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New Zealand Institute of Architects

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Finalist: Benjamin Allnatt

Benjamin Allnatt, 2014 student design awards finalist.

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Plan B Hive: An Outpost in the Hinterland by Benjamin Allnatt, Victoria University of Wellington Faculty of Architecture and Design.

Prompted by a report that, in the event of a natural disaster, the seat of government will be relocated from Wellington to Auckland’s Devonport naval base, this scheme is a means of keeping parliament near the Capital. A building in the Kapiti Coast foothills, within the site of an existing quarry, provides a resilient base for a crisis government and, pre-emergency, functions as a disaster research centre. It also seeks to engage in some site repair, offer a sense of ‘civicness’ and serve as a kind of suspended city wall between a straggling township and its rural interior. 

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After an earthquake in Wellington the Beehive’s occupants are relocated to a groundscraper fortress in the Kapiti Coast foothills. Clever siting, a bold and singular formal treatment, and a strong polemic distinguish Benjamin’s scheme. This is a real proposition, presented with wit and verve.

Other finalists