Tyres become garden base

We may be short on housing but Auckland has no shortage of tyres.

A group of first year architecture students has tapped into the resource for a design project.

The Unitec students have created a pavilion which doubles as an urban garden. It features old tyres filled with soil and attached to wooden arches.

The Flowing Tyre Project picked up a top spot at Sustainable Habitat Construction’s micro architecture popup competition which has a focus on creating sustainable buildings.

Naomi Thompson, 22, says she never dreamed they could take a design off the page and bring it to life.

‘‘We have had some ups and downs,’’ she says. ‘‘But to be first years and get to build something is pretty cool.’’

The Mt Roskill resident says the team is now putting in the hard yards to get their design ready for Grad Fest, from November 27 to December 4.

‘‘We don’t really have hands-on experience so building it will be a challenge.’’

Aleesha Kumar,18, says the project has been a ‘‘wild ride’’.

‘‘At the start of the year I just thought this was just pretty Photoshop work.

‘‘You come out of high school and think it is just going to be drawing and next thing you know they are telling you to go and do it in real life,’’ she said.

Shanker Kumaracheliyan, 26, says the project has given them a practical insight into their designs.

‘‘As first year students we have started to get our heads around designing and drawing,’’ the Mt Wellington resident says.

‘‘But to think about actually building it was completely new to us,’’ he says.

The group also hope to exhibit the project at Silo Park over summer.