Amber Haussmann
BAS | MArch(Prof)
Architectural Portfolio
2025
Beyond Walls
Helping Enable Semi-independent Living for Autistic Adults
Beyond Walls explores how the design of public housing dwellings can support and enable semi-independent living for autistic adults. The design starts with the exploration of the ‘apartment seed’, that is optimized to suit the diverse needs and desires of autistic adults. Key design moves respond to the visual and auditory sensory environments, the public private threshold, sense of privacy and safety, and familiarity and clarity.
Design explorations are develop on the Beyond Walls Guiding Principles, a set of principles developed based on literature reviews, case studies, photo-elicitation studies with autistic adults in AoNZ, and follow-up interviews with autistic adults in AoNZ.
Beyond the ‘apartment seed’, shared and community spaces are developed to encourage neighbourly connections to form between autistic tenants, and the wider tenant population. Shared spaces include community gardens, a basketball court, rooftop terraces, a community hub, and a bush boardwalk.
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Mountain Munchkins
A Kindergarten for Mt Victoria
Mountain Munchkins is an early childhood education facility on Mt Victoria that embodies the concept of the treehouse. Mountain Munchkins seeks to create an inclusive and welcoming environment for children and their families.
The proposed kindergarten seeks to celebrate human-centric design whilst minimising harm to the natural landscape (Te Taiao) by lifting the structure off of the ground. Mountain Munchkins seeks to provide adaptable spaces to the community to allow for collective use, requiring free plans with comfortable social spaces. The project seeks to take inspiration from the Living Building Challenge to strive towards a more sustainable future.
SUNSETBOULEVARD
VICTORIA
D06
D1
D07
COLORSTEEL® 300mm BOX GUTTER IN NEW DENIM.
COLORSTEEL® MAXX® STANDING SEAM ROOFING IN NEW DENIM.
THERMAKRAFT COVERTEK 407 ROOF UNDERLAY
THERMAKRAFT THERMATHENE BLACK DPM 250 MICRON.
BORON TREATED H1.2 100x250mm TIMBER BATTEN @ 800CRS. TBC BY STRUCT. ENG.
ENETHERM PIR INSULATION.
NURAPLY ALU VAPOUR BARRIER ON NURAFLUX PRIMER.
18mm BB GRADE PLYWOOD COATED IN DULUX ‘CADRONA HALF’ MATT PAINT.
INDICATIVE STEEL CONNECTIONS TBC BY STRUCT. ENG.
200x600mm FUTUREBUILD hySPAN®LVL TWIN BEAMS. TBC BY STRUCT. ENG.
INDICATIVE STEEL PLATE CONNECTIONS TBC BY STRUCT. ENG.
INDICATIVE STEEL COLLAR TBC BY STRUCT. ENG.
600x600mm CIRCULAR LVL COLUMN RAKED @ 10 DEGREES. TBC BY STRUCT. ENG.
THERMOSASH ALPHA GLAZING SYSTEM WITH PHOTOVOLTAIC GLASS. TBC BY MECH. ELEC. ENG.
BORON TREATED H1.2 200x600mm TIMBER RAFTER. TBC BY STRUCT. ENG.
BORON TREATED H1.2 200x600mm TIMBER RAFTER. TBC BY STRUCT. ENG.
BORON TREATED H1.2 200x600mm TIMBER RAFTER. TBC BY STRUCT. ENG.
18mm BB GRADE PLYWOOD. COATED IN DULUX ‘CADRONA HALF’ MATT PAINT.
18mm BB GRADE PLYWOOD WITH 50mm PERFORATIONS @ 200 CRS. COATED IN DULUX ‘CADRONA HALF’ MATT PAINT.
APL 44mm METRO THERMAL HEART SERIES STACKER SLIDING DOORS THREE PANEL SSF. TBC BY FAC. ENG.
HERMPAC HP130 TIMBER DECKING IN KANDA.
FFL +10000mm
02 Second Floor (Toddler)
SFL +9880mm
02
75x150mm H3.2 CCA TREATED TIMBER JOISTS.
STAINLESS STEEL TRIPLE GRIP.
100x300mm H3.2 CCA TREATED TIMBER BEAMS.
WALL UNDERLAY AND FLEXIBLE FLASHING TAPE AS PER NZBC CLAUSE E2 SECTION 9.4.7, PARAGRAPH 9.4.7, FIGURE 86(b).
600x600mm CIRCULAR LVL COLUMN RAKED @ 10 DEGREES. TBC BY STRUCT. ENG.
FLOOR DESIGN AS PER D10.
HJ300 90 FUTUREBUILD hyJOIST® LVL COMPOSITE JOISTS @ 450 CRS MAX. TBC BY STRUCT. ENG.
PINK®BATTS® R1.8 (75mm) BIB BLANKET.
ONE LAYER 13mm GIB FYRELINE® FOR FFR 60/60/60. TO BE COATED IN DULUX ‘CADRONA HALF’ MATT PAINT.
INDICATIVE STEEL COLLAR TBC BY STRUCT. ENG.
200x600mm FUTUREBUILD hySPAN®LVL TWIN BEAMS. TBC BY STRUCT. ENG.
INDICATIVE STEEL PLATE AND COLLAR CONNECTIONS TBC BY STRUCT. ENG.
WALL UNDERLAY DRESSED INTO OPENING WITH FLEXIBLE FLASHING TAPE INSTALLED OVER WRAP TO CORNERS AT HEAD AS PER NZBC CLAUSE E2, SECTION 9.4.7, PARAGRAPH 9.4.7, FIGURE 86(a).
HERMPAC HP130 TIMBER DECKING IN KANDA.
75x150mm H3.2 CCA TREATED TIMBER JOISTS. TBC BY STRUCT. ENG.
STAINLESS STEEL TRIPLE GRIP.
100x300mm H3.2 CCA TREATED TIMBER BEAMS. TBC BY STRUCT. ENG.
APL 44mm METRO THERMAL HEART SERIES STACKER SLIDING DOORS THREE PANEL SSF. TBC BY FAC. ENG.
FLOOR DESIGN AS PER D10.
WALL UNDERLAY AND FLEXIBLE FLASHING TAPE AS PER NZBC CLAUSE E2 SECTION 9.4.7, PARAGRAPH 9.4.7, FIGURE 86(b).
HJ300 90 FUTUREBUILD hyJOIST® LVL COMPOSITE JOISTS @ 450 CRS MAX. TBC BY STRUCT. ENG.
PINK®BATTS® R1.8 (75mm) BIB BLANKET.
ONE LAYER 13mm GIB FYRELINE® FOR FFR 60/60/60. TO BE COATED IN DULUX ‘CADRONA HALF’ MATT PAINT.
WALL UNDERLAY DRESSED INTO OPENING WITH FLEXIBLE FLASHING TAPE INSTALLED OVER WRAP TO CORNERS AT HEAD AS PER NZBC CLAUSE E2, SECTION 9.4.7, PARAGRAPH 9.4.7, FIGURE 86(a).
APL 44mm METRO THERMAL HEART SERIES STACKER SLIDING DOORS THREE PANEL SSF. TBC BY FAC. ENG.
NEOPRENE WASHER
Victoria Street Village
A Village in the City
Victoria St Vertical Village explores the connection between the city and sea. Wellington is expected to experience a housing deficit of 5,248 by 2047, and it is crucial we start exploring higher density living options. This site is to house coworking spaces, apartments, and light rail transit hub. These programmes are to interconnect with one another to aid in the transition between the commerical and the residential. This project seeks to reimagine inner city living in Wellington CBD. This medium-high density build seeks to create communities that bring people together whilst allowing for indivualisation of the living space. Courtyards are to be utilised to create communal outdoor living spaces. The design is to be informed by the Wellington waterfront framework, which seeks to create shared spaces that enhance the user experience across the harbour. New buildings are to be complementary to, and of appropriate scale in relation to the surrounding buildings. Public spaces are to contribute to the vitality, recreational potential, and social inclusiveness of the waterfront. Passive surveillance and better public transport options should be explored and should include some form of shelter.
Mid-rise Construction
A mixed-use office building
The House of Movement
A speculative project exploring the overlap of peoples’ movements through the home
Through exploring long exposure photography and physical modelling, the House of Movement explores the overlap of ones movements through any given space. The house of movement represents self-expression on ones actions, with seemingly mundane movements building upon one another. Allowing freedom, rhythmic motion, and personalisation, one may find home in the space between each movement.
Thank you :)