2018 Major Design Thesis: Responding to Landscape Narratives - Gabriella Durcan

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Ohau is economically, ecologically and socially remote from the district centre of Oamaru, set in an alpine gully that is cornered by three neighbouring councils. The small settlement is becoming less remote as Waitaki’s tourism profile grows. Such untouched wilderness and vast scale is becoming a scarce commodity as remote places become more accessible and visitors more mobile. Increased scale in the built environment has already dimished these qualities in similar sites such as Tekapo, Hawea and Wanaka, and a growing sense of vulnerability and wariness towards change has gripped the local community.