Grand designs for Christchurch
An international competition has been launched to design and build an urban village for Christchurch, with efforts being judged by Grand Designs presenter Kevin Mcloud.
The village will have a minimum of 50 dwellings and will occupy a 10,000-square-metre site on the corner of Madras and Gloucester streets.
Already nearly 130 architects and designers from around the world have registered their interest in taking part in the competition, which is being run jointly by the Christchurch City Council, the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment, the Christchurch Central Development Unit and Ngai Tahu.
Announcing the launch of the competition this afternoon, Mayor Bob Parker said it was one of the most exciting projects in the rebuild of earthquake-damaged central Christchurch.
”The new development will inspire and excite a new generation of residents to live within Christchurch’s central city,” he said.
Other judges for the competition include landscape architect Di Lucas, engineer Kevin Simcock and youth leader Zea Harman.
Three teams will have their concept design chosen from the first stage of the competition. They will be given $20,000 to complete developed designs, from which a winner will be selected by next August.
It is planned to start construction of the village in December next year, and it is anticipated that hundreds of job opportunities in and around Christchurch will be created as a result.
Looking for a job in the Christchurch rebuild ? Come to Down Under Live in Leeds on the 3rd &4th November.