5.6. The collapse of the industry and the built environment

Agro-Hub will affect the entire agriculture of the city. All local producers will have the opportunity to easily sell their products and become more accessible to the local population. Also, growers of fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, honey, dairy and meat products have a greater opportunity to become more accessible not only to the local population but also to local markets, local restaurants.

Furthermore, Agro-Hub will form a supply chain with fresh and organic products for local markets and restaurants. This will create an “economic ecosystem” that will contribute to the improvement of all segments of life.

Labour - Craftsmanship 6.7

Fig. 164 Photograph: Author

6.7.1. General Overview

The issue of work and workers has long been one of the most important topics when it comes to social and economic opportunities in the city. As mentioned earlier, after the collapse of the industry in the city there is a drastic decline in the number of employees. The trend of declining number of jobs is still present today and the main reason for such a situation is the lack of production, which is a driver of economic progress and generator of jobs. In such a situation, there are mass migrations of the local population to the more developed cities of Montenegro, and most of all, to the countries of Western Europe.

Currently, the main economic activities in the city are privately run service businesses. While the city, which was once recognizable for its crafts and craftsmen, loses that epithet, and experiences the extinction and slow disappearance of crafts and handicraft production. The practice of valuing and preservation of industrial heritage is especially common in Europe, as many large scale industrial sites have been transformed into new city districts.

The former industrial zone, however, offers great potential for the development and revitalization of crafts, and thus the improvement of labor and workers issue in the city. The revitalization of crafts and handicraft production provides an opportunity for the revitalization of certain industrial plants, which will serve as a catalyst for positive change when it comes to local production and craftsmanship. The modern world has two recipes for arousing the desire to work hard and well. One is the moral imperative to do work for the sake of the community. The other recipe invokes competition: it supposes that competing against others stimulates the desire to perform well, and in place of communal cohesion, it promises individual rewards.

(Richar Sennett, The Craftsman)

SHOEMAKER

Fig. 165 Photograph: Author “I mostly do custom-made shoes or do repairs. I had a plan to expand my business and only make my own products but the interest in custom footwear is not great.” A. Fetahovic

“I wish the interest was greater, I could teach the youth this craft. They know how to use social networks so they would sell their products better.” A. Fetahovic

“I sell my products and creations mostly during holidays and various events. I would like to improve my business and sell my collection..” F. Bajrovic

Fig. 166

GLAZIER

Photograph: Author

“I think this craft is endangered, i am the only glass cutter in this area. It is necessary to support the craft profession to teach the youth crafts.” S. Dacic

Fig. 168 Photograph: Author Fig. 169

CARPENTER - FURNITURE PRODUCTION

“The money that comes from the hand made products is very slow. While big companies produces 10 bedrooms in one week I need 10 days to produce only one. ” R. Babic

Fig. 170 Photograph: Author Fig. 171

CARPENTER - DOOR PRODUCTION

“Although we are very rich in forests, we mainly supply wood from neighboring municipalities. It is necessary to use local resources as much as possible, so the price of the product would be lower.” N. Babic

Catching the words of local craftsman:

Opportunities, Difficulties, Visions

In order to better understand the opportunities, conditions, difficulties of the craftsmanship in the city, I visited several local craftsman and producers of small and middle production capacity. Discussing with them, I noticed that the negative sides of the craft business are much bigger and more pronounced than the positive sides. There are a number of negative factors that affect craft production in the city. Thus, local craftsmen face problems such as high raw material prices, the inability to compete on the market due to industrial and mass production, as well as great difficulties in reaching customers and expanding the business.

Also, there are a number of medium-capacity craftsmen in the city, especially furniture manufacturers. One of the furniture manufacturers is my father as well as my uncle. Although I am relatively familiar with the opportunities, possibilities as well as obstacles of this business, talking to my father and uncle helped me to better understand the state of the craft in the city. Namely, the big problem of medium-capacity craftsmen is, along with expensive and relatively inaccessible raw materials, the problem of “slow money”. To produce a handmade kitchen from wood, it takes 14-15 days of intensive work, however due to high competition and mass furniture manufacturers, the prices of handmade do not differ much from the prices of kitchens made of prefabricated elements.

Accordingly, based on the previous statement, we should mention the observation of Richard Sennett in the book The Craftsman “... It is not about quick transactions or easy victories. That slow tempo of craftwork, of taking the time you need to do something well, is profoundly stabilizing to individuals. ” (Richard Sennett 2008)

Richard Sennett, advocates and encourages craft production and support of craftsman. According to Richard, it is necessary to appreciate and nurture crafts in order to revive and bring new value to the craft production. Based on this, it is extremely important to respect and support the value and quality of craft works. Only in that way will the craft gain in importance and add new value to the craft products.

One of the famous examples in which crafts, art, customers, producers, practice and theory are in constant cohabitation, is the Istanbul Grand Bazaar which was built in the period 1455-1481. In the Grand Bazaar there are over 4000 sops, craft shops, studios, as well as various other activities.

According to Richard Sennett “History has drawn fault lines dividing practice and theory, technique and expression, craftsman and artist, maker and user modern society suffers from this historical inheritance.” (Richard Sennett, 2008) However, the Grand Bazaar is a place where this division is not present. Accordingly, since the Middle Ages, when the Bazaar was built, until today, cohabitation and cooperation among craftsman, merchants and buyers is present.

“Our modern economy privileges pure profit, momentary transactions and rapid fluidity. Part of craft’s anchoring role is that it helps to objectify experience and also to slow down labor. It is not about quick transactions or easy victories. That slow tempo of craftwork, of taking the time you need to do something well, is profoundly stabilizing to individuals.” Richard Sennett (The Craftsman)

Fig. 172 Source: Nilufer Saglar Onay The plan of Grand Bazaar (Cezar, 1983)

Based on the Grand Bazaar model of functioning, my goal is to form a Craftsman Union in order to improve working conditions and cooperation, as well as accessibility and better competitiveness in the market. The Union of Craftsmen will represent a set of different producers, different capacities and activities. Thus, local artisans will be able to collaborate with each other, share materials, support and learn from each other. In addition, with the formation of the union, the city craftsmen will gather around one association that will provide more opportunities for the expansion of production and business.

In addition, local craftsmen will be able to, in cooperation with the local craft school, provide education and training to young craftsmen, as well as offer a place to perform mandatory internships within the school curriculum. The industrial plants of the former wood processing factory provide an ideal opportunity to materialize this idea. In this way, there will be a revitalization and valorization of the industrial zone, but also the creation of new economic and social opportunities in the city. By rehabilitating crafts in a certain area of the former wood processing factory, the original function of the factory which is is craft production and wood processing will be retained and respected.

Currently Crafts and Craftsmans operate very isolated and disconnected from each others

knife making

tailor carpentry earthenware

glazier

silversmith

Fig. 173 Drawing: Author stone carving

shoemaker Instead of working sepparately and in small formats the idea is to bring the crafts and craftsman together and thus create strong Craftsman Unions for better promotion and revitalization of the craftsmanship

carpentry glazier

shoemaker

Fig. 174 Drawing: Author knife making silversmith

coopersmith

tailor

earthenware

stone carving

Small Crafts Spaces for rent

Production spaces

Craftsmans unions Cooperatives

Exhibition spaces

Craftsmanship-Hub is a place of valorization and materialization of the idea of the Craftsmen-Unions. On the place of a former factory for the doors and windows production, as well as nearby warehouses, craftsman units will fill the spaces of large and empty industrial halls (see fig. 175) Craftsman units will be prefabricated and flexible facilities of various dimensions, which local craftsmen will be able to rent depending on their needs and production capacity.

In addition to production, craftsman will be able to sell their products in the same place. In this way, a certain sort of “shopping mall of handicraft products” is formed, which will be more accessible to the local population. Furthermore, craftsmen of medium production capacity will be able to rent larger craft units, as well as showroom spaces where they will be able to exhibit and sell their products. In addition,manufacturers who already have production facilities but not an exhibition space will be able to rent a “showroom” units and thus become more accessible and improve sales of their products.

Space and space functions provide a high degree of flexibility, so the colaboration and co-working of several manufacturers is possible, while the space is modified depending on production capacity. In addition, within the Craftsmanship Hub, there are also large spaces for the “Crafts Expo” which will encourage the promotion of craftsmen and their products through various exhibitions and festivals. The “Crafts Expo” will bring together both local and regional craftsman and producers.

Craftsmanship Hub provides new opportunities and perspectives for the progress of local craftsmen. In addition, the Craftsmanship Hub provides the opportunity for collaboration, sharing, accessibility, education, training, as well as the opportunity for stable business and expansion of production.

Fig. 175 Drawing: Author

Land - Municipality Owned (total area: 12.5 ha) Urban Farming Industrial Buildings

S scale craftsmanship M and L scale Craftsmanship Showrooms / Expo 6 5

2a 1

2

3

8

7 4

Ground Floor Plan

1. Showroom 2. Production Area 2a. Cooperatives 3. Showroom- External Producers 4. Showroom + Workshop 5. Expo 6. Small Crafts 7. Open Expo Area 8. Leisure - Park

Housing - Affordable & Co-Living 6.9.

6.9.1. General Overview

Development and rehabilitation of the industrial zone took place gradually. The process begins with the revitalization of the river and the formation of new activities that will connect the industrial zone and the city, but also restore activities and life in the abandoned industrial zone. This is followed by the process of reuse of industrial land, where the renting of industrial land for the purposes of urban agriculture is proposed. Furthermore, by the revitalization of industrial facilities, brings new visions and perspectives to the site and the city.

The final step in revitalizing the industrial zone is the development of affordable housing. This program seeks to form a new housing system, which is based on accessibility but also on the principles of Co-Living. The current housing situation in Rozaje is extremely unfavorable. First of all, unfavorable financial conditions of the local population leads to the inability of solving the housing issue. This problem is especially present among young people. In addition, the insufficient number of housing units, as well as the small number of available land for the construction of new apartments, is another problem that the city is facing.

The practice of valuing and preservation of industrial heritage is especially common in Europe, as many large scale industrial sites have been transformed into new city districts. All this has created a very unfavorable housing situation. Due to the lack of political will, but also the lack of awareness, the local population, in search of alternative solutions, has established its own system for solving the housing issue. This system has already been discussed in Chapter 5.6.6. (see fig. 89)

Family houses are the main form of housing in Rozaje, however, one family house usually contains several apartments that are intended for other family members who decide to form their own family. This system is completely contrary to the law, but also to the urban rules and regulations of the city. In addition,this way of living leads to the significant reduction of the life quality. This alternative type of housing is widespread and very relevant today.

On the other hand, the huge demand, but also the large deficit of housing units in the city, has led to a drastic increase in real estate prices that the local population is unable to afford. By maintaining the status quo and not solving this problem, unfavorable housing conditions will become even worse.

Fig. 177 The Colonnade Condominiums / Paul Rudolph / 1980

Fig. 178 Highrise of Homes / James Wines / 1981 6.9.2. Alternative Housing Forms

The topic of housing has always attracted architects. Although the essence of housing is the same in all parts of the world, as well as the basic standards of housing, architects still decide to create alternative forms of housing through experimentation and creative ideas that will not affect the quality of life, but will bring new opportunities that will be of great importance for the city and the people at the same time.

So almost all architects “tried themselves” in this, we can say, special discipline of architecture. Le Corbusier with his Maison Radieuse project, Paul Rudolph with Trailer Apartments, Safdie Architects withHabitat 67, James Wines with Highrise of Homes, are just some of the examples where architects have tried to present new ways of living.

Some of these projects have become iconic buildings that serve as inspiration even in the present times. The trend of searching for alternative housing solutions has become particularly intense in the last few decades, due to less and less land available for construction, an increasing number of inhabitants and rising prices per square meter.

Also today, some architects like Alejand Aravena, who won the 2016 Prizker Architectural Award, have focused their architectural practice on finding alternative housing solutions based on affordability, especially to those structures of society that are unable to solve the housing issue. One such project is the Villa Verde Housing project in Chile. This project present an alternative and very interesting housing typology which emerged as an intention to permanently solve housing issue of the forestry factory workers. Thus, a team of architects, led by Alejandro Araven, proposed an innovative typology in which the future tenant inhabits half of the house that contains all the necessary facilities, while the other half remains unbuilt until the owner decides to build it. (see fig. 179)

Therefore, the topic of alternative housing today preoccupies most architects, who, with their innovative solutions motivate and inspire many cities to become more affordable and improve the quality of living.