DOMINIKA BELANSKĂ portfolio placemaking & participatory planning mediation of architecture and urbanism architectural work
photo © Zuzana Vajdová
SUMMARY Dominika Belanská is an architect, placemaker and urban innovator based in Bratislava. Her field of expertise is participatory and collaborative city making and community development. Since completing her master studies of architecture, design and arts with a thesis on participatory approach in architecture, she has initiated and collaborated on a variety of projects that enable local communities to transform their urban spaces into meaningful places. She has been working locally and internationally with this aim to revise and readjust urban planning methods and public spaces policies. Dominika Belanská would like to collaborate with and learn from institutions, enterprises, teams and individuals, who aspire after a more resilient and livable environments, developed and built on principles of equity.
CURRICULUM VITAE Mgr. art. Dominika Belanská Born 3. 5. 1988, Martin, Slovakia
EDUCATION 2006 – 2012
Academy of Fine Arts and Design, Bratislava (SK) Department of Architecture: 2012 - Master of Arts 2010 - Bachelor Department of Intermedia and Multimedia: internship, 2010
FURTHER EDUCATION 2016 – City Making and Tourism Gentrification, Lisbon (PT) international master class with StadsLab (NL) and Academia Cidada (PT) 2015-2016 – ViabilityNet 2.0 – Nadace Via, Prague (CZ) and Europe-wide leadership in community development, capacity building programme 2014 – Global Forum for Young Cultural Innovators, Salzburg Global Seminar, international seminar and capacity building, Salzburg (AT) 2014 – Berlin Unlimited – Excavating Voids, Ruins and Flows Alternative Guidebook to Berlin, symposium and workshop, Berlin (GE) 2013 – Building with wood – Workshop 1:1, Trnavá hora (SK) 2012 – How to lead public meetings – facilitation training, PDCS o.z., Bratislava 2012 – The Lure of the Real (Karaoke Europe) – Žilina (SK) symposium and workshop on anthropology, performance and participation
2009
2010 – Theatre and the City (TACE) workshop with Bergen Arkitekt Skole (Bergen, Norway) in Bratislava
Faculty of Design: interior design, exhibition design study programme Erasmus
2009 – industrial design workshop, with company Seves, Politecnico di Milano
Politecnico di Milano, Milano (IT)
2010 – 2013
Academy of Fine Arts and Design, Bratislava additional study programme of pedagogy 2013 – art educator certificate
2009 – Intensive Italian Language Course (EILC) Universitá per stranieri, Siena (IT) 1999 – 2006 – Art School L. Stančeka, Prievidza (SK) Fine Art Department, Dance Department
LANGUAGES English – full professional proficiency (C2) Italian – upper intermediate (B2) German – upper intermediate (B1.4) Czech – proficient (C2) Slovak – native
FURTHER SKILLS facilitation and leading of meetings public presentation & PR fundraising & non-profit sector expertise project management & team leadership
SOFTWARE
event management
drawing: AutoCAD – advanced, ArchiCAD – basics graphic design: Adobe Photoshop, Indesign, Illustrator 3D modelling: 3Dstudio Max, Rhinoceros, Sketch Up
various depicting techniques and art media
writing and text editing photography (digital and analogue process & post-process) driving licence
WORK EXPERIENCE
CURATING
since 2015 – co-organizer of Nomadic Arts Festival 2016, Bratislava
2016 Susedenie / Neighbouring tranzit.sk, Bratislava
since 2015 – project manager for Obchodná ulica a okolie, o.z., Bratislava 2015-2016 – PR manager for Centre for philanthropy, Bratislava 2015 – program manager for Foundation Orange, Center for Philantropy, Bratislava
2013 Diploma works of Department of Architecture 2013 Slovak Association of Architects, Bratislava
2014-2015 – co-founder of POD PYRAMÍDOU, urban rooftop garden, Bratislava 2014-2015 – art and architecture educator and methodist, Kunsthalle Bratislava 2012-2015 – art and architecture educator, Slovak National Gallery, Bratislava 2013-2014 – editor of architecture magazine Fórum architektúry Slovak Association of Architects, Bratislava
COMPETITIONS and AWARDS
2014 – consultant for sustainable management of public markethall Tržnica Trnavské mýto, municipality Bratislava – Nové Mesto
Kultúra 2013 (Culture 2013) award for innovative cultural event co-laureate with team of Parkotvor, Prievidza
2012-2015 – placemaker, coordinator, producer initiative Námestie pre ľudí (Square for people), Bratislava initiative Parkotvor, Prievidza 2012-2014 – editor of magazine Tvor, Academy of Fine Arts and Design, Bratislava
Europan 11 - AA235 Turku, Finland, 2012 contribution to the 2nd prize winner project Orchard Avenues - Peter Stec and Mark Balzar
2012 – assistant in architecture studio Architekti Šebo Lichý, Bratislava 2011 – assistant of architect in Public Office for Architecture, Gallery Hit, Bratislava
BUILT WORK POD PYRAMÍDOU – urban rooftop garden (placemaker, designer) Slovak Radio Building, Bratislava, 2014 Community Bench – public space intervention (co-author) Kamenné námestie, Bratislava, 2014 T(h)ree platforms – multigeneration playground (co-author) Trnavá hora (SK), 2013 Campus PARTYcipate! – temporary experimental structure AFAD, Drotárska cesta 44, Bratislava, 2012 Fashion Graduates 2012 – exhibition installation design Gallery Satelit, Slovak Centre of Design, Bratislava Compact City – architectural exhibition installation (co-author) 4AM Forum for architecture and Media, Brno (CZ), 2011
EXHIBITIONS Výstava kvetov – Gallery Gagarinka, Bratislava, 2015 collective exhibitions of artists and urban gardening initiatives Network – designfactory, Bratislava, 2013 exposition of activities of the incitiative Námestie pre ľudí Public Office for Architecture – Gallery Hit, Bratislava, 2011 contribution to architecture exhibition Iannis Xenakis Transformations – AFAD Bratislava, 2011 interdisciplinary workshop and exhibition with Department of Painting and Other media Pedestrian Bridge over Danube – Slovak Art Union, Bratislava, 2008, group exhibition of student projects
PUBLICATIONS Participation. Architecture as Shared Public Experience. (Participácia. Architektúra ako zdieľaná verejná skúsenosť.) diploma thesis, consultants: Marián Zervan, Peter Stec Academy of Fine Arts and Design, Bratislava, 2012 Intermediating Architecture. Principles, Examples, Perspectives. (Sprostredkovanie architektúry. Princípy, príklady, perspektívy.) final thesis in additional pedagogic study programme, consultant: Ladislav Čarný, AFAD, Bratislava, 2013 Parkotvor. Opening the Park in People’s Minds. in: City for Citizens, Citizens for City. published by Slovak Governance Institute, Bratislava, 2014 Re-Act. Tools for Urban Re-Activation. contribution to publication by New Generations, Milano, 2015 Confront, Discuss, Collaborate? Bratislava’s Urban Actors Try It All In: Bottom-Up City / Café Bábel, Budapest, 2016 Obchodná ulica a okolie: Potential of cross-sectoral collaboration on the neighbourhood development in: Obchodná: Zbúrať - prestavať - dostavať Faculty of Architecture, STU Bratislava, 2016
MEMBERSHIPS Salzburg Global Seminar fellow of global network DO.CO.MO.MO Slovakia professional association Jedlé mesto civic association, Bratislava Námestie pre ľudí professional initiative, Bratislava Abandoned (Re)creation initiative, Trenčianske Teplice Parkotvor civic initiative, Prievidza Platforma Staré mesto neighbourhood initiative, Bratislava
A Day for the Square. Participatory Planning of Kamenné námestie. in: Projekt. Revue of Slovak Architecture. 3-4/2012 Public Spaces Belong to People with Zuzana Žúžiová, in: .týždeň 32/2013 The City Needs More River with Barbora Mlejová, in: Fórum architektúry 3/2014 First Conference WhatCity? or “Learning from Berlin” in: ARCH 7/2014 Walking with eyes wide open (Chodiť s otvorenými očami) interview with mayor Vladimír Ledecký in: Smart Cities Magazine 4/2014, Brno “We should be planning places for people with people” interview with Elena Madison, PPS New York in: Smart Cities Magazine 3/2016, Brno
LECTURES & PRESENTATIONS New Europe City Makers Summit, and Pre-Summit representation of Bratislava city makers, Pakhuijs de Zwijger, Amsterdam (NL), 2016 Criticise, Discuss, Collaborate? presentation at international conference Město pod pokličkou, Nadace Partnerství, Brno, 2015 New Farms for EXPO guest lecture at workshop by New Generations, Milano, 2015 Urban Gardens Bring Peace to Communities presentation at international conference Public Spaces Bratislava, 2014 Participatory Planning of Public Spaces lecture at workshop Perfect Space, Faculty of Architecture STU Bratislava, 2014 City for Citizens, Citizens for City presentation at international conference, Slovak Governance Institute, Bratislava, 2014 City is (not a machine) for living presentation at public discussion Is Modern Still Modern?, Flatgallery, Bratislava, 2014 as a part of Unfinished by Architectuul Berlin The City Needs More River public participatory planning bikeride and workshop, Nitra (SK), 2014 Renaissance of Public Spaces public presentation at festival Abandoned (Re)creation, Trenčianske Teplice (SK), 2013
PORTFOLIO
community involvement + cultural programming + green environment
collaboration of volunteers and experts
engagement and services for diverse users
food production connects community
educational function of green elements
Harvest Celebration in community garden August 2015
POD PYRAMÍDOU urban rooftop garden Slovak Radio, Mýtna 1, Bratislava (SK), since 2014 with civic association Jedlé mesto and initiative NA STRECHE, in collaboration with RTVS Food self-sufficiency, resilient city dwelling and reinforcement of in-between-use in an attempt for better living in cities is at the core of activities of association Jedlé mesto. In september 2014, we established the first rooftop urban garden in Slovakia, which transforms a space vacant for decades into a place for the neighbourhoods, communities and diverse minorities to meet. We invite them to use this monumental modernist space under the famous “inversed pyramid” to co-create a shared environment and this way rethink and reshape together the way we live in the city. For more information please visit: www.facebook.com/podpyramidou
30 rokov OBCHODNEJ vo výkladoch nA OBCHODNEJ ULICI a V GALÉRII SATELIT
OBCHODNá NA OBCHODNEJ MONIKA STACHO
ĽUBO STACHO
placemaking through art, enabled by collaboration with local businesses
27/10—22/11/2015
PROGRAM NA obchodnaulicaaokolie.sk
engaging a community of shop owners, service providers and employees organizátori
HLAVNÝ PARTNER
PARTNERI
projekt finančne podporili
mediálni partneri
OBCHODNÁ U L IC A A OKOL IE OD 2015
bratislavaguide.com
public presentations, multi-stakeholder meetings
zapojené prevádzky Ázijské bistro / BEPON / CARPISA CCC / DELIKATESO / Dielo Art / I am Klenotníctvo Amor / Madal Bal McDonald’s / Ozeta Rustique / 1. Slovak Pub Slovenská sporiteľňa U sedliaka
production of exhibition in private shop windows
Night of Literature, collaboration with Czech Centres
OBCHODNÁ ULICA A OKOLIE project management and facilitation of cross-sectoral collaboration Obchodná ulica a okolie NGO, Bratislava (SK), since 2015 The association OBCHODNÁ ULICA A OKOLIE is a unique platform which connects local shop owners, service providers and owners of buildings, who attempt for long-term and conceptual transformation of Obchodná street in Bratislava and its surroundings. The association OBCHODNÁ ULICA A OKOLIE together with the partners wants to change the physical and mental image of the street, and become a protopype of successfull and vital street. It is a pilot attempt to adapt the socio-economic model of Business Improvement District, in which the activities of public, private and non-profit sector would connect to provide sustainable changes, improvements and benefits for the locals, wide public as well as the visitors. For more information please visit: www.obchodnaulicaaokolie.sk
temporary stage / resting element
facilities for resting induced socialization
urban gardening community project “Adopt a pot!”
urban gardening community project “Adopt a pot!”
maintenance of infrastructure and greenery
workshops and guided tours
concerts, theatre performances and other events
SQUARE FOR PEOPLE interventions and management of public space Kamenné námestie, Bratislava (SK), since 2012
Námestie pre ľudí (Square for people) is a professional and civic initiative of architects, urban planners, students and volunteers, who concentrate on improvement of planning and management of public spaces. Following the principles of participatory planning, community engagement and placemaking, we develop strategies for revitalisation and development of public spaces and realise actual steps towards their implementation, such as creating interventions, organising events and providing platforms for enhancing the function of community. Project “Leto s námestím” (Summer with the square, 2013) refleced the outcomes of participatory planning of Kamenné námestie, a key public square in the centre of Bratislava, and attempts to transform this problematic and underestimated space into a more livable, functional and welcoming destination. For more data please visit: www.facebook.com/namestiepreludi or www.namestiepreludi.sk
visualisations suggested improvements and interventions in the park and served as a catalyst in discussions
mapping and design workshops with local youth
planning walk and discussion with local public, municipality and experts
PARKOTVOR participatory planning of a park and community engagement Park SkotĹˆa, Prievidza (SK), since 2013 The first step towards future revitalisation of a park in a small city in the centre of Slovakia was a public planning event. We invited local people to share their knowledge and ideas about the park. The event combined participatory planning (workshops with local children and youth, questionnaires, public discussion, interactive walk, mental mapping...) and entertainment (concerts, sports, collective cooking...). The results of the planning are implemented into a strategic future plan of the park available to municipality and into actual interventions, which are being realised in cooperation with citizens and volunteers. For more data please visit: www.parkotvor.prievidza.net or www.facebook.com/parkotvor
cooperation on realisation of ideas
shared space for creativity
material, spatial and procesual interventions
upcyclying and improvisation first floor staircase
tower
flexible use of space example: day 7
high
events initiated by the community example: day 13
open fire
balcony sofa studying
observation deck
VJ screen
DJ pult cardboard kitchen
low
projection plane
concentration of participants terrace
courtyard
versatile scaffolding structure supported spontaneous use and shifting of functions
interventions
dancefloor
bar
auditorium sitting on carpet, matresses and palletes
bar
conversations balcony
sitting on wooden palletes
hammock
debates
bench
Flea Market at the Campus PARTYcipate!
PARTYcipate! temporary structure of experimental student campus Academy of Fine Arts and Design, Drotรกrska cesta 44, Bratislava (SK), realised 2012 diploma thesis led by Peter Stec Temporary structure built from scaffolding and various recycled materials, constructed next to the building of the academy and occupied, developed and maintained by its students for a period of one month. The aim of the intervention was to test the potential of approriating the space and its creative use by students of the accademy. The open and versatile structure hosted various events and actions (discussions, concerts, workshops, parties, presentations, flea market, barbecue...) and provided rich experience in the modes of participation, collaboration and communication among students and visitors. Full report here: www.issuu.com/ultra.belanska/docs/partycipate Preliminary research here: issuu.com/ultra.belanska/docs/campus_research
wooden frame was partially filled with upcycled concrete slabs to provide a counterweight for the cantilever
T(h)REE PLATFORMS multigeneration playground Workshop 1:1, Trnavá hora (SK), realised 2013 with Veronika Trnovská, Marianna Maczová, Danica Pišteková, Maroš Greš, Peter Trnka, Nora Žalúdeková, Lucia Šúpolová, Anne Panjwani, Laura Maasry led by Ransu Helenius and Martin Varga The three cantilevered wooden platforms on a beautiful spot next to a lake are a result of a 10-day concentrated team work. Their abstract forms and spatial corelation invite for interpretation and apropriation by users of all ages. For more data please visit: www.facebook.com/jednakjednej
ľad_ M 1:30
rez B - B’_ M 1:30
pôdorys 1 NP_M 1:30
pohľad_ M 1:30
12m2 small cottage with wood construction proposal 2010 studio led by Sabah Shawkat The design of the cottage was limited by required parameters of wood constructon on an area of 3m x 4 m. The resulting proposal uses this minimal room to develop an inner space for basic functions on two levels. The unusual layered wood construction system allowed cantivevering of the beams and the development of a double sided functional wall, in which storage and sitting facilities of the cottage are “built-in�.
THE LOT proposal of a building in a vacant lot Obchodná ulica (Shopping Street), Bratislava, 2010 Academy of Fine Arts and Design studio led by prof. Ján Bahna The design is inspired by the image of the locality - a vital street in the centre of the city, full of shops and cafés. The concept derives from an idea of fulfillment of the blank, vacant lot to the maximum. The volumes of the building are an ironical allusion to the full shopping bags of the passers-by. Suggested is a groungfloor with a café, inviting and well-connected with the street level, on the other floors open spaces for retail, business and creatives and apartments/studios on the top floor.
pier with resting elements
green roof covering the garages
ŠTRKOVEC urban design of lake shores and surroundings (excerpt) lake Štrkovec, Bratislava, 2010 Academy of Fine Arts and Design studio led by prof. Ján Bahna Transformation of the area around an artificial lake, located in the 70’s prefab neighbourhood. The research of the locality was based on identification of the basic characteristic spatial elements and materials. The concept of the urban design was to sensitively dilute these features (as if the lake’s water would do) into new hybrid elements (hotel, apartment house, sportplaces, molos, green roof...) which would compliment the unique environment and make it more “user-friendly”.
mediating architecture Since 2012, Dominika Belanskรก collaborates on methodics and realisation of educational programs focused on mediation of architecture and urbanism, to allow children and young people to discover the qualities, possibilities and functions of architectural space, the consequences of decisions hidden in architectural and urban plans and models. She leads them to creatively reflect and engage with their environment. Through workshops, gallery animations, guided tours and other educational programs, the participants get theoretical background to develop their own concepts through drawing, model making, installations and other media. On several occasions, she has also adapted these methodics to engage children and youth into participatory planning sessions.
Abandoden (Re)creation lectures and workshops about functionalist architecture Abandoned (Re)creation Festival, Trenčianske Teplice, 2013 with Martin Zaiček, Andrea Kalinová, Rea Dilhoffová and others Workshops for the pupils of primary school in Trenčianske Teplice mediated the principles and importance of functionalist architecture and by means of lectures and interactive walk presented the most important buildings of this movement in the city (some of them vacant). We hope to ignite more interest towards these culturally and historically valuable buildings in the youngest generation. To achieve these goals we used the combination of educatianoal methods of introductory lecture, interactive commentary and interpretation, creative worksheets, maps, drawing and real-time experience with exploraton of the buildings.
City Continuity workshop on urbanism Slovak National Gallery, Bratislava, 2013 with VladimĂr Malast In the first part of the workshop , the participants were given a theoretical background about the basic purposes of city development and urban qualities, based on observation of the neighbouring urban structures. The second part was a teamwork with a scale model of a city fragment. The task was to imagine the next step - how does the city grow and change, if we project our needs and wishes upon its structure? Images show the initial and the final phase of the model.
Build Your City! workshop on urbanism for the youngest Kamenné námestie, Bratislava, 2013 with Námestie pre ľudí, civic initiative Cardboard boxes serves as means to create temporary installation together with the youngest visitors of placemaking events at a central square in Bratislava. Children developed scaled cityscapes, while discussing their dreams, expectations and wishes about the city environment.
Thank you for reading. I’m looking forward to your feedback. Dominika Belanskå ultra.belanska@gmail.com +421 903 103 146