The Bartlett
School of Architecture
Summer Show 2020
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School of Architecture
Summer Show 2020
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Towards a Socially Engaged Architecture
This begins by removing the pen from the architect.
It’s easy for architects to be absorbed by their own imagination and entrenched in their ways of working. In doing so they risk becoming disconnected from meaningful and productive relationships.
This project seeks to develop tools to empower the public as co-designers. Taking inspiration from socially engaged art practices, the proposed tools aim to create transparency and foster trust between participants. Making marks engages participants who may be limited by their linguistic capabilities to express critical reflections on their built environment.
The project reveals that the mechanics of the workshop do not exist in a vacuum, debunking the myth of the architect as the gatekeeper of professional knowledge.
Conversational Cryptex
A predecessor of the workshops, this was used as a tool to spark conversations between strangers through strange and familiar objects and routines.
Conversations
Participants appreciated the mutuality during the exchange as they felt listened to. Conversations during the session were intimate and reflective.
Mark Making
Mapping and marking through stamps allowed for imagination and introspection to take place. It was easier for participants to reach a deeper level of engagement through mark making.
Stamping Anecdotes
Each stamp held a story and the signature of the previous author; a handshake from one stranger to the next. Stories behind each stamp were revealed to spark deeper conversations.
Stickers
Using stickers in place of stamps and mapping, nurses from the NHS were asked to imagine what an urban village for healthcare professionals could look like.
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