Urban Design Group for Grey Lynn

Grey Lynn 2030 is calling a public meeting with the intention of forming an Urban Design Group. We want to gather people together to discuss the realities of intensification of our area and also the protection of heritage buildings. Part of this trend is historic villas are being removed to make way for new houses. Locals have been spurred into action after discovering that one of Grey Lynn’s historic villas is being replaced with a new three-storey modernised villa. We are fans of modern architecture but the question we are keen to discuss in the Grey Lynn community is do we need to protect the historic homes in Grey Lynn, or are we okay with them being replaced with new ones?

We are not against progresss and love modern architecture but what really makes the character of this area? You can build a modern home in a wide variety of locations around Auckland, but you can’t find an area that looks like Grey Lynn anywhere else but Grey Lynn?  Many of residents believe an important part of the area’s special character is the fact that so many of the homes are over a century old. As the saying goes, they just don’t build them like that anymore!

As many of us know very little about Urban Design we have a speaker Joanna Hurst from ConstableHurst Architects who will set the context for us.   Joanna Hurst is a local architect who has lived in Grey Lynn for 25 years. She has recently completed her Masters research investigating the establishment of ‘place’ in the context of urban design. She will discuss ideas of place in our Grey Lynn context, and question how and what we might seek to preserve in our place, ‘Grey Lynn’, for the future.

Does Grey Lynn need wider heritage protection to maintain the integrity of its historic housing stock?

Have your say at the Grey Lynn RSC 1 Francis St (behind Moa ) on Wednesday, 12 September, 7pm