Earning a Masters of Architecture (Professional) degree is, by any standards, a real achievement. But for four students from the School of Architecture and Planning at the University of Auckland, also scooping top national and international awards for their final-year thesis projects has been the icing on the cake after countless hours of study. An upcoming exhibition entitled Four Futures will showcase the prize-winning work of young architects, Raimana Jones, Zee Shake Lee, Natalee Yee Wei Tan and Norman Wei, and deals with their visions of the future.

Raimana Jones won the student category of the Auckland Architecture Association (AAA) Visionary Architecture Awards 2014 as well as being a finalist in the New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA) Graphisoft Student Design Award, with his project that redesigned the traffic-heavy centre of his home suburb of Royal Oak. Called Architecture of Co-existence: Regenerating Royal Oak through Urban Acupuncture, the AAA judge’s citation described it as ‘a rich and intricate arrangement of spaces and uses that invites exploration’. Raimana, who is also a talented furniture designer, currently teaches undergraduate architecture students.

Zee Shake Lee was also a finalist in the NZIA Graphisoft Student Design Award with his five architectural propositions to redevelop the eccentric site of the Three Kings volcanoes in Auckland, which have been extensively damaged following decades of quarrying. Moving Grounds: Irrupting Three Kings Inverted Volcanoes, went on to win Gold at the 2014 Taipei Tech International Student Design Competition ahead of hundreds of other entries from around the world. Zee Shake has recently joined Jasmax as an Architectural Graduate.

Natalee Yee Wei Tan was a finalist in the NZIA Graphisoft Student Design Award with her project Rotovegas: Playground of Flux, which melded speed and play with urban infrastructure to produce a hyper-real version of the tourist playground of Rotorua. An amalgam of real and imaginary spaces including drive-through cinemas; hotels; car parks; skate parks and a waterpark, Natalee’s design, rendered in sulpher-yellow, scooped Silver at the 2014 Taipei Tech International Student Design Competition, and a Grand Prize in the Unbuilt Visions 2014 Awards.

Norman Wei received Highly Commended at the (NZIA) Graphisoft Student Design Awards with his project Super-Pacific City: The Saga of Lomipeau. Inspired by Tongan mythology his work tackled the issue of global warming by creating a floating Pacific city. The awards jury described Norman’s project as an ‘inventive and exuberant scheme which stretched well beyond the Islands to the shores of Asia and was an ingenious and optimistic scenario.’ His design went on to receive a Special Mention in the Unbuilt Visions 2014 Awards.

All four architectural projects, which offer up alternative visions of our future built environment, will be on display to the public from 17-28 March.

4 Futures
George Fraser Gallery
25a Princes Street
Opening 5.30pm, Tuesday 17 March
Exhibition runs from 11am-4pm, 18-28 March
Email info-georgefraser@auckland.ac.nz
This event is free of charge.