WASTELANDS WORKSHOP GUIDE by Wastelands

WASTELANDS: XXXII EUROPEAN ARCHITECTURE STUDENTS ASSEMBLY WORKSHOP GUIDE VOL. 2.O

IN COOPERATION WITH

CONTENTS

2 IN COOPERATION WITH 3 CONTENTS 4 WORKSHOP INTRODUCTION 5 WASTELANDS SCENARIOS 6 KEYWORDS, IDEAS & INSPIRATIONS 9 THEME: WASTELANDS I3 LOCATIONS: HELSINKI I8 LOCATIONS: SUVILAHTI 29 NEARBY: KALASATAMA 38 NEARBY: TUKKUTORI WHOLESALE MARKET AREA 4O COMMUNICATION BETWEEN US AND THE TUTORS 4I CONSIDERATIONS 43 SCHEDULING 44 YOUR PARTICIPANTS 46 MATERIALS & TOOLS 47 FACILITIES 48 EXTRA INFO 49 CASE STUDY: CO:DEC 54 INSPIRATIONAL IDEAS & REFERENCE PROJECTS 57 SUBMITTING WORKSHOP PROPOSALS 58 GETTING AROUND IN HELSINKI 59 CREDITS & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

WORKSHOP INTRODUCTION Workshops are the central framework of the EASA assembly, structuring the event and producing the majority of what will remain once the assembly is over. However, the aim is not necessarily to achieve the best end result in the short time available. There is rather an emphasis on process. A workshopâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s success should be measured by how the proposal was realised and what the participants and tutors have gained from it. It should be about how well the participants and tutors have worked together and how satisfied every single one is with their involvement. In this spirit it is not a case of a professional imparting his knowledge to the participants. It is rather about exchange of ideas and dialogue. Workshops should allow students to evolve and have important experiences, meet new people, get together and solve problems as a team. The EASA workshop ethic is in deliberate contrast to the usual introverted and competitive approach in university education, to the output orientated professional context, and expertise and elite approach of many other summer schools. It is the EASA spirit that joins all in a network without hierarchy. This is not supposed to and does not limit the variety of approaches tutors can have to their proposals. Instead it widens the possibilities. We aim for workshops at EASA012 to differ as much as possible in scale, theory, material and media, because we believe that it is important to offer participants a broad range of different subjects and working methods to choose from. We invite everyone to submit unique ideas of any kind as proposals for a workshop at EASA012. These could include for example: - large built structure - permanent, ephemeral; - smaller experimental structures with strong theoretical background; - theoretical workshops with physical output or intermediate stages or purely experimental and theoretical workshops. Workshops also differ in the way that participants are engaged. Proposals should consider whether: - there is a preconceived output delivered by the tutor; - if the whole group work on the same project: - or if are all participants develop their own ideas, producing many variations under a common framework provided by the tutor. All these approaches have been realized as successful workshops in previous assemblies. It is up to the tutor(s) to decide which one suits best the idea.

KEYWORDS, IDEAS & INSPIRATIONS The abstractly illustrated map on the page before this chapter shows the Wastelands-area and its characteristics on a not-in-scale & conceptual level. The map includes a broad selection of scenarios and initial ideas of how and what the site could look like during the EASA012 event on July 2012. The buildings and their functions are shown in a relatively accurate way, however the facilities, ideas, concepts and possibilities regarding the courtyard and the placement of all the eventual functions are flexible and open for shaping up according to the selection of workshops that will be chosen for the assembly. The illustration should be interpreted as a vast source of inspiration and possibilities, considering elements that already are in the area as well as what could be done and/or added – possibly through a workshop during the assembly. All this could be temporary or permanent, fixed or mobile, concrete or conceptual. These different pieces of information might provoke and generate great ideas through considering some of these seemingly trivial facts listed here: • The road bordering Suvilahti in the northwest corner of the site will be moved a bit in the coming years, creating a new slice of courtyard for the area. • The covered gasometer is under renovations, however visits of five people at a time might be possible during the event to investigate the incredibly massive empty building from inside. Perhaps this may provoke some fresh ideas for theoretical and/or media workshops or such. • Nearby areas in the sunny asphalt fields of Kalasatama are commonly being used for urban farming, i.e. growing vegetables, herbs, plants etc. in transportable garden-bags (such as www.bacsac.fr/en). This phenomenon could be utilized in Suvilahti area as well, perhaps even before the assembly. • Suvilahti administration is very open for new ideas concerning the development of the cultural centre, figuring out ways to use the outdoor areas during the "off-seasons", which basically last from September to March, excluding occasional snow-related events during winters. Also different mobile objects dividing/creating urban spaces might be valuable, as every clever idea improving the cultural area. • There is a graffiti-art-gallery functioning in the middle of the site (www.makeyourmark.fi). There are also hundreds of meters of public graffiti-permissive walls and art walls in the area, so anyone can create public art in Suvilahti. The graffiti-gallery also sells street-credible spray paint cans, primers and such.

KEYWORDS, IDEAS & INSPIRATIONS • There will probably be a number of pop-up cafés/book-shops, hotdog-stands, food stalls etc. visiting the site for some days during the assembly. There will also be people passing by in the area, which could be considered as a great potentiality in terms of interaction between workshops and the public. It also seems to be legal to set up pop-up-style one-day-restaurants in Helsinki. More information on a new, fresh and huge phenomenon of pop-up-restaurants in the city can be found in the address www.restaurantday.org. It is also possible to sell stuff in a flea-market style. • There will hopefully be objects, items and gadgets in the site related to playgrounds. • There will be multiple saunas in the area, and there is no limit on how many there could or should be. Additional spaces for saunas are not yet confirmed (such as water-affiliated elements, terraces, sun-decks etc.). • Film garage and outdoor cinema settlements are being planned for showing video-art pieces and non-commercial short and long films throughout the assembly. • Various different lounge areas will be needed and are already being planned/built in cooperation with different actors/operators. • There are enormous flat outdoor areas to use, either for workshops or recreational sports or some other yet unknown activities. • A skateboarding park has been constructed right next to the main area since 2011. The park is designed and built by the Finnish Skateboarding Federation (FSF) (www.rullalauta.fi/in-english) volunteers. The park is built mainly out of concrete, and it might be possible to expand it with new objects. Inquiries should be addressed directly to the FSF-representatives. • Workshops can be executed both inside and outside, in open air or in covered workshop-areas. There will be an extensive selection of power tools suitable for working with wood, metals and other materials. The site is equipped with wireless internet. • There is water (sea) nearby. There is no official/approved swimming spot located in the docklands area, however people do swim there, both winters and summers. There will most likely be at least one sauna in the southern edge of Kalasatama area. • There is a public square consisting of eleven shipping containers in Kalasatama area. The square is used for different indie-style concerts, art exhibitions, movie nights, poetry clubs and other events. • A café (www.ihanakahvila.fi) built out of two shipping containers is located in the southern edge of Kalasatama area. The coffee is excellent and the views are fantastic. The café also has hammocks and other outdoor-elements to relax on. • In the illustration, a large selection of inspiring keywords is written and listed, all affiliated to the general atmosphere of the EASA012 site. All of these words, topics and phenomenons can be used as a source of inspiration in order to come up with a marvellous workshop proposal.

THEME: WASTELANDS

However different the various workshops are, they will have one common link. The theme is supposed to be a general framework between the different workshops and activities during the assembly and meant to be a source for creative thought and inspiration. Each workshop should embrace the theme in some way, dealing on a creative level with diverse approaches to the subject and conclude with critical reflection. Even though for us the theme Wastelands has its practical origin in looking at current day Helsinki, its architectural tendencies and the main venue of this year's assembly surrounded by beautiful, developing urban Wastelands, we wish to open a much wider spectrum of ideas. We aim to look further and deeper, expanding the visions to a more global level of architecture and design as well as in communication with common people, who are not only our future clients, but also the actual crowd utilizing architecture and city spaces â&#x20AC;&#x201C; one way or another. This will allow EASA012 to engage people from the wide range of backgrounds in a global phenomenon but at the same time reflect on the locality and its situation. We hope that the assembly will conclude with creative outcomes that connect strongly with the location through a series of authentic, exploitative and innovative workshops. We wish that the outcome of all workshops will assemble to a form an unprecedented selection of works focusing on our habitats and the infinite diversity of possibilities ranging through the human-built environment. What better and wider angle could an investigation into a subject have than up to 500 students from all over Europe and beyond working on a range of diverse and different workshops.

THEME: WASTELANDS

The theme for the XXXII European Architecture Students Assembly is Wastelands. It is a globally current topic in the mutating urban zones. Cities can't always continue expanding their borders even if they keep growing in mass and population. More and more often a city has to deal with the space they already possess. Urban areas usually seem to be fully built but there are always potential in areas that have not yet been studied. It doesn't mean that every little gap in the city structure must be filled and stuffed with a building – on the contrary. That gap can also offer something else; a place for having a break on a hectic day, a spot to breath in, make someone smile, offering a perfect spot for playing ball-games, a place for occasional events, such as pop-up exhibitions, hotdog-stands and virtually anything – massive or tiny, temporary or permanent, something that creates discussion and might divide public opinions. That empty space can also be surrounded by walls. In this case we are talking about empty buildings and properties. Inside those walls might lay a huge potential for something new, for a new life, without demolition. The venue where the 2012 edition of EASA is held – a decommissioned power plant area called Suvilahti – is a fantastic example of such progress, including and surrounded by more or less temporarily and occasionally unused spaces. That is why it is such a perfect site to set up the EASA012 base camp. Suvilahti itself is an extremely inspiring miniature-town-like environment with a historical background and increasing cultural use. The area of Suvilahti is a perfect Wasteland not going to waste. It obviously has spots that can and should be studied and developed, but new operators, mostly in the field of culture, have already found the area. The buildings are being restored one by one into different cultural working spaces that currently serve for diverse purposes of photographers, designers, events, modern circus and more. The open, empty field binding the area together consists mainly of old asphalt surfaces and packed-up gravel, and is occasionally used by various music festivals and different kinds of urban events.

LOCATIONS: HELSINKI

Wastelands is a city based event. During the two weeks nearly 500 architecture students from all over Europe will explore the city's urban characteristics and intervene with its context. This applies equally to the workshops, which are supposed to deal extensively with the city and our main venue – Suvilahti. We hope that successful workshops will engage with the site they are located at, or encompass the city as a whole. Working in an urban environment brings certain aspects into the way a workshop has to be planned and conceived. Building or preparation of the workshops will mostly be executed in the EASA-exclusive workshopareas in Suvilahti provided with the necessary power-tools and facilities, but ultimately the EASA012-venue will be as open for the public as possible, in order for the interested and conscious passers-by to admire the architectural (and other) wonders taking place in the fields of Suvilahti. We expect that this will attract public interest and we hope that workshops will take advantage from this situation and actively engage with the people. We believe that especially in regard to the theme this may be a major advantage. It is desired that tutors and participants will be in contact with the local people within the context of their workshop. This will hopefully allow participants to reflect critically on the way cities, urban spaces and their dwellers function. Helsinki – the capital of Finland – is one of the most important cities on the shores of the Baltic Sea, both economically and culturally. The city is located in the southern coast of the Finnish peninsula around numerous bays and the delta of river Vantaa with an estimated population of 600,000 inhabitants occupying the downtown area.

LOCATIONS: HELSINKI

The history of Helsinki dates back to the year 1550, when King Gustav Wasa of Sweden established the trading town of Hellssingeforss (the original official Swedish name of the city of Helsinki) as a port town to compete the Hanseatic city of Reval (today known as Tallinn) for Baltic Sea trade and transport. However, for centuries, Helsinki remained a modest town plagued by poverty, wars and diseases. It was not until the beginning of the 19th century that the town began to develop into a substantial city, after the Finnish capital was moved from the western city of Turku to Helsinki. Regular summer seaway lines were opened as early as 1837 with the SS Storfursten carrying passengers to St. Petersburg, Tallinn and Stockholm. Regular, year-round passenger traffic started in 1972. The passenger ferries still arrive to Helsinki city centre but the cargo services from the northern harbour in Kalasatama and the western harbour in J채tk채saari moved to the eastern edges of Helsinki. A port moving further away from the city centre and developing itself to a more modern and efficient one as happened to the port in Kalasatama is a global phenomenon. The efficient and fluent transportation of goods requires more and more space. Time is money. Trucks and trains can't spend valuable time in downtown city traffic. Smaller and regional ports are joining their activities. Vast areas are left behind empty and unused. Vast Wastelands awaiting for future use. One could describe them as a playground for temporary architecture. And temporary often turns out to be permanent.

LOCATIONS: SUVILAHTI

Suvilahti – the main venue of EASA012 – is an old electrical power plant area located in the district of Sörnäinen in Helsinki. The area is currently in the middle of a strong transformation-phase into becoming a fully vivid cultural centre. Today the area of Suvilahti consists of two obsolete gasometers and nine industrial buildings. The remaining buildings have been defined as nationally important in the field of significant industrial environments in Finnish cultural history. The area and its value are also well recognized by the National Board of Antiquities which has listed Suvilahti as a nationally significant cultural environment. Therefore most of the buildings are protected, and are to be preserved and restored in their current appearance. The site is surrounded by the city district of Sörnäinen and the new, emerging urban district of Kalasatama (literally meaning a 'fish harbour' in English). Sörnäinen and Kalasatama are at the moment going through major postindustrial changes. The old industrial locations and the wholesale market area in Hermanni are transforming into vibrant food and design districts, whereas Kalasatama area will evolve into a new center for business and residential housing. Since Suvilahti power plant is in the middle of all these massive transformations and the urban planning carried out by the city is not totally completed, the area will remain as it is at least to the end of the decade and continue its transformation into a cultural centre under Kaapelitalo's administration.

LOCATIONS: SUVILAHTI

A brief history of Suvilahti: • 1907: Decision taken to construct an electrical power plant beside Suvilahti Bay in the Sörnäinen district of Helsinki. • 14 July 1909: Inauguration of power plant designed by architect Selim A. Lindqvist. • Expansions and extensions in the 1930s, ‘40s and ‘50s. • 1976: Power plant operations discontinued at Suvilahti. • 1978-1980: Interior facilities emptied. • Early 1980s: Repairs and renovation – power plant converted into a warehouse and exercise/ recreational facilities for the employees of Helsinki Energy. • 1980s: First used for cultural projects, including KOM -theatre 1981-82 and a film studio. • 2000s: Business activities and photography studios. • 2007 March-October: Mayor’s committee considers the future of area. • 30 October 2007: proposal to transfer administration to Kiinteistö Oy Kaapelitalo (Real Estate Company Kaapelitalo). • 1 January 2008: Suvilahti becomes part of Kaapelitalo’s administration. • 2008 to present: Evolving cultural centre. Summer festivals, winter events, concerts and urban culture.

NEARBY: KALASATAMA

The first modern harbour in Finland was established to Sörnäinen in 1863. Around that time industry also started moving to the same area. The district was nearly unbuilt and it had a good bedrock to build on, as well as good naval and railroad connections. Kallio, Sörnäinen and Alppila districts quickly gained their identity as a district of working men, industry and traffic. Since the 1950s the harbour area was significantly expanded by artificially filling land masses over the sea, connecting the small nearby islands to the mainland and the origininal port of Sörnäinen. After the 1970s when the industry started moving away the area has transformed into a district of students, entrepreneurs and government. When the commercial cargo port moved away to Vuosaari in 2008 a massive shore area was left emtpy and polluted in Kalasatama. Now that the polluted land is being removed and only a couple of temporary warehouses are left the area starts to open for the current and future inhabitants. The first housing blocks are already rising next to Kalasatama metro station but the 135 hectares and a dozen kilometers of shoreline in the Kalasatama wastelands won't be filled before 2030s. By the end of 2020s the district is planned to host 18000 residents, 10000 jobs and 20-30 storey tower blocks and high-rises, whilst Helsinki downtown planning has traditionally aimed in preserving the steady horizontal, relatively low silhouette of the city. As described in Helsinki's official urban renewal website, Kalasatama's "beautiful maritime milieu is the perfect place to enjoy life, with effective public transport and a central location making Kalasatama an easily accessible work environment near the city centre. The transformation of a former gasometer in Suvilahti into a cultural centre adds further value to the area." For maps, inspiration, information on ongoing temporary projects, guerrilla-saunas, graffiti-walls, locations and more information about the planning of Kalasatama, please visit: http://kalasatamanvaliaika.fi/projects http://en.uuttahelsinkia.fi/iframe/map/119?width=640&height=480&iframe=true http://ksv.hel.fi/en/projectpage/kalasatama/kalasatama http://en.uuttahelsinkia.fi/areas/1/kalasatama

NEARBY: TUKKUTORI WHOLESALE MARKET AREA

When The Wholesale Market finally settled in its current location in Hermanni in the 1930s the most modern abattoir in Europe was built there. Its operations have been expanding since the 1950s when a freezer plant and sections for flowers, vegetables and fish were added. Today, the market is busy twelve months a year, seven days a week. Vendors and their customers both value the central location and good transport links. Trading begins in the early hours. The market serves hundreds of businesses in the capital. Many event organisers, catering companies and market traders are based at the complex. Approximately 130 businesses currently trade there, making this truly a one-stop shop. In future, the Wholesale Market will increasingly specialise in good food and excellent service. Building work for new, high-quality food processing facilities is underway and mixed-use developments are springing up around the area.15000 new inhabitants are expected at the nearby Hermanni and SĂśrnĂ¤istenranta alone and we are working to ensure that these new consumers too will be able to enjoy what the Wholesale Market has to offer. For more information on the Helsinki Wholesale Market area (situated north across the road from the main venue of EASA012), please visit: http://www.hel.fi/hki/Heltu/en/Etusivu

COMMUNICATION BETWEEN US AND THE TUTORS

The problems with planning and development of realistic proposals in regard to the work within the public realm require a high level of communication prior to the assembly. We address this issue by allocating liaisons that will be responsible for certain workshops. They will deal with the issues and ideas that arise from workshop proposals, investigate what can be achieved and arrange the necessary steps in advance. This will feed information back to the tutors, and we expect that proposals will be changed to some extent after a workshop is chosen. It is, for that reason, important to note at this point that proposals with a strong concept are more likely to be successful compared with those that propose a finished outcome. Such a detailed design can be worked out with the liaison before the assembly, if applicable. In any case tutors will be asked to provide as much information as possible with their proposals, to allow a better assessment of their viability. It is for this reason that the application deadline is set relatively early. This will allow enough time to deal efficiently with the complications that might arise from the urban context of the assembly. In addition, it allows people whose proposals werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t chosen to apply as participants.

CONSIDERATIONS The EASA event is never the same and there is no rule of how an assembly has to be. Equally there is no manual on running a successful workshop. There have been many workshops in previous assemblies, each and every one with their own and unique approach to how to run a workshop, how to engage participants, how to relate to the theme. We wont dictate how to go about any of these topics, but instead provide a couple of things to consider. Keep these in mind when looking at the case studies below and working out your own ideas. There are no restrictions to who can apply for either tutoring a workshop or competitions and no professional background is essential. However a skill in organising a two week project, working in a group and explaining and communicating effectively are required. When proposing a workshop you should have an idea of: - How to actually realize it during the two weeks of the assembly. This can include a timetable or plan of action. If that seems too limiting there still has to be some notion of a realistic target. - How to work in a group. What is the group structure? Are there roles? How are tasks divided or responsibilities allocated? Consider how many participants can work on the project at the same time. - How to communicate the idea of the workshop and what you want to achieve. This could be for example in form of presentation material that will also prove useful when first introducing the workshop at the assembly. - How to engage the participants in your idea. What will keep the participants interested in working on the project and stop them from spending their time elsewhere? This is important since its entirely up to the participants if they wish to attend. - How to document the process and final outcome. This will be essential for tutors and participants. It will also feed into the final report produced by the organizers after the assembly. It is important to keep in mind that the students are usually unskilled in using tools, not accustomed to the city and most of them do not speak perfectly solid English. Further, as a tutor, you are required to foresee potential danger of your project and if necessary make your participants aware of health and safety issues and give an introduction to tools if applicable.

SCHEDULING As you probably know by now, the workshops run for nearly two weeks. At EASA012 we are taking a one day excursion, leaving 9 full working days for the actual workshops. Use the introductory workshop-timetable below to explain how you plan to schedule your workshop. 15th of July (Sunday) is reserved for arrival and registration to EASA012, whilst the actual action starts immediately on Monday morning with breakfast, general info, workshop fair and such. The blank days are working days reserved for the workshops. The evenings are reserved for different social events, lectures, recreation etc. Please think carefully about how you can successfully execute your workshop within this time, as well as allowing time to produce a high-quality presentation for the final exhibitions.

24/TUE

19/THU

20/FRI

21/SAT

22/SUN

25/WED

26/THU

27/FRI

28/SAT

29/SUN TAKING OFF / END OF EASA012

WORKSHOP FAIR / WORKSHOP PARTICIPANT SELECTIONS / WORKSHOPS START IN THE AFTERNOON

23/MON

18/WED

FINAL EXHIBITIONS / FINAL PARTY

17/TUE

EXCURSION DAY / HOLIDAY

16/MON BREAKFAST / GENERAL INFO / E X P L O R IN G TH E A R E A / WORKSHOP PRESENTATIONS / OPENING GALA

Workshops generally start every morning at 10am after breakfast and last until dinner time.

YOUR PARTICIPANTS

As easa participants donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t choose workshops before the assembly starts, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s up to the tutors to promote their workshop to their potential participants. This is to be done in the first two days of the assembly. In the afternoon of Monday, 16th of July 2012, there will be the workshop presentations. This involves a short 3 minute presentation to give a taste to participants of what the workshop will entail. The next morning, after the participants have had some time to think and discuss, their will be a workshop fair. Here tutors will be able to answer questions and talk to potential participants on a personal level, after which the selections of participants for each workshop is made. After this, in the afternoon, each workshop will gather up, get to know each other, and start planning and working on the actual workshop.

MATERIALS & TOOLS The organisers of EASA012 have put together a shopping list of basic materials which we hope should cover a vast majority of workshopâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s material needs. Construction Materials Plywood Fibre board - e.g. MDF / OSB / Hard Board Timber - Varying in lengths and dimensions Dowel - Varying in lengths and dimensions Sheet Metal Metal Lengths - Varying in lengths and dimensions Metal Angles Glass / Plastic Sheeting String / Rope / Metal Rope / Wire Bricks / Construction Blocks / Paving Tiles Cement / Sand Insulation Board / Roll Mechanical Fixings - e.g. Screws / Nails / Nuts & Bolts / Rivets Chemical Fixings - e.g. Glues / Mastics Paint / Spray Paint / Paint Brushes / Paint Rollers Fabric - Varying in types and colours Electrics - e.g. Lights / Cable / Switches Stationary Pens / Pencils / Paint / Ink / Glue / Sticky Tape Paper / Card / Mount Board Clay / Plaster Craft Knives / Scissors / Rulers / Erasers / Staple Guns & Staples If tutors want to use more specific materials they must ask for it in their application, or better yet, find themselves a sponsor who can provide the material for them. Tools and Equipment A variety of both hand tools and power tools will be provided to tutors which should allow them to achieve the workshop to the best of their abilities, and on time. Non building equipment, (for example projectors, audio/visual equipment, computers) will be available to be loaned out to workshops.

FACILITIES

A variety of spaces will be provided depending on the workshop type. Construction Workshops – If the workshop is permanent or semi permanent a specific site will be allocated to the workshop, preferably somewhere nearby the EASA012 site – Suvilahti, or in another intriguing spot suitable for the workshop in the city. Tutors are encouraged to specify the characteristics of their desired space and the organisation team will do their best to get it for them. Theoretical Workshops – A quiet working environment where discussions, drawing, model making etc. can be carried out will be provided. Compound Workshops - A quiet working environment where discussions, drawing, model making etc. can be carried out will be provided. Workshops will also have access to build spaces where they can use power tools and heavier materials and have sufficient space to realise their theoretical work. Media – A working environment where tutors and participants can come together to hold discussions, as well as edit the material they have recorded around the city will be provided. The Suvilahti area maintains electric outlets, sufficient floodlights, wireless internet access etc.

EXTRA INFO

Tutors, whose workshop is accepted, will get a slight reduction in the overall participation fee to attend EASA012. We feel this is fair reward for your efforts. The percentage of this discount will be defined more specifically during this spring. To be included with your application submission there should be a portrait A1 board in PDF-format. This will be used as a promotion in the Wastelands-website as well as in different exhibitions prior to, during, and after the assembly, so usual presentation guidelines should be followed. Above all else, make it pretty. Finding ones own sponsorship for your workshop is also encouraged, as it will give tutors more to prepare with and also gives a clear signal to the organisers that you are serious about making a great workshop.

CASE STUDY: CO:DEC How To Run A Successful Workshop It goes without saying that it can be a limiting activity to propose an outline structure to a workshop. EASA workshops come in a variety of media, are composed of different numbers of participants, have different goals and revolve around leadership, dedication, a distinct skill-set and coherent organisation on the ground. With that in mind, we feel that it is beneficial to outline, using one successful workshop from EASA007 City Index -assembly held in Eleusina, Greece, some striking aspects that were evident to us, as future organisers, and that we felt would be helpful to those seeking to undertake a tutorship this year. Obviously, these arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t strict guidelines, but rather hints at how to bring a good idea to a successful conclusion. 1. Realistic Aims From inception, tutors should make clear what they foresee as the ultimate realisation. This will help the organisers to provide for, and the participants to commit to the workshop. Motivating participants is essential, and the tutors can take certain lengths to help this happen. 2. Engaging Participants If applicable, the backing of a sponsor can lend a workshop a little extra financial clout. It may allow tutors to provide starter packs for the participants. This is a great way to gain commitment and interest from your participants early. A workshop starter pack may include a participants guide / sponsorship info / workshop t-shirt or hat / whatever raw material may be relevant to that workshop. 3. Informing Participants Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s impossible to assume that the average participant will have the same depth of understanding of the workshop topic as the tutor of that workshop. Therefore it can be very helpful to garner the participants with a synopsis of research done, as well as any other important information and considerations. As with any architectural undertaking it is helpful to see previous examples and precedents for the type of work the tutors are proposing. Far from steering participants, this allows them to be inspired by people who have had a lot more time to consider their interventions.

CASE STUDY: CO:DEC

Observing case studies is one thing, being able to achieve the desired finish is another. For a built workshop this may mean having a strong understanding of the assembly details, for Co:Dec, it was knowing how to actually use paints. Workshops should aim to provide both the theoretical platform, as well as the means with which to implement it. Disregard for either ingredient may well make for a weak end-product. 4. Maintaining participation EASA workshops are about involving all the participants, basically it’s important for a tutor not to make his/her participants feel like lackeys. This may require a certain amount of ‘holding-back’ from tutors. Creating a healthy and non-prohibitive atmosphere is an essential part of the EASA spirit. However, if you’ve been selected by your NC to travel with your country to participate at a EASA, we think you have an onus to your tutors and your hosts to muck in. Discipline will come more naturally from some than others. The rule of thumb is; the more you put in to a EASA workshop, the more you are likely to get out. Continuous discussions and exercises are very helpful for both developing ideas, and helping participants to get to know one and other. To get the best out of the short time available, we think it would be helpful if exercises and discussion topics were considered in advance by the tutors and given a deliberate slot in the workshop schedule. A schedule is essential. It's very easy to put things off until the ‘next day’. If everyone knows the progress expected throughout the workshop period, then it relieves the tutors from having to convince people to work - i.e. It becomes clear that if you lose time one day, then you’ll have to make it up the next if the workshop is to be completed. This probably sounds strict, which it generally isn’t - adjustments are inevitable and always negotiable. 5. Safety What may seem obvious always needs to be reiterated as regards safety. During the course of a workshop participants will be using any number of different tools, as well as materials of all descriptions and size. Although EASA has sported a clean bill of health in recent memory, tutors must not grow complacent. Attending the power-tool demonstrations lecture early in the workshop period is a great idea, not only for tutors but for anyone intending to use these tools. Including a small house-keeping and hazards advisory relevant to the proposed workshop in the 'participants guide' is clever.

CASE STUDY: CO:DEC

6. Sponsorship and lectures Sponsorships and some bare-faced brand pushing allowed Co:Dec to spend more money than most workshops. Everyone benefited. The sponsors were well advertised and their donations allowed the tutors to invite a guest lecturer from a top contemporary Swiss architecture practice. Obviously this isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a necessity for all workshops, but it is a fine example of what can be achieved with a little foresight and organisation. 7. Documentation Collating written reports and photographs during the course of a workshop will aid in the production of a final report, whether that be a printed publication, an exhibition or a DVD. A well produced body of work is a great testament to the effort put in by the organisers, tutors, participants and also the sponsors. It can also provide a lasting memory for works that may have been more temporary or intangible in nature.

INSPIRATIONAL IDEAS & REFERENCE PROJECTS

As a source of inspiration, giving ideas, stimulating thoughts for design, workshops and their locations and materials, we've gathered here a couple of photos of reference projects realized in former EASA-assemblies.

SUBMITTING WORKSHOP PROPOSALS

To submit a proposal for a workshop in Wastelands â&#x20AC;&#x201C; EASA012 held in Helsinki, Finland from 16th to 29th of July 2012, you must download and fill out the form found in the following address: http://www.wastelands.fi/workshops/workshopname_form.pdf Send the completed form along with required attachments (listed in the application form) to workshops@wastelands.fi by 29th of February 2012. Any further questions concerning the proposal, workshops, or any other details should also be addressed to workshops@wastelands.fi.

GETTING AROUND IN HELSINKI

This is an urban EASA, and most of the sites will be within walking distance of each other. There are also several bus routes passing by Suvilahti area, and two metro-stations in 500 meter distance. Also one of the city's most trafficed public transportation junction (Sörnäinen) is located only 500 meters west from Suvilahti. From there you can get in various buses heading to the airport and the sub-urban areas in north, east and west from the city center, as well as trams number 6, 7A, 7B, and 8, and the metro running in two directions every four minutes. Public transportation tickets can be bought from ticket machines located in all the metro stations, as well as from the driver in buses and trams. There are two essential ticket types in Helsinki area – the other being an inner Helsinki ticket, which is definitely adequate for most transportation during the assembly, and the other one including the surrounding cities of Espoo and Vantaa. For example the Helsinki-Vantaa airport is located outside the borders Helsinki in the city of Vantaa. If you purchase a prepaid SIM-card for a mobile phone available in most kiosks, you can also get a 2,20€ SMS-ticket by sending a code 'A1' to the number 16355, which in return sends you a onehour-ticket valid for the inner city trains, trams, metros and ferries to the Suomenlinna fortress.

CREDITS & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thanks go out to the authors of the Tutor Pack for Letterfrack008, Ireland, for use of their well written case study on Co:Dec workshop, and the Tutor Pack for Manchester010, for all the great information applicable to this yet another urban EASA. Thanks also go out to all past, current and future EASA-people and the network enabling Wastelands to be the EASA-assembly of this current year of 2012, and for everyone else who's helping us out by giving valuable information, priceless criticism, opinions and comments.