of your investigation (again, this can be written or visually communicated.

In my human centered investigation I interviewed people walking through the Central Business District (CBD), targeting adult workers because they walk through and work in the CBD daily and therefore are more likely to be affected by the lack of nature in the area. I interviewed Pakeha and Maori, as I was interested in seeing if there was a possible contrast between the two nationalities in terms of feelings to nature, as from my research I discovered the immense significance that nature has in the Maori culture.

I interviewed 5 Pakeha, and 5 Maori, so 10 people in total, and I found that every single candidate believes that Wellington CBD lacks nature, and that something should be done about it.

My first question was “Does being in nature impact you in any way?”. Before asking this question I was unsure about the outcome from candidates. I initially thought that there would be a possibility that Maori would favour nature over Pakeha, however the outcome of this question was that all candidates replied “yes”, therefore they all are affected by nature, regardless of their culture.

As all candidates replied “yes” to my first question, my second question was, “How does nature impact you?”. The answers are below:

The replies from Maori were as follows:

1. “Around nature the air feels fresher to me, and I think my mood improves because of the colours and energy that nature provides.”

2. “Nature impacts me because I think nature brings people together, it can be a social thing because I think everyones moods improve when they’re in nature. Nature can be social spots.”

3. “It impacts me in a positive way.. I always feel happier when I’m around nature.”

4. “I feel like I see nature less and less, and I think my mood is affected negatively by this.”

5. “I love nature so it impacts me a lot I think.”

The replies from Pakeha were as follows:

1. “It impacts me a lot which is why I chose to live in New Zealand, because New Zealand has a lot of nature.”

2. “It impacts me because I think it has health benefits, mental health and general health.”

3. “It impacts me in a positive way.”

4. “It impacts me a little bit which is why I said yes, but I feel like I don’t mind that there is less of it in the city.”

5. “I need some aspect of nature in my surroundings or my mood is affected.”

From the responses, 9 of the 10 candidates seemed to be affected quite drastically by nature in some way. The only candidate who was not affected drastically was Pakeha candidate 4, who was only affected a “little bit”. The reasoning for this could be due to two possible reasons, the first could be due to culture, or, because most of the Pakeha candidates seemed to be drastically influenced by nature, the reason could be simply because every human is different, and every human has different needs and priorities. Therefore this means that I will not be able to figure out for sure whether there is a cultural difference in opinion towards nature.

My third question was “Do you feel that there is a lack of nature in the CBD?”

The replies of every single candidate was “yes”. Due to these replies I was able to then ask the candidates the fourth question “Are you affected by the lack of nature in the CBD?”. The answers are below:

The replies from Maori were as follows:

1. “I am, sometimes it’s a bit too much being surrounded by concrete buildings all the time. There’s only like two green parks in the CBD but I usually go to one of those for lunch to have a break.”

2. “Yeah, but luckily for me I only work here part time, and there’s a lot of nature at home so I’m not as impacted as I could be.”

3. “Yes, I’ve even considered working somewhere else, because I feel impacted negatively day to day because of it.”

4. “Yeah I think I am, I have plants on my desk in order to have some sort of nature around me.”

5. “I think I am, I definitely need feel the need to find spaces with nature in it, and I think I’m happier when I’m in them.”

The replies from Pakeha were as follows:

1. “Yeah I think I am, it’d be great if the council decided to increase the nature in the city.”

2. “Yeah mentally I feel affected by the lack of nature, it depresses me a bit.”

3. “Yes definitely, I do see the nature increasing a bit in the city though which is good.”

4. “Not really, I don’t feel the need to be surrounded by it.”

5. “Yeah, I don’t like how many grey buildings there are, I need colour, and colour comes from nature and improves my mood.”

From these answers I was able to gather the effect that working in a city which lacks nature has on the Maori and Pakeha workers. Overall, there was no significant contrast between the Maori candidates and the Pakeha candidates in terms of their feelings towards nature, and their opinion on the nature in the CBD. I believe this is because New Zealanders in the modern day have similar values and there is not as much of a divide as when the European settlers arrived in to New Zealand.

Pakeha candidate #4 was the only candidate who was not impacted by working in a concrete filled city. The remaining candidates seemed to be quite affected by the lack of nature, one candidate even considering changing jobs due to their nature being a priority to them. This confirms that something needs to be done about the issue, and my final question is vital in order to find a solution to the problem.

My final question was “Do you have any ideas on how to increase green space in the CBD?”, a question which fits my new aim, to figure out a solution to increase the green space in the CBD. The ideas which people came up with helped me think of possible solutions to the lack of green space. These ideas were; to remove buildings, to introduce rooftop gardens, a lake, a stream, more green parks to be used as social spaces, and increased trees, gardens and nature by the roadsides. I think the idea to remove buildings is not necessary, as I think to solve this problem nature needs to be added, not the buildings removed. I like the idea of nature becoming a part of buildings instead, such as the rooftop idea, as I believe that this idea is realistic and would not be too expensive. That idea inspired me to think more about how nature could be included in these buildings, and I eventually came up with the idea of vines being on buildings. I think with aspects of nature being on the buildings themselves, whether it be vines or rooftop gardens, the workers in the cbd will not feel as deprived of it. Furthermore, another realistic and cheap idea I believe is the increase in roadside plants. The least realistic and most expensive ideas would be adding a stream or lake, and increasing green parks, as I think that these ideas take up a lot of space, space which is not available in the CBD.

FINAL REFLECTION

What did you learn?

Through my text based and human based investigation process I learnt a great deal about the importance of nature towards most humans. In my text based research I learned of the importance of nature in the Maori culture, however I found in my human based research that both Pakeha and Maori feel strongly towards nature, leading to the idea that perhaps the importance varies from person to person, not simply because of cultural background. I found that some people needing it in their surroundings more than others, but when looking at a majority, nature is a need for humans in one way or another. Most candidates needed nature for their mental health, believing that they were happier when it was in their surroundings. Other benefits of nature for the candidates are that they can be social spaces – green parks, and that nature also provides health benefits, and “fresher air”.

My aim changed during the investigation, because I was unable to determine whether responses were due to cultural difference or due to other factors such as different priorities of individuals. If I was to interview more candidates then I could have potentially seen if responses were due to culture or the individual, but I would have had to interview hundreds, even thousands, of New Zealanders in order to know for sure. From my new aim – to find a solution to the clear lack of nature, I was able to gain ideas from the candidates and was able to successfully find solutions to the issue.

In order to understand my candidates responses – their need for nature I am thinking about the beginning of human evolution. It is a known fact that the world was made up of nature, and through time, humans have transformed the world in to their own, it is now made up of what fits our own needs. We are the dominant species. Forests stripped, cities built, and nothing changing anytime soon. It will only get worse due to the fast growing population, and therefore it is important that we do not forget about the nature. It created us, it created animals, it is the environment that we should naturally be in. While thinking about evolution it becomes clear to me about why I received the responses that I did, its because most humans feel the same way, we feel positive when nature surrounds us because it feels natural to us, because its what we SHOULD be surrounded by. Man made buildings are important yes, because they provide shelter, but why cant we have both. Therefore, I believe the idea of increasing nature in ways which are cheap and realistic is a good start. By taking small steps, and increasing nature in spaces which lack them, we stand a chance of this fast growing issue not getting worse.

If I was to start my investigation over, my biggest change would be to interview more candidates in order to get more responses and able to get stronger conclusion. Most of the candidates were passionate about nature but I feel that if I was to interview more candidates the responses would be more varied. Another change I would make would be to reword my third question. This is because it put the idea of the lack of nature in to the candidates minds, instead of the candidates bringing up the lack of nature in their own terms in order to show me that it was in fact a big issue to them which they thought about. I think that if I was to do the investigation again I would again do the text based investigation before the human based investigation, as I found that it was successful getting background information before going out and interviewing people. By doing it in this order I had knowledge and well thought through questions when interviewing my candidates, and the questions were not offensive or unclear in any way.

If I was to continue my project, I would definitely look in to bringing more nature in to the city in small ways, beginning with vines on the buildings and more plants planted next to the roads. Through the initial small steps I would be influencing others to follow my footsteps and as a result make bigger change, possibly even introducing the more expensive ideas such as rooftop gardens and increased green spaces such as fields and parks. It would be vital that the small steps were to be successful in order to move on to the bigger steps. I would increase the changes of the small steps being successful through further investigating plants (vines etc) on buildings, and nature planted by roads. I could talk to architects to see how difficult or easy the vine idea would be, and how it would work. Through talking to experts I would then draw and describe how the process would be done, and I would then show these designs and descriptions to council members in order to see if the ideas could go ahead. It would be important that I would have thought of every step in the process, and the further possible implications and how to avoid those. By thinking of every step etc, the council would be more likely to respond positively to my ideas. Further implications could be keeping these plants alive, and if ladders etc would need to be used in order to water the plants. I would research vines on buildings to see how they survive etc in order to avoid any problems occurring.

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webeinthecity · 6 years

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WEEK 9

Task 1 - Statement

I want to investigate the lack of nature in Wellington CBD and the impact that this has on those who travel through the CBD daily.

I want to investigate this because I am personally impacted by nature. It influences how I feel, as I generally feel happier when surrounded by nature. I know that when I am surrounded by concrete buildings for a long period of time my happiness decreases, and I am interested to see how workers feel about being surrounded by concrete buildings on the daily.

I plan to investigate this through research – online, books, and through interviewing workers in the CBD.

Investigation

Text-based

http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/kaitiakitanga-guardianship-and-conservation/page-1

This webpage talks of Kaitiakitanga, a traditional Maori world view which means the gaurdianship, protection, preservation and/or sheltering of the environment. From this I am able to understand the traditional importance of nature to the Maori, as the belief was that they were not superior to nature, but part of it.

I have learnt that Kaitiakitanga is still present today, as the Iwi are seeking to restore ecosystems and culture. This is particularly interesting to me as it means that it is not just a view from the past, but is in fact a view which is still followed today. I believe that this may heighten the likelihood of Maori interviewees wanting more nature in the Wellington CBD.

https://media.newzealand.com/en/story-ideas/maori-connection-to-land-and-sea/

“Māori have strong spiritual bonds with the land - Papatūānuku (the Earth mother). They regard land, soil and water as taonga (treasures). Māori see themselves as the kaitiaki (guardians) of this taonga, which provides a source of unity and identity for tangata whenua (local people).”

From learning about the roots of Maori, I am able to see how they may naturally feel towards land and nature. It is interesting learning about the gods, as gods are idolised, and as there is a god which represents nature. This shows that nature and land was and possibly still is idolised. I find it incredible that Maori hold such a high respect and connection towards nature, however that is not to say that they all feel this way. Because it is the modern day, it is not certain that Maori will still all feel the same way. I am looking forward to interviewing the Maori CBD workers and finding out if there have been any changes in regards to their feelings towards nature.

http://www.rph.org.nz/content/f4c7f1f1-0945-42c0-8498-6890f099b5b6.cmr

This information paper outlines the connections between health and wellbeing, and urban open spaces. In addition, it summarises the relationship between open space in relation to physical and mental health, and environmental, economic, social and cultural wellbeing.

This paper confirms that urban open spaces are healthy, stating that they create safe and healthy places for connecting with others, recreation and mental relaxation. They are developed in partnership with the community, and respect and provide for a diverse range of cultures, ages, abilities and socio-economic status. There are little to no negatives with urban open spaces, and the positives significantly outweigh the negatives.

This paper talks about early urban dwellers going to length to build “natural” environments into their cities. They knew the benefits of these open spaces - as they result in social interactions and contribute to community wellbeing. They allow people to interact with their natural environment and provide habitats for wildlife. They can also be an important expression of social and cultural identity. The early urban planners being aware of the benefits of nature has further confirmed my belief that nature is beneficial in peoples lives and therefore more nature should be introduced in to Wellington CBD.

“Current research shows that access to open, and especially green, spaces improves people’s sense of wellbeing. In spite of this, the development of green and open space in urban planning has not always occurred in conjunction with other aspects of urban planning.” This research backs up my thesis. I also agree that green in urban space has not been considered very highly in Wellington CBD.

The paper talks about New Zealand when the European settlers arrived – it was covered in dense native forest. The paper states that Europeans were a cause of a large majority of the forest being removed, and they imported European plants and bird life rather than enhancing New Zealand’s natural heritage. Therefore, the Europeans were the initial cause of the scarce amount of nature we have in New Zealand, and Wellington CBD today. The paper confirms the areas in Wellington which are lacking nature, “in the adjacent regional parks in Wellington and the Hutt Valley, green spaces on flat areas and in Central Business Districts, remain under development pressure.” However, it claims that there is recognition of this issue, being that there is a lack of green spaces, and therefore there is hope that with this recognition, advances will be made.

Journal task 2 Reflect on your investigation. How has it changed and/or deepened your understanding of the question?

Through my text based investigation, my understanding has deepened, and my opinion on the topic has not changed. What I initially believed has now been confirmed through past research, studies of wellbeing and the history of Maori and New Zealand. The information paper confirmed that the issue is a current one, commenting on the areas (“central business districts”) of Wellington that lack nature, the areas I am focusing on in my investigation. The information paper also informed me on the history of nature in New Zealand, and the contrast between the nature that was there before the Pakeha settlers, and the nature that remains today. This contrast is significant, and the immense amounts of nature that was here before the settlers shows the importance of nature to Maori. This importance is further confirmed in articles on the Maori connection with nature through Maori gods, values and beliefs. There is a Maori god who is a god of the land, and a belief called Kaitiakitanga which is the core of Maori values towards the environment. From the text based investigation I have gotten the information I need in order to take my next steps and produce a successful human-centred investigation. With my deepened understanding I will be able to ask effective questions.

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webeinthecity · 6 years

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WEEK 8

Task 1:

Write down your artefact/place/topic and your primary interest in it.

I want to investigate the lack of nature in Wellington CBD and the impact that this has on those who travel through the CBD daily.

· A little more about the context of your topic

Im wanting to create more green spaces for the citizens of Wellington, in particular the CBD. I am wanting to investigate this topic because I am personally affected by nature, and feel happier and more calm when being surrounded by it. This feeling contrasts with the feeling I feel when being surrounded by concrete buildings as it takes a toll on my mood.

· Information leads - where you will be able to find deeper information

I think with this topic I will find the best information from the people who travel through the CBD, as I will be able to gain personal genuine opinions from them. Of these people I will also interview Maori people, as I know that nature is important in the Maori culture. I could see if the opinions of Pakeha and Maori are similar or different. Furthermore, I could investigate the Maori links with nature and look through the history of New Zealand, before it was filled with cities and concrete buildings. Through investigating the history of the Maori, and the nature that used to make up most of New Zealand, I will be able to understand New Zealand’s roots, and the amount of nature that we humans should naturally have in our surroundings and everyday lives. I will investigate this history through a variety of sources including the library; books and recordings, the internet, and images and videos.

Task 2:

What you will present:

1. An image of your artefact/space/topic of choice (this can be drawn or photographed)

(img of Wellington CBD)

2. Your aims and questions

My aim: To see if nature makes an impact on people in some way and what impact it makes.

Questions:

How do you feel about the concrete buildings that make up Wellington CBD?

Do you believe that the vast amounts of concrete buildings take a toll on your mood?

Would you feel any different if there was more nature?

How do you feel when you are in nature?

Do you feel any connection to nature?

Do you agree that grass parks attract people and are social spots?

3. How you propose answering (or gaining insight into) the question through the information leads you’ve gathered in task 1

I believe that through the information leads; the public who walk through Wellington CBD, and the history of nature in New Zealand, I will be able to understand whether or not more nature is necessary in Wellington CBD, and if it would make an impact on peoples daily moods, possibly making the Wellington CBD a happier place as a result.

4. How you will gain better understanding of community perspectives

I will gain a better understanding of the community perspectives by interviewing them myself. This approach is much more personal and by doing so, it is even more likely that the interviewees will open up to me and tell me their genuine opinion on the topic.

5. How you are addressing ethics and the treaty

I am addressing ethics by ensuring that when interviewing I am asking respectful questions, and not making the interviewee feel that they are being offended or are unsafe in any way. I will investigate the history of nature in New Zealand before interviewing in order to educate myself more on the topic.

I am addressing the treaty by looking in to the Maori perspectives of nature, investigating the history through sources and also interviewing Maori people in the CBD to see how nature affects them today. I know that Pakeha are a significant cause of the cities throughout New Zealand and it would be interesting to see how the Maori feel about this.

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webeinthecity · 6 years

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WEEK 7

Part 1

Le Corbusier

Designer Le Corbusier had his own idea of what an ideal city would be. He believed that efficiency and simplicity were the two main components to a successful city, and developed an idea for a city based on these ideas. The city would accommodate 2700 people, the wealthy and the poor, and they would all live similar lifestyles. Corbusier’s city would simplify these peoples lives, as they would finish work at the same time and have transport come and go at the same time each day, and they would be provided apartments which would be slightly furnished, with 7 pots in each kitchen. Although it is clear that Corbusier had good intentions with his ideas, he did not think of each individual, instead, just what he thought would be good for a majority. His decision of 7 pots I believe was not thought through, as each individual has their own needs and preferences. Furthermore, in regards to the transport system, he did not think about a few factors, such as if a worker stayed late at their work, therefore missing their only transport. Furthermore, all workers having the same hours could frustrate individuals, as adults need their independence and their ability to make their own decisions. Overall I believe that Le Curbusier’s ideas were really just his own ideal city, for himself and people like him, a variety of different people would be unlikely to live in it and enjoy it as he would.

The Big Life Fix stories

The Designers in the documentary ‘The Big Life Fix’ were creating objects in order to benefit the lives of individuals who suffer in some aspect of their lives. They designed these objects to allow their clients to follow their dreams, as they were previously held back due to their conditions. The two clients suffered in different ways, Emma with Parkinsons, and James with a life threatening skin illness. Emma was a graphic designer who was unable to draw due to her shaking, and James was a young boy who had a passion for photography and was unable to follow his passion due to the pain he felt when fiddling with the buttons on the camera. The designers were successful due to their processes they went through to get to their final results. Both designers researched, trialled, and met up with their clients when coming up with trials in order to see what was successful and what was not. Designer Haiyan Zhang was unsuccessful with her first trial and took a completely different approach as a result, researching what had already been done in order to be inspired and build on successful methods. Designer Simon Reeve was successful in his first trial, and so continued perfecting his project until it was perfect for his client. Overall, the designers were both successful with their projects as they worked in benefitting their clients’ lives.

What communities might see the artefact you will investigate in a different light than you - either because they use it for different purposes or because it holds particular meaning for them. To what extent will your ways of knowing access the perspectives and knowledge of this community?

The community that could possibly see the artefact in a different light to me is the Maori community. In the Maori culture, they see nature in a different light as to them, nature holds stories, meanings and it is used for a variety of different purposes. The Earth Mother is a Maori Legend. She provides unity and identity to her people and sustains them. Therefore Maori want to protect their nature and land from erosion, deforestation, and inappropriate land use. Before the Pakeha reached New Zealand, the Maori were surrounded by nature, using natural materials to build huts and sustain themselves. Over time Pakeha contributed to New Zealands deforestation, building cities and stripping a large majority of this nature. Having nature in these cities would provide a particular importance for the Maori as they would feel happier and more at peace with their surroundings.

Part 2

Discuss two things that you learned that were most surprising to you (from either of the readings).

1. Some Europeans went to live in the Maori communities, and were expected to follow the Maori laws and their ways of living. I found this surprising because I thought that the Pakeha separated themselves from the Maori, when in fact some of them joined their communities and even become a part of the Whanau. This shows that not all Pakeha thought of the Maori as inferior, and in fact, some Pakeha were actually dominated by the Maori

2. I found it surprising that the European powers justified taking away of lands, lives, resources and power of innocent people, by making these people out to be inferior because they were “un-Christian, uncivilized and un-White”.

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webeinthecity · 6 years

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Week 6

Part 1

What are some of factors that make this topic a difficult history to write in New Zealand?

This topic is a discreet one due to a variety of factors. The biggest factor is the discrimination that the homosexuals endure/d for being homosexual. Police were involved in this discrimination and homosexuals who displayed their affection towards one another were likely to be attacked. The act itself is not a noble one, and was an illegal practice therefore was not recorded in history.

Are there any other communities we might consider in relation to the toilets?

Drug users, transgenders and the homeless are other communities in relation to this topic. Drug users follow an illegal practice and therefore are also discreet. Many drug users, in particular the homeless, go to the bathrooms to do drugs in a discreet location, away from the public eye. Transgenders are another community who have only recently become accepted, and barely so, still facing regular discrimination in the modern day. In relation to the toilets, transgenders face a conflict as to which bathroom to enter, and with this conflict they face possible mistreatment from those inside the bathrooms. The homeless use the public bathrooms for security, shelter, and to wash themselves, however this is not a safe space for them and they too face danger.

Part 2

· Why was PSSST gallery protested?

The PSST gallery was put in a working class community in an effort to improve Boyle Heights so that it would conform to middle class taste. If the district was to become middle class, the community would have becoming negatively impacted as the housing prices would rise, and the working class citizens would be forced to leave the area. The protest was about this gentrification, as the protesters made an effort to shut down the gallery and avoid the gentrification. Many of the citizens felt that their own needs were not met, being given low wages, and damaged streets and sidewalks, and felt that an art gallery was not a need.

· Although the term is specific to a culture very distant from New Zealand, can something similar to rasquache be found here? What would/does it look like?

Rasquache means making do with what you have. The word is derived from a Mexican/Spanish word. The word has a negative connotation as it means that someone has a bad attitude, is of lower class, is impoverished and has bad taste.

This can be found in New Zealands society as class is determined by wealth, and the wealth of people in turn influence their aesthetic.

Entry 3 Pretend that you want to change a 'vacant' building in Wellington. Brainstorm how you might investigate: 1) who currently uses it and how is it used? 2) What is the social history of the site (who used it and how in the past)?

If I was to change a vacant building I would find the previous owners/tenants in order to talk to them and ask them questions. The questions would hopefully help me figure out the history and the previous use/s of the building, so that therefore when changing the building I would do so respectfully, not completely transforming it, just adapting it. Before adapting the building, I would consider the possible communities who are still using it. These communities could even be the homeless, who use the building for shelter and warmth, therefore I would bring in security cameras to find out who enters the building, and would focus the project around what is best for these communities.

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webeinthecity · 6 years

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Week 4

Journal task 1

From researching and previous knowledge, I know for certain that the fashion industry has significant environmental and social concerns, particularly due to fast fashion. The fashion industry accounts for 10% of global carbon emissions and is the second largest polluter in the world. The largest contributors to the GHG emission are the use phase of the garment and the fiber type. But the apparel industry’s impact extends to more than just the environment. Social and economic issues are front and center as well. The film ‘The True Cost’ is about the reality of the clothing industry, showing the impacts of fast fashion to the workers and our environment. The film exposes those behind the clothing; the workers, who struggle to earn a living wage and are subjected to terrible factory conditions, such as the Rana Plaza tragedy in Bangladesh, where the factory collapsed, killing 1,129 people. The building’s owners had ignored warnings to avoid using the building after cracks had appeared the day before, instead, ordering the workers to return the following day. Many people are unaware of how big of an impact these unsustainable practices are having on developing countries and the environment. Big companies such as Topshop and Glassons have fast fashion, and do not consider their environment or their workers when producing clothes. Companies such as Kow Tow and Space Between however, are aware of these issues and are making small differences through the choices they make. Kow Tow is sustainable and organic, and Space Between upcycles clothes. Although these small brands have good intentions, they are not making a large mark in the fashion industry, due to being small New Zealand brands and being less known in comparison to the fast fashion giants who have taken over.

Journal task 2

1. I believe the successful way to raise awareness would be through social media. Through social media it is possible to target millions, even billions, of social media users, ranging from young to old. This could be through adverts – facebook, Instagram, email, and through television and film on movie platforms such as Netflix and Youtube.

2. A second suggestion would be the requirements for clothing businesses. If clothing businesses were required to follow stricter sustainability requirements in New Zealand and eventually worldwide, the sustainability in the fashion industry would drastically improve.

3. Socially, workers are among those who are affected in the fashion industry, working in appalling conditions and being paid far below the living wage. If it was required for clothing companies to have suitable factories for their workers in terms of working in safe conditions, and if they were required to pay their workers the living wage then workers would be given their rights as humans. Furthermore, if these requirements were made so strict that the clothing businesses couldn’t run without meeting the requirements, then there would be a much higher chance of companies following these requirements.

Journal task 3

How does the relationship between the cloaks and the maker differ from the western perspective?

From reading the text and watching the video I have been able to gather that the makers of the cloaks and the Western makers of clothes share similarities and differences. The similarities between the Maori and the Western makers are that they take pride in what they do, and the higher the skill and reputation of the maker, the higher the value of the garment. Another similarity is that all makers pass down their knowledge on to future generations, weavers and Western makers. The differences between the Maori and the Western makers is the great history that the Maori weavers hold, in terms of the traditional beliefs where the women who were adept at weaving and producing fine garments were deemed appropriate for marriage. This belief has rarely, if ever, occurred in the Western world in terms of Western clothing. The history does not stop here however, the cloaks being symbols meant that the weavers did and still do feel a connection to their culture and their past when creating their garments. Western makers generally do not feel as a strong connection to their culture, as many garments they create are throw-away garments, providing aesthetic appeal, nothing more.

How does the relationship between the cloak and the wearers differ from the western perspective?

The wearers of the cloaks and the Western wearers share similarities and differences. The similarities between the wearers is that what they wear determines their status, Western wearers wearing expensive clothes, from well known designers, and Maori wearers wearing well made cloaks. The difference between the wearers is the significance of the cloaks. Maori wearers wear the cloaks at special events, as they are symbolic of their cultural and history and are seen as spiritual. Furthermore those who wear cloaks often are those of a high rank in the Marae. The cloaks honour the wearer by signifying relationships with past histories, and each individual cloak tells a story of artistic and cultural achievement. Western clothing has never achieved this level of history and culture in their garments.

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webeinthecity · 6 years

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Week 3

Journal task 1 Reflect on first three topics of the course:

Group work

· How well is your group working? Are you happy with your contribution to the group and what might you try to do more/less of with your group in the future? I believe my group is working cohesively. We all contribute in different ways in regards to our different skillsets. I believe that I contribute well to the group, contributing to discussion, and sharing my insight, ideas, and past work. In the future, I will try to ensure that everyone has a say during discussion. I will achieve this by looking around my group and seeing who is shy and has not spoken up and I will encourage them to share their ideas.

Values

· If you are re-imagining the future world through your creative work, what values will underpin your creative practice? Do you feel you've identified these? Are they enough to guide your work?

If I was to re-imagine the future world through my creative work, the values that would underpin my creative practice would be respect, listening and looking before decision making, trust, communication, and being cautious. I believe these values would all contribute to a successful outcome. I have identified these values and believe they are enough to guide my work.

Ethics

· Do you feel confident identifying ethical and unethical creative practices? Would you be able to undertake your own ethical investigation?

I do feel confident identifying ethical and unethical creative practices as a result of the knowledge I have gained so far. I feel confident in undertaking my own ethical investigation in the future.

Task 2

Identify and describe four different ways that atmospheres are influenced within (or outside of) the techno club. Try to chose examples that activate different senses.

Dance

A way that the atmosphere is influenced inside the Berlin techno club is through dance. Dancing is a result of the sounds and music that those in the club are surrounded by, furthermore, when people begin dancing, everyone is impacted and have a higher chance of dancing themselves, as they do not feel alone. When a large majority of people in the club are dancing, the atmosphere becomes carefree and amped up.

Architecture A way that the atmosphere is influenced inside the Berlin techno club is through architecture. Aesthetically, architecture exerts control, as it is the starting point of what drives the people in to the club. The building itself is located in an old factory from the Berlin Wall era, providing a link for the people as they resonate with the history and the significance of the Berlin Wall. Inside, the rooms are of different sizes. Small rooms provide a more intimate feel, whereas the larger rooms result in a spread out effect, resulting in less intimacy between the people.

The feeling of rejection

As many people are rejected from entering the club, even after hours of waiting, this provides a VIP feel to the entire experience, contributing to the atmosphere. Those who are permitted to enter the club feel special and excited, resulting in an atmosphere which is so vibrant, that people are able to feel the excitement which is bouncing from the people around them.

Sound The sound is ‘Berlin’ Techno, a signature sound, which are of particular importance for erghain. It is known as the “music with people” as the people are the sole focus, as the DJ creates the experience and drives people to movie their bodies in motion with the beat and the characteristic use of snare and high hats. Music is essentially the entire atmosphere as without it, people would not dance and move, and it is the people who create the atmosphere.

Task 3

journal task 3 Kedron Parker goes into detail about the atmosphere of the Terrace and why it prompted her to intervene. Make note of how she considers atmosphere in her discussion about the Terrace (first audio clip), in her aims and construction of the project (audio parts 2 and 3), and in her evaluation of the project (audio part 4). (Guide 150-200 words for each section.)

1 – Atmosphere

Kedron Parker’s experience with the terrace is generally negative. She was personally affected by the atmosphere of the area as she was a worker there. When working she felt trapped, isolated and sensitive to her surroundings, thinking of the area as a concrete jungle, and the large office buildings as concrete blocks. She believes there is a lot of disconnection in the terrace. First, the workers being away from home and sitting in their offices all day. The sun, trees and the sound of nature feeling worlds away. And the disconnect from rich Maori history. Her personal feeling towards the terrace was that it is unfriendly, with little sun, and generally an inhospitable place to hang out. Through her feelings towards the atmosphere she imagined how to change the space, because she wanted to escape from the uncomfortable feelings she felt towards it.

2+3 – Aims and construction

Kedron Parkers main goal for her art intervention was to make sure that people wouldn’t feel jarred, as unlike an art gallery where people choose to go, her installation being in a public space meant that people did not choose to be surrounded by it. She wanted people to react positively and feel positive when walking through the sounds she created, so she ensured that the sounds would be subtle, almost similar to a relaxing stream. She herself imaged the area in its natural state before development, and ideally she wanted people to feel the impact of being in a natural state, in an area which is so filled with concrete and high rise buildings. Teaming up with Wellington city Council, Parkers was able to gather audio recordings of birds who were thought to be in the area at the time of when the stream was present.

4 – Evaluation of the project

Parkers wanted to create an experience for every individual walking through her art installation. For those who knew nothing about the art installation, she was still able to create an experience for them as they would admire the sounds they heard. For those who knew more about the reason for the art installation, they were able to truly appreciate the reason behind it and understand, resulting in a greater experience. Parkers goal was to leave every individual with a memory of the place, even subconsciously, and perhaps influence their future decision making in terms of making better decisions with the environment and maybe even attempting to create their own statements and create change.

journal task 4

Essentially I believe that although Wellington is thriving with creativity and colour, a large majority of areas are grey, dull and provide no aesthetic. The areas which come to mind are Taranaki street, some Newtown areas, and some Lampton Quay areas. I believe that in order to make the entire Wellington town creative and aesthically appealing, more colours and plants should be introduced. Colour could come from more street art, coloured buildings, coloured plants, and art installations, all to contribute to Wellingtons creative reputation. In my personal experience, I find that grey concrete dull areas affect my mood, bringing me down and making me feel as though I am not in a creative environment. In contrast to this, coloured areas make me thrive, bringing up my mood and making me feel as though I am in fact in a creative environment. The different effects that colour creates result in a different atmosphere, as I am not the only one who is influenced by colour, in fact, most people are, and therefore when a large number of peoples moods are brought up, the atmosphere is lifted. Another aspect of colour which could be added could be the colour of buildings through paint and through different materials. A large number of buildings are made of concrete, which contributes to the grey atmosphere, if these buildings were painted a maltitude of colours, and new buildings were created with a maltitude of different materials, the creativity of Wellington would thrive.

My personal values that I feel very strongly towards are respect, and everyones voices being heard. If my change was to come about, I would ensure that members of wellington would have a vote and a say if they would like more colour to be added to the buildings and streets. If people were against the idea then it would not come about, as the atmosphere would be affected if it were to happen and people were not happy with it. If people were happy with the idea then it would come about and people would be happy with their surroundings, therefore the atmosphere would be lifted and Wellington’s creativity lifted also. I believe that by being surrounded by creativity influences ones own creativity and people would thrive and be impacted by their surroundings.

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webeinthecity · 6 years

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Week 2

Journal task one

Engagement – from most to least engagement.

Most - The big life fix- I believe this episode has the most engagement with its participants, as the designers prioritise the needs of their clients, and put a great deal of thought in to how to solve their clients problems.

Chinatown Art Brigade – a collective of artists creating art and media to advance social justice. They think of the people first, and are a voice for those who are unheard.

The Calypso sculpture project – The project is people focused as it creates empathy due to its statement; plastic being in the sea and endangering sea animals.

Ville Radieuse: 24 hours in the mind of Le Corbusier – I believe that although Le Corbusier had good intentions, he missed out a few important factors – the importance of independence, therefore he did not entirely think through the needs of humans.

Least - The work of Mata Aho Collective.- The artists comment on the complexity of Maori lives through their works. I believe although this project includes engagement, it provides the least engagement in comparison to the other projects, as the purpose of the project just by viewing it is unclear and it needs to be explained and understood in order for the users to feel a connection towards it.

Journal task two

Option A - In the video of Emma, the designer, Haiyan Zhang, gathers information in a variety of ways. Identify at least four of these and reflect on how they used to inform the development process product (e.g. how one way of gathering information leads to another and then another)

Initially met Emma in order to gather an idea of her client, her wants and her needs. Emma then began testing and trialling. She made a variety of initial experiments to try out, and to then test on her client in order to see if any of them led to the possible solution. The outcome of these experiments were unsuccessful, however also successful in the sense that she had tried them out and knew they weren’t even close to the solution, and was therefore able to take a completely different approach.

Then Emma went on to research the projects which were going on around her in order to get a headstart on a possible method to help Emma. When researching she discovered a project where someone made a spoon which counteracted the tremors from Parkinson’s through vibrations. She was inspired by the vibrations and decided to use vibrations as the possible solution in her design.

Emma then made a prototype, not the final product, as she wanted to test it on a group of Parkinsons sufferers and then adapt it in order to make it the best possible product for Emma. The prototype was successful as the Parkinsons sufferers felt a difference when feeling the vibrations from the prototypes, allowing Emma to realise that she was on the right track and that she could continue on the right track.

Journal task 3

Identify key differences and similarities between the Kaupapa Māori resource and Massey's universal principles. This can be written in full sentences or done diagrammatically, or using notes or tables. Whatever format you use, it should convey the differences and similarities clearly.

Differences

· In regards to relationships, the Kaupapa Maori resource looks at relationships in a family-like way, whereas Masseys universe principles looks at relationships in a more business-like way.

· Maori morals are more personal and general human values, eg being a familiar face. These greatly contrast with the business and legal ethics of Massey.

Similarities

· Prioritise relationships and respect

· Both look at the importance of being cautious – the Maori resource looking at the importance of being politically savvy, and Masseys principles looking at the importance of avoiding harm.

Journal task 4

Use Le Corbusier's Ville Radieuse and your work from journal task 2, above. For each, note ethical questions that arise if we use the Kaupapa Māori resource and if we use the Massey universal principles.

Ethical questions

Le corbusier’s Ville Radieuse

Kaupapa Maori resource –

Building and maintenance of relationships – I believe that Le Corbusier did not follow this principle because he did not focus on family; where people prefer to build their own home etc and build relationships as a result.

Massey universal principles –

I believe that Le Corbusier did not follow Massey’s principle – Autonomy, as through his architecture, decision making on the basis of ones own values and beliefs became limited, as people would not be able to express themselves through his architecture as everyone became placed in to the same system.

Emma gathering information

Kaupapa Maori resource –

I believe that Emma follows many of this resource’s principles, in particular Aroha, Mahaki, Mana. However does not follow Aroha to the point where she does not allow her client control. Furthermore she does not follow Kia Tupato, as she takes risks instead of being cautious, an example being when she tests her prototype on volunteers without adhering to the possible risks of the prototypes.

Massey universal principles –

Emma does not follow Masseys avoidance of harm in the physical sense, when testing her prototype on volunteers. Through this testing however she knows that there will be no harm on her client as the volunteers did not receive any harm through the tests, and in fact, the testing was successful as they felt a difference through the vibrations.

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