From the Biennale to the orchard – A structure for the Parcc Oasis
ATTENTION: THIS PROJECT IS THE RESULT OF A COLLABORATIVE PROCESS BETWEEN CTRL+Z AND DIFFERENT AGENTS. FOR A CORRECT UNDERSTANDING, I INVITE YOU TO GET TO KNOW THE OTHER SUBJECTS DIRECTLY.
INVOLVED: LESARCHIMINOTS LAM ASSOCIATION. ITS REALIZATION HAS BEEN MADE POSSIBLE THANKS TO THE SUPPORT OF: PROVELIS (MARSEILLE), LA BIENNALE ARCHITECTURE LYON (LYON) AND MAP MARSEILLE (MARSEILLE).
Background
At the end of September 2016, we participated with the Lesarchiminots Association (LAM) in the Open Days of Rue Consolat organized by the Asso POC in Marseille, having the good fortune to be able to collaborate with LAM in the construction of a small facility in Place Labadié with the children of the association.
Following that fortunate meeting, or rather re-encounter, we stayed in touch and at the end of the year the opportunity to participate in the I Biennale d'Architecture de Lyon arose and we decided to embark together on this new adventure.
Following that fortunate meeting, or rather re-encounter, we stayed in touch and at the end of the year the opportunity to participate in the I Biennale d'Architecture de Lyon arose and we decided to embark together on this new adventure.
Approach / mental space
The collaboration was possible because we all agreed from the beginning that the exhibition was a starting point, not an end point. An opportunity to ask and propose questions, to question, to experiment, to imagine… not just to exhibit.
All of this became, over time, a process of introspection but also of confrontation, in order to understand and choose the message and the themes that we wanted to propose. Finally, the theme chosen was the role that children can play in the construction of the city, its public spaces and their dynamics of use.
All of this became, over time, a process of introspection but also of confrontation, in order to understand and choose the message and the themes that we wanted to propose. Finally, the theme chosen was the role that children can play in the construction of the city, its public spaces and their dynamics of use.
Our proposal “Children are dangerous” wanted to highlight the potential of children to positively influence urban dynamics while still being able to dream of greener and more liveable cities… cities that would ultimately be better for everyone!
Their lack of prejudice and curiosity, their uncomfortable questions and their ability to introduce new narratives into sometimes too rigid discourses could reduce the gap between those who manage and plan the city and the ordinary citizen.
Ultimately, all of this led us to ask a question: “Would architects, planners, politicians and society in general be willing to listen to children in order to plan happier cities together, or ARE WE AFRAID OF CHILDREN?”
An 8-metre-long sign reading “Children are dangerous” was installed in the square in front of the entrance to the Sucrerie, the building hosting the exhibition, a very popular place for the general public and a must-see for visitors to the exhibition, to encourage exchange and stimulate public debate on this subject.
In fact, we decided to install the entire proposal outside the Biennale in order to reach a wider audience than those directly interested in its proposals and willing to purchase a ticket to enter.
Realization / physical space
All this materialised in a double agora for sitting and talking. One of the spaces was covered by a geodesic dome with shutters installed on a base of vertical pallets, to give it more height and make it accessible, while the other, with its changes in level, invited play and standing, so that both children and adults could sit comfortably thanks to the different heights.
From the beginning, the structure was designed so that, once the event was over, it could be given away free of charge and permanently installed in an urban garden.
Even before seeing an image, the members of PARCC Oasis de Clermont-Ferrand were enthusiastic about the possibility and accepted the challenge of participating in the production and assembly of the structure at the Biennale, to which volunteers from ASF France and of course members of LAM also contributed.
The objective of the participation of the friends of PARCC Oasis in this first phase was their empowerment. The trained people were able to correctly direct the dismantling, transport and assembly at the new location with minimal or no incidents, demonstrating the effectiveness of a design and technology transfer scheme designed and conceived expressly for the empowerment of communities.
Technically, we re-weaved different geodesic domes on the same spherical surface, in order to configure a rigid structure despite the flimsy nature of the elements that compose it. At the same time, we wanted to continue our experimentation and configure an aesthetically attractive assembly, which could demonstrate how the geometric configuration of simple pieces can create assemblies with very different characteristics from those of the base elements. We have no record of any dome built by other people with this system, so this would be the second “Z-desic™” structure in the world!
Development of the Biennale
During the opening days, the LAM children were in charge of presenting our proposal to the public and talking to the attendees to explain the proposal and confront them.
The children were also responsible for the official presentation of the proposal, around a table and in front of microphones. Despite their young age, they shared with lucidity, clarity and precision their vision of the city and their reasons for demanding that their voice be heard when urban issues are debated, without giving up their joy and spontaneity. They carried out this task as citizens and professionals in front of the public.
On June 10th we also had the opportunity to carry out our workshop “Geodesic Geometries” in its children’s version. The children carried out the tasks of preparing the pieces, assembling the modules and building the sphere themselves under the supervision of the tutors.
The results of the workshop were displayed in the interior spaces of the exhibition, demonstrating the excellent work and what can be achieved by giving space and trust to the youngest members of society.
More information about the children's workshops of “Geodesic Geometries" here.
On June 10th we also had the opportunity to carry out our workshop “Geodesic Geometries” in its children’s version. The children carried out the tasks of preparing the pieces, assembling the modules and building the sphere themselves under the supervision of the tutors.
The results of the workshop were displayed in the interior spaces of the exhibition, demonstrating the excellent work and what can be achieved by giving space and trust to the youngest members of society.
More information about the children's workshops of “Geodesic Geometries" here.
Conclusions
Biennials are a place where proposals generated with very diverse and even opposing work schemes come together under the same labels. Apparently similar initiatives can be articulated with opposite economic, social and empowerment cycles and will also have very different effects on the communities in which they are developed.
One of our objectives was to close a cycle in which the community was not used by building an element together and then extracting it and exposing it once it was enriched by its work and by the values derived from having been created within it. Depriving a community of the results means leaving it poorer than its initial situation, having spent a lot of social energy, a lot of commitment, a lot of hope in the processes involved in the creation of the proposed element.
We wanted our participation in this event to be an opportunity to support a community and for the added value of what was built to remain in it. To do this, we set up a clear cycle, in which, apart from carrying our exhibition message, thanks to the participation in the Biennale, we have been able to recover the resources and add the energy necessary for the construction of a facility that, upon completion, would be donated to a social initiative.participatory planning self-construction participation community empowerment architecture
Under this scheme, the added value of the experience, the hours of work of the volunteers, the architecture produced does not remain in the hands of the promoter but in the community, in a cycle in which the community benefits from institutional dynamics in contrast to the very diffuse scheme in which some institutions benefit from social initiatives that communities have developed independently and sometimes despite them.
We are convinced that the physical and mental spaces in which added value is created and remains are determining indicators for the coherent evaluation of experiences that are defined as social, participatory, sustainable, cooperative, etc.
Under this scheme, the added value of the experience, the hours of work of the volunteers, the architecture produced does not remain in the hands of the promoter but in the community, in a cycle in which the community benefits from institutional dynamics in contrast to the very diffuse scheme in which some institutions benefit from social initiatives that communities have developed independently and sometimes despite them.
We are convinced that the physical and mental spaces in which added value is created and remains are determining indicators for the coherent evaluation of experiences that are defined as social, participatory, sustainable, cooperative, etc.
This value does not belong to Ctrl+Z, which has renounced, as on other occasions, ownership of the structure, but now remains in the hands of the Parcc Oasis association, which legitimizes the donation through the commitment and work invested. We hope that our initiative can be of support and help to respond to the real situations present in its territory and on which it was already working before our collaboration.
This value does not belong to Ctrl+Z, which has renounced, as on other occasions, ownership of the structure, but now remains in the hands of the Parcc Oasis association, which legitimizes the donation through the commitment and work invested. We hope that our initiative can be of support and help to respond to the real situations present in its territory and on which it was already working before our collaboration.
The Z-desica™ structure is an original design by Gianluca Stasi (Ctrl+Z). Its construction was organised and managed in a joint initiative between Lesarchiminots (Marseille) and Ctrl+Z (Seville) during the 1st Biennale d'Architecture Lyon, and donated to the Parcc Oasis association at the end of the exhibition.
Lesarchiminots Team: Bouiller Valere, Bouiller Violette, Giancatarina Rosa, Lansiaux Youri, Medelin Daphné, Prisset Celeste, Prisset Paule, Sambuco Valeria, Sambuco Gabriel, Vittorio Leone, Marie-Christine Meyer, Camille Sambuco, Valeria Cappellini, Nikola Watté, Isabelle Hervouet, Lucien Sambuco, Jenny Millot, Nuno Vaz Silva, Nicoletta Perlo, Claire Freour, Elandre Dedrick, Gregory David, Imogen Price
Parcc Oasis Team: Sofiane سفٻان Batnini, Rui Magro, Mouilid Mounir, Serge Bièvre.
Volunteers: Mathilde Malan, Sophie and Candice from ASF France.
Help and support for the implementation of the initiative: MAP Marseille, EnvirobatBDM, Francesco Tonucci, D'Addario woodwinds, Tangram, Groupe A&A – Novelis, Provelis
Special thanks to the IES Joaquín Romero Murube (Seville) which provided us with the spaces to make the prototypes and experiments necessary for the realization of this project.
Parcc Oasis Team: Sofiane سفٻان Batnini, Rui Magro, Mouilid Mounir, Serge Bièvre.
Volunteers: Mathilde Malan, Sophie and Candice from ASF France.
Help and support for the implementation of the initiative: MAP Marseille, EnvirobatBDM, Francesco Tonucci, D'Addario woodwinds, Tangram, Groupe A&A – Novelis, Provelis
Special thanks to the IES Joaquín Romero Murube (Seville) which provided us with the spaces to make the prototypes and experiments necessary for the realization of this project.