Future Systems & Future Communities

This research cluster explores systems thinking ranging from an indigenous relational lens to contemporary systems discourses.

"As a country we need transformational and lasting change to meet our targets and ensure a thriving Aotearoa for future generations."  
Rod Carr, Climate Change Commission (2021)

As full human beings, in our research and practice we imagine, cultivate and support Aotearoa’s future systems thinking as an intrinsic part of forging future communities. Our work encompasses kaupapa Māori, including concepts of whakapapa and whanaungatanga. We focus on mauri ora (wellbeing) as we work with and alongside tamariki, rangatahi, councils, iwi, NGO’s, social enterprsies, industry and business communities.  We work across social-spatial systems including food-, peri-urban-, and multi-species- (scapes), sustainable building, the reduction of waste, smart buildings and technologies, community well-being, adaptive re-use of buildings, urban resilience and regeneration.

“Mātauranga Māori view is more holistic and uses systems thinking and ... expertise to build a much more complete picture on a scientific challenge.”
Rauika Māngai. (2020). A Guide to Vision Mātauranga: Lessons from Māori Voices in the New Zealand Science Sector.

This approach can help us to understand how complex, emergent, and responsive networks that address environmental, social, cultural, technological and/or economic issues, came to be and may become in the future as we live together in this land.

Current research projects include:

  • Huritanga: Towards Socio-Ecological Wellbeing-led Urban Systems in an Era of Emergency
  • Foodscapes: Mapping Food Networks in Urban Systems
  • Platypus Surfing: Enrichment for Endangered Captive Species
  • Observation, Evaluation and Enrichment of Wellbeing and Social Dynamics for Animals in Captive Environments
  • Endangered Marine Bird Populations of Aotearoa: Technology and Care Intervention Systems

Prior successful funding includes:

  • Auckland Council, Flotilla Whau river-based community project. $29,000
  • Future Islands: New Zealand Exhibition, Venice Architecture Biennale. $150,000
  • Auckland District Health Board Circulation and Movement in the Grafton Precinct: A design research project with the Auckland District Health Board. $6000
  • Auckland Council, Make Believe: Imagining a new park for New Lynn. $15,000
  • National Science Challenge, Building Better Homes Towns and Cities. Tranche 2. Urban Wellbeing Programme. $3.7 million
  • National Science Challenge, Building Better Homes Towns and Cities. Mauri Ora and Urban Wellbeing – applied research for urban transformation. $88,739
  • Practice-led research funding. Creative New Zealand. New Zealand National Exhibition, Prague Quadrennial. $45,000
  • $20,000 from Sequal Lumber for Urban Equilibrium
  • $3.7 million from National Science Challenge, Building Better Homes Towns and Cities. Tranche 2. Urban Wellbeing Programme
  • $88,739 research funding from National Science Challenge, Building Better Homes Towns and Cities. Mauri Ora and Urban Wellbeing – applied research for urban transformation
  • NZD $5.7 million from the 2013-2016 European Union Seventh Framework Program (FP7/2007–2013) grant agree No. 601139 (CultAR): Culturally Enhanced Augmented Reality (ICT). Principal investigator: Ann Morrison
  • NZD $4,550 2010-2011 Det Obelske Familiefond, Grant for setting up Urban Vibrations Lab at Aalborg University. Principal investigator: Ann Morrison
  • NZD $174,000 from 2009-2010 European Union Seventh Framework Program FP7-PEOPLE-IRSES-2008 - Marie Curie Action, Marie Curie Fellow, "International Research Staff Exchange Scheme" for MARCUS: Mobile Augmented Reality and Context in Urban Settings.
  • NZD $9.2 million from 2008-2010 European Union Sixth Framework Program: (IPCity): Integrated Project on Mixed Reality Interaction and Presence in Urban Environments. Principal investigator: Ann Morrison
  • AUD $200,000 Project Grant, Urban Construction Project, Performing Arts Board, Australia Council for the Arts. Co-lead Ann Morrison, Andrew Charker & 25 industry sponsors (1990)
  • Waghorn, K. E, Fonna Forman and Teddy Cruz, (2021) Visualizing the political: Teddy Cruz and Fonna Forman, in conversation with Kathy Waghorn, in Di Raimo, Lehmann & Melis (eds.), Informality through sustainability: Urban informality now, Taylor and Francis.
  • Aigwi, I. E., Filippova, O., Ingham, J., & Phipps, R. (2020). Unintended consequences of the earthquake-prone building legislation: An evaluation of two city centre regeneration strategies in New Zealand's provincial areas. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 49, 101644. doi:10.1016/j.ijdrr.2020.101644
  • Kelly, N., Sosa R., Evans, R. and Gero, J. (2020) Design framing: definitions, representations, and possibilities. Design Studies, forthcoming.
  • Mahesh Babu, P., Seadon, J. (2020, November). A critical review of the system-wide in the construction industry: Paper presented at Imaginable Futures: Design Thinking, and the Scientific Method -The 54th International Conference of the Architectural Science Association (ANZAScA) 2020, Virtual Conference, 26 & 27 November 2020, Auckland, New Zealand.
  • Montiel M, Sosa R, Hocking D. (2020) Activity Scenario Modelling: an emerging method for examining human-artefact interaction. The Design Research Society 2020 International Conference 2020. Editor: Stella Boess. Brisbane, Aug 2020.
  • Moradi P, Sosa R, Hunting A. (2020) The Social Aspects of Companion Robots. The Design Research Society 2020 International Conference 2020. Editor: Stella Boess. Brisbane, Aug 2020.
  • Sosa R. (2020) What the Popol Vuh can teach design. Service Design Conference ServDes 2020, Editors: Akama, Yoko. Melbourne, Australia.
  • Sosa R. (2020) Indigenous Worldviews to Inform Participatory Creativity. Participatory Design Conference PDC2020, Editors: Parra, C.. Manizales, Colombia.
  • Sosa R. and Grocott L. (2020) The creative translation of design methods into social research, in Researching in The Age of Covid-19. Volume 3: Creativity and Ethics. Editor(s): Kara, Helen and Khoo, Su-ming. Policy Press, Bristol.
  • Waghorn, K. E. (2020). Practising Place: Tactical modes of practice at the intersection of art and architecture. In Bean, J., Dickinson, S., & Ida, A., (Eds.), The Unexamined, Critical Practices in Architecture and Place Making, Cambridge Scholars Series.
  • Waghorn, K. E. & Sarjent, N., (2020), The City as a School. Drawing On; Journal of Architectural Research by Design, University of Edinburgh.
  • Aigwi, I. E., Egbelakin, T., Ingham, J., Phipps, R., Rotimi, J., & Filippova, O. (2019). A performance-based framework to prioritise underutilised historical buildings for adaptive reuse interventions in New Zealand. Sustainable Cities and Society, 48, 101547. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2019.101547
  • Mahesh Babu, P., Seadon, J., & Moore, D. (2019, March). Improving productivity and staff wellbeing at a manufacturing facility in India using integrated lean and humans factors/ergonomics: paper presented. ICEMSO 2019: 21st International Conference on Engineering, Manufacturing and Supply Operations, Sydney, Australia ,28 - 29 Mar 2019.
  • Shao D, Nagai Y, Sosa R. (2019) Design for sustainability and innovation: A kansei engineering evaluation of the adaptive reuse of old buildings. Proceedings of the Design Society: International Conference on Engineering Design, ICED. 1: 3221-3230.
  • Aigwi, I. E., Egbelakin, T., & Ingham, J. (2018). Efficacy of adaptive reuse for the redevelopment of underutilised historical buildings: Towards the regeneration of New Zealand’s provincial town centres. International journal of building pathology and adaptation, 36(4), 385-407.
  • Gerrard V. and Sosa R. (2018) Data Objects for Hasselt elections (Creative Work). Participatory Design Conference PDC18, Z33, Hasselt, Belgium. 20-24 August 2018.
  • Grocott, L. & Sosa, R. (2018) The Contribution of Design in Interdisciplinary Collaborations: A framework for amplifying project-grounded research. In J. Oliver (Ed.) Associations: Creative Practice and Research. Melbourne University Press, Melbourne. https://www.mup.com.au/books/9780522870312-associations
  • Sosa, R., Gerrard, V., Esparza, A., Torres, R. and Nappier, R. (2018) Data Objects: Design principles for data physicalisation, Proceedings of the DESIGN 2018 15th International Design Conference, Dubrovnik. 1685-1696. https://doi.org/10.21278/idc.2018.0125
  • Mahesh Babu, P., Seadon, J., & Moore, D. (2017, November). A critical review of the organisational waste in the construction industry: Paper presented at the 5th annual series of the New Zealand Built Environment Research Symposium (NZBERS) Oct -2017, AUT- Auckland, New Zealand.
  • Mahesh Babu, P., Seadon, J., & Moore, D. (2017, September). Improving productivity and staff well-being at a manufacturing facility in India using integrated Lean and HFE principles:  Paper Presented at HFESNZ conference September -2017, Wellington, New Zealand.
  • Mahesh Babu, P., Seadon, J., & Moore, D. (2017, September). Stress reduction through digital technology in manufacturing: poster presented at AUT post graduate research symposium, Auckland, 17 Aug 2017 - 18 Aug 2017. AUT university. 17 Aug 2017.
  • Mahesh Babu, P., Seadon, J., & Moore, D. (2017, May). Stress reduction through digital technology in manufacturing. Poster presented at MaD for the Future 2017: A National Conference for Innovation in Manufacturing and Design, Auckland, New Zealand.
  • Gerrard, V., & Sosa, R. (2014). Examining participation. In Proceedings of the 13th Participatory Design Conference, Volume 1, 111-120. Namibia. http://doi.org/10.1145/2661435.2661451
  • Waghorn, K. E., Suburban Floral Association (Redmond, M., & Ecclestone, T.), (2014, May 3). Park for a Day [installation]. Make Believe HQ, Merchant Quarter, New Lynn, funded by Auckland Council. Retrieved from https://www.hoop-la.nz/park-for-a-day
  • Waghorn, K. E., & Houghton, C. (2014, March 24). Come Join the Circus [A week-long workshop with primary school children] Make Believe HQ, Merchant Quarter, New Lynn, funded by Auckland Council. Retrieved from https://www.hoop-la.nz/come-join-the-circus
  • Longley, A., Fitzpatrick, K., Sunde, C., Ehlers, C., Martin, R., Brown, C., . . . Waghorn, K. (2013). Streams of writing from a fluid city. Qualitative Inquiry, 19(9), 736-740. doi:10.1177/1077800413500936
  • Waghorn, K. E., Cruz, T., Mecredy, E., & Patel, N. (2013, May 9). Muddy urbanism: Productive coastlines [Exhibition]. Auckland Art Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand.
  • Waghorn, K. E., & Mecredy, E. (2013, October 10). Here now: Re-imagining New Lynn (No. Of Pieces: 16 installations) New Lynn town center, funded by Auckland Council. Retrieved from https://www.hoop-la.nz/here-now.
  • Longley, A., Sunde, C., Brown, C., Waghorn, K. E., Ehlers, C., Fitzpatrick, K., . . . Wood, R. (2012). Fluid City [installation and performance]. Silo Park, The Wynyard Quarter, Auckland, New Zealand. Retrieved from http://www.fluidcity.auckland.ac.nz/
  • De Groot, C., Parfitt, B., Reeves, D., & Waghorn, K. E. (2010). Demonstrating New Possibilities for Playful Collaboration: Claystation [Making Auckland]. JEBE The Journal for Education in the Built Environment, 5(2), 65-84. Retrieved from http://www.cebe.heacademy.ac.uk/jebe/pdf/CrisdeGroot5%282%29.pdf
  • Waghorn, K. E., Reeves, D. E., & De Groot, C. (2008). Claystation [Making Auckland]. Gus Fisher Gallery, University of Auckland.
  • Andolina S, Hsieh Y-T, Kalkofen D, Nurminen A, Cabral D, Spagnolli A, Gamberini L, Morrison A, Schmalstieg D, Jacucci G. (2021) Designing for Mixed Reality Urban Exploration Interaction Design & Architecture(s) (IxD&A) 15 Feb 2021 (Journal Article)
  • Turner J, Morrison A. (2021) Designing Slow Cities for More Than Human Enrichment: Dog Tales—Using Narrative Methods to Understand Co-Performative Place-Making Multimodal Technologies and Interaction 5(1):1-1 (Journal Article)
  • Aigwi, I. E., Ingham, J., Phipps, R., & Filippova, O. (2020). Identifying parameters for a performance-based framework: Towards prioritising underutilised historical buildings for adaptive reuse in New Zealand. Cities, 102, 102756. doi:10.1016/j.cities.2020.102756
  • Joseph, F., & Nautiyal, M. (2020). Discerning the emergent New Zealand wool innovation ecosystem. In S. Collie, K. Mitchell, & S. McNeil (Eds.), International Virtu-Wool Research Conference (pp. 141-160). Online.
  • Morrison A, Larsen H, Fieldus C, Kist A, Maiti A. (2020) Platypus surfing: In search of the perfect wave Seventh International Conference on Animal-Computer Interaction, Milton Keynes, 10 Nov 2020 - 12 Nov 2020. ACM (2019
  • Purushothaman, M, Seadon, J, Moore, D (2020). “Waste reduction using lean tools in a multicultural environment”. Journal of Cleaner Production, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.121681
  • Smitheram, M., & Joseph, F. (2020). Material-aesthetic collaborations: making-with the ecosystem. CoDesign, 1-18. doi:10.1080/15710882.2020.1841796
  • Yates, A. Lenihan, T. (2020) Back to the Future: Whanake mai te mauri ora – Towards a Sustainable Development & Mauritanga System for Socio-Cultural-Ecological Wellbeing. Commissioned Report for New Zealand Ministry of Environment. (Recommendations for the Comprehensive Resource Management System Review).
  • Yates. A. (2020). Urban Manaakitanga as Counter-Colonial Tactic. In R. Kiddle & K. O’Birne (Eds.), Our Voices II: The DE-Colonial Project. New York: Oro Editions.Seadon, J and Giacovelli, C. (2019). “Small Island Developing States Waste Management Outlook”. United Nations Environment Programme International Environmental Technology Centre, Osaka, Japan. Available from https://www.unenvironment.org/ietc/node/44
  • Aigwi, I. E., Egbelakin, T., Ingham, J., Phipps, R., Rotimi, J., & Filippova, O. (2019). A performance-based framework to prioritise underutilised historical buildings for adaptive reuse interventions in New Zealand. Sustainable Cities and Society, 48, 101547. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2019.101547
  • Yates, A., Nirmal, N., Renwick, J. (2019). Whanake mai te ara hiko: Think piece - wellbeing-led, home-based energy infrastructures & low-emissions transport.  Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland, NZ: National Science Challenge 11: Building Better Homes, Towns and Cities. http://buildingbetter.nz/resources/publications.html
  • Yates, A. (2019). Whanake Mai Te Mauri-Ora: Think piece – An Expanded Wellbeing Framework and Urban Science Data Tool For Integrated Wellbeing Governance. Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland, NZ: National Science Challenge 11: Building Better Homes, Towns and Cities. http://buildingbetter.nz/resources/publications.html
  • Aigwi, I. E., Egbelakin, T., & Ingham, J. (2018). Efficacy of adaptive reuse for the redevelopment of underutilised historical buildings: Towards the regeneration of New Zealand’s provincial town centres. International journal of building pathology and adaptation, 36(4), 385-407.
  • Yates, A. (2018). Mauri-ora: Architecture, indigeneity and immanence ethics In A. Jasper (Ed.), Architecture and Anthropology. London: Routledge.
  • Modak, P, Pariatamby, P and Seadon, J. (2017). “Asia Waste Management Outlook”. United Nations Environment Programme International Environmental Technology Centre, Osaka, Japan. Available from http://wedocs.unep.org/handle/20.500.11822/27289
  • Randerson J. & Yates, A. (2017). Negotiating the ontological gap:  Place, performance and media art practices in Aotearoa/New Zealand. In J. Adamson & S. Monani (Eds.),  From Earth to Cosmos: Indigenous eco-perspectives of resistance, resilience, and multi-species relations. London: Routledge.
  • Stocchero, A, Seadon, J K., Falshaw, R, Edwards, M. (2017) “Urban Equilibrium for sustainable cities and the contribution of timber buildings to balance urban carbon emissions: A New Zealand case study”. Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. 143, pp. 1001-10
  • Seadon JK (2010) “Sustainable Waste Management Systems”. Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. 18, no.16-17, pp. 1639-51
  • Seadon JK (2006) “Integrated Waste Management – Looking Beyond the Solid Waste Horizon”. Waste Management, vol. 26, no.12, pp. 1327-36

Meet the team

Core team

Other members

Externals

  • Carl Douglas
  • Matt Halliday
  • Yvonne Chan
  • Monique Jansen
  • Dafydd Sills-jones
  • Dr. Emily O'Hara
  • Assoc. Prof. Petra Theunissen
  • Ramon Zamora