CIVIC UNIVERSITY ISSUE # 1
ISSUE # 1 | 20 FEB 2014
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M asterclasses Masterclasses 12 - 16 FEB 2014
THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMONING Commoning is the practice of returning commodified and privatized entities into shared resources accessible to all members of a community. Commoning can be understood as a design issue, concerned with the construction of architectures of social relations: One that supports the collective use of goods and spaces, instead of their partition into private enclosures. Led by ten 1st Year students collaborating with Brent Council, the DOC explores this question by situating it in the specific urban context of Wembley. In preparation for a six-month architecture residency in the Wembley Triangle (an area critical to the ongoing regeneration of Wembley) the DOC will test and debate urban strategies to increase the capacity for commoning and community-led regeneration.
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THOMAS DOBSON
LAVINIA GUGLIELMETTI
CORINA ANGHELOIU
ROSA ROGINA
WILLIAM HENLEY
RHIANON MORGAN-HATCH MARA WEISS
ANDREW BELFIELD
NADA TAYEB
JOHNNY SPRUNT
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WORK IN PROGRESS SCHEDULE
WORK IN PROGRESS SCHEDULE
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WORK IN PROGRESS SPACE
WORK IN PROGRESS SPACE
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LEARN TO WALK ?
THE ROUTE
WEDNESDAY 12TH FEB • 7:00 PM
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LEARN TO WALK?
DRIFTER . . STROLLER . . SAUNTERER !
We move through space But are we aware? ‘The permanence is contrary to existence. Things are forever in motion.’
We miss the majority of what is going on around us. Right now by the fact that you are reading this you are missing the events that are unfolding right infront you, and behind...
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Scene 1 | Scene 3 | Scene 3 |
& The Wembley Triangle
Becoming Michel Puppets ! The Wembley Trinagle
MICHEL FOU? WEDNESDAY 12TH FEB • 8:00 PM
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MICHEL FOU?
& The Wembley Triangle
{SCENE 2 : FOUCAULT’S RANT RANT}} “ah vouz-etes arrives!! en retard mais c’est pas grave, alors je vais parler en anglais porquil est plus facile pour vous de comprendre…’’ ‘‘So let us consider where are the Diagrams of power within our society? I’m sure as architects you are all aware of the theme of the Panopticon, as designed by one of those enlightenment geniuses, Monsieur Bentham? who has heard of it? Can you explain for me?’’ {audience response} ‘‘Very good, But what must be stressed, that is, made clear through analysis, a cartographic approach, is that this is not simply a physical architecture, Non, this Panopticon is but an exterior form, a product of a certain brand of thought, the concrete assemblage of an abstract diagram. Between them lies the essence of what we now, thanks to me, call the disciplinary!” “Such things pervade notre societe! they are coextensive within the social field. Cependant, how do these structures of power implicate our daily life? We have inherited these assemblages that were once designed to strategically oppose the state and society, in order to extract the greatest efficiency from the individual body. That’s you, you and you! No matter how these are resold through various political euphemisms, by going back to the abstract diagram there we will find them once more…Indeed they are now latent. So let us take the case of Britain today, urban life has been contracted down to its most basic form: work, at a desk, as a functionary, a mere cog within the machine of state. It is a Society of Control. What is of the greatest imperative is that these structures are overcome by the spirit of revolution and liberation, trangression. This is a process. The individual was not born free and then set in chains but must fabricate their own sense of self in a continuous process of becoming. Emancipation must be fought for! {Inturruption from The Walker} “Excuse me Foucault but this is really quite abstract and boring, I mean you have interrupted my walk, we were just getting to the peak of the derive! we must be going, its about life!”
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PARTICIPATION, SAY WHAT?
THURSDAY 13TH FEB • 5:30 PM
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PARTICIPATION, SAY WHAT? Performace? Symposium? Today the word participation is being increasingly overused, resulting in a lack of a precise definition. How can one participate in the process of urban transformation and what does ‘to participate’ actually mean? The performance imagined Cedric Price, Chantal Mouffe, Markus Miessen, Doina Petrescu and Jeanne van Heeswijk discussing alternative ways of participation. Through this masterclass we tested a new format of presenting different opinions around this specific topic.
How can the conversation be re-performed in Wembley adopting an appropriate language for a non academic audience?
Extracts from the script. MM: Participation is often understood as a means of becoming part of something through pro−active contribution and the occupation of a particular role. However, it seems that this role is rarely understood as a critical platform of engagement, but rather based on romantic conceptions of harmony and solidarity. Jeanne what do you think? JHV: Umm… I agree, while there is a growing faith in the potential of greater community participation to develop models and instruments for city building, it is too often blind to the naivety of the notion of transformation based on harmonious togetherness. It seems to me that offering a menu of choices is just the last convulsion of the idea of supply-side transformability that still treats the citizen as a consumer. DP: True, It seems the residents are consulted on a carefully prepared documentation in which they can still have their say, but in fact are not really able to participate in the different structural stages of the planning process. To be honest I think this public consultations are organized to pay lip service to the law, rather than to provide critical tools for an effective community planning process… DP: …We need to be conscious that not all participative processes are liberating experiences. Participation is not a liberating technique in itself. Control can be exerted through participative approaches as well, and this is one of the problems with compulsory participatory programs.
MM: Umm… I strongly believe in proactive engagement and direct involvement, I just think that the rules of the game need to be manipulated. Participation needs to be de-romanticized, loose its innocence, and we need to speak about the fact that often participation is dirty and not politically correct in case you really want to change something. Demanding that everyone should always be included is simply crackbrained. CP: That’s what is messing up interactive television, which is almost seen as right. Or these awful radio programs in which you’re invited to ring in with your views, which makes for rather cheap radio but very dull listening for the rest of the population. I don’t want to hear what forty-five random people who have been asked to ring up the radio station think about this or that! Because it has been unofficially recognized by the powers that be, and has been grabbed onto by those who realize that it’s a cheap form of television or radio, it’s almost as if everything is justified because the audience can participate. And therefore you get bad films, bad radio, bad television. JVH: Well, without being too pessimistic, I just think we have to actively listen and smoke out all the people who participate in an area. DP: The solution could be what I often call Schizoanalytical approach of ‘participation’, one that starts with desire, by considering the participative process as a way of assembling a collective economy of desire, articulating persons, gestures, economic and relational networks, etc. The participation process depends on participants’ desire.
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WORK IN PROGRESS SPACE
WORK IN PROGRESS SPACE
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COMMONING WEMBLEY
PART ONE
FRIDAY 14TH FEB • 9:50 AM
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COMMONING WEMBLEY
PART ONE
A LOCAL WALK WITH JAINE No.2 Having lived in Wembley for 28 years Jaine is a pinnacle member of the community (however she may not recognise this herself ). A short journey to the shop with her often results in 2 or 3 coincidental meetings and subsequent 5 minutes conversations. Jaine passionately stands up for her citizens rights andvis not afraid to confront the council with her issues, which is
proved by her numerous appearances in the local paper for doing so. Jaine kindly offered to host a walk with me to share some of her favorite spaces/places around the Triangle. This follows on from a previous walk where we visited a few areas that have been in recent decline.
Friday Morning -14th February 9.55 am
A cold wet February morning. Five students huddle sipping Cafe 2000’s 80 pence coffee, which despite its good value, was doing little to lift the morals. Jaine (our tour guide) was not answering her phone . . .
10.05 am
Tom is getting increasingly more anxious as Will, the sixth participant, announces his imminent arrival via text.
10.15 am
Finally Jaine answers the phone. She asks reluctantly: “It’s “ It’s BLOODY raining isn’t it... are you sure want to go on this walk??” Tom looks apprehensively to the group he has accumulated and considers the prospects of telling each of them the walk was canceled after they have each commuted over an hour to be here. “Spitting a little.. It seems to be brightening up. I think we should go for it... a quick half an hour around the area”, area”, Tom says cautiously. Jaine sighs “Hmmmm.. really?” With more assertiveness Tom replies “Well there’s 6 of us so I think we must go!” “Alright then... Give me 5 minutes I will WIP some clothes on.” The walk is on!
10.20 am
STOP 1 - Where to have lunch. Wembley High Road / The Triangle Karahe Queen Wembley Bay
10.25 am
£3 lunch deal (Curry of choice, Naan, Basmati Rice) “He will sort you out he is my mate”, mate”, says Jaine.
STOP 2 - King Edwards Park Jaine started walking her dogs in King Edwards park when the Copland field was fenced off, although one can still access the field due to numerous holes in the fence that has fallen into disrepair due to neglect. It was fenced by the school with the safety of the children in mind, however it has become a more dangerous place due to the lack of use and there are uncertainties over the ownership of the park.
“It used to be public land... then the school started leasing it in return for maintenance.. AND NOW they are claiming it as theirs?! How can they do that without a public consultation?!? It is our BLOODY land!”
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FRIDAY 14TH FEB • 9:50 AM
“People used to use it as a shortcut to work or dropping the kids to school... Look now.. its dividing Wembley Central and Tokyngton.” Jaine was in the paper for “kicking up a fuss and having a dig around” the issue of the park fencing when it happened in 2011. King Edwards is very well kept however Jaine was unimpressed with the park pavilion. She cannot remember the last time she saw it being used despite it having changing, washing, toilet and kitchen facilities.
COMMONING WEMBLEY
PART ONE
“Why can’t we have a little man in there selling coffee... brings more people into the park and makes it more secure! Also we have all these bloody dog toilets but no human toilets!!” This is a reasonable suggestion however I presume funding cuts is probably the response. Jaine suggested that she knows people who would take up the role on a voluntary basis (she may have been including herself in this). 10.40 am
STOP 3 - The view over London A brief moment in Wembley where you can situate it in the context of its orbit around London.
10.50 am
STOP 4 - Cottrell House (It is beginning to rain.) We finish the walk at a fast pace returning back to Cottrell House for a coffee and a mapping exercise.
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COMMONING WEMBLEY
PART ONE
“It used to be public land... then the school started leasing it in return for maintenance.. AND NOW they are claiming it as theirs?! How can they do that without a public consultation?!? It is our BLOODY land!” Jaine Lunn
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COMMONING WEMBLEY
PART TWO
FRIDAY 14TH FEB • 2:00 PM
“When you want public participation always remember... What is in it for them?? Under promise and over deliver!!” David Tross
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COMMONING WEMBLEY
PART TWO
A MASTER CLASS ON COMMUNITY DEVELPOMENT IN THE TRIANGLE WITH DAVID TROSS David Tross. David is a lecturer in Community Development at Birkbeck University where he is working on his PhD questioning “Does community make us happy?”. He has an abundance of experience with community engagement helping us pin point who and what we are wanting to address in the Triangle area... potential ptifalls and keys to sucess.
“On average 1 in 5 people will get involved in community schemes in some level.... only 1 of these will be involved heavily. These are not necessarily the people you want to be involved as they often represent very skewed opinions.” This is what David noticed was apparent in Learning from Kilburn as the ‘regulars’ were often providing a skewed and sometimes selfish input. Another important point was how we work with the communities. David’s advice was to try to act as facilitators rather than the key members of an activity.
“When you leave you don’t want to put people in a worse situation than before you came by just disappearing... the activities should be set up so people take partial or whole responsibility rather than you running the whole show.” The key to the success of the project is its continuation. How we leave Wembley is as important as how we act there. Having a final event to symbolize us leaving and handing over to the community should help address this.
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CURRY CRISIS
FRIDAY 14TH FEB • 12:00 PM
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CURRY CRISIS “Integration and Spice?” Tikka Masala is an integral part of British culture, but the Curry Industry is diminishing rapidly as a result of immigration policy cutting Indian chefs’ UK admission by 75%, leaving 1 in 4 restaurant positions unfilled in 2013. Without a secured job earning £30.000 annually, five years experience in a similar job and evidence of graduate-level qualifications, Indian and Bangladeshi chefs will be sent back home. What effect has this on the identity of Wembley’s long established Indian community?
To what degree does food preparation and sharing shape identity and influence social integration among ethnic communities? What role do women play in the integration of communities? Could they be the key to preserving the secrets of our beloved curry dishes?
An interview with Niki Koepcke, founder of Mazi Mas. What is Mazi Mas? Mas? Mazí Mas is a roaming restaurant that creates employment opportunities for migrant and refugee women whilst bringing the best of authentic home cooking to the London public. ‘Mazí mas’ means ‘with us’ in Greek, and creates a space in which long-term unemployed and socially marginalised women can open their own restaurant, an unrealised dream for many. Our food is quintessentially London: vibrant, full of flavour, and steeped in rich cultural traditions. Do do you believe working with women helps integration? Mazí Mas believes we have much to learn from the experiences of refugee and migrant women about thrift, sustainability, slow food, and making things by hand. We seek to recognise and reward their expertise, and to preserve their recipes and traditional methods, which form a vital part of London’s cultural history. We believe that the best food in London is to be found not in restaurants, but at the dinner tables of women – the mothers, grandmothers, sisters and aunts who guard age-old culinary secrets and create meals that no restaurant could reproduce. Many of these women have
very low levels of economic activity, and have great difficulty finding work because of insufficient language ability, lack of recent employment history, lack of education and basic administrative/IT skills, and non-recognition of foreign qualifications. In many cases, they have come to the UK under difficult circumstances – fleeing conflict as refugees, or migrating out of economic necessity. Most experience considerable social isolation and have little support to help them integrate in London, and many are further constrained by gendered norms which limit their activities outside the home. Far from being unskilled, these women possess skills which are highly marketable in an increasingly food-obsessed London. What they lack are the means, knowledge, and networks to turn these skills into economic opportunity. This is where Mazí Mas comes in: we provide a platform for them to engage with a public which is – quite literally – hungry for their skills, and offer them access to the kinds of support they need to embark on independent careers, whether as self-employed small business owners or as firsttime jobseekers.
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CURRY CRISIS
RECIPES
FRIDAY 14TH FEB • 12:00 PM
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CURRY CRISIS
RECIPES
Paruppu Vadai http://www.padhuskitchen.com/2013/08/paruppu-vadai-recipe-without-onions-dal.html This recipe is inteded for the festival season and is hence done without onion and garlic. To add extra bags of flavour to the dish I added some garlic and adapted the spice a little. This vadai is prepared with kadalai paruppu (channa dal \ chickpeas) and tur dal. I could not get hold of tur dal but used yellow split peas instead, which worked fine. Unfortunately, the first batch of patties ‘melted’ in the hot pan. To fix them I added some Gram flour batter to the mixture and coated them in the flour once formed. Finally the vadas took on shape! After soaking, this recipe can be prepared in a matter of 15 minutes ! Enjoy. Ingredients Makes ~ 40 small vadas 750g Channa Dal 250g Tur Dal or Yellow Split Peas 10 Green chillies 15 Red chillies 1 1/2 tsp Crushed fennel seed 3 Tsp Garam Masala Curry leaves - few stems, leaves removed (essential !) Gram flour - mixed with water into a light, yet sticky batter Salt to taste Vegetable oil for deep frying Method Soak both channa dal and tur dal over night. Drain. Take 200g of the soaked dal mix and keep aside. Grind the rest of the dal together with red chillies, green chillies, spices and salt coarsely. Add the remaining whole dal and the gram batter, mix well. Make equal size patties and cover with gram flour on both sides. Fry patties in hot oil on both sides until golden brown for a few minutes. If cooked through, the Paruppu Vadai is ready ! Enjoy with a fresh Raita and spicey Chutney.
Aloo Gobi Sabji http://www.padhuskitchen.com/2013/02/potato-cauliflower-curry-gobi-sabzi.html This is a really simple and tasty dish with potatoes and cauliflower. This South Indian Curry or sabji goes well with rice and also with chapati. As it is a dry sabji, it can also be used as a stuffing for sandwich or chapati rolls. Ingredients Serves ~ 25 people 4 large Cauliflower (~6kg) - cut into florets 3kg Potatoes (not floury) - cut into small chunks 2kg Onions - finely chopped 1 Small bag of green peas 3 tsp Turmeric powder 5-10 tsp Chili powder 10 tsp Mustard seeds 15 tsp Veg curry powder (20 tsp Coriander seeds, 10 red chilies, 8 tsp Garam Masala - toasted and crushed) Salt to taste Method Boil Cauliflower florets in lightly salted water for 5-7 minutes. Drain completely, rinse with cold water and keep aside. Heat oil in a large pan (or two seperate ones), add mustard seeds and, when splutters, add onions until they turn tranparent. Then add potatoes and cover for a few minutes. When potatoes are nearly cooked, add cauliflower and spices. Stir and add a little water if required, finally add peas and steam until cooked.
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BARTER STARTER
FRIDAY 14TH FEB • 6:00 PM
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BARTER STARTER
This was an attempt to challenge our perceptions of CURRENCY, and explore how other means of EXCHANGE can replace/exist alongside our monetary economy. Using the newly launched RCA Coin™ as a TOOL to barter with, participants spread out across the college attributing VALUE to their object and trading it for anything they deemed appropriate. It’s outcome is ongoing, with 20 coins still in circulation and another 30 in production. If you are lucky enough to trade for one, be sure to pass it on for something you really VALUE.
The coin provided an excellent tool to encourage exchange between strangers, building relationships between the two bartering parties. Can we build similar relationships between shopkeepers and customers through an informal economy on a larger scale in Wembley?
Owen Hodgkinson - Assembley SE8 Ross Bennett - Assembley SE8 Suzi Steed - New Economic Foundation Andrew Belfield - ADS3 Rhianon Morgan-Hatch - ADS3
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BARTER STARTER
FRIDAY 14TH FEB • 6:00 PM
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BARTER STARTER
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WEMBLEY CHARETTE
SOCIAL SPACE
SATURDAY 15TH FEB • 12:00 PM
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WEMBLEY CHARETTE
SOCIAL SPACE
The Young Foundation engagement model 6 month residencies and post-evaluation Importance of community connectors
ABCD - Asset Based Community Mapping
Confidence isn’t taught, it’s gained after raising to a challenge
Further collaborations Service Design x Architecture
Citizen UK model continous presence
Importance of a humane approach - online platforms as dissemination tools and not an end service Role of the designer connect the dots
Sustainability of the project: who will take it onwards and where does the designer’s involvement end?
Engagement methods as pliers; they do their job, but they’re also used as a hammer - different uses of the same methods
“Most of the time designers build themselves into systems; therefore a big question is how do you design yourself out of the project or service? What is the legacy of the scheme? This can happen when local people take the scheme forward, but that implies that a sense of ownership must be fostered from the beginning; they need to feel it’s their baby.”
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SATURDAY 15TH FEB • 6:00 PM
Guest G uest Speakers Jenna Al Ansari (Conference Producer of Healthcare Conferences, i2i Events Group) Annabel Sowemimo ((Foundation Foundation Doctor, University College London)
AGENDA
WHO?
LITMUS MILK
Who exactly is being targeted in this investigation. The spectrum of the ‘elderly’ is a vast one spanning from healthy retired individuals to heavily dependent individuals needing constant clinical attention. Identifying the scope and avenue of research is essential; whether it be happiness, wellbeing or
Japan: milk man’s daily delivery is an opportunity to verify whether elderly tenants are unwell or in need of help if bottles remain uncollected. A non intrusive technique that doesnt involve a carer but a sense of general consideration and awareness.
WHO CARES?
‘... mum’s emailed me with her booking to sky dive, bungee jump and go drag racing...i’m just boring!’ Discourse around old age all too often lament the immenent woes of pensions and prescriptions. But what are we to anticipate in our ‘golden years?’ At times, the biggest hurdle is accepting that age has crept up and are in need of help. But how could we extend this need for care to our urban surroundings. Exploring initiatives & indications of care & kindness that exist in a city context, we can go beyond & suppliment clinical facilities by alternative translating notions of care.
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WHO CARES?
WINTER FRIENDS
CHAIR EXERCISES
MARKET RIDE
A campaign to bring the wellbeing of older people to the forefront of the public consciousness – and, crucially, encouraging people to act. Jogging routes are orchestrated around a network of elderly homes to establish a brief but constant point of contact.
Reduced activity levels cause a decline in independence; increasing feelings of isolation leading to depression and anxiety. Exercise interventions have the potential to reduce the risk of adverse outcomes by increasing muscle strength and improving mobility in a social context.
NY: Pilot program using school buses during off hours to take seniors from senior centers to supermarkets, farmers’ markets, recreational facilities, museums, Broadway shows, and a host of other venues
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MOBILE STRUCTURES
MOBILE STRUCTURES
1. {OPENSOURCE} KITCHEN 2. DISSEMINATION 3. 5TH PLINTH
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{OPEN SOURCE} KITCHEN The mobile kitchen unit is based on the ‘Open Source’ principle of production. The 2D files are updated to an open source exchange network, after which anyone can download, modify and CNC them at their local CNC workshop.
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OPEN SOURCE KITCHEN
OPEN SOURCE ‘EDIE’ STOOL ADAPTATION
{OPEN SOURCE} KITCHEN
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Sound System
Projector
Paper Rolls
Dissemination Balloon
Living Archive
Printing Bed
Helium Canister
DISSEMINATION
DISSEMINATION
“the act of spreading something, especially information, widely; circulation.� To disseminate the work of the Civic University in Wembley we needed a device which could perform a number of different functions. Thus the principle design idea is to have a series of mobile frames which can be adapted as our residency goes on. In the current configuration they house the principles of dissemination: the printing press and projector screen.
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5TH PLINTH ’THE TRIANGLE’
5TH PLINTH
’THE TRIANGLE’
PLUG-IN FRAME
DECKING
CLADDING TRIANGULAR STRUCTURE
MAIN FRAME SECONDARY FRAME
[Academic use only]
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I S S U E # 1
I S S U E # 1
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NEXT EDITION FROM
‘THE CAVE’
ISSUE # 1 | 20 FEB 2014
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ISSUE # 2 To follow.