SEMESTER 2 WORKSHOP 5

Speed Dating

SPEED DATING WORKSHOPS GAVE STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR PEER REVIEW AND FEEDBACK- THROUGH 60 SECOND PECHA KUCHA PRESENTATONS AND FEEDBACK CYCLES

“NO MATTER HOW STRONGLY ARCHITECTS BELIEVE IN THE HOUSE AS A “MACHINE FOR LIVING,” PEOPLE—RATHER THAN ARCHITECTURE—CHANGE THE WAY THEY LIVE AND THEIR ENVIRONMENTS ACCORDINGLY. ARCHITECTS FORGET THE AGENCY OF PEOPLE TO TRANSFORM SPACE AND ARCHITECTURE. THIS CAPACITY TO ADAPT AND CHANGE REMAINS A CENTRAL ASPECT OF QUEER THEORY. ARCHITECTURE HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN FROM QUEER THEORY; FROM A “QUEERED” READING OF ITSELF. THE QUEER MOVEMENT HAS LONG BEEN AWARE THAT TRANSFORMATION IS ALWAYS, FIRST AND FOREMOST, A MATTER OF SURVIVAL. COMPREHENDING ARCHITECTURE AS SOMETHING GLOBAL, THAT INCLUDES BOTH THE MATERIAL AND IMMATERIAL QUALITIES OF SPACE, BECOMES PARAMOUNT TO ITS EVOLUTION, SURVIVAL AND ENDURANCE AS A MEANINGFUL TOOL OF TRANSFORMATION.” (CHOQUETTE E, QUEERING ARCHITECTURE: (UN)MAKING PLACES)

IMAGE SOURCE: HTTP://QSPACEARCH.COM/SANCTUARY

AGTERGROND [Background]

The Public Changing Room

We have arrived at yet another key milestone for our design journey. Having explored Brief 1: the metaphors of queerness and city, Brief 2: Mapping the Human experience and History of Newtown and investigations of built form and human experience, Brief 3: intersecting dioramas to critically explore the multiplicity of queer politics.

We are now able to re-imagine spaces in the city that are flexible and networked, that bringing together formal and informal activities in a seamless environment that acknowledges “changing” can occur anyplace, at any time, in either physical or metaphysical spaces. These are spaces that allow the process of becoming. The complexity and spectrum of events in the everyday experience do require space or rooms that prepares one for yet another event, and change becomes apparent. You are therefore challenged to be in pursue of a space that enables, embraces and enhances “CHANGE” to manifest. What is the spatial character and the experience of the change room/s that our city [Joburg] need? Could the change room/s cater for all who live and interact in the city?

TAAK [ Task]

Brief 5.4 enables you to work individually. To design a series of Public Changing Rooms that integrate themselves in the context of Newtown. Finally!

Your Public Changing Rooms need to explore the intersections between contradictory/disconnected programmes that depict the spectrum of ordinary events.