The connection between Physical gestures and the thinking process

So, last night in my Information Architecture Class, my professor talked briefly about the connection and enhancement that physical gesture has on the thought process. He used the example that blind people 'talk with their hands.' Not only blind people talking to people with sight, but also blind people who are talking to other people they know are blind. Even more than that, people with and without sight make similar gestures.

It is curious to me, then, how directly this idea is connected to the interior design process, particularly regarding sketching. It is more than mere 'best practice.' There is something cognitive that happens when one sketches and talks instead of simply talking about an idea. I think in this profession people understand this, but they don't necessarily understand why.

Really fascinating. Hearing gesture : How Our Hands Help Us Think by Susan Goldin-Meadow is next on the reading list.

Catching up: Notes from 6.30.09

Beyond Homelessness; Christian Faith in a Culture of Displacement

What is Socially Responsible Design?

Design Like You Give a Damn

INTRO

From: What is Socially Responsible Design?

Can the built environment and the process of its creation become a force for social change toward a more just, more equitable and more sustainable world? Cam design professionals influence, as Paolo Freire has written, “the creation of a world in which it will be easier to love?” How must education and professional practice change for this to happen?

Although much recent and current design seems to glide over social issues in favor of esthetic or formalistic concerns, the relationships of the social and physical worlds are intertwined and complex. The ways we fashion and use the objects and spaces of our lives are products of our social and historical relations; they deeply affect how we feel, think, behave and relate to one another. Thus, all aspects of design directly or indirectly control peoples’ behavior, feelings and thoughts – the built environment is a cultural, social and political product. Most often it is the product of the dominant culture and, as such, assists that culture in maintaining its hegemony. Designers, architects and planners often reinforce the existing order by shaping spaces and objects that support its interests of money and power and by creating its symbols. In this system style changes assume great importance and fuel theoretical debates in professional and educational circles, while concern for social issues diminishes. Indeed, the focus on style and formalism often masks controlling agendas. On the other hand, the built environment can be designed, constructed or appropriated to empower. It can challenge prevailing power relations. It can help people live fulfilling lives.

The student’s professional education begins with learning the prevailing mode of professional practice. More than the acquisition of knowledge, information and skill, this education is a socialization into a world-view. If future architects, designers and planners are to challenge the use of space and form to support practices of domination exclusion, marginalization and inequity, the process of education must be transformed. For only then will they address the issues of producing “radical creative space which affirms and sustains our subjectivity, which gives us a new location from which to articulate our sense of the world,” as Bell Hooks has written, that creates a better world for all people and that encourages human emancipation and fulfillment. The socialization process for emerging professionals in this field must engender social and environmental responsibility.

After two exhausting yet exciting days debating both the projects and the meaning of social and environmental responsibility, the review panel felt ready to offer its own ideas about socially responsible design. They requested that the following definition represent the consensus of the group:

“Socially responsible design celebrates social, cultural, ethnic, gender and sexuality differences; is critical of existing asymmetrical social structures and relationships of power and seeks to redistribute power and resources more equitably; changes society; continually calls into question its own social, cultural and philosophical premises and, through a continuing dialectic, seeks to ensure that its ends are consistent with its means; seeks in its process, to develop strategies for public intervention and participatory democracy.

“Socially responsible design recognizes that only those people affected by an environment have any right to its determination; avoids the use of mystifying private or professional languages; takes as its frame of reference the collective meanings of empowerment; recognizes that the process of empowerment can only be a process of self-empowerment, and that designers must engage in a process of mutually empowering experiences with the disempowered; recognizes that the process of participatory self-empowerment is a never-ending, ongoing struggle – that there is no “ideal “ or utopian state that can ever be attained.

“Finally, socially responsible design is not a marginal activity, but is rather the ideological touchstone of the whole design profession – from whence it takes its moral authority. It is socially irresponsible design which is a marginal occupation and should be ousted from the position of centrality in public life that it has usurped.”

Design Like You Give a Damn, Architecture for Humanity

“Architecture is a process of giving form and pattern to the social life of the community. Architecture is not an individual act performed by a artist-architect and charged with his emotions. Building is a collective action” Hannes Meyer, director of Bauhaus, 1928 to 1930 (36).

“Everybody wants the same thing, rich or poor…not only a warm, dry room, but a shelter for the soul” (50). Samuel Mockbee, architect

SECTION 1: THE FOCUS GROUP :: SENSE OF PLACE, FAMILY UNIT

Beyond Homelessness; Christian Faith in a Culture of Displacement, Steven Bouma-Prediger & Brian J. Walsh

Design Like You Give a Damn, Architecture for Humanity

Of the world’s refugees: 49% are female and 47% are children (under 18) (59).

SECTION 2: THE PROBLEM

Design Like You Give a Damn, Architecture for Humanity

First Step Housing (184)

“In its latest project the group is pioneering yet another approach. In the late ‘90s outreach staff from Common Ground conducted a survey of the city’s chronically homeless population, typically men, to better understand why so many resisted city shelters. To their surprise they learned that many homeless preferred to stay – and pay and stay – in a lodging house. In fact, most lodging-house occupants were single males who had been homeless for three years or more” (186).

SECTION 3: CURRENT/PREVIOUSLY PROPOSED SOLUTIONS/SOLUTIONS CREATED BY OTHERS

Shelter for the Homeless (from What is Socially Responsible Design?)

Design Team: Jennifer Cohen, Valerie Dekle, Anthea Gianniotes, Stephanie Hough, Richard Hubacker, Joseph Minigozzi and Lana Patrieious

University of Miami/Miami, FL

Advisor: Professor Gary Greenan, School of Architecture

“As architects, it is our social responsibility to contribute dignified, compassionate architecture to those in need of basic shelter.”

What is good about this design is how it considers vernacular architecture as part of the solution. It has a community centered construction grouping 20-40 people together as well as including exterior space to promote social support and security. The grouping of multiple individual buildings instead of one large shelter affords a sense of ownership and dignity to the residents. The materials used to construct each unit are based on standard industry sizes that encourage economic efficiency. This also increases the mobility while decreasing the cost of transportation.

However, this does not provide an answer to the overall housing problem; it only provides shelters with dignity. The structures are built on vacant property, but are not meant to be permanent. When development occurs in those areas, the shelters must be taken down.

Urban Sprawl

My friend Katie shared this video w. me today. Its a little old school, but urban sprawl is still a problem...in fact a growing problem. I've heard of this notion of urban sprawl before, but I've never really been educated about it. Some of what the video taught is relevant to poverty and homelessness in the urban environment. I'm really interested to know more about urban sprawl's role in the homelessness crisis in urban environments.

So many disturbing things were revealed through this video. For example, its cheaper for developers to destroy countryside farms and build on them than it is to restore current buildings on prime real estate in the urban environment. The developer that was interviewed in the video said that they are just building the houses that the market is demanding. Well I just say...stop demanding these cookie cutter, ugly, destructive houses. There were a few suburban home owners that were interviewed as well. They were asked what they don't like about the neighborhoods they live in. Most of the critiques were that the people did not experience "diversity" in the type of people who live in the area. The people who lived there were not multi generational and everyone was/is white. Also, they explained that there weren't sidewalks or even street lights. There wasn't a single store that anyone could walk to. I find it strange that cities and urban environments were developed out of the desire to fulfill exactly these needs.

With so many people who have the financial status to move out of the city moving...what happens to the urban environment? Well it just concentrates poverty into one area making it more extreme. Buildings are left unattended and abandoned. Businesses move farther and farther out of town to the disgusting strip malls built on farmland leaving little to do or buy in the towns.

The environmental effects of choosing suburban life and therefore urban sprawl are overwhelming. In order to go anywhere or do anything the residents have to drive. Not to mention all of the additional pollution that happens to the air and land because of the spread of houses into perfectly healthy farmland.

Since Disney owns a ton of land they wanted to create an ideal town. They wanted to have schools, jobs, services, parks, entertainment, and houses all within walking distance of one another. They talked about creating a "real sense of community." There were sidewalks and street lights and less cars and traffic. The video commented that the ideal towns of tomorrow look exactly like the traditional towns of previous generations.

So how did we get so far from these traditional towns that just work well? Well, a lot of the problem lies in the zoning laws that have been passed that basically encourage urban sprawl. This is probably what I understand least about this issue, but I also think that much of the answer lies in changing these laws. The video proposed three (albeit very difficult) things that have to change in order to prevent even more urban sprawl:

:: Laws that govern zoning need changed. There are all kinds of limits on buildings in cities that just make it so much cheaper to build outside the city limits. Developers are in the business to build homes and make money, not to fight legislation. So, things are just going to continue as they are until someone makes it their priority to change the way this business of housing is done.

:: Traditional communities need to be demanded in order for them to be built. They also must be planned well. Much of the good planning that is happening in this country in cities like Portland and Charlotte, NC is modeled after the garden towns of England. It is curious to me that people moving into the suburbs are often looking for beautiful landscapes and quiet streets, and yet by moving into the beautiful farmland they are destroying exactly what they are seeking.

:: Encourage reinvestment in existing cities and towns. This one seems obvious to me. That kind of says it all.


"We've turned beautiful landscapes into strip mall junk-scapes." gross.

moving on...questions to consider

What are factors that contribute to homelessness in families?

What perpetuates it?

Demographics of Americans in poverty?
:: this will be the focus--maybe a chapter on the impoverished in the world

organizations that measure and work w. homeless

What does 'homeless' mean?

How do I approace this with a humble tone and think about the community of designers at large? This is about people not projects.

"If you have come to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together."

Look at different family units

Effects physically, psychologically, socially

What is already being done?

Evidence about fundamental needs of people.

Official topic proposal

Homelessness and Socially Responsible Design

One basic human need, as well as desire, is to have a home. Because of the significantly fundamental need for this space, it is sometimes perplexing that homelessness exists at all. It is not necessarily due to a lack of space that people are without a home, but a problem of being displaced by foreclosure or unemployment, for example. It is easy for people to look at homelessness as someone else’s problem. However, this attitude will never generate a solution to the problem. As an interior designer there is a fascination with this unique misdistribution of space. With that fascination comes a recognition of a deep need to create a responsible solution.

Homelessness is not an isolated experience. Meaning, not having a home can often compound the impact of not having access to other essentials such as education and healthcare. In order to better understand the complexity of this situation several basic issues will be researched. It is critical to have a firm understanding of these issues in order to provide a relevant and valuable response. Factors that cause and perpetuate homelessness will be direct connections to a solution that decreases the number of people who experience homelessness. The effect of being homeless rings deep psychologically, socially, and physiologically. What are some of the effects of homelessness in these areas?

The focus of the research will be centered on homeless families with children. The effects of being without a central sense of place will be especially evident by looking at this group. By studying this unique section within the larger body of people experiencing homelessness, the value and importance of the family unit will be evident.

Certainly there is work already being done in the design profession to help provide a solution, or at least some aid, to the millions experiencing homelessness. Therefore, it will be beneficial to consider the work that is currently being done. The unique combination of skills, education and interests found in architects and designers can and will make great change by applying their abilities to this critical, non-typical design social issue.

The anticipated outcome of the research and written portion of the project is to reveal the complexity of the situation as well as the need for new solutions. The written portion will be completed in conjunction with a design component attached to the senior design studios. The design portion will culminate in a facility that provides aid for people experiencing homelessness. Combining extensive research with a complex problem will yield a creative and effective contribution to one of our world’s current social issues.

possible topic b

Interested in making design (of structures, furniture) accessible to the poor (not only American poor, but the worlds poor)

:: how can we provide homes to the homeless? living structures?

:: disaster relief structures? Mema trailer-esque

:: furniture that is collapsible - nomadic--well designed nomadic pieces--ie: cubie unit

what would nomadic life produce/effect?

:: isolation, lack of mature, long term relationships

:: a different view of the world--increased sense of connectedness

:: ability to quickly provide aid to those w. great need--and temporarily


nomadic architecture can just be a niche--a response to materialism (what is considered nomadic?)
tension between over simplicity tot he point of discomfort and materialism. i think both are undesirable
:: inspired by Ettore Sottsass: we can change the mundane by surrounding ourselves w. extraordinary objects.


Return to simple basics

:: Nomadic life would bring real sustainability/stewardship to the forefront--no trash pick up on the road, energy consumption.

:: ability and ease to attain "good" food, ie: not fast food

possible topic a

Interested in the American Family (also the non-american family/other cultures' approach to the home)

:: the family unit - what does it look like? # of children, parents, relatives?

:: how does the "home" (built structure) play a role in this? is it clean, comfortable, safe, space for leisure?

:: what about the structure of the home? location, neighbors, apartment, house, homeless?


this thesis should address a larger social issue :: provide a solution to a problem that with out a change in design could not be attained --


Study the "First Place" -- being home
2nd place - work
3rd place - leisurely: panera, coffee, church, etc.

:: how can we redevelop the home to change the way higher parts (other parts) of society function?

what if people actually wanted to go home? if it wasn't a constant chore to keep the house/structure operating safely?

:: lower maintenance homes to encourage time w. people, family, friends -- building relationships.

:: Bill Strickland - Manchester Craftsman's Guild -- a built environment that chances social constructs here


what is a social construct? one that needs change? how to define "good change"?

beginnings...

So lots of new things have been happening in life lately. One specific new thing is the starting point of my thesis. Today is the official start. There. Its started.

I'm feeling nervous about the large responsibility that it is to have an education in design, and more directly, to do a thesis on the topic of my choice. There is pressure (mostly from myself) to make good change by and through this body of work. We'll see whats is made of it...