Author and architect Gerald Melling, of
Melling:Morse Architects launches his new book, "Tsunami Box" in Wellington on Friday 26th March, with a presentation at Victoria University School of Architecture.
Its inside cover is elegant enough to shamelessly reprint here lengthily to describe what he's up to:
"Tsunami Box tells the story of an architectural journey into the heady tropics of emergency housing in Sri Lanka, following the Asian tsunami of 2004.
With tenacious commitment, an eye for detail, and a reckless sense of humour, architect and author Gerald Melling launches fundamental ideas about architecture onto the troubled waters of post-tsunami re-construction and hopes to see them float.
They sink, of course, but not without a trace - this book offers genuine insight into the nature of 'good intentions' and the anatomy of a useful architecture."
There's no need to go any more into the content here, suffice to say it is a refreshingly vivid and dexterous piece of writing on (and around) architecture, being both an 'architectural text' and an insightful novelette.
Being the first book from Melling for a little while -making time for writing is imaginably difficult after you make New Zealand's
Home of The Year- his pencil remains incredibly sharp (2B clutch, twisted about in its barrel sharpener I imagine), and steady with the confidence of a poet.
The Wellington Launch is sponsored by the
Architectural Centre who would love an RSVP (arch@architecture.org.nz), and the Wellington Branch of the NZIA. Drinks and nibbles will be served from 5.30pm, with a presentation from Gerald at 6.00pm. CPD Points are available.
Tsunami Box will be available for purchase at the launch, and is published by the
Freerange Press, where it will be available for order online very shortly.