Community event at Hoxton

Community engagement with Charushila, Shoreditch Trust, Counterpoints Arts and Marcia Chandra.

Community event

Directions on how to get there-

 

you can park somewhere but it is best and very easy to use public transport.

 

Overground- Hoxton (it is running that day!)

 

Tube- Liverpool Street, then take the bus 149 or 242 to stop St Leonard’s Hospital.

 

Find Randall Cremer school which is opposite the space. Bryant Court green space (Blue print space as we have called it) is off How’s Street and jostles the overground on one of sides. The entrance to the space is a side entrance, follow the tall Bryant Court building and enter from the gate next to the overground. Click on image to make it larger.

Also, please note that the event with Ministry of Stories will be replaced by drama/story workshop with adults and children with Wanda Duszynska, who has great experience in doing this.

Community Participation

London Festival of Architecture 2014

7th June 2014, 3-5 pm

We will hold a community event for families and the community, including small businesses and community groups in the Canalside area of Hackney, East London on 7th June. The theme of this event straddles the concepts of social, natural and cultural ‘capitals’ as part of the theme for the 2014 London Festival of Architecture.

Canalside comprises housing estates on Haggerston and Whitmore Estates, on either sides of the Kingsland Road, E2 including Hoxton and Haggerston. The events on the day will include a herb growing workshop by St Mary’s secret garden-

http://www.stmaryssecretgarden.org.uk

and story writing workshop for children by local charity, Ministry of stories-

http://www.ministryofstories.org 

Plus, there will be a community photobooth, ‘Portraits of Canalside’, run by Counterpoints Arts and Shoreditch Trust.

We will also be consulting on design ideas for the community space. On the same day, there will be a street festival on Phillip Street, E2 (across the road) with local foods, music and film events centred in the community centre there. Together, the events on 7th June in the Blueprint space and Phillip Street, E2 will kick off the year long programme of events based on participation and community engagement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Photo shows previous work done by a community gardening group)

A specific focus will be on ‘everyday integration and migration’. Through the event, we wish to navigate the human and lived dimension within a local setting and creatively document communities living on Canalside. We hope to use the information to become drivers of the participatory projects in the area. The project aims to implement an action learning initiative through the prism of the creative arts and film.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(photos above show work already carried out by the community)

Address for event on 7th June

‘Blueprint space’: Community space of Bryant Court, How’s Street, Hackney, London E2 (behind Bryant Court on Whiston Road, London E2.

Project Partners:

This is part of a year long project run by Charushila in partnership with Counterpoints Arts and Shoreditch Trust.

Charushila is a small charity working with young people using participation and engagement. Charushila believes that by engaging with children and youth, it encourages their potential and creativity and discourages apathy, vandalism and crime. We work with local artists in our projects, alongside the community and other professionals to help achieve these aims. We have worked in the UK, Venezuela, Palestine and India. Charushila directors include architects Sumita Sinha (eco=logic) and Ken Rorrison (hhbr) and other experts on participatory design.

http://www.charushila.org

Counterpoints Arts is a hub of creative arts and cultural projects exploring refugee and migrant experiences. It believes in the dynamic power of the creative arts to inspire social change and enhance inclusion and cultural integration of refugees and migrants. Its work aims to ensure that the rich cultural and artistic contributions of refugees and migrants are recognized and welcomed within British culture, history and identity. Counterpoints Arts co-create, develop, produce, facilitate, promote, curate, research, publish and disseminate a range of arts and media projects.

counterpointsarts.org.uk

Shoreditch Trust works with communities to improve the quality of life of residents promoting opportunities and experiences that facilitate enjoyment, enrichment and raised aspirations. Shoreditch Trust, in partnership with the University of the Arts London, has developed a unique Creative Mentoring project working with young people from east London and creative organizations based in Shoreditch.

http://www.shoreditchtrust.org.uk

 

Sanctuary, Refuge, detention: ways of forming safe spaces

Sanctuary, Architecture, Spatial Justice and the Arts, a panel discussion chaired by Áine O’Brien – Co-Director of Counterpoints Arts, joined by Sumita Sinha (Director, Ecologic Chartered Architects and charity Charushila) and Natasha Reid (artist – creator of the Embassy for Refugees) and Maurice Wren (CEO of The Refugee Council) at South Bank, London in June 2013.

This panel discussed the concept of ‘sanctuary’ within architectural practice and when this has been applied, where and to what end. The focus on the notion of ‘spatial justice’ and how it is understood within architectural practice specifically in relation to projects offering refuge for refugee communities. It also explored how the concept of sanctuary can be re-framed as a democratic value, an architectural ethic and a legal principle.  Sumita Sinha spoke on-

• Our sanctuaries– The first sanctuary we always seeks to reproduce is the first place we had- self sufficient, warm and safe- the womb.  Through our childhood, we are usually protected and provided for.  It is when we reach adulthood, we normally provide sanctuary to others.  This condition is reversed when we become refugees.  The adult then seeks sanctuary- therefore it is not a normal condition either physically or mentally.  To work with refugees, it is important to recognise this important distinction when working in participation with them.

• The three losses- Spatial justice is closely linked to political justice- those in power will have right to spatial power as well.  The loss of political rights combined with search for safety can be a traumatic loss, a loss of our identity as human beings in control of our destiny and being able to influence our surroundings.  Furthermore, often such traumatic loss is accompanied by the loss of trust in others who may question your life stories, mock them and use them to their own advantage.  The current designs of refugee and detention centres is a physical embodiment of such ignorance of our common humanity and arrogance of our advantage.

• The creative refugee- To be able to be creative, one has to feel safe.  Many architects and artists have fled persecution in order to create and have produced their finest works in other countries that have offered them refuge.  The irony is that this trauma has actually given rise to a higher creativity than perhaps what may have been possible without it.   The passion and inspiration to tell their stories through art and writing, through building and design- can be the highest potential of this journey.  Participatory methods of working with refugees can bring these qualities and potentials out through engagement.

benefits of community engagement

Why engage the community?

Engaging the community- whether local, regional or even national is becoming increasingly important as a way of design that more democratic and informed. Community engagement could also be variously described as social engagement, community participation or even ultimately participatory design depending upon the level of engagement and the power given to the stakeholders or participants who may be referred to as ‘co-designers’. As community consultation and engagement get more difficult due to these reasons, paradoxically the process is required even more for reasons of accountability. By engaging community members, it ensures the sustainability of the project and promotes accountability. Thus it has become a significant aspect of the planning and design process, particularly in public procurement, community projects and urban planning.‘Engagement’ includes many diverse activities and approaches undertaken to varying degrees and levels by stakeholders, ranging from informing, public consultation to active participation (Arnstein,1966) can also be a particularly difficult process in today’s globalised world where the ‘community’ can be composed of a moving or transient population with different origins and needs, unlike the more stable communities of the past. Consider another example- an ageing population may make community engagement difficult but it is vital to consult everyone to ensure the success of the project.

Architects, in particular, need to be aware of and use community engagement when delivering public projects. Community engagement also forms a part of the RIBA criteria for validation in studying architecture. These validation criteria integrate participation and engagement into design teaching with the understanding of the relationship between people and buildings; and between buildings and their environment, and the need to relate buildings and the spaces between them to human needs and scale. Thus the consideration of the profession of architecture and the role of the future architect as an active citizen, within the social and contextual factors, are integrated right from the start into the making of the architect. Recently research from NESTA (an independent charity which works with social innovations) and CABE have taken this further by looking at the economic benefits of wider social engagement. By publishing their ground-breaking research and calling it the ‘Civic Economy’, they have shown that there are tangible benefits to community engagement in ‘the aftermath of the financial crisis and against the context of deep environmental and social change.’ Statutory requirements Many local authorities state the need for the statutory requirement of the planning system on engaging the community effectively. Through such consultation, local issues such as effect of a project on the community and environment may be gauged and mitigated for. Such actions may also protect land from development, based on the outcome of the consultation- for example, leaving open parks or for natural heritage. Plans may be also bound by European Union, national and regional strategies and therefore requirement for public engagement is an integral part of the process. Through community consultation the constraints and issues on planning decisions are clearly revealed. This enables the designers, local authorities and the community to understand and contribute to what can be changed and become aware of aspects that cannot be changed. It is essential for planning authority, including councilors and planning committees, to promote wider public awareness of development plans by engaging actively with the people they represent. Participation is also linked to urban poverty according to the UN- “[Poverty] is also characterised by lack of participation in decision- making and in civil, social and cultural life”. Therefore participation and engagement can contribute to wider social, economic and environmental benefits. The new Plan of work 2013 has the scope to include participation in the design process.

Business benefits

As community engagement is connected with social issues, it is natural that the social issues are the drivers for economic change as documented in the case studies from Compendium for Civic Economy 2011-12. Further, business benefits can be immediate, apparent or conspicuous or they could be long term and inconspicuous. Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, the Japanese philosopher, has defined ‘value’ being of three components- beauty, benefit and good- and these are used in business culture to define values. For our study of business benefits, we are concerned particularly with benefit and good. Thus values of benefit and good together can be found in the immediate and apparent as well as in the long term and inconspicuous- in fact the later being more desirable. In the foreword to the first edition of the Compendium for the Civic Economy, 2011, the Prime Minister, David Cameron, writes about the case studies featured- “The inspiring examples in these pages have achieved everything from supporting local farmers to reducing carbon emissions to helping educate children from disadvantaged backgrounds. These are real, tangible benefits- they show just what a powerful difference can be made when people come together to make life better.”  Some benefits include:

1. Better and wider use of local resources such as local knowledge, bio-diversity, volunteer help, local fundraising and donations and materials.

2. Better design and reduced building and operating costs as needs and benefits are accommodated in the design right from the start.

3. Enhanced accountability and responsibility for the finished design by the community. This also includes more involvement from the end users in the actual building.

4. Design process results in unique projects that are often ground breaking and innovative.

5. Though initial consultation may take a long time, once the process is finished, the actual realization of the project will be much quicker.

6. May bring repeat work to the architect as the intention is for long term commitment and engagement from all sides.

7. Association with and participation in communities can contribute to employee morale and engagement and reduced staff turnover (time and money saving).

How to engage the community

Effective community engagement invariably has elements of fun and irreverence along with more serious and conventional ways. The tools needed may be simple such paper, post-it notes and pencils. Conventional methods The conventional methods range from interviews, questionnaires (electronic or human) debates and discussions. Door knocking and traveling exhibits in vans and buses also draw in the community. The right opportunity and place to engage the community is equally important. Events where the community naturally gather such as worship times, meetings fairs, schools and sports days can be used to involve the community, especially families and older people. Local and even larger businesses are often interested in projects, seeing it as local opportunity and may sponsor events within the community. Unconventional methods The more ‘fun’ activities such as “Planning for real®’ where models are used to encourage people to think about solutions and ‘planning games’ derived from monopoly board games and derivations of flash cards to trigger ideas.

Participatory design day, October 2010

tutors at the workshop

Participatory workshop, October 2010 at Faculty of Architecture and Spatial Design, London Metropolitan University

Participatory design at London met Women’s Library

Participatory Design

Friday 1 July, 2013- 10.30am – 4.30pm
£30 / £25 concessions

The Faculty of Architecture and Spatial Design, London Metropolitan University has been leading a project on design, architecture and participatory design. With an increased focus on ethical concerns, environmental issues and even the concept of the ‘Big Society‘ coming to the forefront, participatory design is seen as the way forward. The next stage of this project sees a further series of workshops including the Visible in Stone study day and a day of workshops doing more practical building and design. These workshops are suitable for architectural students and anyone interested in learning about innovative methods in learning and teaching.

http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/thewomenslibrary/whats-on/events/study-days.cfm
Speakers will include Torange Khonsari, London Metropolitan University & Director, publicworks; James Fischer, Director Zoo Lighting, USA; Anne Markey, London Metropolitan University; Nicole Kenton, editor, Participatory design at International Institute of Environment and Development; Yara Sharif, University of Westminster & Director, Nasser Golzari Architects; Nasser Golzari, Director, Nasser Golzari Architects; Sumita Sinha, London Metropolitan University & Director of Ecologic Chartered architects.

The participatory day will consist of short presentations in the morning followed by a Q&A session. In the afternoon, there will be a workshop on Emergency Identity and Participation – Two sites, two conditions: Palestine/Japan

This workshop is to debate architecture and the role of participation in emergency conditions, when there is a need for immediate and urgent reconstruction and shelter. Who should be involved? What is the methodology/strategy to engage communities and organisations? What are the tools to implement these strategies? Using two specific sites and real-life scenarios, we will look at contradictions of emergency needs and participation for the reconstruction of neighbourhoods in extreme situations.

This is a CPD certified course.

To book for the course contact Sumita Sinha at s.sinha@londonmet.ac.uk.

Introducing Participatory design

Welcome to this page- This is a blog page about participatory design in architecture.  

Participation as a methodology

“All of this comes at a time when that old paradigm, based on Newtonian thinking– which is deterministic and reductive and which values certainty and predictability, trying hopelessly to pin it all down- is today displaced in favour of emergence, self-organisation and holistic thinking.  Holistic thinking moves us away from certainty and instead, toward an appreciation of pluralism, an acceptance of ambiguity and paradox”- Nabeel Hamdi, from his book, Small change

Participatory design can be defined as an approach that attempts to engage everyone in the process to ensure that the designed product or service meets his or her needs. This approach can be used in software design, urban design, architecture, landscape architecture, product design, sustainability, planning or even medicine as a way of producing designs or products that are more responsive and appropriate to their users’ cultural and practical needs.   Participation encourages a collaborative process that can be more complex and slow but enriches the end product, which has more significance to the users.  Through participation, the participants can also influence decision making for future projects and strengthen democratic processes.  As Arnstein has argued that citizen participation is ultimately citizen power .

In his essay, ‘The architecture of complexity’, Lucien Kroll, one of the earliest proponents of participatory design says in this provocative statement- “Diversity encourages creativity, while repetition anaesthetizes it. Often architecture is too homogenous, sometimes because of a self-centered desire to see buildings apart from their context, sometimes because of an exaggerated aesthetic commitment, which tends to a precious ‘architects’ architecture’. But whatever the cause, such homogeneity makes it difficult for the users to add anything of their own, and we lose that rich source of popular creativity, which can transform a space into a place and give it life.  If we were able to obtain the space and the means to allow the inhabitants to organize their own buildings, they would by their own efforts generate both the diversity and the close relations to the fabric which is lacking.”

Although the concept of participatory design has been used actively since 1970’s and indeed through history, it is not yet accepted as a ‘mainstream’ design methodology. Participatory design is not yet taught at most Schools of Architecture.  A student who attended the participatory design workshop organized by me at London Metropolitan University in 2010, commented- ‘I think it [the workshop] was very effective, I’ve been involved engagement session through work but I’ve never seen it taught at university.’ Another student, though having had some experience, also echoed this view- “I learnt the importance to gaining the views of as many stakeholder and not being too influenced by the first one you speak too. I also gained more confidence to do participation in the future, even having done it before”.  However, now with more public say in how resources are used, corporate responsibilities, ethical concerns, scarce resources and environmental issues coming to the forefront, participatory design is seen as the way forward.