Living together: changing philosophies in medium density housing

Abstract

This report examines the changing design philosophies behind medium and high density collective housing schemes, concentrating on both overseas and New Zealand examples since 1940. The first section of the report discusses the theories of some overseas movements, identifying the changes in approach between movements, and their main characteristics and concerns. The problem of achieving better utilisation of urban land is common throughout the developed world. The second section of the report discusses the place that medium density housing in particular has in New Zealand. The need for an approach to housing more economical in land usage than the traditional single unit dwelling on a suburban section is gaining more acknowledgement. How New Zealand architects have taken up this challenge, and their success in doing so, is analyzed and discussed in the Case Studies.