Christchurch landscape architects are responding creatively to the damage caused by the devastating earthquakes in our city. A number of NZILA members, local designers and businesses, students, members of the community and allied professionals have volunteered their time to help Christchurch green the city’s temporarily vacant spaces. Professionals have been working closely with the public as part of Greening the Rubble, a community project creating temporary public parks and gardens on sites of demolished buildings. 

Last month marks a year since the group began with the planning and design of the first temporary landscape on Victoria Green. This site had been home to the former Asko Furniture Store, Carl Watkins Hairdressing and Canterbury Cheesemongers. Victoria Green was completed in February this year, however the February earthquake that affected so much of the central city, left the temporary landscape fenced off within the cordoned red zone until it opened again in May. With redevelopment now about to begin on site, volunteers have started deconstructing the landscape, relocating site elements to the newest temporary landscapes in the city. Greening the Rubble is now handing the care of Victoria Green back to its owners, leaving the site as it was found when the buildings were demolished.  

Greening the Rubble co-ordinator, Rhys Taylor (hosted by Living Streets Aotearoa) has been negotiating with Christchurch landowners for the temporary use of their vacant sites. These sites will be injected with new life and creativity until the owners are ready to re-develop. The intention is to create people friendly spaces for people to participate in, bringing life and activity back to pockets of the city. Taylor provides regular progress reports to both the Christchurch City Council and the overarching steering group, Make-Shift who meet regularly to provide professional support and guidance to the initiative. 

Current sites in the planning and initial construction stages of development are at three locations. One new site is where Christchurch’s popular Piko Wholefoods Co-operative stood (on the corner of Barbadoes and Kilmore Streets). Greening the Rubble has negotiated the design and development of a community garden for approximately two years before the site is built on again. The other two temporary sites under way are located in Sydenham along the east side of Colombo Street between Wordsworth and Elgin Streets. Concept plans for these sites have also been completed, with a focus on using materials and elements from Victoria Green which can be recycled again when moved on to the following site. For the next year or two, while waiting for development, these temporary sites will provide a vibrant space for a variety of activities, a place that engages the community and becomes a focus for interaction and relaxation. 

One of the Sydenham landowners runs a dairy which is currently operating out of a shipping container, situated between two vacant areas of land. The shipping container is temporarily located on the site of a row of former heritage buildings. South of the dairy, a concept plan has been developed which provides an informal seating area using recycled wooden pallets and gabions relocated from Victoria Green. The plan retains and reveals part of site’s history by working around the remains of the original building foundation. Most of the building’s foundation slabs remain on the site, so working around an uneven surface was one of the constraints to the concept. However, revealing the foundations has provided an opportunity to appreciate the history of the site and as a source of inspiration for artwork. In a few months’ time, the container dairy will be removed, and subject to sponsorship of printing costs, a banner with a pattern that abstracts the old building facade will be fixed to the back wall of an adjacent container. Landscape architect Wendy Hoddinott and landscaper Jonathan Hall have been working with artist Kara Burrowes, who has designed a banner using photographs of children’s hands and bright colours behind images of the abstracted building facade. 

Large trees will be planted in an existing hollow in the ground and surrounded in part by the pallet seating. The pallets are constructed in a modular fashion and while bolted together on site, are designed for easy relocation when the garden is dismantled. Gabions from the deconstructed Victoria Green will surround the trees and recycled bricks re-inserted into the gabions, although this time painted in pastel colours to tone with the heritage banner. Flaxes will line the south boundary of the site and be interspersed with other native shrubs. Groundcovers and herbs will be planted within the gaps and cracks in the foundation, establishing a “crack garden” beneath people’s feet. As this issue of LA goes to print, a prototype seat is being constructed from donated wooden pallets by an experienced volunteer tradesman for students from Hagley Community College to replicate before installing on site. 

A local wool shop less than 100m from the site has been asked to invite enthusiastic knitters to knit “branch warmers” for the trees (otherwise known as “yarn bombing”), a popular way of reclaiming and personalising sites, helping make public spaces feel cared for. It’s envisaged that the colours will again reflect those colours used in the historic banner, to tie the site together. As a final touch to the site, where some cracked tiles have a concrete foundation, mosaics will be located with the help of local volunteers. 

Future sites under negotiation are located in Ferry and Stanmore Roads with the same intention – to provide spaces that are positive, vibrant and offer opportunities for community interaction. Members of the NZILA have played key roles in providing advice and leading the design programme of Greening the Rubble. Working on these community-based projects has enabled us to break down the normal barriers that may exist between businesses and work towards a common purpose.  The overarching goal of Greening the Rubble has been to inspire and build spirits, in a time where the loss of our urban infrastructure has been so disheartening. Greening the Rubble is working closely alongside art and performance-based organisation Gap Filler Trust who will be using such sites for art events, performances and installations from a day to a few weeks duration. We’re looking forward to creating more spaces such as these which are injecting life back into our much-loved city. 

For more information visit: 
greeningtherubble.org.nz
facebook.com/greeningtherubble
gapfiller.org.nz