Saturday, December 31, 2011
Abstract of Our Intervention
The great Martin Luther King, Jr. once said “Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” In an attempt to turn this quote into action, we wanted to help the homeless of Barcelona to feel loved and cared for to get them to become productive assets to the country instead of a burden.
In order to achieve our goal, we planned on building a Piazza that provides the homeless with a place to sleep, work, relax and interact with other people. Initially, we needed a space in which a sufficient flow of people existed in order to help us with the interaction factor. Furthermore, the place also needed to be somewhere the homeless were somehow acquainted with. After a lot of research, we found the perfect place in Barri Gotic. The area had a relatively big number of tourists , University Studentss, and Catalonian visitors as well as a large number of homeless people. It also has a small stage and a number of bicycle stands in which the tourists and visitors use to park their bicycles. We studied the flow of people around the stage and bicycle stands and came up with the shelter’s design. The partitions we came up in the design are a reflection of the density of people in a certain area.
These partitions, or cubicles, can be used by the homeless people as a place to live, use as workspace or even as a performance platform. Socially speaking, the homeless people in Barcelona are considered outcasts by the Catalonians and tourists. One of our goals is to change this saddening fact. We want to form strong social bonds between the homeless people, tourists and the other Catalonians. As a result, we decided to design a place which is eye appealing, to attract people to see it, and efficient to provide the homeless with a shelter and a place they can use to conduct any kind of business at the same time. As an example, some of the homeless people make a living from acting as statues or silent mimes, and therefore can use the cubicles to change their outfits, rest or even as a stage to stand up on and gain physical leverage.
In order for this place to attract the homeless, we needed to further understand their needs. As a result, we studied their behaviour and habits thoroughly. One of the interesting things we noticed was the fact that the homeless frequently used the bicycle stands as a place to sit, sleep, eat, etc. Sleeping between the two metal rods of the bicycle stands provided the homeless with a sense of security. We took that point and started to work on ways to implement it in our new shelter design. The best way to integrate this idea with our new design was to leave the bicycle stands the way they are and add a comfortable texture in between the rods so that the homeless can sleep comfortably. The bike stand has several benefits, including the sense of security that we previously mentioned, and the fact that the homeless can use it as a source of money and social interaction. The homeless can charge tourists for using their bicycle stands and get the chance to interact with all the tourists and Catalonians who wish to use their shelter. This procedure will allow the homeless to gain more self-esteem and a strong feeling of productivity. They will no longer need to beg people for money, as they will be earning it themselves.
In conclusion, we believe this Piazza will help the tourists and Catalonians see a side of the homeless people they never thought existed. It will help them understand that homeless people are not incompetent citizens, but are simply people without homes. There are no better words to describe what we strive to achieve but the words of Mother Theresa:” At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done. We will be judged by 'I was hungry and you gave me to eat, I was naked and you clothed me, I was homeless and you took me in.' Hungry not only for bread - but hungry for love. Naked not only for clothing - but naked for human dignity and respect. Homeless not only for want of a room of bricks - but homeless because of rejection.”
Friday, December 30, 2011
Small piece about my take on the visual impact of architecture on society
Expressed in music, an art form like frozen music,
Why’d I choose it? Its amusing, in my life came this new thing
Dominant in all humans, call it fusion,
Early hopes for greatness by bricks seems an illusion
But the brick consumes them cause the brick is a building block,
A construction rock, taking us to the very bottom or the very top.
Spatial sequences, in an instance, changes an appearance, changes
A mood, either disturbs or soothes.
For the mind its food, for the physical a route through time
Either sublime or a heinous crime.
Hopes can be fulfilled or fall behind in the aim of change for mankind.
But we move through time in a sequence of spaces
And time is filled with wrong decisions, and ugly additions
But, it moves,
Moves and adjusts with mistakes that have altered a societies mood.
Altered a societies groove.
Permanence. Makes you question the impact of architecture on society.
Ugly building can still thrive with laughing children.
Exclusive castle can still thrives with rats and spoiled little rascals.
Beautiful cities can be filled with the homeless
And hideous towns can be filled with the successful and honest.
But still we build buildings and philosophize on buildings and their impact.
But their impact is temporary, for its hereditary for mankind to adjust and adapt
And that’s a fact.
Have I entered into a career with shallow intentions, cause as I mentioned
Hopes for greatness through a brick can be an illusion that consumes us.
Taking us to the very bottom or very top is the flaw in the approach to a design,
For there is no rock stronger than that of mankind’s. No spatial sequence that
Commands our path, and no colors on a wall more powerful than mankind’s
Wrath.
So it’s a task, a large task to clarify the importance of my career.
The only connection I have with it is its art, which through history has
Conserved beauty so dear. Beauty to look back at in time, and in your mind
Appreciate that through all the goodness and evils of people, your mind frames them
In beautiful space.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Thursday, December 22, 2011
BARCELONA
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain, with a population of over 1,5 Million. It is an open, cosmopolitan and tolerant city that owes much of its current character to its long history. The founding of Barcelona as a city began with the Romans.
After the Roman occupation, between the 5th and 8th centuries, Barcelona's rule was transferred from the Visigoths to Muslim control, and reconquered in 801 by Charlemagne's troops. After that, the Counts of Barcelona became increasingly independent and expanded through Catalonian territory. Starting the 12th century, during the Middle Ages, Barcelona experienced an era in which it flourished in all aspects of city life.
The first half of the 19th century was marked by uprisings and upheaval. Furthermore, the Ildefons Cerdá plan was approved in 1859. This plan laid forth the idea for Barcelona's Eixample as we know and enjoy it today: a classic grid structure built around public spaces. Starting in the late 19th and early 20th century, Barcelona became the centre of a cultural avant-garde that concerned itself with all forms of advances made in the scientific, technological and artistic fields. An example is modernism, which spirit touched all of the city's artistic spheres,including architecture. The ultimate exponent of this architecture was, of course, Antoni Gaudí with universal creations such as the Sagrada Familia, Casa Milà or La Pedrera, Casa Batlló and Parc Güell.
Gràcia
Gràcia is a district of the city of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It comprises the neighborhoods of Vila de Gràcia, Vallcarca i els Penitents, El Coll, La Salut and Camp d'en Grassot i Gràcia Nova. Gràcia is bordered by the districts of Eixample to the south, Sarrià-Sant Gervasi to the west and Horta-Guinardó to the east. It's numbered District 6. In 2005, Gràcia had 120,087 inhabitants, according to the Instituto Nacional de Estadística.
La Ribera - Barrio Gotico
La Ribera (Catalan pronunciation:is one of the areas of the quarter of Sant Pere, Santa Caterina i la Ribera of Ciutat Vella ("the old city") of Barcelona. Many of the buildings date from late Medieval times. It was a well-to-do quarter during 13th-15th centuries, when it really was by the sea shore, and the area that today is named Barceloneta was still an island. Notable buildings are the Basilica de Santa Maria del Mar and the palaces along Carrer de Montcada, including the Museu Picasso, the Museu Barbier-Mueller d'Art Precolombí, and part of the Textile Museum. Another place of interest is the Fossar de les Moreres, the site of a mass grave of Catalan
soldiers fallen during the siege of 1714, which ended with the fall of Barcelona and the end of the War of the Spanish Succession. Part of the quarter of La Ribera was demolished after the War of the Spanish Succession to build a military citadel to punish the defeated city.
The lower section of the La Ribera district, just below Carrer de la Princesa, and leading to Barceloneta is referred to as El Born after the 19th century market on carrer del Comerç that dominates the area. This is one of the trendiest and most touristic districts in the old city. It is a popular place for expats and contains many art boutiques, bars and cafés. The northernmost part of the quarter, La Ribera proper and Sant Pere, in contrast to El Born, is not that touristic, even though it's between Arc de Triomf and Via Laietana, and actually constitutes a much poorer area with a larger number of migrant workers. It is being revitalised, but as with many other instances of urban development in Barcelona, the process has been ethically contested. The Forat de la Vergonya area, near Santa Eulàlia Cathedral, i such an example. The Biblioteca Francesca Bonnemaison is a cultural institution of the neighbourhood.
The Gothic Quarter is the centre of the old city of Barcelona. It stretches from La Rambla to Via Laietana, and from the Mediterranean seafront to Ronda de Sant Pere. Despite several changes undergone in the 19th and early 20th century, many of the buildings date from Medieval times, some from as far back as the Roman settlement of Barcelona. Remains of the squared Roman Wall can be seen around Tapineria and Sots-Tinent Navarro to the north, Avinguda de la Catedral and Plaça Nova to the west and Carrer de la Palla to the south. El Call, the medieval Jewish quarter, is located within this area too.
The Barri Gòtic retains a labyrinthine street plan, with many small streets opening out into squares. Most of the quarter is closed to regular traffic although open to service vehicles and taxis.
INTERVENTION
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain, with a population of over 1,5 Million. It is an open, cosmopolitan and tolerant city that owes much of its current character to its long history. The founding of Barcelona as a city began with the Romans.
After the Roman occupation, between the 5th and 8th centuries, Barcelona's rule was transferred from the Visigoths to Muslim control, and reconquered in 801 by Charlemagne's troops. After that, the Counts of Barcelona became increasingly independent and expanded through Catalonian territory. Starting the 12th century, during the Middle Ages, Barcelona experienced an era in which it flourished in all aspects of city life.
The first half of the 19th century was marked by uprisings and upheaval. Furthermore, the Ildefons Cerdá plan was approved in 1859. This plan laid forth the idea for Barcelona's Eixample as we know and enjoy it today: a classic grid structure built around public spaces. Starting in the late 19th and early 20th century, Barcelona became the centre of a cultural avant-garde that concerned itself with all forms of advances made in the scientific, technological and artistic fields. An example is modernism, which spirit touched all of the city's artistic spheres,including architecture. The ultimate exponent of this architecture was, of course, Antoni Gaudí with universal creations such as the Sagrada Familia, Casa Milà or La Pedrera, Casa Batlló and Parc Güell.
Gràcia
Gràcia is a district of the city of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It comprises the neighborhoods of Vila de Gràcia, Vallcarca i els Penitents, El Coll, La Salut and Camp d'en Grassot i Gràcia Nova. Gràcia is bordered by the districts of Eixample to the south, Sarrià-Sant Gervasi to the west and Horta-Guinardó to the east. It's numbered District 6. In 2005, Gràcia had 120,087 inhabitants, according to the Instituto Nacional de Estadística.
La Ribera - Barrio Gotico
soldiers fallen during the siege of 1714, which ended with the fall of Barcelona and the end of the War of the Spanish Succession. Part of the quarter of La Ribera was demolished after the War of the Spanish Succession to build a military citadel to punish the defeated city.
The lower section of the La Ribera district, just below Carrer de la Princesa, and leading to Barceloneta is referred to as El Born after the 19th century market on carrer del Comerç that dominates the area. This is one of the trendiest and most touristic districts in the old city. It is a popular place for expats and contains many art boutiques, bars and cafés. The northernmost part of the quarter, La Ribera proper and Sant Pere, in contrast to El Born, is not that touristic, even though it's between Arc de Triomf and Via Laietana, and actually constitutes a much poorer area with a larger number of migrant workers. It is being revitalised, but as with many other instances of urban development in Barcelona, the process has been ethically contested. The Forat de la Vergonya area, near Santa Eulàlia Cathedral, i such an example. The Biblioteca Francesca Bonnemaison is a cultural institution of the neighbourhood.
The Gothic Quarter is the centre of the old city of Barcelona. It stretches from La Rambla to Via Laietana, and from the Mediterranean seafront to Ronda de Sant Pere. Despite several changes undergone in the 19th and early 20th century, many of the buildings date from Medieval times, some from as far back as the Roman settlement of Barcelona. Remains of the squared Roman Wall can be seen around Tapineria and Sots-Tinent Navarro to the north, Avinguda de la Catedral and Plaça Nova to the west and Carrer de la Palla to the south. El Call, the medieval Jewish quarter, is located within this area too.
The Barri Gòtic retains a labyrinthine street plan, with many small streets opening out into squares. Most of the quarter is closed to regular traffic although open to service vehicles and taxis.
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INTERVENTION
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Friday, December 16, 2011
Friday, December 2, 2011
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