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Programme Overview
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Projects
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Tool Lendery, Christchurch Central
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Central City Youth Space
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Good Spot
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Giant Spray Cans
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Detour
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#chchswing
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City Putt and Cruise
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Gloucester Green
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03Eatery
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Willows on Worcester
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Slacklining Park
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Open City
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Hammock Forest
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Grass Games
Text Ryan Reynolds, Helen Holyoak, Damian Doyle, Rhiannon Josland Design Rhiannon Josland Photography Jonny Knopp Additional photos Gap Filler
Imagine six inner city blocks full of diverse activities, social enterprise experiments, public amenities – all exploring different ways we can grow community now, and sustain it in the future residential development to come.
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Placemaking at One Central Programme Overview X
This is Placemaking At One Central, a partnership between Fletcher Living and Gap Filler to help create great central city residential communities.
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Placemaking at One Central Programme Overview
It’s the first time in New Zealand that a major developer has partnered with community and social innovators to run a programme of community-building activities at the pre-development stage.
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The programme is being delivered over an initial 2.5 years and is largely funded by Fletcher Living. This initiative is a big win for many Christchurch civic groups, who have been advocating for years for more community involvement in and alongside long-term developments. Many of the large central city sites will not be developed for years. This programme is growing community and building identity on these sites awaiting future development, always with a view to how those social outcomes can be maintained in the future development to come.
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Programme Overview
DATES
July 2016 November 2019 CLIENT
Fletcher Living SCALE
Six central city blocks, 14 hectares, 940 dwellings BUDGET / PROJECT VALUE
$800 million | Placemaking Programme $1 million KEY PARTNERS
— Ōtākaro Ltd — Matapopore — Christchurch City Council — Five residents’ associations — Te Whare Roimata
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MADRAS MADRAS ST ST
MAN CH ESTER MAN CHST ESTER ST
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#chchswing
#chchswing
one ce ntral sale s su ite
one central sales suite
G L OU C ESTER ST
A RM AG H ST
recoveryrecovery garden garden
A RM AG H ST
margaretmargaret mahy mahy playground playground
G L OU C ESTER ST
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K I LM ORE ST
K I LM ORE ST
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Hammock Forest
Hammock Forest
LI C H FI ELD ST
les millsles mills
LI C H FI ELD ST
C A SH EL ST
C A S HEL ST
H ER EF ORD ST
H E R EF ORD ST
WO R C E STER ST
W OR C ESTER ST
G L OU C ESTER ST
superlotsuperlot 4 4 christ christ church church club club superlotsuperlot 7 7
superlotsuperlot 5 5
MAN CH ESTER MAN CHST ESTER S T
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Placemaking at One Central Programme Overview
Gap Filler designed a placemaking strategy and indicative programme for Fletcher Living in July-October 2016. It contains 30 creative concepts for projects and partnerships that could be delivered as part of a placemaking programme.
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Services provided
The creative concepts came out of a research process that included spatial analysis, activity monitoring, community engagement, area asset mapping, branding and marketing analysis, gaining consensus on the programme aims and outcomes and integration strategies for long-term community outcomes in the completed development.
A key driver has been to involve as many existing businesses, community groups and organisations as possible as project partners and leaders; Gap Filler’s role is often to create the framework for others to deliver projects of their own that align with the programme values and strategy.
Gap Filler was engaged in May 2017 to oversee delivery of this strategy: to progress many of the creative concepts through developed design, detailed design and delivery; to maintain all the sites and assets delivered; to create and implement health and safety protocols for all events and installations; to develop and maintain social media pages and a communications strategy; to design, deliver and maintain information and wayfinding signage; and to continue generating new creative concepts to deliver as the context of the city and the development sites and timeline evolves.
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Placemaking at One Central Programme Overview
From this
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Placemaking at One Central Programme Overview
To this
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Over the past 2.5 years, Gap Filler has delivered:
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installations
medium to large events
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Placemaking at One Central Programme Overview
promotional videos
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social media pages
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radio interviews
36 small events
11 1 newspaper articles
website
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TV appearances
info boards, signage and wayfinding throughout
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Placemaking at One Central Programme Overview
Gap Filler has generated:
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$582,000 worth of in-kind support and sponsorship
+ $537,000 of income from programme activities
To date, this has enabled us to deliver a programme of:
= $1.72 Mill* *with $590k of Fletcher Living’s funds
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The key outcomes are to:
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Build identity, community and connection Helping to create a related series of distinct places and personalities in otherwise fallow land.
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Bring the area to life
Placemaking at One Central Programme Overview
Prior to and during construction, starting now, with fun and surprising activities and amenities for people to use, and opportunities for them to create.
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Encourage long-term stewardship and sustainability Cultivating an ongoing culture of doing things as a community.
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Stimulate central city living Showcasing the benefits and appeal of mixed uses in close proximity.
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Foster partnerships and collaboration Engaging a diverse range of people and organisations.
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Placemaking at One Central Proejcts
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Projects
Placemaking at One Central Tool Lendery, Christchurch Central
Tool Lendery, Christchurch Central
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DATES
June 2019 November 2019 CLIENT
Fletcher Living SCALE
400m2 area, with a standard 20’ shipping container and 10m2 workshop space BUDGET / PROJECT VALUE
$35k Establishment cost
$4k Operational cost (per month) KEY PARTNERS
— Placemakers — Gaby Montejo — Te Whare Roimata
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Placemaking at One Central Tool Lendery, Christchurch Central
One of the biggest barriers to people leaving their suburban homes and sections and moving into denser inner-city neighbourhoods is losing the space to do DIY projects. So we’ve set up a facility and work space in the central city to cater for that.
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Description
Services provided
The Tool Lendery, Christchurch Central is a “tool library”, which works similarly to a regular library hiring out books. Instead, it lends out all sorts of useful tools for home – such as garden tools for maintaining the backyard or woodworking tools for building that dream table. In addition, we have a small workshop space that people can use informally, or come along to one of our organised free weekly workshops to learn a new skill or increase proficiency with a particular tool.
Gap Filler developed the creative concept; researched similar facilities worldwide; established all the membership, tool hire and health and safety regulations; researched and secured an appropriate insurance policy; did all the branding and visual identity development; developed and maintain the website; setup the financial systems, accounting and reconciliations; developed the creative concept for the workshop space and oversaw it to completion; did the spatial design, signage and landscaping; conducted public surveys on most popular tools and stocked the Lendery accordingly; hired someone to run the lendery, teach people how to use the tools and keep the tools in good working order; organise and run a free weekly workshop series; established two social media pages; and continue to run and maintain the facility and relationships, including the website and social media pages.
Tools are often bulky, and the really good ones are often very expensive – especially if you’re only going to use them a handful of times. So it makes sense to borrow. We aim to not only provide the convenience of hiring a tool you might otherwise have to buy, but also provide a great (and very practical) reason for local residents to get together, learn new skills and build community. Sharing resources is a sustainable practice, while also decluttering our homes and sheds. Any resident of Christchurch can join the Tool Lendery for free by signing up online. Members can browse the online catalogue, reserve items, and for a small fee borrow tools for a week at a time by popping into our convenient inner-city location to collect them.
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Placemaking at One Central Tool Lendery, Christchurch Central
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Online software “MyTurn” is used for managing the tool inventory. Tool Lendery staff guide a new member through the signup process. Open for business during the early evening on a week night. Instruction is provided to a member before borrowing a lawn mower.
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Placemaking at One Central Tool Lendery, Christchurch Central
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The workshop is an adaptable 10m2 space, with large doors opening up to provide additional shelter. A Lunchtime Lesson inside the workshop space.
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Placemaking at One Central Tool Lendery, Christchurch Central 1.
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Key outcomes
The Tool Lendery achieves all of the key outcomes of the Placemaking at One Central programme, namely to: Build identity, community and connection – helping to create a related series of distinct places and personalities in otherwise fallow land. Bring the area to life - prior to and during construction, starting now, with fun and surprising activities and amenities for people to use, and opportunities for them to create. Foster partnerships and collaboration – engaging a diverse range of people and organisations. Encourage long-term stewardship and sustainability - cultivating an ongoing culture of doing things as a community. Stimulate central city living, showcasing the benefits and appeal of mixed uses in close proximity.
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Tools are tested by staff before and after being borrowed. Centrally loacated, the Tool Lendery captures many curious passersby.
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Placemaking at One Central Central City Youth Space
Central City Youth Space
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DATES
December 2017 November 2019 CLIENT
Fletcher Living SCALE
72m2 portable building, 450m2 site with performance area, basketball court, climbing boulders, and table tennis BUDGET / PROJECT VALUE
$132k Establishment cost
$7k Operational cost (per year) KEY PARTNERS
— Christchurch Youth Council — Canterbury Youth Workers Collective
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The Central City Youth Space is a centrally located multifaceted hub for youth with unique outdoor activity and hang-out spaces designed by young people, and a small indoor space for meetings and events that was fitted out through a youth-led co-design process.
Placemaking at One Central Central City Youth Space
By day, the building is an office space for two key youth advocacy groups in the city who act as custodians of the site. On evenings and weekends, it’s a bookable space for any youth group in the city to host a public or private event.
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Description
Services provided
This site, close to the central city Bus Interchange and the local polytech, was identified through our engagement process as a key site for young people. We provided a small portable building and offered it rent-free to Christchurch Youth Council (CYC) and Canterbury Youth Workers Collective (CYWC), two local youth organisations that advocate for youth in the city and are well connected with all manner of other youth organisations. They use the building as their office and act as custodians of the site, including managing a booking system for any youth group to host events, meetings, rehearsals, or anything else.
Gap Filler developed the creative concept; did the spatial design; progressed it through the Council’s consenting process; oversaw the earthworks; established all service connections; procured the building and its installation on site; developed and implemented health and safety protocols; established the relationships and brokered the agreements with the youth organisations and Christchurch City Council; installed site lighting; and continue to maintain the site and manage the relationships.
On the strength of attracting these groups as custodians of the site, we brokered an agreement with Christchurch City Council for two youth projects they’d secured funding for, the Up Up Up climbing boulders and a basketball half-court, to be delivered on this site, with Gap Filler responsible for asset management, site lighting, and so on. We left one corner of the site unfinished, and allocated discrete funding for youth organisations to run their own co-creation processes with their members to landscape this corner, as well as fit-out their building.
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Placemaking at One Central Central City Youth Space
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A meeting is held by a youth organisation in the Youth Space, which is bookable during the evenings and weekends. Local street art collective DTR host “Black Books Sessions” to teach free street art skills to the public. The Youth Space in the evening, with painted stage out front. Opening of the Youth Space (2017).
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Placemaking at One Central Central City Youth Space 1.
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Key outcomes
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The Youth Space, with climbing boulders seen in the background. Local teenagers play a game of after-school basketball.
A central city space that’s active day and night. A space where youth feel comfortable, welcome and empowered. Develop connection for young people to a part of the city where they may choose to live. Creating a hub of activity by collocating multiple projects that could have been dispersed throughout the city.
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Placemaking at One Central Good Spot
Good Spot
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Good Spot Bedford
Good Spot Civic
DATES
DATES
August 2017 November 2019
August 2018 November 2019
CLIENT
CLIENT
Fletcher Living
Fletcher Living
SCALE
SCALE
1800m2 site
4000m2 site
BUDGET / PROJECT VALUE
BUDGET / PROJECT VALUE
$55k
$49k
Establishment cost
Establishment cost
$122k
$201k
Profits generated for community projects
Profits generated for community projects
KEY PARTNERS
KEY PARTNERS
— Te Whare Roimata — Greening the Rubble — Variant Design — Berger Custom
— Te Whare Roimata — Greening the Rubble — Variant Design — Berger Custom
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Placemaking at One Central Good Spot
Good Spot is a community-run car park where all income generated goes straight into new and existing neighbourhood projects, and where we actually grow a sense of community and facilitate social interactions as people are parking. Two of the sites in the One Central area had existing at-grade car parks on them that had to remain as temporary car parking. Fletcher Living and Gap Filler decided to terminate the lease of the existing international car park operator so that we could establish a community-run car park and put all the profits into more One Central community projects. Hence Good Spot was born.
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Description
Services provided
We made the sites nicer, did earthworks so they were smooth and wouldn’t flood, put in bay markers, added some colour and quirky landscaping.
Gap Filler developed the creative concept; did the carpark spatial design; progressed it through the Council’s consenting process; oversaw the earthworks; installed all the bay markers, signage and parking meters; developed and implemented health and safety protocols; oversaw the creative landscaping; setup the financial systems, accounting, cash collection and reconciliation; developed the branding and visual identity; established the site monitoring and ticketing; provide ongoing parking attendant services; continue to maintain the site and manage the car park; created and continue to run social media pages for Good Spot; and design and deliver additional community projects with the Good Spot profits.
We have weekday morning peakhour parking attendants who smile and say hello, help people out, wash windscreens, provide discounts to people who carpool, and so on. Most of the parking attendant duties are done by an inner-city east community group called Te Whare Roimata, who support people back into the workforce after significant time off often due to trauma or health issues. Their Good Spot work also helps fund their ICECycles (Inner City East Cycles) programme that restores old bikes to give to people who are transport-deprived. At Civic we provide full shelter private bike lockers and encourage people to park’n’ride.
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Placemaking at One Central Good Spot
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Morning parkers line up to pay, greeted by our friendly morning attendants.
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Placemaking at One Central Good Spot
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A couple converse on the “stretch limo” public seating installed at Good Spot Civic. Detail of the Good Spot bicycle lockers. Bicycle lockers on the edge of Good Spot Civic invite parkers to store their bikes, and ride them in the city during the day.
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Key outcomes
Demonstrating an accessible example of local regenerative economics, providing a superior service and keeping profits contributing to the neighbourhood. Using a car park to promote alternative modes of transport and to encourage multi-modal and more sustainable ways of commuting.
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Placemaking at One Central Giant Spray Cans
Giant Spray Cans
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DATES
December 2017 November 2019 CLIENT
Fletcher Living SCALE
Eight 5m-high interactive sculptures BUDGET / PROJECT VALUE
$71k Establishment cost
$12k Events programme and operational cost (per year) KEY PARTNERS
— OiYOU! — DTR crew (Wongi, Ikarus, Dcypher, Yikes)
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Placemaking at One Central Giant Spray Cans
Eight enormous spray can sculptures: three cans to showcase professional street art works curated and/or painted by local artists, and five cans to act as a free legal practice space for anyone. Christchurch had developed a reputation as the street art capital of New Zealand, with a huge burst of murals throughout the city and street artists who a few years ago were doing their art illegally now getting regular commissions to deliver works However, it has been a small group of artists and producers getting all the opportunities, with a majority of street artists still honing their craft illegally on the street.
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Description
Services provided
We proposed to create a legal space for emerging street artists to practice, and contracted the local DTR Crew to be custodians of the site, run workshops and generally foster the growth and of the next generation of professional street artists.
Gap Filler developed the creative concept; grew the relationships with the street art partners; re-engineered the spray can sculptures; progressed them through the Council consents process; organised and oversaw the construction of the foundation blocks; organised and oversaw the site works and installation; developed and implemented health and safety protocols; developed agreements with the DTR crew for an annual programme of artworks, events and workshops; and continue to maintain the site and relationships.
We worked with OiYOU!, who had organised multiple street art festivals in Christchurch, to repurpose and re-engineer their Giant Spray Cans exhibition for outdoor all-weather use.
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Placemaking at One Central Giant Spray Cans
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Three Giant Spray Cans feature works of prominent street artists, which change annually. Artists work at an annual “Style Walls” event, held by local street art collective DTR. A crowd gathers on the Grandstandium to watch the Style Walls event.
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Artists create different characters on the five practice Giant Spray Cans at the annual “Style Walls” event. The additional three feature cans can be seen in the background.
Key outcomes
Create a destination that’s truly by and for local communities, and has become a tourist destination that speaks to the cultural identity of Christchurch. Contain tagging and unwanted graffiti in the area by providing a legitimate space for street artists. Provide opportunities for emerging artists to have regular contact with some of the best and most respected local street artists – to improve their quality and standing.
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Placemaking at One Central Detour
Detour
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DATES
December 2018 November 2019 CLIENT
Fletcher Living SCALE
3000m2 site BUDGET / PROJECT VALUE
$64k Establishment cost (including whole-of-site landscaping) KEY PARTNERS
— D&E Track and Trail — Perennial Ltd
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Placemaking at One Central Detour
On a long site that runs adjacent to the city’s newest shared pathway/ cycleway, we decided to create a “detour”, a fun track of bumps and curves to break up the monotony of a morning commute. We designed it also to be a destination for anyone with wheels; it’s safe and comfortable for toddlers on scooters or office workers on commuter bikes but also exciting enough for expert skateboarders and BMXers.
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Description
Services provided
The site is immediately adjacent to Fletcher Living’s Sales Suite, just a block from the enormously popular Margaret Mahy Family Playground.
Gap Filler developed the brief and creative concept; did the concept, developed and detailed design; liaised with Council about building consent and playground regulations and ensured Detour wouldn’t require any permits; coordinated the earthworks and all additional material delivery; project managed the earthworks contractor, trail builders, aggregate suppliers, and asphalt layers and coordinated their movements whilst working alongside them on site; designed and delivered all the site landscaping; developed and implemented health and safety protocols; painted the completed asphalt; developed the branding and visual identity; and continue to maintain and activate the site.
We wanted to attract families and a wide demographic into the One Central area and sales suite. On weekend daytimes, it’s primarily a busy family space, where parents bring children to play. On weekday afternoons it tends to attract high-school age young people. Later in the evenings tend to be when the older groups of skateboarders and BMXers play. All in one site. The asphalted route is made up of several sections of exciting bumps, banked turns and curves suitable for bikes and wheeled contraptions of all sizes. The entirety of the 3000m2 site is landscaped with a network of asphalt pathways connecting green islands of turf, with some family-sized picnic tables to create dwelling spaces.
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Children take repeated turns on the Detour, especially during the school holidays when it is in almost constant use. Coloured lines indicate different paths (beginner to expert). The Detour acts as an alternative commuter path to get a “boost” on the way to work.
Placemaking at One Central Detour
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Key outcomes
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An aerial view shows the layout of the Detour track, and the neighbouring landscaping, which the #chchswing now sits within. The bumps in the track give riders a boost on their way through.
Inject some creativity with a point of difference to the flat straight lines of the adjacent park and shared path. Create an inclusive space for a diverse range of people to enjoy. Build identity, community and connection – helping to create a related series of distinct places and personalities in otherwise fallow land. Bring the area to life - prior to and during construction, starting now, with fun and surprising activities and amenities for people to use, and opportunities for them to create.
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Placemaking at One Central #chchswing
#chchswing
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DATES
June 2019 November 2019 CLIENT
Fletcher Living SCALE
3000m2 site BUDGET / PROJECT VALUE
$70k Establishment cost KEY PARTNERS
— NZ Red Cross — Christchurch City Council — Texco
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Placemaking at One Central #chchswing
Surveys and youth engagement in Christchurch showed a dearth of places for young people to hang out in the central city, particularly places for young women. The number one thing young women say they want in the city is Instagrammable places.
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Description
Services provided
The #chchswing is a highly social and active way of providing young people the Instagrammable places they crave. It’s an enormous set of swings, where you can swing standing up, and reach nearly 3m off the ground. The swing frames are huge and orange and striking from a long distance. Moreover the two frames line up perfectly from one perspective point, creating the perfect photo frame for a social media shot.
Gap Filler was involved in youth engagement and collating recent engagement done by others; developed the brief and creative concept; did the concept, developed and detailed design; liaised with Council about building consent and playground regulations; coordinated the earthworks and all additional material delivery; project managed the earthworks contractor, designer, engineers, steel fabrication, transport, installation, and landscaping for playground safety and coordinated their movements whilst working alongside them on site; developed and implemented health and safety protocols; designed and delivered a huge dawn-to-dusk Swingathon event to launch the project; designed the branding and visual identity; and continue to maintain the site and manage the relationships.
The project delivers a space and amenity identified by Christchurch City Council and others as a need for young people in the city. And it delivers a bold and iconic feature and family destination on the site adjacent to Fletcher Living’s One Central sales suite.
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Easy to spot from the main road, these large orange frames have now become landmarks of the area. These custom-designed swings make the experience much more enjoyable for older people than a typical playground swing.
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Giant Spray Cans
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Key outcomes
Create a welcoming hang-out space for young people that’s a point of difference to any existing offerings. Take seriously young people’s desire for social media friendly places, and provide that without judgement. Build identity, community and connection – helping to create a related series of distinct places and personalities in otherwise fallow land. Bring the area to life - prior to and during construction, starting now, with fun and surprising activities and amenities for people to use, and opportunities for them to create.
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The swings are designed with youth in mind, who feel a little too old for the nearby Margaret Mahy Playground. A play on perspective allows the two swing frames to align to create one giant frame.
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Placemaking at One Central City Putt and Cruise
City Putt and Cruise
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DATES
December 2017 November 2019 CLIENT
Fletcher Living SCALE
1800m2 site; 18-hole minigolf course BUDGET / PROJECT VALUE
$29k Generated for community projects KEY PARTNERS
— Heritage NZ — Christchurch City Council Heritage Team — Christchurch City Council Transport Team — Chris Milne
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Placemaking at One Central City Putt and Cruise
City Putt and Cruise is a minigolf course with a twist: each of the 18 minigolf holes tells a story, through its signage and design, of Christchurch’s history. Most of the holes incorporate artefacts and remnants of old buildings in their design. It’s a fun way for bits of lost heritage to come out of storage and be engaged with by the public.
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Description
Services provided
A commercial minigolf operator had been in touch with the landowner about using this One Central site for a temporary mini golf course. As the site and programme managers, it was up to Gap Filler to maximise the outcomes of this for the city and One Central development. During our engagement with local residents during the programme design, one of the strongest concerns that recurred was the fear that the rich history of this brownfields development area would be entirely lost.
Gap Filler developed the creative concept; convinced local heritage organisations to support and participate in this experimental way of using artefacts and promoting heritage; grew the relationships; partnered with the minigolf company to progress the proposal through resource consent; organised service connections (power and water) to the site; curated the historical information and stories; designed the signage; and continue to maintain the site and relationships.
We grew a partnership with the Christchurch City Council Heritage team and Heritage NZ. CCC had salvaged a bunch of artefacts and remnants of old buildings that had been demolished in the area. Heritage NZ curated a bunch of stories for us and wrote brief histories. Gap Filler required the minigolf company to make a heritagethemed minigolf course and displayour signage, where each hole tells a story of a building or something that happened in that part of the city in the past. A percentage of the minigolf operator’s turnovergoes into funding community projects in the neighbourhood.
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Placemaking at One Central City Putt and Cruise
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Each hole at City Putt and Cruise incorporates a piece of local heritage, with signs for each hole explaining local history.
Key outcomes
Provide a community amenity that’s both fun and promotes the rich local history and identity of the place. Increase the number of families coming into the central city. Help open heritage organisations to experimental ways of incorporating heritage into new developments.
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Placemaking at One Central Gloucester Green
Gloucester Green
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DATES
June 2018 November 2019 CLIENT
Fletcher Living SCALE
8000m2 site BUDGET / PROJECT VALUE
$2k Establishment cost
$10k Operational cost (per year) KEY PARTNERS
— Christchurch City Council Events Team
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Placemaking at One Central Gloucester Green
Nothing lights up the city like a centrally held major event. The large grassy Gloucester Green site was set up to attract large events right into the central city, alongside the One Central development, to raise the profile of the development and increase footfall in the city and attendance at other city offerings and businesses.
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Description
Services provided
Many major events in Christchurch had for years been taking place on the outer edge of the city, in Hagley Park, with no proximity to other central city businesses and offerings. People tended to drive in and drive out, and the vast numbers of event attendees weren’t increasing the activity in the central city.
Gap Filler developed the creative concept; conducted analysis and put in suitable service connections and infrastructure for events; digested all the applicable regulations and present them to potential site users in an easily understood format; developed the site name and branding; promoted the venue to key event organisers; established and maintain social media pages for Gloucester Green; seeks users of the site, and helps them navigate all the requirements including health and safety.
We contracted a local events professional to develop the infrastructure, information and networks to make our site into an appealing events space for a wide range of events; to actively seek users of the site; to facilitate health and safety processes; and to generate our own community events funded by the commercial hires of the site. In its first six months of operation, Gloucester Green was active for 40 days, attracted 9000 people into the area, and contributed $3700 to community events. Highlights included big-name concerts by Fatboy Slim, Katchafire, Shihad and others; Cirque Grande; the national Volkswagen show; Canterbury Kings cricket season launch; and more.
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Placemaking at One Central Gloucester Green
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Placemaking at One Central Gloucester Green
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The event venue allows flexibility to host a range of events, from car shows to outdoor concerts.
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Key outcomes
Bring the area to life – prior to and during construction, starting now, with fun and surprising activities and amenities for people to use, and opportunities for them to create. Foster partnerships and collaboration – engaging a diverse range of people and organisations. Stimulate central city living, showcasing the benefits and appeal of mixed uses in close proximity.
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Placemaking at One Central 03Eatery
03Eatery
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DATES
February 2019 November 2019 CLIENT
Fletcher Living SCALE
1000m2 site; four food trucks and a popup barber BUDGET / PROJECT VALUE
$10k Establishment cost
$10k Generated for community projects KEY PARTNERS
— Gelatiamo — Smoke’n’Barrel — Moustache Milk & Cookie Bar — Kai Run — Frankie & Son Barber
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Placemaking at One Central 03Eatery
We created an appealing outdoor eatery area, with mulched ground, cosy seating and colourful festoon lights, to draw nearby office workers out of their buildings and create a hotspot of activity on the One Central land along Manchester Street. The site and wider neighbourhood is now more attractive, active and safer – and is generating income that goes into subsidising other nearby community projects such as the Tool Lendery.
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Description
Services provided
A prominent site with extensive frontage along the newly redeveloped Manchester Street promenade, in close proximity to multiple office buildings and other workplaces. Despite the population, there wasn’t much life on the street in this area, so we put in the infrastructure and created the 03Eatery space as a boost to the whole area.
Gap Filler developed the creative concept; did the spatial design; progressed it through the Council’s consenting process; oversaw the earthworks; did the landscaping; guided each business through the discretionary building consent exemption process; organised service connections (power, water, wastewater) to the site; help promote the location and businesses; and continue to maintain the site and manage the relationships.
Cookie devotees line up during the first trading weekend for Moustache Milk & Cookie Bar.
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Placemaking at One Central 03Eatery
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A sunny spot for lunch on a good day. Vendors are known for their authentic, homemade goods including Italian gelato. Lights, colourful flags and bark add to creating a welcoming environment on what was a gravel site.
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Key outcomes
Bring the area to life - with fun and surprising activities and amenities for people to use, and opportunities for them to create. Stimulate central city living, showcasing the benefits and appeal of mixed uses in close proximity.
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Placemaking at One Central Willows on Worcester
Willows on Worcester
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DATES
September 2018 November 2019 CLIENT
Fletcher Living SCALE
30m2 installation BUDGET / PROJECT VALUE
$7k Establishment cost KEY PARTNERS
— Ara Institute — Texco — Volunteers
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Placemaking at One Central Willows on Worcester
On a site near the very English Latimer Square and across from an exclusive members-only club, we developed the concept for a living willow structure as both an aesthetic object to appreciate and a shaded space to play and picnic in fine weather.
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Description
Services provided
We developed a relationship with local polytech Ara Institute. Two second-year Architecture students (Brad and Leon) picked up on the brief and with the support of Anna (their lecturer) came up with the design that is standing today.
Gap Filler developed the creative concept; partnered with Ara Institute and helped form the design team; facilitated and oversaw the design process; found suppliers; coordinated all contractors and volunteers, including health and safety protocols; designed and delivered a launch event; and continue to maintain and activate the site.
We pulled together a volunteer installation team, expecting 2-3 days on site with a hand held post digger, but the ground condition proved extremely difficult and we required six days and the use of a 20 tonne drilling rig! Passersby offer compliments, kids love running through it, and it does indeed attract picnickers in summer. As it continues to grow, we tend the willow, and organise occasional weaving sessions to incorporate the new growth into the design.
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A father and child read under the canopy of the living bamboo sculpture.
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Raw bamboo material before being installed. Early growth on the bamboo. Inviting entranceways encourage playful exploration and interaction with the sculpture.
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Placemaking at One Central Willows on Worcester
Key outcomes
Create an inclusive place that feels comfortable to the general public as well as the privileged club members across the street. Encourage long-term stewardship and sustainability – cultivating an ongoing culture of doing things as a community. Stimulate central city living, showcasing the benefits and appeal of mixed uses in close proximity.
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The living sculpture is fun to explore for old and young alike.
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Placemaking at One Central Slacklining Park
Slacklining Park
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DATES
December 2018 November 2019 CLIENT
Fletcher Living SCALE
400m2 area BUDGET / PROJECT VALUE
$5k Establishment cost KEY PARTNERS
— Christchurch Slacklining Group — Aspiring Safety
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Placemaking at One Central Slacklining Park
Slacklining is part sport in the form of athletic training; part recreation; and part artform and balancing act. It is hugely popular and in the past few years is seeing a boom in users and people setting up lines around Christchurch.
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Description
Services provided
At first glance it is similar to tightrope walking and is accomplished by stretching and tensioning a 1”– 2” wide length of nylon or polyester webbing between two anchor points. Gap Filler was approached by the ‘Christchurch Slacklining’ group, an informal group of approximately 80 (and growing!) regular Slacklining users in Christchurch, to find space for them to practice and set up a bespoke slacklining park.
Gap Filler developed the creative concept; partnered with the local Slacklining group; designed and installed the basic infrastructure; designed a bespoke soft-fall crash pad, and liaised with fabricators to get in-kind sponsorship; developed and implemented health and safety protocols; and continue to maintain and activate the site.
It is the first dedicated Slacklining space on the South Island and the first in the country to feature a permanent soft fall pad under the main trick-line.
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Placemaking at One Central Slacklining Park
Key outcomes
Grow custodianship through a collaborative design/build process with the Slacklining community. Create a space for community to grow and new users to be introduced to the sport and coached. Activate an empty space with something unique, diverse and youthful. Users create a spectacle for passersby to watch and engage with.
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Helpers guide a beginner on the permanent slackline, which is available for anyone to use anytime. Experts from the local slackline club use a higher line for practising tricks.
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Placemaking at One Central Open City
Open City
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DATES
May 2019 November 2019 CLIENT
Fletcher Living SCALE
Tiny! Just a parking meter! BUDGET / PROJECT VALUE
$7k KEY PARTNERS
— Dave Cooper — All Right? (A Healthy Christchurch initiative led by the Canterbury District Health Board and the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand)
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Placemaking at One Central Open City
Open City is a celebration of undervalued, sweet, free things to do in Christchurch. It might be a good climbing tree in the Botanic Gardens, a quirky piece of street art or a great place for a picnic. These little secrets have been suggested by locals and can be accessed by visiting the Open City vending machine, which is a hacked and repurposed parking meter located near our 03Eatery and Central City Youth Space.
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Description
Services provided
This unusual machine will print out a ticket with information and step-by-step walking directions to take you on an adventure, to explore a stranger’s favourite free secret central city offering.
Gap Filler partnered with All Right? to develop the brief and creative concept; did the concept, developed and detailed design for the meter’s operation; project managed the electronics and industrial designers; tested the prototype extensively; installed the machine; coordinated the branding and visual identity; developed and maintain the website and accompanying database; and continue to maintain the meter and site and manage the relationships.
The Open City website (opencity.org.nz) allows you to access the complete database, and to upload your own favourite sweet, free things to do for others to discover. Learners can contribute to this project by sharing their local knowledge. Open City has been created in partnership with All Right? and features and promotes the Five Ways to Wellbeing. All Open City activities are linked to one or more of the Five Ways – Connect, Take Notice, Give, Be Active and Keep Learning – so that people are improving their wellbeing as they have fun and explore.
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A couple interact with the Open City vending machine, located next to the footpath.
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Placemaking at One Central Open City 1.
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A printed receipt offers a local place to discover, and instructs them how to get there by foot. A couple make their way to their destination, following the printed instructions – no phones needed!
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Key outcomes
Improve people’s connection to the city and One Central development through sharing ‘secret’ free things that only locals know about. Improve people’s wellbeing, by encouraging activities that help them Connect, Take Notice, Give, Be Active and Keep Learning.
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A couple reach their Open City destination: “Marvel at Eels at the Bridge of Remembrance”. Watching the eels with passersby.
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Placemaking at One Central Hammock Forest
Hammock Forest
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DATES
March 2019 November 2019 CLIENT
Fletcher Living SCALE
4000m2 site, 500m2 area BUDGET / PROJECT VALUE
$9k Establishment cost KEY PARTNERS
— Mexican Hammocks — Brooks Construction Limited
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Placemaking at One Central Hammock Forest
Bringing nature into the city, the Hammock Forest provides a space for curious explorers, and naturelovers – and a place to rest a while with a book or quiet thoughts. It comprises a series of tree trunks (with bark still on) standing upright, which people can wander through like it’s a forest. The forest augments an existing ‘desire line’ where people were cutting through an otherwise bare patch of grass.
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Description
Services provided
In amongst the forest are four robust and cozy hammocks for anyone to use. It has become a place to play as well as rest, with young people swinging in the hammocks, kids running through the forest playing tag, as well as office workers taking a 10-minute power nap during the day.
Gap Filler developed the creative concept; did the spatial layout, developed and detailed design; did all the branding, visual identity development and signage; procured all the materials and did the installation working alongside one sub-contractor; developed and implemented the healthy and safety protocols; and continue to maintain the project and relationships.
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A woman queitly reads at sunset with a view of One Central.
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Placemaking at One Central Hammock Forest
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A family enjoys some quality time relaxing in a hammock. The Hammock Forest is made up of hammocks secured to tall pine logs spaced apart to enjoy privacy.
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Placemaking at One Central Hammock Forest
Key outcomes
Make productive community use of a very short-term site. Build identity, community and connection – helping to create a related series of distinct places and personalities in otherwise fallow land. Bring the area to life – prior to and during construction, starting now, with fun and surprising activities and amenities for people to use, and opportunities for them to create.
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A woman wanders through the Hammock Forest as the sun sets.
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Placemaking at One Central Grass Games
Grass Games
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DATES
June 2018 January 2019 CLIENT
Fletcher Living SCALE
4000m2 site BUDGET / PROJECT VALUE
$6k Establish and maintain the site
$7k Run four kids football workshops and two large tournament events KEY PARTNERS
— Hornby High School — Perennial Sport and Turf
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Placemaking at One Central Grass Games
A large grassy site for playing games, where the ‘infrastructure’ is mostly lines painted on the grass. We painted sports pitches and games – and left balls and other play implements available in boxes on the site. We organised several events on the site, and created a thriving space for play on a shoestring budget under major time constraints.
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Description
Services provided
This was a site that wasn’t initially part of the placemaking programme, as the residential development was due to begin shortly after the programme commenced. The development was delayed, however, and the vacant site quickly became detrimental to One Central as a whole.
Gap Filler developed the brief and creative concept; coordinated discussions with key stakeholders and an online forum with the general public to choose which game(s) to install; coordinated with a local high school to involve students in the design and installation; reached out to local sports clubs to sense-check and involve them in the realisation of the mini football pitches; submitted forms to get Grass Games includedin the local KidsFest programme; organised Little Kickers youth football workshops during each school holiday period; conceived and delivered two large workplace football tournaments; designed and did the line paintings for the maze and games; maintained the grass and lines for the duration; and deinstalled everything at the end of the project.
In mid-May 2018 we decided to activate the site as quickly as possible for 3-4 months across winter, with minimal budget and without any ground disturbance. We quickly developed a way to activate the site with a bit of temporary fencing and lines painted on the ground, and opened the site to the public 3-4 weeks after developing the brief. We installed two small five-a-side football pitches, and painted a giant maze and Snakes and Ladders game alongside them. We organised a collaboration with Hornby High School, whose students helped design and deliver some of the decorations on site. We registered the site and activities in the local KidsFest programme, and organised and ran some events on the site. The two main events, the Workplace World Cup and Workplace Christmas Cup, explicitly aimed to get employees of local businesses to use the football pitches on their lunch break or after work – and to meet players from other local workplaces, who might selforganise future games.
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A giant game of Snakes and Ladders painted on the grass invites anyone to play a game. Young children are taught football skills at the Grass Games mini football pitches. A chest on site holds giant dice to play Snakes and Ladders. 3.
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Comedian Shay Horay commentates the Workplace Christmas Cup. Football fans view the action from the Grandstandium. A show of good sportsmanship between inner-city workers.
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Key outcomes
Encourage and empower young people to be active citizens. Facilitate inner-city office workers to get active out of the office, and meet potential friends from other area workplaces. Bring the area to life - prior to and during construction, starting now, with fun and surprising activities and amenities for people to use, and opportunities for them to create. Foster partnerships and collaboration – engaging a diverse range of people and organisations.
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Winners of the Workplace Christmas Cup, with prize mugs to take back to their office (December, 2018). Workplace World Cup winners are congratulated (June, 2018).
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