Ricky Stadium

The population of Wainuiomata (figure 1) is set to increase by 35% following Hutt City Council plans to build 2000 new houses. This increase has the potential to further erode a sense of community already weakened by the decline of traditional sources of community identity, notably Wainuiomata’s Sports Clubs, Schools, and Churches. This thesis reconsiders architectures relationship with sport and how architecture can help to enhance a sense of community identity. It employs an architecture derived from the formal and spatial qualities of a sports field to establish a range of programs and activities. Through a series of design iterations this thesis asks, how can Architecture’s relationship with the Sports Field be reconsidered to intensify (social) connections between sport and community? A mixed method research approach was used to obtain data from a broad range of sources including; historical resources, photographs, personal observations, statistical sources, council plans and documents, and local publications and through websites (see appendix 1). Data collected was interpreted into a series of diagrams, revealing relationships and links within the Wainuiomata Community, enabling it to be understood spatially. This data was analysed through a series of design tests which determined ways it could inform the design of a building. This analysis was used to develop a brief for the building which informed a series of design iterations, and ultimately a developed design. These designs developed an understanding of how a ‘sports field’ can be intensified as a spatial and programmatic proposition. The resulting design is a sport and education facility defined by overlapping surfaces which create a dialogue between sports field as a formal condition and a range of programs. Architecture, in this role, acts to connect a diverse range of community groups facilitating social interaction and enhancing local community.