Category: Uncategorized

Today I learned a lot at the new Zealand city center for sustainable cities. We took a tour around the city and saw the urban planning in action. I also really enjoyed the research that was done by one of the grad students. She did research on urban communities and how they were impacted due…

Today we learned about the design and architecture of Wellington and how the city’s infrastructure is attempting to be more green. The city has embraced green building practices, encouraging the construction of energy-efficient and environmentally friendly structures. Many buildings in Wellington incorporate innovative design elements such as solar panels, rainwater harvesting systems, and efficient insulation…

The first presentation of the day challenged my idea of sustainable living. I truly believe not using plastic bags is one of the best things I can do for the environment. However when he spoke about the environmental footprint of paper and paper bags, it really got me thinking. I feel like the negative impact…

The various professors at the school of architecture showed us how they teach sustainability in their classrooms. I though it was very cool how one of the professors made an assignment for their students to make a stable chair out of cardboard. This encouraged the students to use materials that are easily available to them…

Today we visited the Wellington college of architecture. We listened to several lectures about how architecture and construction can contribute to sustainability efforts. There was one presentation regarding reused building supplies and non toxic wood coating. We also had a long discussion about pedestrian walkways (or lack there of in LA) and how there are…

Today I was exposed to lots of information I never have heard before. Lots of the urban planning and architecture theories and jargon were new yet very interesting to me. The first presentation we had today stood out to me the most. His notion of picking and choosing sustainable options based on its cultural significance…

Today we had a full day of presentations and conversations with representatives from the University of Victoria’s School of Architecture and the University of Otago. We learned about the relationship between architecture and sustainability. One thing that really stuck out to me today was how city planners and architects think about the littlest of things…

Today we started our day at the Wellington school of architecture. I really enjoyed the first speaker being that he addressed how sustainable practices are often hard to implement and how sustainability can often focus on the wrong issues. Sustainability is often practiced in the wrong ways and greenwashing is what causes people to think…

Today we went down to Cuba St. and visited the Victoria University of Wellington’s architecture campus where we learned about sustainable cities. The meeting here taught me an entirely different perspective I had never thought of. Learning that plastic packaging for groceries was far more wasteful than simple plastic bags was rather eye opening. Despite…

Today we visited the Victoria Uni of Wellington’s School for Architecture and Design where we heard from 3 great presenters associated with the uni. The first speaker made a great point about how we need to prioritize our sustainable efforts. He compared the use of plastic bags to the actual production of the food that…