Travel Log Episode 2: Figuring out Documentation Style, aka Study Procedures
Timestamps:
Intro: 00:24
Overall Data Collection: 01:00
User Groups: 2:46
Tanzania: 5:11
Spain: 9:39
London: 12:29
NYC: 15:36
Questions for Architect/ Designers: 17:01
Outro: 19:30
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Quick note before we start, while I have been doing a majority of this planning the United States is being taken over by fascism and I.C.E. A reminder that design is political, space is political, and we need to combat their horrible actions in every way we can, including planning for the future, which is what I hope to be doing here.
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Welcome to the travel logs, A Design Over Drinks Deep Dive series, following my experience as the Spencer De Mille Traveling Fellowship recipient. I'm going to take you along for the adventure. From proposal to planning, to travel and documentation process, plus the dissertation and final presentation later in the year.
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Alright, so major logistics are figured out. I’ve reached out to every place I want to study and am waiting to hear back from two for varying reasons. Frankly this is my current source of panic. What happens if I don’t hear from the people I’ve reached out to? What is my backup plan? How do I still utilize my time in those places? Do I find other things to study while there? What does that look like? When do I make the pivot to something different?
While that mulls around in my head, I figure I work on the study procedures and focus on the places I know I will be visiting. The plan is to utilize three types of qualitative data:
Observation: Spending time in each case study taking video of the space in use and watching for the patterns of people’s movement throughout the space. Intent and the desire path don't always match up and I want to see the difference.
Interviews/ Questionnaires: Speaking with or providing short surveys to the end users, and surrounding folks on the effect the space has had on their lives/ community. I will also aim to interview members of the design teams to understand design intent.
Analysis: Using the video, interviews, and publications about these spaces to define ways we can bring to and implement these ideas in our region, and how they connect back to their corresponding urban theory.
As far as observation goes, while on site I will write down personal observations of the patterns I see. I will also set up my digital camera on a tripod to take footage of the spaces in use and will use stills as needed from those, as well as take photos of any details of a project I think are important.
For the Interviews lets break it down by location as I explore what the questions are going to consist of.
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First I need to decide which user groups I need to talk to at each location and then tailor my questions for each Urban Planning Theory I am investigating, and what data I think I can gain from each user group. I want first hand information from the people who use the space, so one of the ways I want to do this is a written questionnaire. Thinking 5-7 Questions Max. Printed or verbal for Tanzania and then digital elsewhere. Simple, and easy to decipher, considering the language barrier in some places, and the age of the students in others. Each questionnaire doesn’t have to have completely separate questions either, there can be overlap between groups.
Here is the breakdown of which groups I’d like to talk to in each location.
Tanzinia: Community Development through Radical Planning - Twesage School Twe-ga-she
Arch/Designer
Builder
Adults who helped build the school
Students who use the school
Parents/ Community who use the school
Teachers/Faculty who use the school
My hosts J&M who are the ones who run the non-profit that finances the school
Merida: Drive in Culture Theory - Factoria Joven
Arch/Designer
Students who use the facility
Adults who use/facilitate the facility
London: Theory of the Creative Class - Barbican Center
Arch Tour (the actual ones are dead lol)
Residents of the tower
Non residents who use the Center
Staff who use the Center
New York: Right To The City Theory - HelpOne Building
Arch/Designer
Residents who use the Building
Faculty who work in the Building
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Tanzania, the first stop, I am looking at the Radical Planning practiced with the Twe-ga-she Twseage School. I need to figure out what I can ask that will helpfully and easily collect the data I need to show how the radical planning of the school impacted the people who use it. While still being concise and easy to answer.
First the students. My goal is to see what part of the building has made an impact on the student body. Right now they are preK - 6th grade, and plan for up to 7th grade. I want to know how the space affects their learning and day to day lives. How do I ask questions in a way that a PreK-5 student could answer but also collect the data I need? Here are the initial list of questions I could ask:
What do you like about your school building?
What do you like about your classroom? What is your favorite part of the classroom?
What is your favorite place at school?
What is your favorite activity at school?
What are your favorite activities you do in your classroom?
What kind of activities do you do in other rooms (cafeteria, etc.)
Draw a picture of your favorite activity at school
I narrowed it down to two student groups: PK-2nd grade and 3-5th grades. So for the PK-2nd grade group I decided to just ask what their favorite place at school is and to draw their favorite activity that takes place in that location.
For the 3-5 grade group I have 5 questions. Starting broad with the overall building and then working toward more specifics about the classrooms and the other public spaces like the library and cafeteria.
What do you like about your school building?
Where is your favorite place to hang out at school?
What is your favorite activity outside the classroom?
What is your favorite part of the classroom?
What activity do you do in your classroom?
I hope to take the drawings and question answers to parse out what portions of the design the students are drawn to.
Second, the adults. Here is where we will really get the feel for the effect the radical planning had on the community. I will eventually need to split it up by types later on (teacher, parent, builder, general community) but here were some initial thoughts on Questions I could ask:
What part did you participate in? Brick laying, framing, etc.
What was the process like in building the school?
Have you been able to bring those skills to other areas in the community?
How has it affected your student(s)?
How has it supported the community at large?
Teacher: how has it affected your teaching?
How do you think the people of Bushaha Village like the school
Do the people of the village participate in events at the school?
I started with the Admin/Teacher questionnaire. 7 questions total, again starting broad with the overall school building (what do they like? What don't they like?) and working toward more specifics (what is their favorite feature inside and outside the classroom) to how they think the building has supported their work and student learning.
I modified the admin/ teacher for the parent questionnaire. Simplifying to what they like about the design, favorite feature, how the design supports the students, but also the community.
There is another potential user group - the people of the village who do not have students at the school. I don’t think I am going to put together an entire questionnaire for them, as it will be harder to get buy-in and I will have super limited access to someone who can translate for me. If I do get the chance to speak with anyone, here is what I will ask:
What do you like about the school building?
How do you think the building has supported the community at large?
With this I also have the ability to talk to the lead builder, who spearheaded the build process, and worked with the Bushsha people to build their school.
Originally, when I was on the project they were trying to figure out how to recreate a test brick, supposedly made with local clay, using a brick-press. I have learned after meeting with the Architect that they never could get it to work and had to move to a concrete block. More on all this in later episodes, for now here are the questions I have:
What was the original process of creating the right brick? What were the requirements?
How did the move to concrete change the way you worked?
What was it like teaching the Bushsha people to use and build with the materials?
What challenges did you face in the process?
How long was the building process?
This will be more of an interview/conversation so I don’t feel the need to refine questions into the perfect set to gather information, as I can ask for more detail as we chat.
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The second stop is Medina, Spain. Here I aim to study the Drive in Culture Theory and how the youth that use the space to push and change their culture as well as the larger culture of their country as they become adults. I will be interested to see if the Easter holiday is as important to the youth as it is to the previous generations.
First, defining what “culture” means. This is the definition I will be using for the case study. Per Meriam-Webster; “the beliefs, customs, arts, etc. of a particular social group, place, or time.” In this circumstance I am going to look at the social group of “youth” ages 15-24. I want to find out if they feel like they have had any influence on the space and how it changed over the last decade plus.
How does the space help you feel creative (arts)? Foster your creativity?
How does the space encourage you to interact with others?
Does the space help you feel good about yourself?
What regular activities (customs) do you have when using the space?
Do you get to decide how you use the space?
Do you get to shift how the space is used in the future?
What group activities do you enjoy in space?
For the folks who facilitate the space here are the questions I am working with:
How do you facilitate activities in space?
How do you integrate with the surrounding community?
How do you let the youth who use the space shape how it is used?
How do you support the creativity of the youth who use the space?
How do you support the customs of the youth who use the space?
How do you support the goals/growth of the youth who use the space?
Have you seen changes within the youth who use the space over the last decade? If so, how?
Have you seen the space shift as new groups of youth come through the facility?
Because of the language barrier (from me, I’m the asshole American who does not know Spanish), I tried to make these easy to understand once translated. After the demographic questions (age, and for the staff how long they have been working at the Youth Factory) I tried to focus on the way the space is used, how much the youth feel they have a say in the use of the spaces and what shifts the staff has seen during their time.
There is a third group, the general public, but chose not to approach here, since it's more about the folks who use a space that is not necessarily open to the public, like my next stop, the Barbican Center and Estate.
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At the Barbican I am looking to explore how the Barbican Center helps drive economic growth with its programming and collection of spaces, and why it attracts its residents and visitors. Here I have a couple of groups, the residents, but also the staff, and the general public, so I’ll need to find a way to break down the questions into each group. here is the first thoughts on questions:
What is the best part about living above a cultural center?- resident
How often do you utilize the cultural center? The library? Other buildings? - resident
What is your favorite part of the Center? - resident
What part of the Center do you use the most? Why? - resident
What attracted you to live at the Barbican? - resident
What new innovations have you seen at the Barbican? - admin
How does the economy affect the events at the Barbican? - admin
How does the Barbican work with the surrounding community? - admin
How does the Barbican support the arts? Tangible ways?
What is the biggest change you’ve seen during your time at the Barbican? -resident/ admin
Do you collaborate with the other departments?
How does culture drive the events at the Barbican?
What is your favorite feature of the Barbican Center? (room, space, or detail)
In the end I broke it down to residents, admin/staff/artists, and the general visiting public. For the residents I focused on what public spaces they use the most and why, using rating system of least to most used in the spaces art is displayed and performed (Theatres, cinema, art gallery) and a top there for the other types (terraces, restaurants, library, church and teaching/ learning spaces). I also have questions about the way they think culture and art have changed at the Barbican Center over time, and how they think English Culture has driven events and shows at the Barbican Center.
For the admin/ staff/ artist group I split it into two. Admin/Staff and Artist/ Performer or long term employee, and short term collaborator. First with the Admin and Staff I focused on what changes they have seen as the global and local economy has shifted during their time. I ask about how they work with the surrounding community, along with how English Culture drives the events they hold. With the Artist/ Performer group I asked about how their art (whether performance or visual or something else) is changed and affected, and experienced by being at the Barbican Center.
Lastly here there is also the general public. I focused on what of the Center spaces they use, are drawn to and if they think the art there influences English culture. I used a rating system here too for which of the spaces in the Center they used the least, and most, how comfortable they felt using and navigating the Center.
In each questionnaire I did ask their favorite part of the architecture/ design and figured out how each group uses the spaces. I still feel like I want more on the use of the space by the admin and staff and may be adding more here later.
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Meanwhile, there is NYC. As of now, still nothing on if I will be able to study this last spot. I don’t want to be caught unprepared in case I do get to be in the space and talk with folks so I still will build the questionnaires like the rest and have them ready to go even if they never get used.
This space being a residence with amenities below, I have two user groups here: the residents and the staff. Luckily I can pull from the Barbican for the basic demographics ( which are in all of the questionnaires by the way) for age range, and length of time they have been with or at the space. Again I can mimic the way I set up the Barbican with a scale of most to least use amenity spaces.
The difference will be the urban theory, which is Right to the City, and how that applies to this space. Unlike the Barbican the amenity spaces are more functional to the residents, not for outside use. But I do think the questions will be similar, parceling out what spaces are most used and by who.
The right to the city theory has 14 points that promote human rights, I want to know how the building supports those human rights. In being a shelter for low income families, many of these points should somehow be included within the design, and how the direct access to these support the individual.
Questions that could be asked here are:
What do you like about living in the HelpOne Building?
How often do you use the community spaces? (daycare, infirmary, computer lab etc.)
How has using the community spaces directly impacted your life?
Have you lived in other buildings with these built in? If so, how does it compare to the HelpOne Building A?
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I would like to keep the questions to the Arch/Designer pretty consistent throughout. Here are some general questions, and then I want to add 1-2 that directly talk about the theory of design that I am using. So for instance for the Twesage School asking about how the design process worked and if it felt successful in the outcome considering the constraints. The Barbican will be different though, because the designers are long dead I will have to use any information from the Architectural tour they offer for any insight on the design. So for the other three, possible Questions I could ask are:
What was your original design intent?
Did your design intent change during the process? If so, how?
What was the design process like for the project? General schedule, etc.
What did you learn and take back to your practice with this project?
How did you apply insight from the end user to your design?
What challenges did you face in the design process?
What challenges did you face during the construction process?
What part of the design are you most proud to see in use?
Tanzania
How did the materials being used drive the design? (onsite bricks and timber/ interior design)
Did you document the project differently since this was an unusual design/build process?
How did the design build process being done by the local people impact your design?
Spain
How did the youth that would use the space drive the design?
Did you envision change within the space as the youth that use it grow and change as they create their own culture?
NYC
How did you design the space so residents felt they had a right to the community spaces?
How did you decide what aspects to integrate into the community spaces?
At this point, I have been able to sit down and chat with both the Architect as well as the lead builder from the States of the TZ project. They had some really great insight into the process of the project. These were more informal, and we touched on not only the questions above, but more that will definitely drive the way I approach documenting, and looking at the spaces. More on that insight later in the series.
Logistically I need to figure out the tanzania questions before I leave, since the approach there is printed or just verbal conversations. The rest will hopefully be attached to QR code, so as long as I set them up right, I should be able to edit them until I start asking for participation.
As I get these into a spot I’m comfortable with, at least until I am on the plane heading out, I have started the ongoing rumination on WHAT I am packing and anything else I need to prep for this trip - which is the next episode.