Description:

Blurring Boundaries began by identifying a disconnect between people and landscape, stemming from past perceptions that treat the land as a passive backdrop for human activity - rather than an active, living experience. Though small in relation to the scale of our landscapes, architecture has the ability to guide us in reimagining our relationship with place. Focusing on outdoor youth education, this project positions architecture as a mediator that promotes a symbiotic relationship between people, landscape, and architecture- thus supporting deeper engagement, belonging, and connection to place.

Set within the remote environment of Paradise, Aotearoa New Zealand, the project was guided by the ethos of Scouts Aotearoa, whose values of adventure, community, and individual progression align with the intention to reconnect young people with the land. The Under Pikirakatahi Scout Camp creates sensory, participatory experiences – where youth are able to unearth, inhabit, and contribute to the stories embedded within the place. Architecture becomes a form of “silent curriculum,” where spatial design supports the Scouts’ personal and collective development.

On the shores of Ōturu / Diamond Lake, the camp’s design draws from the surrounding landscape and Scout values, organising spaces into three zones: Comfort, Growth, and Adventure. This masterplan guides the scouts on a physical and emotional journey, encouraging reflection, connection, and challenge through architecture. At the heart of the camp lies the campfire circle, an informal yet powerful space of ritual, storytelling, performance, and connection - where Scouts gather each night to reflect and come together.

In the Growth Zone sits the Two Pavilions building, the camp’s primary structure. Its form references the Māori legend of Pikirakatahi / Mount Earnslaw, with two peaked rooflines split by a wedged portal entry. The west pavilion houses private functions - bunkrooms and bathrooms - while the east pavilion contains communal spaces for cooking, dining, and recreation. Design moments - such as communal handwashing basins, colour-coded bunkrooms, and a shared kitchen servery - promote scout values of teamwork, learning by doing, and community. Materials such as rammed earth, locally sourced timber, schist stone, and corrugate roofing ground the architecture in place and create a richly textured, functional experience. Earth blocks for the buildings flooring are formed and personally coded by Scouts, embedding their individual contributions into the fabric of the building.

The Adventure Zone features five Treehouse Towers, each aligned with a different scout age group. Ranging from 8m to 24m tall, these timber towers offer bunkrooms, reflection decks, bathroom facilities for camping areas, and integrated scout activities like abseiling and zip-lining. Their tectonic design follows a tree-inspired form: four central timber posts act as trunks, structural beams extend as branches, and timber rain screens cloak each tower like a forest canopy.

This project extends beyond architecture as mere shelter by integrating thoughtful design with a regenerative landscape strategy, creating built form that evolves in collaboration with land and people. As the forest canopy rises, the structures will soften, weather, and recede - shifting from bold architectural statements to quiet scaffolds for growth. By prioritising imagination, belonging, and participation, Blurring Boundaries reimagines the role of architecture in connecting us with the environments that surround us. It is a project that tells a story - not just of what can be built, but of what can teach, adapt, and endure.