This community, hard-hit by economic decline and earthquakes, sought an attraction to rekindle local pride and draw visitors. As project visioning lead in collaboration with Development Christchurch Ltd., our team performed market research, community consultation, and concept development. We emphasized cultural placemaking – designing the pools and recreational amenities to reflect New Brighton’s coastal identity and the community’s input. The resulting concept balanced technical challenges (coastal engineering, resilience to weather and future sea-level changes) with the goal of social sustainability.