I found myself looking through old projects that I did during my studies - although, such were severely shot down at the time, I felt the urge to commend my younger self in trying to tackle larger issues at hand as well as the enthusiasm I felt that I could achieve at least a portion of them (follow my podcast for more - there is no podcast) - but... later, coming to the sad realisation that architects really have little power when it comes to redesigning society - but you study people, society, interactions, space, power, for so long, why not and why can't architects have a say when it comes to policy? [ my goal was to work on schools until I actually did, nothing against the schools at all, but the big realisation kicked in that I actually wanted to redesign the schooling system - let's just say that when it comes to architecture for schools; get an algorithm to log all of these outdated policies and call it a day because the latter does not allow any sneezing, and this was also pre-he/she/they days]
-----anyways, this particular project I saw the issue of homelessness around the area, interviewed, studied a museum whose archives were in essence the 'inaccessible museum' and the rest was just a derelict building of prints void of human activity. The basement of the museum housed a large variety of artwork going to waste gathering dust, dismal with neglect - void of eyes peering over every 6 months if lucky - and reasoning being that there was not enough funding for security. I think secretly those paintings needed a criminal to escape, but this was not my proposal.
Initially, my attempt was to activate the direct exterior of the museum - but this case required a larger radius. So ,,, I took the entire site as an intervention....
These artworks however sat on these steel sliding screens, and yes, just screens to store art excited me because we should never be 'storing' art anyways. Upon analysing the issues of the surrounding area, jobs are needed. This basement doesn't know the extent that these issues can actually be provided for, because he is too content in hiding value from the public (at what cost). What it comes down to is the museum needed funding, yet an outdated exhibition of prints won't magically sneeze out funds with zero visitors; the area won't magically become safer if people don't have jobs; and few will walk past a building and know what it is - nodes of activity need to guide people to an end-point, yet be content with the middle point - if I am making any sense at all.
Somehow, something as simple as a sliding screen can provide for a range of talents - art // agriculture // list goes on - but these two were my focus (alongside embodied energy calculations/net-zero etc etc which I won't bore you with right now). So , the need to create a multifunctional space to cater for a range of personalities - I designed benches that would fold up during an exhibition, and tables that would fold up during a market ;; all right outside the museum itself (sneaky, right?). Taking these screens from the basement inherently forces the works of art into the museum itself, and the outdoor interactive space provides passing curiosity to visitors - intrinsically contributing to the financing of the museum itself, increase in security and so forth. It's a win-win, no?
Not as a student ... I backed with calculations, extensive interviews on what would actually help, research into the museum, yet I 'stood incorrectly', was a 'circus act', and my font wasn't liked. Proper reason to shoot a student down, correct? Constructive criticism for the win - no comment on my design, yet 'missed the brief'. This is beyond possible, and definitely would've nodded happily and gone on with my life as I tend to get carried away (now, oddly proud of the fact that I will never cease to get bored), but this in particular made me reflect on the latest criticism (typically 'quit', 'too artistic to be an architect', 'heads in the clouds') when it was the first time that I went to every professor - rebel begun doing so only in postgrad, and for 3 years somehow managed to gage the project brief. Yay me! But what is actually going on ?
My honours' year was tough - and not tough in the sense that I was getting into trouble like years 1-3 where I was experiencing life hard then crying for 3 days, no [ I had fully accepted an attack because I wasn't focused, and I was okay with both, and when peers would run up in shock at the crisping I received, I will say openly that it really didn't do much and I just cried like a baby wallowed in pity because I missed my turn for that studio couch nap ] . Honours was a different kind of breakdown. I was ACTUALLY pushing hard, being disciplined, well-behaved. I would go see each and every professor, and I made a speech for the first time. Was this the mistake? I was working really hard, yet it was clear that I do well when I don't - bit of a conflict no? Design happens at midnight, in that exhausted phase, because you are now designing in your rawest and truest form of yourself where nothing else matters - and it is beautiful. Okay, maybe not to bystanders, but who cares when your tired mind has created a work of art? "Work your way there" etc - no. From my personal interpretation, no matter how amazing your project is, somehow working endless hours results in the search for validation or some decent form of ACTUAL criticism, rather than that personal validation when you resolve something at 3am in a rush because you felt an urge to sleep and now want it done - somehow hits a bit different, with extensive clarity. At the end of the day, a teacher should spark your flow, and if you don't fit their little constraining mould, please realise that it's actually a blessing. At midnight - the only person you carry is you and nobody else.