The Woman´s Craft Village

DARS

Design, Architectural Robotics and Systems

Cyber Craft 4.0 Studio

THE WOMAN´S CRAFT VILLAGE A Systems approach to Design Justice Layeni, Kenya Neady Atieno Oduor 4069236

Studio Coordinator: Sina Mostafavi Second Advisor: Ivan Kucina Studio Assistant: Adib Khaeez

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DARS Design, Architectural Robotics and Systems Cyber Craft 4.0 Studio THE WOMAN´S CRAFT VILLAGE A Systems approach to Design Justice.

Layeni, Kenya

Dessau International Architecture February 2020

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Declaration of Originality We declare that this work is our own original work and all the sources of materials used for this project have been fully acknowledged. This document has not been previously submitted, in entirety or in part, to obtain academic qualifications in any other university.

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Acknowledgments To the Almighty for the fortitude granted to me when needed for this project.

To professors with whose guidance I am able to articulate the various parts of this thesis. Professor Sina Mostafavi for guidance on design and approach. Prof Ivan Kucina for the insight, Dr. Dulmini Perrera for constant guidance on systems thinking and utilising theory for projects. Studio assistant Adib Khaeez, peers and classmates with whom discussions exposed me to a diverse wealth of knowledge.

To my family for constant support and encouragement. My mother for being the trailblazing woman that I aim to emulate, my father for being the main supporter of all my endeavors, my brother for challenging me to always do and be better.

To the women who came before me in the field of Architecture and feminist theory without whose extensive revolutionary work, I wouldn’t be taking up the spaces I am able to.

Finally to the women of Umoja Village, Samburu Kenya; for being my muse and for being radical and audacious in their quest for agency and justice.

Thank you all for your inspiration and support.

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Table of Contents 1.ABSTRACT 2. INTRODUCTION 2.1 Key Words Defined 2.1 Introduction 3. THE PROBLEM 4. THE QUESTIONS 5. THE OBJECTIVES 6. LITERATURE REVIEW 6.1. The Matrix of Domination 6.2. The Data 6.3. Umoja Womens Village 6.4. The Vernacular 7. DESIGN STUDIES 7.1. Case Studies 7.1.1. Design, Material, Production, Assembly case studies 7.1.2. User centred studies 7.2. Design Process Summary 7.3. Site and context 7.3.1. Potential Site SWOT analysis 7.4. Spatial analysis and Design 8.VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE STUDIES 8.1. Learning from the women 8. FORM AND CONCEPT

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Table of Contents 9. MICRO; MESO ;MACRO 9.1. Wood frame structure studies 9.2. Activity plan studies 9.3 Weaving studies 10. CULTURAL CONTEXT 11. DESIGN 11.1 Cluster Plans 11.2 Plans 11.3. Sections 11.4. Perspectives 12. MATERIAL SYSTEM 13. FABRICATION 13.1. Woman- Robot Collaboration 14. CONCLUSION 15. REFERENCES

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THE 4TH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION (Industry 4.0) “The First Industrial Revolution used water and steam power to mechanize production. The Second used electric power to create mass production. The Third used electronics and information technology to automate production. Now a Fourth Industrial Revolution is building on the Third, the digital revolution that has been occurring since the middle of the last century. It is characterized by a fusion of technologies that is blurring the lines between the physical, digital, and biological spheres.”

“And these possibilities will be multiplied by emerging technology breakthroughs in fields such as artificial intelligence, robotics, the Internet of Things, autonomous vehicles, 3-D printing, nanotechnology, biotechnology, materials science, energy storage, and quantum computing” ~Klaus Schwab Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum

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Abstract In assessing parley around the Fourth Industrial Revolution it is probable that the focus of approach is mainly towards physical,digital and biological advancement using technology; the social rarely taking centre stage. Experts like the Forbes Technology Council give projections for development that is heavily dependent on the advancement of technology in areas such as AI, Architecture, Medicine, Education, Infrastructure etc.

Little however is said about communities that haven’t caught up to the revolution, or the third, or second. Ourworldindata.org provides chronological data of technological advancement worldwide until the year 2018.While the rest of the world advances rapidly, Central African and Asian countries are left behind with access limited to below 30%. Why are these regions left behind? Technological advancement is expected to happen even more rapidly, are these regions expected to catch up or remain stagnant?

The lack of inclusion with technological advancement is structurally dependent on the power structures leveraged by capital, location, political history, climate etc .It is important to note that structural inequality is both a causation and by product of technological advancement. It is evident that technological advancement is key for the progression of humankind; it is imperative that it is inclusive and reparative of social inequalities that previous levels of advancement have been part of.

This research uses Systems thinking as a lens to examine inclusion as pertains the Industrial revolution with focus on Architecture, computational and Parametric design by taking closer looks at marginalised communities and levels of access.

This thesis therefore tries to employ some measures of Design Justice to create a safe space and to empower women in marginalised areas of Kenya. This not only allows for Architecture to bridge the gap in access but also usher women into the new future.

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TECHNO 4TH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

YES? FOR WHOM; WHY?

NO? FOR WHOM; WHY?

-THE GLOBAL SOUTH -People of Color -WOMEN -LGBTQIA+ -WAR TONE ZONES -RURAL ARID LOCALITIES and more

-FOR PROFIT MOTIVATION -A LACK OF REPRESENTATION -NOT PARTICIPATION FOCUSED; TOP DOWN HIERARCHY -A MISSING (VID)VALUES IN DESIGN ETHOS -DATA CULTURE ROOTED IN BIAS OMISSION; AND IGNORES INTERSECTIONS GSPublisherVersion 0.0.100.100

INCLUSIVE

YES? FOR WHOM; WHY?

-SYSTEMS THAT FAVORS A NORMALIZED MAJORITY -DATA THAT IS READILY AVAILABLE AND EASY TO COLLECT

SUFFIC TOOL?

OLOGY HUMAN ADVANCEMENT PHYSICAL

CIENT ?

ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICAL BIOLOGICAL EDUCATIONAL NO? FOR WHOM; WHY?

SOCIO-POLITICAL

-INTER-SECTIONAL DATA IS COMPLEX -ECONOMIC AND COST IMPLICATIONS -THERE NEEDS TO BE REPARATION MEASURES IN PLACE FOR COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE NOT CAUGHT UP:

Key Words Defined Systems-

A set of things, people, cells, molecules or anything connected in such a way that they produce their own pattern of behavior over timeDonella H Meadows, Thinking in Systems.

Social Systems theory-

In social science, the study of complex arrangement of elements, including individuals and their beliefs, as they relate to a whole eg a country.

Britannica definitions.

Structural inequalityA condition where one category of people is attributed an unequal status in relation to other to other categories of people.

Royce, Edward Cary, Poverty and Power.

Matrix of Domination- A sociological paradigm that explains issues of oppression dealing with race, class, gender, sexual orientation, religion. age etc as interconnected Patricia Hill Collins, Black Feminist Thought.

Patriarchal societies- Consists of a male dominated power structure throughout organised society and in individual relationships.

Thoughtco, Feminist Theories of Patriarchy FGM- Female Genital Mutilation- Involves the partial or total removal of external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non medical reasons.

Counter-systems- Against method. A method of analysing systems by employing negations to it.

Gideon Sjoberg 9

Introduction Viewing communities as continuous systems enables proper analysis of the actors and actions that sustain it. While communities and how they function cannot be solely analysed by its inhabitants and its actions, these are important factors in determining the catalysts of shifts in the system dynamic.

Studies of patriarchal societies expose the top down hierarchy that is created and maintained by laws, traditions, religion and even national policy. In a system that seeks to place male dominance as a constant; the actions to maintain it are often harmful to those lower in the hierarchy.

Women in patriarchal societies have limited independence and agency, have minimal rights as pertains to property ownership and are victims of the violence physical and non physical meted on them.

The feminist movement makes strides in fighting for the rights of women from predominantly patriarchal societies by educating women on their rights and men on the importance of allowing women agency. Government policy in these areas also aid in reduction of subjugation of women, in Sub Saharan Africa, governments declare female genital mutilation, early marriage and domestic abuse as illegal with perpetrators facing criminal charges. These actions are very significant for women empowerment and equality.

As Donella meadows stresses in Thinking in systems, long standing systems with a rigid stock are not bound to abrupt change. Systems seek to balance themselves to their original state.

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THE SYSTEM

DRIVERS Government policy Laws and legislation Toxic tradition Property ownership Marriage

An effect on government policy Educating men on the importance of women empowerment Awareness to relevant organizations

to

facilitate

empowerment programs.

Agency Acquired education and skill learning New laws and traditions Financial independence Advocacy for individual rights eg land ownership Passing down to younger generations

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M

EFFECTS Gender based Violence FGM Early marriage

MALE DOMINANCE

Minimal to no access to education and Employment

4th Industrial Revolution Provide the

necessary tools to aid women

empowerment.

WOMEN ONLY VILLAGES

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THE PROBLEM

Patriarchal societies in Kenya create a power dynamic that marginalises the women in their communities.

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THE QUESTIONS MAINLY : Is an understanding of Social Systems theory necessary for designing?

ALSO:

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1. Is the fourth industrial revolution inclusive? Who is left behind and why?

2. How can Architecture create institutions that criticize and repair structural inequality?

3. What are the tools that would be needed to design ideal,equitable social systems?

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THE OBJECTIVE Designing an advanced womans craft village as a tool of dismantling patriarchal social units by utilising Social Systems thinking in organising a system to counter an existing system. Studies on cultural craft are conducted to identify ways technology and craft can be used to not only create the Women’s village but also sustain it.

In answering, what does an advanced social system look like, investigation into imaginations of women only societies in technology and popular culture. Other than the ancient amazons women only communes are not common in history and pop culture. In film women only societies are represented mostly by white women and are shown as combative.

The objective is to visualise a contextual advanced woman system that works hand in hand with technology to develop their community and themselves

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Visualising an advanced woman only society

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THE COUNTER SYSTEM

HOW WILL TECHNOLOGY INFLUENCE EM

4TH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

MENT IN THE WOMAN´S VILLAGE Women

only

institution

to aid empowerment and learning Digitizing and optimizing of craft knowledge Learning of new technical skills New approaches to advocacy, eg social media

WHAT WOULD BE THE DIRECT INFLUENCE FROM THE WOMAN´S VILLAGE Agency Acquired education and skill learning New laws and traditions Financial independence Advocacy for individual rights eg land ownership Passing down to younger generations

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MPOWER-

WOMAN VILLAGES

MALE DOMINANCE

INTERGRATED SOCIETY

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SYSTEMS THEORY Why an understanding of systems makes us better designers According to Donna Meadows (Thinking in Systems), Systems are a set of things, people, cells, molecules or whatever interconnected in such a way that they produce their own pattern of behavior over time. She lists a system as more than just the sum of its parts with characteristics ranging from adaptive, dynamic, good seeking, self preserving and sometimes evolutionary.

Then the system is defined by its function, purpose or goals and these create connections. From the connections information is created which flows in and out of the system. So essentially there exists an input- output flow from the score of the system. Depending on the flow, a system may have feedback which is a consistent behavioral pattern that is created over time from changing stock or flow.

The world as we exist in it is a conglomerate of systems that may interact with outcomes. The society in world view is the Macro system, within it are exo,meso and micro systems that define the interactions each person or object has.

Social systems which according to systems theorist Niklas Luhman are closed systems- Autopoietic systems- which act independently according to communications and actions of individuals within itself.

Communities may be viewed in this way as culture and tradition acts as communication sui generis to its people. In theorising Luhman however neglected individual action as consequential to social systems.

This may be true of larger communities where pivoting individuals may yield innumerable amounts of data, however individual action is more often than not indispensable to the way systems function.

Systems thinking therefore requires observing and understanding systems from the actors, actions, outputs and the feedback created. This then gives cause and effect information. As architects and designers increasingly disclaim impartiality to social issues, they take on duties of the “problem solver�;it is necessary to understand systems and how they work for the contexts they design for. For we do not design in voids but within/ for systems and subsystems around us.

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The world system is interconnected and no one micro system(even though it possesses autonomy by virtue of its custom connections) exists in solitude, all systems communicate and interact as part of larger systems. As is with the various disciplines that run the world. Systems theory extols the need for interdisci-

plinary collaboration to achieve desired outcomes. Architects and designers can therefore not work within the bubble of the disciplines anymore because the world system is more complex than objects.

Examining buildings as systems is also crucial. Technology makes it possible to envision a single building as a self-sustaining system with mechanical, construction, engineering parts work in harmony for the building to function. The same should be considered for buildings as social systems that vastly influence not only social interactions but the social unit. The building can be communication, action upon the social system prompting desired output. The building can be political.

In Design as Politics, theorist Tony Fry presents challenges to designers. In an epoch that is far from ideal with ecological, social,technological doom abound Fry calls upon designers to become political, to imagine the world and its issues as interconnected politics. He also calls on designers to recognise their role in the human anthropocene and to commit not only to undo but to sustaining a livable future.

This call to action for designers is important not only for environmental action but social action. Designers should be committed to sustainable social systems as well, for imagined futures should be just as technologically advanced as they are just and equitable.

This thesis examines the Woman´s village as a countersystem, a feedback response to the existing community system, the desired output being a change in attitudes and values into the community.

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How do systems of marginalisation work?

THE MATRIX OF DOMINATION Technology Ě s usage and access has been limited with advancement being rapid but not far reaching.

Identifying where and why there is inaccessibility requires social systems analysis.

Feminist theorist Patricia Collins coined the Matrix of Domination a sociological paradigm that expresses social classifications as interconnected. These include, Race, Gender, Class, Religion, Age, Sexual orienta-

tion, Locality. Individuals in communities exist with layers of these classifications and depending on which they may have more or less access. This not only creates structural inequality by denying of access but predisposes the new age of technology to being part of a system that reproduces the inequality.

It is imperative therefore to approach the digital age with not only but reparations and bridging the gap.

Social systems theory emerged post- Darwin evolutionary theory as a way to look at society as a complex arrangement of elements that relate to each other. The main component that characterises a social system is a shared common goal. This thesis analyses social units as systems, those whose, actors, actions and environment are the design of the system. Further analysing the Matrix of Domination, I identify communities who by virtue of social classification have been denied access and are marginalised by structural inequality.

Women of color from developing countries in arid areas are least likely to be part of conversations on the industrial revolution. They may lack access to education and skill. They are casualties of patriarchal societies whose main goal is to maintain male dominance.

In the quest for equality and the liberation of women from patriarchal systems,I will especially look into patriarchal communities as systems that seek to center and maintain male dominance. I utilise countersystem approach as a means of driving social system change and designing an alternative future.This design thesis therefore looks into designing a womans craft village as a tool of dismantling patriarchal social units. It utilises social systems thinking in organising a system to counter an existing system. Studies on cultural craft are conducted to identify ways technology and craft can be used to not only create the Women’s village but also sustain it.

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Image source: Intersectionality and the Matrix of domination, Smiths24, Rampages.us

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44% refugee p

THE DATA

in settlement

Sourced from World Bank, Communications Authority annual ICT report, Kenya National Bureau of Statistics

Kenya is 80% arid and semi arid.

The North, North Eastern and parts of Southern Kenya are considered the driest with minimal rainfall to support agriculture that is a key economic activity.

Because of these the northern region is neglected and is generally left behind by development initiatives. Placing arid areas in the Matrix of domination, their inhabitants therefore experience structural inequality due to proximity from urban areas.

9.1%adult literacy rate against

81.5% urban literacy

3.1%

households with ac-

cess to internet

Samburu

Even further from the centre is women with women in Northern Kenya having the lowest percentages in statistics in health, education and employment.

Examining statistical data is a good way to start analysing certain social systems. Northern communities due to lack of access have higher rates of inequalities compared to their central urban counterparts. Access to technology and infrastructure would therefore greatly influence the toxic traditions 25

72%

51%

urbanisation rate

female literacy rate

population

21%

women have

undergone FGM

16.8%

households

connected to electricty grid

38%access to sanitation

1%

women with land

titles/ownership

80%

2.7kmaverage distance fe-

arid and semi

arid area

males travels to access internet

41.3% female unemployment rate

68% poverty rate 17.8% urbanisation rate

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THE COUNTER-SYSTEMS Women Only Villages

Women only villages are examples counter-systems in response to patriarchal social units. They rise from the need of women to assert their agency while escaping unfavorable conditions. The villages are self-sustaining and self-governing, a cultural anomaly in their locations.

Case studies include existing women villages in Kenya, Syria and Egypt. These villages have within time evolved to self sustaining communes with women rejecting toxic tradition and creating their own system of living. This in turn directly influences their communities by extolling the importance of agency for women and changing of toxic traditions. This is my imagined future for marginalised women.

Imagining an advanced future is to imagine the radical. In their paper Counter-system analysis and the construction of alternative futures, Gideon Sjoberg, Elizabeth A. Gill and Leonard D. Cain describe countersystems as counter-perspectives, that which negates the existing by imagining or creating an alternative.

A countersystem for patriarchal society could therefore be one which male dominance is diminished or removed as a direct critic of the system itself. However as a counter system does not act independently but as a reaction to, it may effectively alter the functioning of the system it seeks to critic.

In Cyborg Manifesto, Harraway(2004) imagines an inevitable equitable future where Woman-robot hybrids (Note: A cyborg future is free of the constraints of gender) design equitable systems using technology. Kenyan pastoralist women have been craftsmen since the beginning of time with Samburu women being the sole builders of manyattas- pastoralists huts. They are however not considered architects or technologically skilled.

The women in the villages take initiative to remove themselves from toxic systems. This act of defiance is expected to create a ripple effect within their communities to effect change. Analysing and creating counter-systems could therefore be an effective tool for change in social systems.

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JINWAR VILLAGE; SYRIA

A woman only commune in war torn Kurdish zone of

Syria. Founded by a group of women and activists following the revolution against extremist group ISIS.

The village is self sustaining, self governing with the women organising independently economically and politically.

Image source: independent.co.uk, article Jinwar village

ASWAN VILLAGE; EGYPT

A village in upper Egypt for divorcees and widows.

The village was set up by the Egyptian government ministry of Agriculture to give single mothers wid-

ows and divorcees a dignified life for them and their

children. The women get housing and security from Image source: english.alarabiya.net article a woman only village

UMOJA VILLAGE SAMBURU; KENYA

Started by a 15 women ostracised by their communi-

ty as sexual abuse survivors. Umoja meaning unity in Swahili started as a village for refuge for women. The

inhabitant span generations and the women have been able to sustain themselves since 1990.

Image source: BBC, article Umoja Village, the land of no men

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UMOJA WOMEN´S ONLY VILLAGESamburu, Kenya Founded in 1990 by survivors of sexual abuse by British soldiers, the single sex village now acts as a refuge and learning center for women aged 13-40 who escape early marriage, female genital mutilation, domestic violence and are victims of sexual assault.

Having been active for more than twenty years, it has become useful not only as a centre of refuge but space for passing down of new notions and culture to younger women.

The women thrive as a self-sufficient village by engaging in economic activities of bead work and tourism There are currently 47 women and 200 children in Umoja. Although the inhabitants live extremely frugally, these enterprising women and girls earn a regular income that provides food, clothing and shelter for all.

Village leaders run a campsite, a kilometre away by the river, where groups of safari tourists stay. Many of these tourists, and others passing through nearby nature reserves, also visit Umoja.

The women charge a modest entrance fee and hope that, once in the village, the visitors will buy jewelery made by the women in the craft centre.

Samburu

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Samburu-Manyatta 1:0.65

Image source: Broadly, now Vice Youtube channel, video, tThe land of no men

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CASE STUDIES

Design Material Robotic Production Assembly

The Men´s High Nest Nyxo Studio, Italy

The man’s high nest’ is an observation tower for migratory birds submitted for the Pape Bird Observation Tower competition Design and Geometry The studio sort to incorporate aesthetics, ecology with politics, simulation with narrative. The focus is on the articulation and management of complex scenarios, both in design and production processes, using digital computational tools. This means understanding the stratification of the information and exploiting digital simulations to find new structural and aesthetic languages.

The observation tower is developed through a generative and parametric process which place in a relationship the two main viewpoints as shown below in the form generation process.

Materiality There are three main layers of the tower; -The main structure built with glued laminated timber -The secondary structure made through a series of parametrically pre-cut 5X5 cm wood beams.

-The thatch covering, following the particular orientation of the bottom wood layer and fading from the top down. This layer, that covers the dome and the areas surrounding the eyes, gives that sense of protection, intimacy and mimicry.

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Image source: Archdaily, The mens High nest

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Tij Observatory

RAU Architects and Ro&Ad Architects Scheelhoek Nature Reserve in Stellendam, the Netherlands.

Design and Geometry The bird-egg’s frame was parametrically designed to determine the best shape and position of openings.

Fabrication and Assembly It was built using a file-to-factory system, with 402 parts delivered and assembled on-site. Designed to rest lightly on the nature reserve, it will be easy to dismantle and move if required Materially, this timber frame is divided into two. The bottom section, which is expected to flood several times a year, is built from water-resistant beams of Accoya, a modified sustainable wood, and the top section is built from pine.

In order to get the assembly started accurately on both ends first three rows are pre-assembled as elements.

The assembly begins from the top side of the egg where the top element is hoisted to its correct location and hoisted.

The assembly progresses a row at a time from top to bottom.

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Image source: Archdaily, Tij Observatory

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The Spine Experiments in Robotic Thatching Aarhus School of Architecture for the Milaaano 2016 Salone del Moderna Design and experimentation The design came after experimentation of the material. Reed experiments and joinery with focus on robotic production gave physical manual iterations from which the best method was picked. The design was then made in grasshopper. Control triangles in Rhino represent the flow of the structure. These wewre the control parameters in case the design and production parameters changed.

Production and Fabrication Two sets of code were generated using Grasshopper and HAL plugin to represent two robotic workstations. The first workstation was for cutting of the reed pieces into smaller pieces. The second would be for placement and stacking where the robot picks up the cut pieces and starts to build the design.

Special tools to aid the two robots pick and work with the artificial reed which had complex structure.

Joinery was done by designed parts of the spine that brought together the parts assembled by the robot. The parts were 3d printed and joined in parts on site

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Image source: Issuu.com, Aarhaus Semester booklet

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Fologram Fabrication Tallinn Architecture Biennale Pavilion Neo-Natur installation for Berlin’s Futurium exhibition Virtual reality for assembly For quick, smooth, and error-free setup of the piece, HoloLens and AR were used. Stuttgart’s ArtEngi-

neering made use of a 3D model of the sculpture for an AR application that rendered the structure visible through a HoloLens during the construction phase––piece by piece and as a whole from different perspectives in the exhibition space. The build team from the Art Department of Studio Babelsberg were able to click through from one panel to the next ensuring the correct elements were joined to their corresponding angle connectors.

Fologram allows you to view models in mixed reality by streaming geometry and model data from the Rhino and Grasshopper plugins to the application running on a or mobile phone.

The real-time link between Rhino and Grasshopper and mixed reality devices creates a single, synchronized Rhino document that can be shared with multiple devices.

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Image source: Fologram.com

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User centric contextual design Community participation design THREAD

Artist residency and cultural centre, Sinthian, Senegal Toshiko Mori

Painters, sculptors, photographers, writers, choreographers, musicians and dancers from around the world will be invited to live and work at THREAD but the centre will particularly welcome and encourage the participation of local and Senegalese artists. With this the rarely-visited area of the world will act as their muse, these artists can inspire a greater international appreciation for this part of West Africa.

The building is constructed using local materials and local builders have shared their sophisticated knowledge of working with bamboo, brick, and thatch. These traditional techniques are combined with design innovations by Mori. The customary pitched roof is inverted and will be capable of collecting approximately 40% of the villagers’ domestic water usage in fresh rainfall.

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Image source: Intersectionality and the Matrix of domination, Smiths24, Rampages.us

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Women’s Opportunity Center

Sharon Davis Design; Kayonza Rwanda The idea comes from the vernacular Rwandan village as the organizing principle: a series of human-scaled pavilions clustered to create security and community for up to 300 women. Designed in collaboration with Women for Women International—a humanitarian organization that helps women survivors of war rebuild their lives—this mini-village transforms urban agglomeration and subsistence farming with an ar-

chitectural agenda to create economic opportunity, rebuild social infrastructure, and restore African heritage.

The architecture revives a lost Rwandan design tradition with deep spatial and social layers. Its circular forms radiate outward, from intimate classrooms at the center of the site to a community space, farmer’s market, and the civic realm beyond. The center’s circular structures are modeled after the historic King’s Palace in southern Rwanda, whose woven-reed dwellings were part of an indigenous tradition that the region had all but lost. The design draws on the delicacy of this vernacular Rwandan construction method with rounded, perforated brick walls that allow for passive cooling and solar shading, while maintaining a sense of privacy.

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Image source: Intersectionality and the Matrix of domination, Smiths24, Rampages.us

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SPATIAL DESIGN

Spatial Relations Activity relations Spatial studies

THE FUNCTIONS

Women, Space and Activity

A Kenyan village is not defined by the spaces but by activities because few structures cater for the activ-

ities of the members of the village. It is necessary in the design process to create not only physical but spaces that are usable for the various activities women take part in.

Analysing how women take up space is key in giving character to spaces and to planning.

Women in rural Kenya utilise space dependent on the social system.

Spaces may be assumed to be predominantly male for example among the Maasai people of Kenya; -The main square that holds meetings also known as Barazas is occupied by men because they lead the meetings.

-Adolescent boys get their own huts after circumcision while teenagers while women share the same spaces as it is expected that they will be married and move to their husbands house.

While domestic activity is mostly female-led, mapping out ownership shows very little space that belongs exclusively to women. Women are predominantly found in outdoor spaces like the compounds, markets, roadsides creating spaces of their own to commune. There they sell things, meet to discuss affairs, gossip, take care of their young children during the day.

Intrinsically these important activities don’t have traditional spaces to define them.

The womans village therefore is expected to reclaim space for the activities that women take part in as part of a community.

The design will create new spaces for these activities with digital tolls to aid education and interaction.

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THE FUNCTIONS

Rescue, Rehabilitation,Refuge

The village seeks to serve as a centre for empowerment of women through Rescue; Rehabilitation and Refuge.

-Rescue involves taking women and girls out of violent or risky situations such as FGM ceremonies, domestic violence, early childhood marriage, unsafe at home births among others. This is supposed to happen in collaboration with health caregivers from the community, law enforcement, the judicial system and civic society to aid victims of violence and abuse.

-Rehabilitation involves post care therapy for victims, education and skill training, men education and outreach, advocacy to other villages.

-Refuge is the largest area and involves accommodation for victims, women of all ages, their children.

This contains a bulk of the activities of interaction within the village.

These areas are interconnected but some areas are considered more sensitive and thus the level of access is graded as

-Protected- Completely removed from public access -Private- Partial access -Public- Accessible to public

lity

bi isi

v of t n

ie

ad Gr

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THE ACTIVITIES

Children play

Keeping cattle

side

Cooking and cleaning

Fetching water

Ablution Gossip and chatting Younger girls learning skills from older women

Emergency

services

for abuse victims

Fireplace/ Hearth Gathering

around

the fire

Pre and post natal care

Postcare therapy

Recovery accomodation

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ying out-

Building new huts

Washing

Crafting mini market School going children

and showcase

doing homework

Sleeping Babies playing and

Age set

being taken care of

meetings

Crafting

Oral tradition and story telling

Fireplace/ Hearth Gathering around

Visiting family from

the fire

outside

Having baraza meet-

Admin and advocacy

ings

Ceremonies and traditional activities

Meeting male companions

Learning centre

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THE WOMEN Survey on spatial needs for women of different demographics

Lekomon: Middle aged Samburu woman with a beading business.

Lingoine: Young Turkana woman who is looking to further her education after high school having been denied opportunity by her family.

Private spaces to be with my peers.

I need a convenient way to get to all my daily activities without having to leave the village.

I need a communal space to meet with other women that is safe and private.

I need access to learn skills I need, through the internet.

I require space to run a craft business and to do my craft in my free time.

Relaxing spaces to study, with softer tones in color and texture.

A convenient cooking, cleaning areas that dont require me fetching water.

Sleeping area should be more communal with my peers

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Mpaayon: Mother of three, has been a victim of domestic abuse.

Is trying to find ways to sustain herself and her children after being rescued from a violent home.

A place for all the children to play and be taken care of collectively.

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Nyawira: Young Abagusii mother with a newborn. Moved from the postnatal centre.

A collective space with other postpartum mothers to form a support for each other.

Something that would make my chores more efficient and less strenuous.

Easy access to kitchen, cleaning and washing areas.

Access to post natal healthcare that is cheap and close for convenience.

A collective nursery to make it easier to watch children at once.

Areas for changing and baby-care in public spaces

A way to do other activities in between working and doing craft work.

Introduction to technology.

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Loboitangu: 72 year old Samburu woman who formally performed FGM on young girls, now against it she teaches oral I want spaces close together to minimize movtradition to young ing around too much. adolescent women.

I need warmer rooms especially in the night.

To see well there should be plenty of light in all areas.

Warm colours and tones on the walls and rooms.

Quiet spaces.

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Catherine: Advocacy consultant from the civic society.

An experienced social justice educator.

A space to meet all the women with specific breakout areas to meet with specific areas.

Public areas that are separate from victims of abuse to avoid further traumatising them.

Secure secluded space to protect from antagonising community members.

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Sidai: Teenage Maasai girl who was rescued from an FGM ceremony.

Has just started high school education.

I need a convenient way to get to all my daily activities without having to leave the village.

Lekoloi: Young El Molo woman with a physical disability from birth.

She uses a wheelchair for mobility.

I want to access all areas without always needing help.

I need a communal space to meet with other women that is safe and private.

I would like access to technology and skill development to make a life for myself.

I require space to run a craft business and to do my craft in my free time.

I require space to run a craft business and to do my craft in my free time.

A space to learn about and advocate for equal opportunities for the disabled.

A convenient cooking, cleaning areas that dont require me fetching water.

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Abdi and Kingasunye: Pre-teen boys in primary school.

Chebet and Kawira: Young girls in primary school.

I want to read and play a lot.

I want to read and play a lot.

I want to be with my friends my age most times.

I want to be with my friends my age most times.

I want a place to make toys and play with them.

I enjoy bright colours and like making rooms colourful.

I want a place to make toys and play with them.

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DEMOGRAPHIC SPECIFIC ACTIVITY MAPPING Mapping out of user movements on the activity chart by identifying their activities through the day.

This gives a sense of which activities are most likely to happen together at once and at what part of the village.

PREGNANT WOMEN/ MOTHERS It also highlights high traffic areas which can be used as circulation of housing of activities that do not demand room.

With the study arranging of physical space functions is easier with the three main areas being identified as Public, Private and Protected.

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Pregnant woman, new mother

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REN

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YOUNG WOMEN

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YOUNG WOMEN

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Children 49

Young and teen girls

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ADMIN AND CONSULTANTS

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ADMIN AND CONSULTANTS

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Business owner

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Admin and consultant

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B

"VICTIM"

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"VICTIM"

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Older woman

Rescue center resident.

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THE FUNCTIONS

Activity mapping Combined activity paths Women, Space and Activity A- Private area

These are the daily activities of the women living in the village, it partly includes their craft and other activities. It holds the main residence.

A1-School children doing homework A2-Washing A3-Children playing outside A4-Keeping cattle

A5-Cooking and food prep A6-Fetching water A7-Ablution A8-Gossiping and chatting A9- Younger girls learning skills.

B- Public area

These are activities that combine the womens activities and those of the rest of the community including men. It contains activities centred around communal ceremonies and learning activities.

B1- Having baraza meetings B2-Ceremonies and traditional activities B3-Meeting male companions B4- Learning centre B5- Admin and advocacy B6- Visiting family from outside B7-Crafting centre

B8- Oral tradition and storytelling B9- Age set meetings B10- Baby-care B11- Building new huts B12- Craft market

C- Protected area This is the area with least access to the public as it has emergency services, therapy and residence for vic-

tims of abuse. It has a therapy centre and few accommodations.

C1-Emergency services and triage C2-Therapy C3-Recovery accommodation C4-Pre and post natal care C5-Group session therapy and learning

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5 2

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A 7

10 8

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8

B 1

C

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1

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3 2

3

4 2

4

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ACTIVITY SPATIAL STUDIES Finding relations to from human activity to form.

Depending on the activity and the people involved the character of a space will change .

Most activities in the Womans village are centred around a fire hearth which act as the communication for all other activities.

scenario 1

scenario 2

scenario 3

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Gossip and chatting

Gossip and chatting

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THE PROCESS Bridging the gap between technology and marginalised women

THE PROCESS Design to fabrication

Dome shaped space frame formed by bending sticks and tying them together

Steam wood bending experiments

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Space frame from bent wood.

A

complex

structural

lattice

Cladding from thatch from palm

formed and made stronger by ty-

fronds which are readily avail-

ing bent sticks together.

able, a design response to high heat and strong winds of the area.

THE DATA

To bridge the gap between technology and the marginalised women, it is important to improve the resources already available to them for design and fabrication.

Research on otherwise considered traditional methods and materials is necessary

Thatch cladding panels from robotic experiments with industrial and substitute thatch.

Steam bending of wood using robotic algorithms.

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SITE AND CONTEXT

KENYA

THE POTENTIAL SITE From the data on access it is important to identify areas where women

are marginalised. The Northern areas of Kenya and part of the South has the highest number of pastoralist communities. Three potential sites are picked depending on access and data on women empowerment.

URBAN SEMI ARID KISII KENYA

Serves as the main urban and commercial center in the Gusii Highlands and the South Nyanza region and the second largest town in greater Nyanza after Kisumu City. It is a bustling town and a home to several businesses, organizations, educational institutions and government agencies. Statistically has the highest rate of FGM cases in Kenya due to age old tradition.

SEMI URBAN ARID WAJIR KENYA

Capital of the county. It is bordered to the north by Ethiopia, to the north-

east by Mandera County, to the east by Somalia. It has a host of Northern communities plus Somali people and refugees fleeing neighboring countries. Prone to drought due to low rainfall and high temperatures.

RURAL ARID

LAYENI; TURKANA KENYA

Holds the El Molo tribe at the shore of Lake Turkana. The El Molo is the smallest ethnic group in Kenya, numbering about 300 people. They orig-

inally settled in the north of Lake Turkana but were forced by the other tribes to move south to the small islands. Close to the urban tourist area Loiyangalani.

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KISII

S- Urban town with access to amenities like hospitals and schools

W- Least likely to feel the impact of the Womans village due to higher levels of access already

O- A space for civic society to further women empowerment programmes

T- Lack of safety and animosity

LAYENI

S- Next to Lake Turkana and close

to El Molo people that faces extinction

W- Too remote

O-Would greatly affect the pastoralist communities in Turkana area that access the Lake.

T- Exclusion from majority of the locality

WAJIR

S- Semi-Urban town with access

to amenities like hospitals and schools

W-Highly volatile area.

O- An opportunity to help the women in nearby refugee camps

T- An area prone to terrorist attacks from Al-Shabaab militants

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Layeni Vi people

N

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illage that has huts by the El Molo

Turkana wind project that utilises the

Religious shrines by the El Molo People

strong winds of the are for energy.

Site for the famous Turkana festival that brings in tourists from locally and abroad to showcase the culture of the people of Lake Turkana regions.

The first ever Desert museum showcasing early man fossils and teaching evolution of mankind

Presence of Palm fronds in Loiyangalani and neighboring areas is essential for provision of thatch for building by the communities

Loiyangalani airstrip which supplements the road network. Could be essential in transporting of fabricated parts Loiyangani town which is the commercial, cultural, tourist hub of the region from frequent visitors, The main hospital would be essential for emergency services at the village

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72

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KOMOTE HILL KOMOTE VILLAGE

LAYENI VILLAGE

N

LAKE TURKANA

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PROPOSED SITE

TURKANA WIND PROJECT

TO SIBILOI TO ETHIOPIA TO LOIYANGALANI TOWN TO NAIROBI CITY Strong Eastern winds

Loiyangalani Airstrip

Layeni village of the El Molo people

Loiyangalani main town

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THE CLIMATE

The area is in dry arid climate of Kenya, considered to be hot yearlong with high averages of 35 degrees.

Climate is a large factor to the marginalisation of the region as it is prone to constant drought and

famine annually. It is important to identify the climatic conditions and utilise architectural responses to alleviate the effects of harsh climates on the users.

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Low rainfall with high temperatures characterises the area. Highest temperatures at 38 degrees.

Dry arid climate Low rainfall with high temperatures characterises the area. Highest temperatures at 38 degrees.

Dry arid climate

Low rainfall with high temperatures characterises the area.

Highest temperatures at 38 degrees.

Notable also is the fluctuation of temperature during the day and night with night temperatures being much lower hence need for warming

Very strong Eastern winds blow across the area, also to be considered in the breeze from the lake day and night

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Policy Responses

-A push for government policy supporting prevention and support measures for famine and drought.

-Research into food, agriculture and pastoral methods to improve standards of living.

Architectural responses

-Clustering of spaces to minimise heat gain.

-Orientation of openings for cross ventilation.

-Dome shaped forms for minimal exposure to solar radiation.

-Material thickness considering thermal mass for minimal daytime heat gain and warming interiors at night.

-Shading of exterior spaces from solar and terrestrial radiation.

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Stick woven Framework

Packed solid thatching

Woven mat walling

VERNACULAR ARCH Potential for ventilation

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Cultural aesthetic

Earthen bricks and compacted earth 67

S p

Thatch variations eg grass

Stilted for

protection Fabric and skin layering

Alternative Hybrid

HITECTURE IN KENYA

Sculptural potential

Sculptural potential

Sculptural potential

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THE VERNACULAR Learning from the women

The Samburu hut- woman built The huts are small and low, about 12x8, four feet high. Twigs and sticks are interwoven or tied into the basic shell; cow dung, clay and mud are mixed and applied inside and out to form hard walls and top.

The Borana Hut- woman built Made from wood and skins. Sticks are bent to form a framework.

A thatch called dase from the fibres of the sharp-tipped chakke plant is woven as covering.

The El Molo hut- both men and women built Doum palm fronds are tied together to form a strong member.

These are then woven together in a circular form supported by timber members giving the hut an igloo shape.

The Turkana Hut- woman built Houses are constructed over a wooden framework of domed saplings on which fronds of the Doum Palm tree Hyphaene thebaica, hides or skins, are thatched and lashed on.

The Kisii Hut- woman built A round, windowless structure with a framework of thin branches, walls of dried mud, and a conical, thatched roof. A plaster of mud and cow dung is placed on the walls to prevent cracks and for decoration.

The Maasai Hut-woman built

Circular or oval shaped built on a frame made from poles which are interlaced with a lattice of smaller branches which are then plastered with a mixture of water, mud, cow dung and even hu-

man urine.

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FRAMEWORK STUDIES

Catenary curves from simple base curves

Iteration with changes to profile curve

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Simple weaving test from complex base curve

Second iteration from simple base curves

2nd iteration with changes to profile curve

Structural weaving test with complex curves and vertical movt

Third iteration from simple base curves

Catenary curves from more complex base curves

Structural weaving test with complex curves and vertical movt

Third iteration from simple base curves

Weaving test from simple base and profile curves

Structural weaving test with complex curves and vertical movt

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MACRO

MICRO

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MESO

MICRO

FROM ACTIVITY ANALYSIS 74

ACTIVITY STUDIES From activities to planning

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Entry

N

Hearth/Kitchen

Entry Living

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Dining Oral tradition

Sleeping 13-18 Sleeping 7-12Outdoor playing

Cooking

Food prep

Elderly sleeping

Rescue centre admin

Triage Rescue centre accomodation Therapy

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Children study

Outdoor playing

Earth Architecture forming activities Dining

Outdoor playing

Outdoor playing Oral tradition

Sleeping 7-12

Sleeping 13-18

Children study

Food prep

Elderly sleeping

Therapy

Rescue centre admin

Rescue centre accomodation

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MATERIAL SYSTEM

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82

WEAVING TESTS

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Culturally colour is important in symbolism within the Maasai, Turkana, Samburu, Borana and El Molo people.

Color is utilised to show hierarchy and denote the various age sets with womens beads being worn dependant on age and marital status etc.

Another indicator of importance of colour is use of red orchre as body paint during festivals and celebrations as it is considered sacred.

Blankets wrapped around the body are also colourful in the prominent red and blue mostly worn by men as daily wear over garmenst.

Exploration of colour on synthetic thatch as a cultural code in the village, this will be linked to colors, patterns and shapes from the Turkana and Maasai people

Dark colours denote wisdom, age an expression of the people closest to God, Brighter colours denote youth and zest.

RED- Bravery.

BLUE- Age and wisdom.

GREEN- Peace, that which is closest to the earth.

WHITE- Purity BLACK- The people, the sanctity of the people of God, Papa Jai Orok.

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DESIGN

CLUSTER 2

CLUSTER 1

CLUSTER 3

CLUSTER 4

CLUSTER 5

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CLUSTER 1 Protected area for victims of abuse and medical emergency services

1

2

3 5

4

6

7

1- Triage 2- Emergency room 3- Recovery accommodation.

4- Breakout therapy rooms 5- Medical examination rooms 6- Post natal care 7- Group therapy

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CLUSTER 3 Admin and advocacy

CLUSTER 2 Accomodation

5

1 3

2

4

1

6

2 7

1

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3 4

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1- Children play area 2- Children library and study 3- Accommodation age 5-12 4- Ablution 5- Cattle grazing and cattle pen 6- Water tank proposed area 7- Accommodation mid aged women

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11 10

13 12

8- Common area 9- Accommodation elderly women 10- Food prep 11- Cooking 12- Granary and storage 13- meeting area

1- Resource library 2- Study 3-Admin office 4- Advocacy office

CLUSTER 4 Craft centre.

CLUSTER 5 Public area

1 3

1

2

2

4

5

5 6

3

5

4 1- Craft Consultancy office 2- Craft training centre 3- Craft Lab-weaving 4-Craft lab 2-beading 5- Archive centre 6- Storage for craft

1-Admin office and reception 2-Baraza meeting area.

3- Meeting rooms 4- Learning centre 5- Common meeting area

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PLANS

COMMON AREAS 1- Common area 2- Viewing deck and ceremony space 3- Fireplace/Hearth 4- Main entrance space, ceremonial grounds 5- Main ceremonial grounds 6- Baraza meeting area

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1- Children library 1fl 2- Accommodation ages 13-16 3-Ablution 4- Accommodation ages 17-21 5- Accommodation middle aged.

6- Ablution 7- Study and library

FLOOR LEV 8- Trauma 9- Offices 10- Records 11- Craft La 12- Advoca 13- Oral tra 14- Baraza

VEL 1 centre

s ab 2 acy centre adition a meeting

15- Advocacy training centre 16- Meeting rooms for relatives 17- Meeting rooms for relatives

FLOOR LEVEL 2 1- Ablution 2- Children library and study 3- Storage 4- Ablution 5- Storage 6- Meeting for relatives 7- Resource centre

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93 3100

94

3100

3100

3100

2100

5100

4200

95

96

97

98

99

100

101

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MATERIAL SYSTEM From the vernacular studies in Kenya, a hybrid system is employed in building. The first layer is of earth architecture, a mixture of clay that is formed around a steel framework. A compressed air-nozzle method as seen in shotcreting is used to apply the clay to the steel mesh. The layers are both interior and exterior with alterations made to the interior to give spaces with defined qualities such as furniture.

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Woven panels made from Raffia which is sourced from the Palmyra fronds. Palmyra is a tree found in the neighboring Loiyangalani town and on the shores of lake Turkana

Wooden framework structure made from bent wooden members and can be sub-

stituted by pvc piping.

Wood joining the frame to the clay structure

Clay forming geometries of activities

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120

FABRICATION

121

Final form model design with all parameters included.

Completed tessellated parts to be named and numbered in chronological or taking assembly into account.

Computation and optimizing of design.

Tessellation of fabricable parts using optimization.

Designing of joinery parts also taking account overall design .

Robotic fabrication of parts.

Cutting of timber pieces,.

Production of panels for facades.

Additive manufacturing?

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Arranging of parts chronologically before assembly begins

The women with the complete files from designers use Virtual reality on headpieces, phones etc to assemble the parts.

A1 J1 A2 B1 B2 J2

A3

B3

Transportation of pieces and parts to the arid areas which dont have access to the robots.

Liaising with the design team using devices that monitor progress through streaming from the AR; VR devices.

The women can also monitor the progress of completion through apps on computers and phones

Assembly of facade panels

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WOMAN-ROBOT COLLABORATION Part of the fabrication is done off site and the parts brought together for construction by the women. The women use their set of skills and knowledge to employ building techniques with the parts provided. The use of Hololens VR helps is assemble of the structure, manual shotcrete method builds the clay structure and manual and robotic woven techniques are employed in the woven areas.

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WOMAN-ROBOT COLLABORATION

MICRO-MESO

From the vernacular Architecture of the Samburu and El Molo people the stick framework method of building is used on smaller structures and extension features

Mud plastering and color decorating is done by the women dependent on the cultural coding. Manual shotcrete method is also done by the women on the clay structure.

Manual weaving by women experts is done on the weaving panels. Using VR the women also follow computational weaving methods to fabrication.

Windows are woven manually by the women with an array of patterns using raffia material

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Feedback

Feedback

MACRO-MEGA

Robotic fabrication of the steel frames made from tesselation of the parts that are joined using robotically manufactured steel brackets.

Robotic fabrication can benefit from vernacular joinery methods used by the women to produce curved forms and structures. A new method from this research can be introduced.

Robotic shotcrete method, using code made for shotcrete efficiency to enhance the layers and thickness variations of the mud walls

Depending on the changing activities the women can customise the interior spaces, A shotcrete method that works to vary thickness of materials can be made possible using technology.

Bending of wood using steam.

Robots may be used in bending, cutting and preparing the frame.

The cultural coding by the women in terms of weaving and plastering can be made into technical data. This gives variety to parametric association with craft and enhances the womens skills.

Fabrication of the woven panels and computational woven methods done using robots offsite and brought in as parts to be assembled.

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CONCLUSION The project employs various multidisciplinary levels of research to arrive at design strategies that align with the womens needs to empower them.

A proper analysis of micro social systems and their existence within mega systems allows to find ways A study of counter system culture introduces radical ways to effect change within societies through education and advocacy. The women leaving their communities and isolating not only offers protection to victims but also effects change in society by making their plight more visible. Radical change is effected by radical action and it is expected that more communities would want to learn from mistakes so as to integrate and coexist.

In the end the womans village acts as a conveyor belt with the end goals being an intergrated better educated society.

The sociological research leads to a critical analysis of Kenyan women and space and how a different approach to arranging space can lead to women having more autonomy of the spaces they inhabit.

A systemic approach to fabrication and construction allows the women to improve their existing skills in construction, this may successfully bridge the gap between their skills and advanced technical skills they may not have access to.

It allows for technical expertise to learn from them in terms of craft, methodology and organization.

The womans village is a centre of refuge for women, an advocacy centre, a social justice education centre and an woman-robot collaboration research centre.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Donna Haraway, “A Manifesto for Cyborgs: Science, Technology, and Socialist Feminism in the 1980s,” The Haraway Reader (New York: Routledge,2004), 39.

2. Hamilton, Laura T., Elizabeth A. Armstrong, J. Lotus Seeley, and Elizabeth M. Armstrong. “Hegemonic Femininities and Intersectional Domination.” Sociological Theory 37.4 (2019): 315-341.

3.Lesorogol, Carolyn K., and Randall B. Boone. “Which Way Forward? Using Simulation Models and Ethnography to Understand Changing Livelihoods among Kenyan Pastoralists in a “new Commons”.”

International Journal of the Commons 10, no. 2 (2016): 747-70. Accessed February 8, 2020. www.jstor. org/stable/26522886.

4. Shelby Doyle & Leslie Forehand,“Fabricating Architecture: Digital Craft as FeministPractice,” in the Avery Review 25 (September 2017), http://www.averyreview.com/issues/25/fabricatingarchitecture 5. Sjoberg, Gideon, Elizabeth A. Gill, and Leonard D Cain. “Countersystem Analysis and the Construction of Alternative Futures*.” Sociological Theory 21.3 (2003): 210-235.

6. Schwanitz, Dietrich. “Systems Theory According to Niklas Luhmann: Its Environment and Conceptual Strategies.” Cultural Critique, no. 30, 1995, pp. 137–170. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/1354435. Accessed 8 Feb. 2020.

7. Zinn, Maxine Baca, and Bonnie Thornton Dill. “Theorizing Difference from Multiracial Feminism.” Feminist Studies 22, no. 2 (1996): 321-31. Accessed February 8, 2020. doi:10.2307/3178416.

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ONLINE SOURCES Tij Observatory / RAU architects + RO&AD Architecten . (2019)b8 February 2020, from https://www.archdaily.com/915456/tij-observatory-ro-and-ad-architecten Experiments In Robotic Thatching. (2016) https://issuu.com/artifexa/docs/the-spine_experiments-in-robotic-th Neo-Natur â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A space for thought, about and <u>for</u> Nature / ART+COM. (2019). https://www.creativeapplications.net/environment/neo-natur-a-space-for-thought-about-and-for-nature-artcom/

The Land of No Men: Inside Kenyaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Women-Only Village. (2015). https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/qvdeq5/the-land-of-no-men-inside-kenyas-women-only-village

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