Duality - Newsletter November 2009 News Photos from <<THE AFRICAN HOUSE: Exploring Spatial Exchanges Through the African Diaspora>> DVD Presentation & Debate, organised by ArchiAfrika & held at ARCAM (Amsterdam Centre for Architecture) 30 October 2009. For captions & more images please visit our FLICKR account (online gallery): http://www.flickr.com/photos/archiafrika/ Further information on The African House project can be found on the ArchiAfrika website [under Projects].
News
Figure 1_ Slide from presentation by Ola Uduku at The African House: DVD presentation and debate held at ARCAM (Amsterdam Centre for Architecture)
Peter Rich is the Winner of the World Building of the Year, announced at the world Architecture Festival in Barcelona, which took place from 4 – 6 November. His Mapungubwe Interpretation Centre for the national park in South Africa with the same name, more than deserved to win this award and to receive the attention of the world (see also Spotlight). Apart from the excellent design skills from Peter Rich, we see this as an indication, that work from African architects is getting more attention and that architectural issues from Africa are arriving at the global architecture debate. We experienced that also during the presentation of the African House dvd, in the Amsterdam architecture centre Arcam, at 30 October, which was attended by many people. The DVD, product of a project in collaboration with STAND foundation in Amsterdam, explores the powers hidden in the African Diaspora for both the guest and home countries. You will find a review of this event in this newsletter, by Immanuel Kwaku Sirron - Kakpor. It was obviously also experienced during African Perspectives 2009 in Pretoria, where attendance of the event was larger than ever. We have included a short report on this as well. We are also proud to present an interview between Ilze Wolff and Professor ‘Ora Joubert, who has compiled an impressive publication on contemporary South African architecture. ‘10 Years + 100 Buildings - Architecture in a democratic South Africa’ is an impressive book and includes beautifully presented projects and many essays by a large number of contributors. The book has received some serious critical acclaim in South Africa and Ilze tries to find out more about the book and how it contributes to the debate around democratic architecture. ‘Duality’ is the theme of this newsletter: The films on the dvd and the contributions in the accompanying booklet of The African House focus upon the duality position of immigrants, between worlds. During African Perspectives many aspects of the African city were debated, in which dual positions were discussed, summarized best in the duality between the visible and the invisible city. In the interview between ‘Ora Joubert and Ilze Wolff the duality in the background of contemporary South African architecture is further explored.
Review 1 BOOK; 10 YEARS; 100 BUILDINGS; 5 QUESTIONS The book ‘10 years + 100 buildings – Architecture in a Democratic South Africa’ has been launched earlier this year in South Africa: An interview with the editor ‘Ora Joubert (OJ) by architect Ilze Wolff (IW): IW: In the introduction you mention that the book is the result of the overwhelming response that you received with regards to your inaugural lecture in 2004, where you critique the status of architecture as amongst other, style obsessive. Please elaborate on this.
OJ : The criticism I expressed at my inaugural address was foremost leveled at South Africa’s user-unfriendly city centres, neglected civic spaces and inadequate social housing, apart from the stylistically-driven commercial and residential developments that had proliferated during the last two decades and which – sadly but perhaps not surprisingly – dominated the ensued debate. IW: Tell us about your decision to base the structure of the book on that of the art world’s equivalent - 10 years 100 artist - Art in a democratic South Africa, edited by Sophie Perryer and also published by BellRoberts Publishers in 2005.
OJ: A companion to 10 years 100 artists – art in a democratic South Africa was deemed appropriate in an anticipated series of related topics by the publishers. IW: After 10 years 100 artists – Art in a democratic South Africa was published in 2005 there was an important critique published in Art SA, written by Kim Gurney. Much of the emphasis of the review was on which artists were selected and which were not. Individual authorship seems to be the preoccupation in the art world whereas in architecture the focus is much more on the work itself. In your opinion, do you think that the work selected for 10+ years 100+ buildings Architecture in a democratic South Africa, gives a fair illustration of both the work of emerging architect’s work as well as showcasing the best examples of buildings in our democratic society? OJ: Despite Gurneys’ justified commentary, no book in any creative sphere will ever be considered entirely objective, just as the terms “best” and “fair” will always be relative. The only way to attempt to address these inevitable shortcomings, was firstly to extend an invitation to all South African architects but within a particular time-frame; and, secondly, to mandate academics from the various regions to make a selection from the submitted projects, which – irrespective of my personal opinion and numerous frustrations – I felt compelled to respect. IW: You mention in the introduction to 10+ years 100+ buildings, that one of the aspects of the built environment that your inaugural lecture deplored were ‘the stylistically driven residential and commercial developments’. I agree that these developments i.e. housing enclaves designed within specific themes such as Tuscan, Cape Dutch or Greek, illustrate amongst other, a lack of confidence in our contemporary world. You also say “it is important to reflect on the question most frequently posed [by the public, namely]: what stylistic characteristics can be attributed to contemporary South African architecture” In your mind what do you think are the dangers in pursuing a contemporary SA style? OJ: Most architects, myself included, are very wary of the notion of “style” – probably originating with Gropius’ contention that architecture is about “method”, not style. Emphatically, and as I spelt out in my Introduction, the danger of a conscious stylistic pursuit, as modern architectural history has taught us, is that it too often degenerates into facile interpretations. However, given the complexity of both the practice and the assessment of architecture, it is probably understandable that particularly the layperson – even students – would be insistent on characteristics to be able to make sense of the nature of the beast. Interesting also how South African politicians (I quoted former minister of public works, Jeff Radebe) call for some form of “African” design expression. In hindsight, I now again recall my dilemma upon the furore of my published inaugural address (which took me completely by surprise) to respond to this incessant stylistic questioning and to which I was unable to provide a clear-cut answer. The compilation of the book was a direct result of this and particularly to demonstrate how varied contemporary South African architecture is – due the diversity of landscape, climatic conditions, socio-economic circumstances,
was a direct result of this and particularly to demonstrate how varied contemporary South African architecture is – due the diversity of landscape, climatic conditions, socioeconomic circumstances, etc – and that a singular, elusive South African stylism simply cannot be captured. Roger Fisher, in his introduction to Limpopo, Mpumulanga and Tshwane, puts it most eloquently: Regional variations are reflected in different use of material, detailing and moderating climatic devices in accordance with resources, skills and labour, resulting in an architecture appropriate to locale. The tempering of the balance between the demands of brief, user, site and resources is generative, leading to the unpredictable. If these remain the considerations and directives of an appropriate architecture, then there cannot be a single South African architecture – only region-specific expression. Hence, a South African architecture of distinction will always be emergent, generated at the threshold of the possibilities of locale. IW: You describe the projects selected in the compendium as a ‘pursuit of a synthesised design genre – an Afro-pean symbiosis – situated in the present’. “Afro-pean” as described in your inaugural lecture as ‘which relates to work that celebrates our socio-economic and environmental particularities, whilst respecting the integrity of Euro-centric design premises.’’ I am cautious of the term Afro-pean as it points to a dualism which I find actually negates the multiplicity that is so evident in our country. Is it possible to give us an example of a project that you deem to be ‘Afro-pean’. OJ: The term “Afro-pean” has been the closest to what I could concoct to make some sense of our dualism (in reality a multiplicity as rightly pointed out) and for which Jo Noero has long before taken me to task. Yet, Norman Eaton is perhaps the one South African architect that came closest to capture the essence of this process of an intentional architectural transmogrification, just as I believe Walter Battiss had artistically been able to achieve. Noteworthy how many contemporary SA architects adopt an “eco-systemic” approach to architecture, though premised much more on Murcutt’s example than, regrettably, that of Eaton. (You suddenly reminded me of how it saddened me to realise how we keep on looking for design direction from abroad instead of revisiting SA architects who years ago had grappled with similar issues.) Perhaps once we realise that the body of work can hold its own, will we become more introspective and bring greater depth to our current architectural output! References:
Gurney, K, “10 x 15 = 100”, Art South Africa Vol 3 Issue 02 Summer 2004, pg 11 – 13. Joubert, O, “Committing Architecture, the discrepancy between practice and academia” Inaugural speech and public address, University of Pretoria, 2004. http://www.up.ac.za/ dspace/handle/2263/1856 as at 16 November 2009. The book can be ordered online at: http://bell-roberts.com/?book=128
Ilze Wolff is an architect, architecture critic and tutor at UCT School of Architecture. She works in the ďŹ eld of architecture, architectural heritage and conservation and also organizes architectural tours (see also advert in this newsletter).
Figure 2_ Back cover of Book, with Contents
Figure 1_ Family house along Kintampo – Tamale Road, Ghana
Projects The African House: Review of the debate at the DVD Launch ARCAM, Amsterdam, 30 October 2009 By Immanuel Kwaku Sirron - Kakpor The African House – To define an African House in Diaspora or on the African continent is a big challenge since the continent wide indigenous qualities vary, which is partly due to adaptation to weather conditions. Nomadic Fulani in east of northern Upper Volta live in tents made of woven fibre mats, while in the southwest of the northern Upper Volta, the same Fulani are farmers, living in thatched houses build with mud-brick. In Ghana the linear village settlement with the main public space abonten (main street) with a two or three storey chief house (ahemfie) still exists in the countryside while in the metropolis, springing up like mushrooms, one find gated communities with modern buildings following imported architecture from the west, the new trend for the elites. As an African, now living in Netherlands, my first encounter with homelessness and a definition of home/house was when I was at the age of 11, living with my Dad in Hohoe – Ghana. We were living in well gated home, a family house at Hohoe, with all modern facilities possible at that time - electricity, water etc. But sometimes the tap water didn’t flow, so we did have to wake up early in the morning, sometimes around 05:00am, to fetch water outside our comfortable place called home. It was than when it came to my notice that people were sleeping on the street corners. Later in the day I asked my dad, why is it that those people
are sleeping on the street? The answer was, they don’t have any home/place, because they don’t have a family. I was a bit confused because I didn’t understand the relationship between family and a home, but in those days as kid you didn’t ask too many questions at once. Here I am in autumn 2009, in Amsterdam, “Europe”, walking down the street from Central Station to ARCAM to a DVD presentation of The African House, a research and debate project to enrich and power the Diaspora for future sustainable environment. And once again I am asking myself, what is the African House, does it exist or is it the “home” that my Dad spoke of which is family and socially coexistent as the core of the place and space? The Setting – ARCAM of the European House A very well crafted interior space at the heart of Amsterdam, which, I am sure, was not chosen for the presentation because of the interior space, but rather for the location, the political and financial position of ARCAM. If the final presentation were to be held at Bijlmermeer, I am sure 70% of those who attend the presentation will not attend the evening presentation. Because, the public space of Bijlmermeer is not felt safe for the majority of the Dutch population. The Debate – A place called a Home The debate has a bit more of a political tone than I aspect, which reminds me of the current Dutch integration debate.
The one missing link in the current Dutch integration debate is the Diaspora Space concept. A concept, which allows both parties to take advantage of each other potential abilities, static society with rules vs fluid immigrant communities. The general opinion was that it is very important to give space to immigrants. Not only physical space, but also opportunities to explore the abilities of the new found home. An other thing striking me personal was the statement of Ms. Ola Uduku about the myth of the return home of the elderly Africans, which is making them having a “foot in both worlds”, never feel fully at home, neither here nor in Africa. The newcomers need to be prepared better for that, immigration means losing your home a bit. Living permanently in foreign land and making that place your home. It will always be a problematic for immigrants all over the world to adapt to their new place and call it a home, because of culture differences and financial inequality, and to allow them in negotiating their own space. On the other hand it takes two to negotiate, so if the other party is unwilling to compromise, than you can’t maneuver your way through. I have been asking myself for a while now how many immigrant technocrats there are in the building sector in Nederland. How many project developers or housing corporations are owned by immigrants, how many immigrants have top positions in these organisations, while most of the areas where the immigrants live are planned, designed and executed by those two parties. To me an African House in Diaspora is not about a having compound housing typology somewhere in the “Achterhoek”, because the weather conditions, but also the idea of a family cluster as compound housing will not fit in the Dutch culture. Even in Ghana this
Figure 2_ Chief house in Ho-Volta Region, Ghana
is changing. But it will be good if the African technocrats in the Diaspora have the opportunity to play a role in crafting their spaces for the masses by making use of the other non physical elements of compound housing or other aspects of the building typologies from the African continent. For example one could think of a concept based on sharing common space with different families. Immanuel Kwaku Sirron–Kakpor is a student of the Academy of Architecture in Amsterdam. Born in Ghana, he moved to the Netherlands in 1994. He studied Architectural Design BA. Recently he initiated an educational study project - Ghana Atelier - on informal settlement at Ayigya, in Kumasi, Ghana. This project was executed as collaboration between the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, the Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies - Erasmus University Rotterdam and the Rotterdam Academy of Architecture. From all these institutes, 6 professor (two for each institute) 36 students (12 students per institute) were involved. Ghana Atelier was awarded the 2nd Parallel Cases Award for the contribution for this year’s Parallel Cases Exhibition, part of the 4th International Architecture Biennale in Rotterdam. The jury consisted of Liesbeth van der Pol (NL), Chief Government Architect of the Netherlands, Dieter Läpple (Ger), Professor of Urban and Regional Economics at the HCU Hamburg, Emiliano Gandolfi (I), architectural critic and Floris Alkemade (NL), architect and urban planner. Bibliography: Colin Duly: The Houses of Mankind: 1979 Paul Oliver: Dwellings: 2003
Review An Impression: African Perspectives 2009 in Pretoria, South Africa. By Berend van der Lans [Co-Director ArchiAfrika]
African Perspectives Pretoria was made to a success with the unlimited input from the University of Pretoria and the Pretoria Institute for Architecture and a large number of national and international sponsors. http://www.africanperspectives.info/ http://web.up.ac.za/ap
African Perspectives 2009 was what it promised to be: four days of presentations, tours, workshops, debates, art presentations, film shows, music and dance. Nearly 500 participants attended the event. It was combined with the South African Annual Architecture Students Congress, making it even a more vibrant event. In the previous newsletter we were able to include some images of the event. In this newsletter a short report; we are working hard on the preparations of an extensive report of the event, as well as publication of the proceedings. Most of the presented papers are already to be viewed on line, as well as some key note lectures and posters (see http://web.up.ac.za/ap). A general conclusion of all contributions and debates was, that the African city is something else than what you see. It may look like a Western city, but activities and places of action are not bound to fixed places in the built environment and move over time, more intensively than in Western cities. The Western modernist framework of many cities in Africa might sometimes feel like a straightjacket, the societies using these structures daily, break through and re-invent the city in a creative way. At best the framework in the city provide a basic infrastructure which is essential for the inhabitants, taking care of basic shelter, water, energy and waste discharge. In some cases pre-colonial patterns are still dominating the city structures and provide possibilities for future developments. Although challenged by some, there is still an important role for planners and architects in the planning of the city, when they take account of aspects mentioned above. Essential however, is that this is also understood and supported by policy makers and developers. It is therefore important to include them in the debate, by proving to them that the city needs to be fully understood before developing future plans for cities. That is also the challenge for next events: make sure that policy makers take part in the debate. It was also clear, that the more interactive parts of the event, like the NAi Debates on Tour (see http://www.archiafrika.org/en/node/1090) and other workshop sessions, brought the discussion further. As Baerbel Muller stated: ‘African Perspectives Pretoria, like African Architecture Today in Kumasi two years before, was one of the wonderful opportunities to exchange thoughts, research, facts and visions on urban and rural life, the city, architecture and art in the context of Africa in a “condensed” and concentrated space. While in Kumasi participants presented, consumed and digested complete presentations, Pretoria offered more opportunities for discussion; nevertheless the place for exchange and debate was the pause in between sessions, lunch break and the evening. A true challenge would be, to question the conventional format of the conference in 2011 and to create [trans–disciplinary] working sessions on specific topics in the context of Casablanca.’ L’Ecole Superieure de l’Architecture de Casablanca will take up the responsibility for the organization of the event in 2011, the preparations already commenced.
In the Spotlight This month In the Spotlight we would like to shine the light on Peter Rich and his work, following his well deserved World Building of the Year award at the World Architecture Festival from 4 – 6 November this year in Barcelona, and we do this with pleasure. The World Building of the Year, Mapungubwe Interpretation Centre, already received the Holcim Acknowledgement Prize for Sustainable Construction for the Afrca / Middle East zone in 2008. The jury of the World Architecture Award: ‘the way it relates to the land and made graceful virtues of the challenging issues of sustainability, politics and social improvement makes it a highly deserving winner’. You will find a elaborate article on Mapungubwe Interpretation Centre on http://www.designboom.com, while you will find more of Peter’s work at http://www.peterricharchitects.co.za. Peter Rich was also a speaker during the African Perspectives 2009 conference, where he presented the results of a student design studio in Kigali, Rwanda, together with his colleague Giovanni Vio from the University of Venice.
Images of Mapungubwe Interpretation Centre (South Africa). Source: http://www.worldbuildingsdirectory.com/project.cfm?id=1634
Agenda
Acquisitions Granted by FAPF (Architecture & Physical Planning Faculty, University of Eduardo Mondlane, Maputo) Júlio Carrilho, Sandro Bruschi, Carlos Menezes & Luis Lage (2004) Traditional Informal Settlements in Mozambique: From Lichinga to Maputo. FAPF, Maputo. Luigi Corvaja (2003) Maputo: Desenho e Arquitectura. FAPF, Maputo. Granted by Antoni Folkers Dambisa Moyo (2009) Dead Aid. Penguin Books Ltd, London. ‘Ora Joubert (Ed) (2009) 10+years 100+ Buildings: Architecture in a Democratic South Africa. Bell-Roberts, Singapore. Richard Hall (1996) Empires of the Monsoon. Harpers Collins Publishers, London Thorsten Deckler, Anne Graupner & Henning Rasmuss (2006) Contemporary South African Architecture in a Landscape of Transition. Double Storey Books, Cape Town.
28 - 30 April 2010 International Regional Conference on Sustainable Construction. Revitalisation and Rehabilitation of Districts, Spain 19 - 27 August 2010 11th International Docomomo Conference - Living in the Urban Modernity, Mexico
Colofon Text Ilze Wolf ‘Ora Joubert Immanuel Kwaku Sirron - Kakpor Berend van der Lans Design Rachel Stella Jenkins Editing Berend van der Lans Translation Anne-Marie van den Nieuwenhof-Damishimiro FONDATION SHIMIRO, Pointe-Noire, Congo Elisabeth Bastemeijer
Supported by ArchiAfrika receives support from the following institutes and organisations: Stichting Doen Delft University of Technology De Twee Snoeken Automatisering FBW Architecten bkvdl Dioraphte Foundation
ArchiAfrika
P.O. box 14174 3508 SG Utrecht Netherlands tel +31 (0)30 223 23 20 fax +31 (0)30 251 82 78 www.archiafrika.org
11th International Docomomo Conference Living in the Urban Modernity Mexico City, August 19-27, 2010.
Open Source House Designing Sustainable Housing Together
The aim of this project is to provide sustainable and affordable housing to improve the overall quality of life in urban areas. Open Source House will create an international online system on which designs of sustainable housing elements can be shared, improved and upgraded in an open source way. Making valuable and essential information on sustainable designs accessible to a large group of people. Facts Lower middle class in developing countries is rapidly growing and so is their demand for housing. A lack of affordable building materials and the use of inefficient construction methods are two of the reasons why houses are built in an unsustainable non-flexible way. These houses have a short lifecycle, leaving behind unusable but costly materials and construction waste Concept Open Source House makes it possible to construct houses using elements. These elements are designed based on a framework of 8 eco-architectural principles, to stimulate affordability, exchangeability and sustainability. Through an OSHouse online platform, people from all over the world will create and share designs. Local architects and builders will be able to adjust, improve and use all created element designs to their specific needs. Project Open Source House starts with an online competition. International architects and students are challenged to contribute their ideas in the competition. The best designs will be tested in a pilot project in Ghana on both technical and economical feasibility as well as on cultural perception. After the competition the designs can be shared, improved and upgraded on an international online platform. And so the Open Source House knowledge and designs are made available to a large group of people all around the world. Results Open Source House will result in synergetic environmental advantages by: - lowering construction waste and CO2 emissions; - supporting local economies; - expanding the lifecycle of construction materials; - lowering transportation in the building process; - stimulating local trade through the exchange of house elements; - a free accessible platform for sharing designs. Mission The mission of Open Source House is to have a positive impact on both nature and the living conditions of people. By 2020 we want 100,000+ people to be living in (more) sustainable housing. Sign up NOW at www.os-house.org
Competition kick-off January 15, 2010
For more information, please contact: Walter aan de Wiel | walter@enviu.org | +31 (0)10-288 7988 | www.enviu.org www.os-house.org Open Source House is an initiative of Enviu and Vincent van der Meulen