Tuesday 16 March 2009

Presentations will continue to previously posted schedule.
Change of venue: We meet in the seminar room on level 1.

Precedent – Studio Basel

For precedent and concepts as to how to consolidate and present the material, especially to assist in the presentations next week look at Studio Basel

http://www.studio-basel.arch.ethz.ch/
click on Projects
click on Nairobi
click on Students Work
and you’ll find the following themes:

• A City without a Masterplan
• Architectural Legacy of the 70s
• The Industrial Area
• Waste Network
• Pentecostal Churches
• The Identity of Kibera
• Slum Upgrading
• Somalian Community in Eastleigh
• UN & NGOs in Nairobi
• Matatu Culture
• Green Nairobi: Urban Nature

which, if you download the pdf’s, they might help in structuring your arguments. below i have set up what themes, that you are exploring, might help with the themes articulated in Studio Basel

whitecity | masterplan/ architectural legacy. A useful catalyst is also South Africa’s Group Areas Act and post 1994 urban projects development

soccer booster | take a look at UN & NGO's in Nairobi as foreign entity. Focus on the before and after, what has been done, why and for whom. Explore the following:
• infrastructure
• public space
• accommodation
• destruction
• removals
take Mphethi Morojele’s presentation + the reality of what you saw on site and continue to see and make comparisons

streetlife | Greening the city in the sun/ waste network

rooms | spatial economies, no specific reference, but you may explore the subrenting of spaces, growing densities close to migrant neighbours and also look at slum upgrading in kibera/ structure/ themes/ graphics

migrant neighbours | Somali refugees as Urban Catalyst
edge conditions | industrial area and kibera as a city (informal versus formal)

ponte tower | no precedent, but scan the architectural legacy, since it concerns the history of the building – ultimately what ponte will be about

public transport | Matatu culture

the atlas is also helpful in unpacking issues relating to urbanity
to summarise:
# Colonial History of Africa – white city
# Kenya and its History – white city, migrant neighbours
# Kenya and its Demography – white city, migrant neighbours
# Kenya and its Political History – white city
# History-of-Urban-Planning of Nairobi – white city, streetlife
# Population Growth and Housing in Nairobi – rooms
# Informal Settlements in Nairobi – rooms
# The Transport System and Infrastructures – public transport
# Tourism and International Events – soccer booster
# Sport Recreation and Leisure – soccer booster

paper sizes

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/A_size_illustration2_with_letter_and_legal.svg

Tues 10.15-12 and Wed 12.30-1.15,

are the times i wil see you next week after our lesson at 08:00
on wednesday 04.03.09 all groups shall prepare a 10 minute (2 -- 5 minute) powerpoint presentation to present to the class. a 5 minute discussion will follow each presentation

presentations
12:30 -- 12:45 group 1: white city + soccer booster
12:50 -- 13:05 group 2: migrant neighbours + edge conditions
13:10 -- 13:25 group 3: ponte tower + public transport

i suggest that you read dewar and uytenbogaardt's creating vibrant urban spaces to live -- cape town 1995, which i am sure is available in the library

template

i have set up the following template. the end result will result in all the data collected and wire bound for research and precedent purposes. each group will be expected to submit a minimum of 10 pages. come up with proposals next week for the outcome | result. please let me know where your problems| shortcomings are in terms of production. my suggestion would be that you make a stab at it before consulting me.

we have 3 lessons next week. 2 on tuesday and 1 on wednesday. so we should be able to take a slight giant leap.

the storyboard may appear like this with text

blacklinesonwhitepaper@gmail.com

do not forget to drop me a mail so i may forward you material.
groups are:

whitecity | soccer booster | streetlife
geoffrey -- collator
mawabo
putsiso
eulenda
yasmin

rooms | migrant neighbours | edge conditions
abdul -- collator
ofentse
eugene
mitchel

ponte tower | public transport | 24h/ 7days/ week
jarred -- collator
kabelo
londeka
lerato
siphiwe
richard

i suggest you collate your images, set up a storyboard and start drawing. you may also do this with pencils on paper. i will sit with you after the seminar next week and help with the graphics. but i will need to see something. gather any information (of value) you can around your themes.

they might need different kinds of research,
some themes have a very rich history which is documented in numerous articles and books. some themes are linked to recent developments (transport for example) which you get from offices, jda etc.
some themes might need some fieldwork, bottom up research: walking the streets (24h/7days/week).

do not get confused, divide the work into parts for each of you and just do it. good luck!