b'green thumbsleft: The shapelytolerances, the role that skilled contractors play and theWe want to celebrate novelty, adds Christine.appreciation that building a tangible structure is notproposal also gave both Matt and I the confidence to timber slats of Tevalue of specifying the right materials. The only constraints are normal health and safetycompleted in isolation by solely designers but madenot compromise on our design ideas or ambition for WhakatheneheneThat appreciation has been hard earned in a fewones,thattheyneedtoberobustenoughnottowith a comprehensive team of dedicated people, thatcrafting works both conceptually and at scale when we (2020) by Belainstances, Richard says. A few years ago, we had acollapse when the public interact with them, and thatwas really important. This experience was pivotal inare out of our comfort zones. Grimsdale, Luke Veldhuizen and Sammetal structure where the team applied paint to rebar.theyll be outside and exposed to the elements. understanding the whole architectural process fromWehavesomuchappreciationforRichardand Gould are painted inThey painted into the dusk, and the following morning,As the designers and builders of the first winningconcept design to delivery. Matt and I also quicklyChristine Didsbury and the Brick Bay team; Resene Resene Dynamite.theyarrivedtofindthatithadsortofdrippedoff.folly project, Matt Ritani and Declan Burn didnt havelearnt the value of open and honest communicationfor supplying paints, brushes, drop cloths and other Image by Tanja Dove,Theyd forgotten that there would be dew overnight,past structures to look to as precedentthey werewith all involved and continued to develop this skillsetsupplies; Richard Harris for believing in Matt and I, www.littledoves.co.nz. so they had to learn about the specification of paintthe ones to set it. Their structure, Belly of the Beast,throughout the project. Discussing ideas to resolveUnitecforthefacilitiesandthefantasticstudents Resene andallowingproperdryingtimesandanoverallwas opened to the public in March 2015 and pushedconstruction details, material orders and site planning who gave us so many hours of their timewho all Dynamite appreciation of what goes into actually doing it. Andthe boundaries for what a folly could be. with the Brick Bay Folly Project judging panel, buildinghelped us to realise this project. I would encourage Resene they learnt that when its not done right first time, it hasMatt and I both saw it as an opportunity to letresources, organising student help and ourselves was aanyone to enter the next Brick Bay Folly Project as the Havoc to be done again, with fresh paint applied. ourcreativethinkingexpandfromtheuniversitysteep learning curve. experience, skillset, and friends made will last with you Winning teams also get the benefit of a differentenvironment of paper/digital representation of ideasIts only been six years, but to Matt the experienceforever, says Declan.type of experiencethe opportunity to work with oneto a tangible object existing within the landscape,feels like a lifetime ago now. He has since becomeIt was an amazing experience, and taking a summer of the industrys most renowned minds. saysDeclan.OurBellyoftheBeastproposalwasaProjectManageratRCPsWellingtonOfficeoff to build a folly is a privilege that not everyone has The ability of the teams to interface with some ofunrestrainedbylimitationsofscaleorbuildabilityfocused primarily on civic and institutional projects,access to, and I feel very fortunate to have been able to the greatest architects that we have in New Zealandthrough naivety and determination to test our ideas.and he believes that participating in the Brick Baydo that, adds Matt. Pip Cheshire, and before him, Richard HarrisandIt was both exciting and frightening at the time toFolly Project programme has definitely had a positive have them mentoring them, talking them through theirpropose a 12 metre tall abstract tower. impact on his career. Benchwarmersdesign; what a privilege for them to be able to spendThe Brick Bay Folly Project is very much aboutThe fact that we had not even finished universityLastyear,BrickBaysprogrammingexpandedto time with these young professionals. platformingnewideas,soitsnotsomuchself- yet and had our first built project come out as prettyinclude a new competition for landscape architects who Itsbeenwonderfulwatchingthepeoplewhomonumentalisingastheoriginalfollymakerswere.muchwhatweproposedwasgreat.Ithinkperhapswere tired of sitting on the sidelines.have been successful with the follies ending up beingWelookedtokorowai,kkahuandmoanabuildinga side effect of this, which I really believe will serveWestartedtheNohongaDesignChallengelast successful in the industry. Going through the processpractices like fale and raup in terms of forming theme better as a designer in the long run, is that it hasyear because we were quite restricted with the follies, givesthemanotherlayerofmaturity.Theyhavebeasts shaggy exterior, says Matt. made me uncompromising conceptually. As a maker,as our guidelines were the entrants had to be qualified another level of awareness and they seem to excel inThe experience was an extremely steep learningI try to be direct, clear and specific in my work and Iarchitectsfinishingupatarchitectureschool,says their firms faster because they have an understandingcurve,butoneImgratefulforandIthinkIhavethink this approach comes directly out of working onRichard. But, of course, because we were excluding of taking a project through to fruition. So I think thatmuchmoreconfidencemovingintochallengingthe folly. Having the idea of a project in which everylandscape architects, we dreamed up something more doing the project accelerates their career, which isand uncertain situations having gone through it. Imdetail is considered and is in service of a very specificaround the public realm that utilises their skillswhich fantastic, says Richard. Getting them to think aboutamazedatthetrustandsupportthatwasthrownconceptual position is really important to me and thewe dont let architects into!the shape, form, colour, texture, the shadows thatattwo23yearolds.Ihadalotofsupportfrombeast was a good first road test of this at a large scale. Named for the Te Reo Mori word for seat, the youre going to get on surfacesit really makes theirmywhnau,boyfriend,friends,familyfriendsandFor instance, the bark in the floor of the spaceNohonga Design Challenge is a collaboration between imagination run riot. volunteerstudentswhoreallyhelpedusanditswas a red bark, but it wasnt quite the exact red weBrick Bay and Tuia Pito Ora New Zealand Institute of Thesatisfactionthatwegetisthepleasurehonestly as much their project as it is ours. One ofwanted, so we put it in a concrete mixer with bucketsLandscapeArchitectsAucklandBranch.Itnotonly that the teams get and the learnings that they gain,the students was pretty much a site foreman for usand buckets of Resene paintlike, we basically ranchallenges students but all levels of graduated landscape adds Christine. Resenefor most of the summer, and friends would show upthe Mount Eden Resene ColorShop out of red base.Hullabaloo architects to design and construct creative nohonga.and help cut tyres or paint. I also learned heaps from theAnd it would probably have been fine without it, but itabove: Bioluminescence (2020) by Topsy Steele and Anna Li showsFivewinningbenchdesignswereselected, above: Art pour lart, a French slogan from the early 19th century which can be translatedSetting a precedent mentoring and strategic advice from the judging panel. added a little zing to it, and things like that add up andoff its curvilinear form in Brick Bays idyllic shaded pecan orchard.and those teams were able to make their mark on to art for arts sake is a sentiment that expresses the philosophy that the intrinsic value ofParticipants seem inclined to look to whats happenedHis two big takeaways were, even if you have noare worth doing. With an incredible weight of more than seven tonnes, it was the onlyAucklandsurbanlandscapethroughavarietyof artand the only true artis that which is divorced from any didactic, moral, political orwinning nohonga project that wasnt on display in Aucklands Takutai Square for fear it may utilitarian function. Its an idea that fits well with the concept of the architectural folly. before, but we dont want them to feel that just becauseidea what you are doing, give it a go and learn along theThe skills I learnt during the Brick Bay Folly Projectcause damage to the Britomart Train Station below. Timber finished in Resene WoodsmanshapesandmaterialsfinishedwithResenepaints Belly of the Beast (2015) by Matt Ritani and Declan Burn, which was the first winning Brick there has been some approach or theme with previousway, and it really does take a village. have become the foundation of my professional toolWhitewash and steel frames in Resene Hullabaloo. Image by Tanja Dove. and wood stains. The completed designs were first Bay Folly Project and features details in Resene Havocincluding a painted bark floor.follies that they need to do that as well. We want to seeFor Declan, it was the teamwork and communicationkit,saysDeclan.TheyrefundamentalsthatIuseResene WoodsmanshowcasedinBritomartsTakutaiSquarebefore Image by Sam Harnett. something new, says Richard. skills he picked up in the process. The realisation andevery day of my practising career. Building the originalWhitewash making their way to Brick Bay.58 blackwhitemag.com blackwhitemag.com 59'