African Spectral Pasts and Their Presences on the Malabar Coast

In the coastal regions of Kochi in Kerala, memories of forced African migration to India are preserved through shrines dedicated to African or Kappiri spirits, belief in their mischievous acts, and their intercessory powers. Shrines for African spirits are eclectic and modest, and they operate as indexical reminders of the troubled African pasts during the colonial occupation of Kerala. For most local people, Kappiri is a spectral deity, figureless and seemingly abstract, and a pervasive spirit who inhabits the coastal landscape. By studying vernacular histories, tales of spirit sightings, and worship practices surrounding the spectral figure of Kappiri, I have analysed how African spirits manifest their phantom presences and channel their spectral powers to those who seek to believe in their histories, which otherwise are obliterated from institutional discourses. Focussing on different material and intangible manifestations of African spirits, I discuss how different recollective practices—ritualistic, creative, and secular—offer alternative discursive exegesis on Afro-Indian connections.

The Poiesis of Systems

<p>This thesis looks at how to engage with the existing ‘poiesis’ of the Kapiti region north of Wellington, to reveal the large scale ecological systems operating in this coastal landscape, making them legible at the human scale. The research has also developed into an exploration of how sites should produce their own boundaries, and how simplistic structures can bring together the large-scale systems down to an engaging human scale. Kapiti is a region undergoing fast development and change. Since the days of early European settlement the natural processes once found in there have been altered or depleted to allow for human infrastructure. This has left it with degraded dune and wetland ecosystems. Through the lens of different ‘Acts / Catalysts’ this research uses a variety of design approaches to privilege the human perspective of experiencing space. The design outcome of this research is a series of wooden catalyst structures arranged along a transect starting in Kapiti Island and ending at the foot of the Tararua Ranges.</p>

The Poiesis of Systems

<p>This thesis looks at how to engage with the existing ‘poiesis’ of the Kapiti region north of Wellington, to reveal the large scale ecological systems operating in this coastal landscape, making them legible at the human scale. The research has also developed into an exploration of how sites should produce their own boundaries, and how simplistic structures can bring together the large-scale systems down to an engaging human scale. Kapiti is a region undergoing fast development and change. Since the days of early European settlement the natural processes once found in there have been altered or depleted to allow for human infrastructure. This has left it with degraded dune and wetland ecosystems. Through the lens of different ‘Acts / Catalysts’ this research uses a variety of design approaches to privilege the human perspective of experiencing space. The design outcome of this research is a series of wooden catalyst structures arranged along a transect starting in Kapiti Island and ending at the foot of the Tararua Ranges.</p>

Revisiting the Bach: A model for New Zealand's coastal holiday communities

<p><b>The original holiday architecture of New Zealand’s coastline has faded from the nation’s memory. The bach was once an icon of national culture; it represented a simple, easy-going lifestyle that many aspired to adopt during holidays and on weekends. As some may remember, the bach was a small building that facilitated the very basics of life in a coastal context. It was small, in-expensive, and built with a strong sense of its surroundings. </b></p> <p>Regulation around building code compliance and resource management have slowly seen the coastal landscape change. Second homes are now required to be built professionally, usually on privately developed land. Subdivisions filled with luxurious beach houses now overwhelm the natural environment, as land-owners compete for their slice of sea-side paradise.</p> <p>This research aims to challenge the status quo by looking to the modest baches of the past for architectural solutions. Research into the bach typology uncovered what made them so treasured as holiday facilitators; whilst a model of shared land ownership addressed issues surrounding the planning of coastal buildings. A master planned community located in the Coromandel Peninsula at Waikawau Bay was developed to join these two facets together. As one of the last undeveloped beaches on the Peninsula, Waikawau presented a unique context for this research.</p> <p>Data-collection on historic bach buildings was completed through the method of Thematic Analysis. Following this; research through design reintroduced the architectural qualities of the bach to a contemporary context. The results showed that through shared-ownership models, the Coromandel Coast could continue to be developed and even densified through new planning methods and revised architectural design. These results suggest that future development of our coastlines can still occur, but new ideas about the planning and ownership of holiday towns are required; ideas that should be fore fronted by community and place, to sustain and enhance the coastal landscape.</p>

Revisiting the Bach: A model for New Zealand's coastal holiday communities

<p><b>The original holiday architecture of New Zealand’s coastline has faded from the nation’s memory. The bach was once an icon of national culture; it represented a simple, easy-going lifestyle that many aspired to adopt during holidays and on weekends. As some may remember, the bach was a small building that facilitated the very basics of life in a coastal context. It was small, in-expensive, and built with a strong sense of its surroundings. </b></p> <p>Regulation around building code compliance and resource management have slowly seen the coastal landscape change. Second homes are now required to be built professionally, usually on privately developed land. Subdivisions filled with luxurious beach houses now overwhelm the natural environment, as land-owners compete for their slice of sea-side paradise.</p> <p>This research aims to challenge the status quo by looking to the modest baches of the past for architectural solutions. Research into the bach typology uncovered what made them so treasured as holiday facilitators; whilst a model of shared land ownership addressed issues surrounding the planning of coastal buildings. A master planned community located in the Coromandel Peninsula at Waikawau Bay was developed to join these two facets together. As one of the last undeveloped beaches on the Peninsula, Waikawau presented a unique context for this research.</p> <p>Data-collection on historic bach buildings was completed through the method of Thematic Analysis. Following this; research through design reintroduced the architectural qualities of the bach to a contemporary context. The results showed that through shared-ownership models, the Coromandel Coast could continue to be developed and even densified through new planning methods and revised architectural design. These results suggest that future development of our coastlines can still occur, but new ideas about the planning and ownership of holiday towns are required; ideas that should be fore fronted by community and place, to sustain and enhance the coastal landscape.</p>

PHOTOGRAMMETRIC UNDERWATER AND UAS SURVEYS OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES: THE CASE STUDY OF THE ROMAN SHIPWRECK OF TORRE SANTA SABINA

The 2020 underwater archaeological research in the inlet of Torre Santa Sabina – Baia dei Camerini (Municipality of Carovigno, Brindisi, Italy) represented the first phase of the pilot intervention of the Interreg Italia-Croatia UnderwaterMuse project. The project aims to enhance and make accessible the vast underwater heritage of the areas involved; this will be done by creating submerged archaeological parks and using virtual reality's narrative and communicative tools and platforms. During the 2020 campaign, different survey activities were carried out using several techniques and methodology to produce the area's multi-scale documentation. First of all, the entire stretch of coast was mapped with UASs (Uncrewed Aerial Systems) flights to reconstruct the coastal landscape in various phases. Furthermore, an underwater photogrammetric survey carried out by expert scuba divers has been achieved in the wreck's aft area (the site analyzed during the 2020 excavation activities). The fruitful synergy between the various actors involved and the support of the territory and the community has allowed the achievement of this campaign's objectives, preliminary to the broader and more articulated intervention foreseen for the following year.