The Harvard Graduate School of Design hosted an Aga Kahn Public Lecture presented by architect Anna Heringer. The image above is a glimpse of her South African home for handicapped children, a delightful precedent study because it explores a unique sense of inclusivity in the design process.
What makes this project so special is that Heringer stepped outside of her comfort zone and thought of all types of users, using local conditions to build. Without rules, building code, it is so easy to go buck-wild with your architecture. Heringer does not. She is smart, respectful, and hones it all in. She doesn’t come onto the site as a foreigner with all of the answers. She doesn’t come onto the site as a missionary with a set of doctrines. She comes onto the site with a set of skills and collaborates with the natives to design a structure that works for them.
Look at the materials. Do you know *how* she engaged the community to rethink the capabilities of their materials? She used her hands to draw and build, her heart and mind to engage her audience. Together they created beautiful and intricate design details, systems to frame the structure before our eyes.
This project is rad, and became even more rad when I heard her speak about it at the GSD.
Organizations like Adaptive Environments shed light on how we can make spaces more efficient for those who may not have every range of motion to their advantage; but architects like Anna Heringer make it possible in conditions we otherwise would consider inacessible — too “third-world” — lacking convenience we don’t realize is a luxury. In this case, luxury is reconsidered, and it’s reconsidered hard core. It is a luxury to dwell in a space that honors who you are, where you come from, and what you aspire to be. Anna Heringer does this. Check out the rest of her work and you will discover that it simply is the way design ought to be.
Designing is a lot about intuition; problem solving; understanding space and human scale. Using the contrast of natural materials to explore tactility and wayfinding are preemptive design techniques against injury, a consideration of inclusive design. That is what the Engeye Design Team strives to accomplish. We hope to employ local Masaka-region techniques while providing the Ddegeya community an opportunity to engage with structures from a designed point of view.
Let’s experience space in ways only our dreams have dared to do.
Village Tour:
For various reasons (lack of solar power at Engeye, too many laptops at Engeye, adjusting to life and work back in the States), we have been remiss in sharing our timeline of events and visual documentation.
Within the first couple of days of arriving to Engeye, John Kalule, Engeye Co-Founder and Clinic Manager gave us a brief tour of the village. We focused mostly on common building practices and land tenure practices.
Below are some photos from this tour….
Brick making kilns in the landscape. Photo credit: Anny Su.
Brick making kiln. Photo credit: Anny Su.
John shows us the sacrificial bricks. Photo credit: Anny Su.
Pit latrine construction - hand dug! We saw a poor country mouse at the bottom of this pit. Photo credit: Anny Su.
The pit / convenient soil profile! Seeing this pit latrine hole precluded us from digging a pit of our own to check out the soil profile. Photo credit: Anny Su.
Readily available building materials. Photo credit: Anny Su.
A well made house in the village. Photo credit: Anny Su's camera.
Stucco over brick walled house. Photo credit: Anny Su.
A tight wattle and daub construction. Photo credit: Anny Su.
Multi-story wattle and daub structure. Villagers are suspicious of how long this will last before collapsing. Photo credit: Anny Su.
Wow, today’s abuzz with so many ideas, so much going on the architecture world. Where do I begin? I woke up today with the release of the new city reader, an architecture newspaper on public space by way of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. The issue is just beautiful. I’m a big fan of continuous linear presentations, of process; and in this particular issue, the reader is taken through a series of vignettes — potential tech and social nightmares one would find herself enmeshed in when experiencing a blackout — interstitially woven between New York’s, ’65, ’77 and ‘O3 experiences.
Our site visit in Uganda was comparable to that of a blackout. You had to be able to think on your feet without the reliance of electricity for almost 90 percent of the time during the evening, and for about 4O percent of the time in-and-out throughout the day in Ddegeya Village. Before arriving on site we had this pipe dream of using open source software to document our process, but the reality of our Ubuntu Linux laptop, an OS for newbies to the open source platform, had a battery of 10 years old with 32 percent capacity . We had to rely on our year-1, or pre-architecture school, skills to convey design ideas [fun!] and flashlights to host our charrette when the sun went down. The only difference with our [blackout], versus the one in this inaugural issue of the reader, was that when the sun fell chaos did not surge about. Of course at dusk, bats began to roost and as mentioned before, there was an initial response of fear!/horror/shock! in the first weeks; but all in all, night fall brought a sense of togetherness and community among us. Civilization [did not] begin to unravel; rather, it tightened. Our evenings were filled with Matatu, the Ugandan version of Uno, and lots of good food. Thanks, Prosey! And though we used flashlights for most of the time, we got accustomed to using them. I think a lot of us had to really dig deep within ourselves to cultivate a spirit effective to the progress of our efforts, and it didn’t happen overnight. In fact, much like a blackout, it was chaotic at first.
Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead paints a specific portrait of the architect which pigeon-holes a lot of us. Architects have a stigma of being intensely ego-driven, [procrastinators who complain about "having" to pull all nighters when in most cases, to the other, one is not even necessary]. What some fail to realize is that those who design with intention aren’t pulling tricks out of a hat. There is a sense of purpose, direction, calls from an intangible space within which connect the heart with the pen. There is a need to respect the client, and design a space the user connects with. It doesn’t come from a set of morally-weighted values, it simply comes from within, guided by a spirit we begin to familiarize ourselves with when we’ve let go of [what others try to impose on us as "values"]. At times, it even comes from making tremendous mistakes, mistakes which set you on a path of discovery.
Thoughts of the metaphysical and objectivism spearheaded a spiritual conversation with me and Chelsea Bakke, healer, massage therapist, and Reiki practitioner. If the goal is for higher self, what is the difference between “the pursuit of happiness” versus [spirit guides] existing alongside you while you work on your drawings? You sit there, in the process activating intentioned efforts from within.
When working within the spiritualist framework, we think of both physical and non-physical entities chosen to aide us on the path of enlightenment, spirit guides, leading us to spiritual growth. Some take the presence of an animal, at times even stereotyped with Native American and Eastern traditions. To tap into that energy requires a tremendous amount of “letting go,” an enforcement of a personal blackout, if you will. This is where the saying “a good designer knows when to let go of a good idea” comes into play.
Our experience in Ddegeya forced us to step out of our realm of comfort — to squat using pit latrines, face the unknown when darkness came upon us. However, as soon as you looked up at the Ugandan sky you realized how close you were to the vastness above — the expanse of the universe, constellations you could easy pick with your once frightened, delicate fingertips. You then felt connected, safe; and it was in those moments I became familiar with a spirit guiding me.
By the very last second of our trip, when my mother came to whisk me away from my brother’s house, to the family compound for the last day, I felt another blackout encroach. I got scared because I didn’t want to face the reality of going back to my parent’s house. My grandparents and every family member are buried on our plot. It’s always a very intense and visceral experience for me because their spirit is strong and I know what they are going to tell me. I have a lot to learn, and going to Ddegeya, working on this project was the very beginning of it. For this perpetual blackout to open doors to an enlightened existence, for me began to cultivate a self-realization far from being predicated on a set of “proper” moral purpose. There was nothing proper about how I felt, and the only proper thing to do is to respect that, and those of others. In cultivating that inner spirit, I feel that the more I draw by hand, the closer I get to that. My hand is that visceral connection to a fully realized, designed space.
rammed earth construction
09/13/2010
right now we’re in the process of hiring a surveyor for soils tests and all things considered rammed-earth construction and super adobe. SOURCING, ANALYZING, and TESTING of the SUBSOIL will determine the feasibility of our design.
what’s beautiful about rammed earth is once the wall is set to cure, then revealed, it doesn’t need a finish or additional maintenance like coating; it simply exists in a pure state. in this diagram, you see the process of rammed earth in 5 stages, more or less. in step one, after the soil has been tested, a mixture of sand, gravel, clay, and concrete is made. the frame work is built in this stage, and a layer of moist earth is filled in.
in the second step, a pneumatic tamper compresses the first layer of moist earth. in the third step, successively, layers of moist earth are added and compressed until you reach the top of your formwork, flush and smoothed out. in the final step, the rammed earth is set to cure and then the framework is removed. at times, it may take up to two years for the rammed earth to cure, creating a solid rock termites can’t even bother with. in addition, gorgeous visible layers of the earth’s composition punctuate a beautiful design.
of course, in a perfect world there would be no cons to this process. so here comes a dose of reality. rammed earth equipment needs to be brought on-site. that process can be both costly and loud. despite the fact that in the long run rammed earth is highly sustainable, noise is a major disruptive issue to the community and ecosystem. rammed earth can work if we schedule the pneumatic compression time to be done during the time patients aren’t being seen, and for it to occur over the shortest period of time. the skilled workers we chosse to use will need to have to undergone a specific amount of training to ensure this process occurs in a timely manner; and before hand, a village meeting would need to be held, to ensure residents are okay with the noise that will be made. it would be nice to be able to provide job opportunities to this village. offering training to those who are willing will be win-win situation, offering the residents another opportunity to strengthen its dynamic as a community.
the place for building materials and construction in Uganda is called Depo. they offer the type of training we are thinking about, however, we didn’t come across rammed-earth or adobe as a technique commonly implemented, if at all. any ideas, blog world?
check out Tanglefoot, consultants who have mastered the execution of rammed-earth in both conventional and non-conventional ways. it would be great to partner with them, and see if they’d be interested in training a construction team out here who already has a reputation for excellent work…
this is an up-close shot of a gorgeous rammed-earth wall; and how you can see the compacted soil layers... makes me want to touch it. wish i was there.
and lastly, this video is a glimpse of what the rammed-earth process looks like. my initial response was, why the music? i guess i like the sound of construction, the hammering of things… people working. enjoy :]
composting at the clinic
09/09/2010
Elliot Harmon recently sent us an image of the bins we had our volunteers build. Melissa and I are not quite sure why they boarded the front up since it makes turning the compost difficult. It does say a lot about how well directions are followed… this week mg and i will be sending our volunteers a revised set of instructions.
progress presenation #2
09/04/2010
The Engeye Design Team Progress Presentation #2 was created to distribute at the Engeye Board meeting on September 7, 2010. The presentation contains our approach, site analysis studies and the beginnings of our schematic design. We are particularly interested in learning their feedback on the placement of the housing and the style of housing chosen thus far.
The presentation has been published on issuu.com so that it is a light file that can be streamed from anywhere around the world for our international, busy board members. Click on “Open Presentation” below to go to our issuu.com publication of the presentation.
citizen architecture
09/03/2010
Pynchon says, “get too conceptual, too cute and remote, your characters die on the page.” The time we spend in architecture school is just that. We aim to design these highly conceptual, aesthetically diverse structures which in turn can never be built. Rarely are we taught how to use the constraints of real-life situations to design with local materials; and hyper-rarely are we ever taught to share our skill with developing countries. In this documentary, Citizen Architect, PBS explores the work of architect Samuel Mockbee, an artist, writer, design extraordinaire who brought life to a small community in Hale County, Alabama; and the relationships he created with his students and those they designed for.
Watch the full episode. See more Citizen Architect.
hello design world!
08/30/2010
Currently we’re gearing up for a serious design session in the next week, putting together a board member update via powerpoint presentation.
for our construction volunteer
08/17/2010
We have been so fortunate to acquire the skills of a construction volunteer. Chris is only at the clinic until Friday, so we put together these notes, a cheat sheet for him to follow simultaneously with the to-do list we gave him last week. Caulking is hard to come by in Uganda, so hopefully the methods listed below will provide for an effective solution to our “Gotham City” bat situation.
Directions for Bat Proofing:
1. Locate all openings wider than 3/8” in diameter. Bats do not need to fly to get into these spaces. They can crawl in at any point. However, they are not considered rodents because they do not chew through things or into spaces.
Droppings tend to indicate where these openings are.
Interior spaces where light shines through are indicators as well.
Another method is to position several people around the outside of the building before dusk and watch for bats emerging. I drew a diagram based on my observations, for it might be helpful, it might not. Bats tend to use non-preferred entrances as well, and people often have difficulty seeing bats emerge, recognizing them only when they are actively flying.
drawn and measured by Engeye Design Team
Time spent locating and sealing all entrances the first time will save additional time and frustration in the future, because bats return each year to their nursery colony.
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////2. Now that you have located where they enter and exit, plan for the best time of day to seal these openings.
Best time of day:
several hours after sundown –> Bats are feeding.
Best time of year:
late November through early March
Worst time of year:
mid-May through July –> flightless young are present. sealing in a bat kills it, giving off rancid smells.
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List of Materials Needed to bat-proof:
Metal flashing – used to seal joints in the house
Mortar – seals cracks in the foundation
Wattle and daub - with manure, acceptable stop-gap measure, but not preferable
Weatherstripping — seals cracks around doors and windowsills.
1/4” Hardware Cloth – for open vents and belfry louvres, especially at the Ugandan-style ones that exist above all windows, doors, and under ridge vents.
Bird Screens – to install in chimneys to prevent bats from entering. There is a gap between the Kitchen and Volunteer Housing. There would be a good place to line a nice bird screen from the inside. The Kitchen window is already screened, but you should check the base of the structure for openings larger than 3/8” and at points with roof rafters meet the walls. Along those perimeters bats seem to enjoy hanging out.
To make a bat-excluding device that guides the bats out of the building, but does not let them back in, you need:
1/2” plastic bird netting - cut the netting several feet larger than the opening so that at least two feet can hang to the of and below the entry hole. Hang the netting, during the day, several inches above the entry hole. Sides can be nailed or stapled into the building, but the bottom must be allowed to hand free.
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On Building a Bat House –> the most successful alternative to bat-proofing
N.B
bats are fussy about the design and location of their living quarters. It should have a stable temperature of 80 – 110 deg. F and the house should be made as airtight as possible. To prevent heat loss, wattle and daub with manure. Since manure keeps insects away, and bats eat insects, I am open to suggestions on this part.
** do not use treated wood, do not paint or varnish the completed house ** Rough lumber is better beacuse it is easier for the bats to secure a good foothold.
to ensure temperatures remain constant, the bat house should be oriented north-facing [ in the Southern Hemisphere this is towards the sun to receive maximum sunlight, especially early in the mornig].
to determine which direction is best for the house, record the high and low temperatures inside of it to ensure proper placement of the house. This may take several experiments.
bat house must be at least 12′ above the ground.
bat house must be protected from prevailing winds.
** do not place bat house where the entrance is obstructed by tree limbs or vegetation **
do not be discouraged if bats don’t occupy the house right away, it is common for them to take about a year to get accustomed.
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typical bat house [basic construction] dwg: I will be providing you with a lo tech version tomorrow morning since you do not have access to a saw to make exact cuts. The making of the bat house will require a day 2 anyway, since you need to better locate where the bats enter, and sealing will take time as well. my recommendation is to wattle-and-daub seal the parts bird screen can’t get to [with manure] since caulking is not readily available.
Also Chris, for our tree-roosting fruit bats [at least what we think they may be] we will offer some lo-tech design solution that does not involve the mailing of fancy materials. Per your list, we will see what we have, work with that first.
Bats hanging inside a local school near Ddegeya. Photograph taken by medical volunteer, Jessica Vaughn
