MyWhare - Visionwest
“My Whare” is an innovative programme initiated by Visionwest Community Trust in response to the crisis of youth homelessness and intended to give young people who have had a rough start in life, the opportunity for a brighter future.
Visionwest will offer the programme to youth who are transitioning out of care or homelessness. Each studio will be located on the residential property of a host family who offer the young person connection to community through shared meals and experiences while giving them enough space to grow independently.
SGA Ltd have a long-standing relationship with VisionWest having worked with their community housing team for nearly a decade on various housing initiatives and we are privileged to be involved with the development of the first 2 prototypes for this programme, the Whare Rua & Whare Tahi.
The design of the “whare” borrow ideas from the tiny house movement to develop units that can be easily transported and simply connected to services in a typical residential suburban environment. The key to meeting these initial demands was to design to the requirements of scale and weight for light trailers and construction materials were selected for their lightness, strength and durability.
The “whare” are constructed with light steel framing and overlaid with an insulated oriented strand board for stiffness and then clad in pre-finished corrugated steel. The interior walls and cabinetry employ the extensive use of sustainably sourced European poplar plywood, a very lightweight and strong panel with a pale fine-grained finish.
Photography © Ross Keane
NZIA Local Award Winner 2021 – Small Project Architecture
NZIA New Zealand Architecture Award 2021 - Small Project Architecture
“In response to the crisis of youth homelessness, these thoroughly well executed, transportable buildings provide rangatahi with the opportunity for a brighter future. Designed to be transported onto the property of a host family, the My Whare builds help facilitate care and connection alongside independence, as the young people they house transition out of state care or homelessness. Dealing with transport-related considerations of weight, strength and durability, these prefabricated buildings have been thoughtfully resolved to extract a beautiful generosity from their compact form. Inside, exquisitely crafted timber interiors provide a cosy sleeping loft, sunny window seat and study deck, while colour is used to bring a vibrancy that uplifts the spirit. By approaching this project with care and thoughtfulness, the architect has created aspirational and exquisite spaces that demonstrate the role the profession should play in creating a built environment for our most vulnerable people.”
NZIA New Zealand Architecture Award Jury Citation
“An inspiring collaboration between architects and a community initiative. My Whare studios are prefabricated housing units that will provide warmth and shelter for vulnerable young people who are transitioning out of care or homelessness. With warm timber floors and sturdy steel-framed walls and roofs, the units can be easily transported to the residential properties of host families where, within the lined walls of sustainable ply, young people can make a home for themselves. While the country grapples with the housing crisis, such interventions show the powerful role good architecture can play.”
NZIA Local Awards Jury Citation