A-public Space Projection: virtual competition / exhibition/intervention

Clearance by Cappuccino: community workshop

Clearance by Cappuccino - a dialogue about affordable and diverse housing for everyone!

Architects for Peace and Free Theatre invite you to have your say on the meaning and value of diverse and affordable housing in Melbourne. The evening will involve dialogue, mapping and role play. It will offer creative opportunities to re-imagine alternative housing landscapes and identify affordability gaps, needs and opportunities.

Event details:

Wednesday 12th July

7.00pm - 9.30pm

Siteworks: 33 Saxon Street, Brunswick

This is a free event. Reservations are essential on Eventbrite 

Building Democratic Cities

Architects for Peace 15 YEAR ANNIVERSARY

Saturday 6th October 2018
The Red Stair Amphitheatre @ Queensbridge Square
10.30am - 4.30pm

---

Curators:
Nicole Mechkaroff
Pauline Ng
Yang Bai
Lorenza Lazzati

Graphic Design:
Farah Rozhan

03.12.18

On 6th October 2018, Architects for Peace celebrated its 15th anniversary by hosting 'Building Democratic Cities' at the Queensbridge Square.

This day-long event provided us the opportunity to collaborate with other urban activists and practitioners and venture into the public space to meet and engage with the general public and built environment community. The free-to-public activities responded to the theme of Democratic Cities and we were privileged to be joined by other practices and experts who together offered a range of interactive activities throughout the day.

Munir Vahanvati from Giant Grass shared his vast knowledge on bamboo constructions and facilitated a bamboo installation.  With Munir’s guidance, the public was invited to freely contribute to the installation with AFP volunteers using the bamboo poles harvested by our volunteers during a fascinating trip arranged by Munir. Many people participated in this transforming sculpture.

Public Assembly's colourful van also attracted attention from people of all ages. Inside the specially fitted van, Lynda Roberts held thoughtful and creative conversations with visitors.  Outside, Ceri Hann encouraged everyone to add their creative strokes on the pavement using simply water and sponged sticks.

As an extension to our public talks and campaign against the Apple Store at the Federation Square, Tania Davidge and Shelley Freeman hosted a walking tour between Queensbridge Square and Federation Square.

Tania and Munir later joined Tanja Beer and Andrea Cooke as speakers at the public discussions. Each speaker provided lively and informative presentations on their projects designed to empower communities or to promote democratic discussions. This took place inside our display marquee, with an exhibition of posters curated by Nicole Mecharoff and Farah Rozhan from AFP which showcased the works of AFP, each of our participants mentioned above, as well as Visionary Design Development and STREAT.

To further encourage active public participations, volunteer Lara Brown led community rope jumps which was popular with with people of all ages and abilities.

Many volunteers dedicated countless hours to this successful event but special thanks must be given to Pauline, Nicole, Yang and Lorenza. 

- Pauline Ng, Architects for Peace volunteer

09.10.18

The Architects for Peace team would like to thank everyone who dropped by and supported Building Democratic Cities on October 6th. There were many familiar and new faces, curious of the playful and thought-provoking activities at the Red Stair Amphitheatre.

On the day there were opportunities to have creative discussions, connect with others and play games, skip, tour the city with someone you have never met, learn about another building tradition and laugh with friends.

We hope these experiences sparked new feelings of enjoyment, relaxation and inner peace!

- Nicole Mechkaroff, Architects for Peace volunteer

---

Photo Journal

BUILDING DEMOCRATIC CITIES, October 6th 2018
Queensbridge Square, Melbourne

activities at Queensbridge Square

bamboo ties

Munir and Mittul Vahanvati teaching the team and curious public about lashing techniques

anniversary exhibition

community rope jump

community rope jump

"Party Lines" by Lynda Roberts and Ceri Hann

"Party Lines" by Lynda Roberts and Ceri Hann

public talks with Tanja Beer, Andrea Cook, Tania Davidge and Munir Vahanvati

public talks with Tanja Beer, Andrea Cook, Tania Davidge and Munir Vahanvati

Lorenza and Ran at the welcome pavilion!

lashing and tying

City tour with Shelley Freeman and Tania Davidge

City tour with Shelley Freeman and Tania Davidge

City mappings from Visionary Design Development and STREAT Melbourne

water games with Ceri Hann


Image credits
Farah Rozhan
Yang Bai
Pauline Ng
Nicole Mechkaroff
Saumya Kaushik
Bahar Zamani


---

05.10.2018

"As architects, planners, urban designers, engineers, artists, landscape architects and citizens we all have the capacity and the responsibility to be agents of change for an equitable and environmentally sustainable society based on social justice, solidarity, respect and peace."

From the team at Architects for Peace

---

04.10.2018

Event preparations are underway!

There are a few spots available for the city walking tour with Citizens for Melbourne (11.30am - 1.00pm)

Register on Eventbrite here: 
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/building-democratic-cities-city-tour-tickets-50720327866

---

03.10.2018


"I see my role as one that facilitates re-connection and spurs contribution by creating moments of 'wonder', of 'awe-inspiring beauty' and potential' that reunites us with the natural world."
- Tanja Beer

Tanja will present for the public talk sessions between 1.30pm and 3.30pm.

---

02.10.2018


"The street is our most immediate place of encounter and surprise, a place where complete strangers can share an experience and become neighbours, collaborators and friends"
- Andrea Cook

Andrea will present during the public talk sessions between 1.30pm and 3.30pm.

---

01.10.2018


"200 hands is a democratic art project that will explore how people from different backgrounds come together to build something following simple rules"
- Munir and Mittul from Giant Grass

Munir and Mittul will teach public participants about bamboo lashing and tying techniques and make a bamboo sculpture as part of this event.

---

30.09.2018


Event Program: 10.15am - 10.30am
Welcome and opening ALL DAY:
bamboo sculpture and community building workshop with Giant Grass ALL DAY
Interactive arts laboratories with Public Assembly ALL DAY
Community rope jumping activity with Architects for Peace ALL DAY
Exhibition - including Visionary Design Development and STREAT Melbourne 11.30am-1.00pm
City walking tour with Citizens for Melbourne Reserve your spot on eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/building-democratic-cities-city-tour-tickets-50720327866 1.30pm - 3.30pm
Public talk sessions with Tanja Beer, Andrea Cook, Munir Vahanvatni and Citizens for Melbourne


---

27.09.2018

"Public space is the space in which democracy plays out - it is for all people"
- Tania and Shelley from Citizens for Melbourne

Tania and Shelley will run a city tour on the event day leaving from the Red Stair Amphitheatre at 11.30am and ending at Federation Square. Reservations are essential - please follow the link to Eventbrite:

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/building-democratic-cities-city-tour-tickets-50720327866


---

26.09.2018

"Democracy is not consensus but the process of re-articulating difference through ongoing dialogue and sustained action"
- Lynda and Ceri from Public Assembly

Lynda and Ceri will run a number of interactive arts activities and laboratories as part of this event.

---

24.09.2018

BUILDING DEMOCRATIC CITIES is a day long event marking the 15 year Anniversary of Architects for Peace. It aims to explore the ways in which we all - as citizens and builders of cities, heritage and history - can come together and exercise a collective power to reshape processes for sustainable urbanisation, one based upon solidarity, respect and peace.

On the 6th October 2018 we invite all members of public, as well as, architects, planners, urban designers, landscape architects, engineers, environmentalists and artists to join us at the Red Stair Amphitheatre at Queensbridge Square, Melbourne, for a day of celebration, conversation and collaboration.

We would like to express our most sincere thanks to our sponsors: FytoGreen, Genton, Architectus, and Dimase Architects, as well as, our supporters: Cast RMIT and Giant Grass for making this event possible.

Saturday 6th October 2018

"Red Stair Amphitheatre" at Queensbridge Square

10am - 4.30pm

Free public activities, talks and exhibitions will include:
-
Exhibition and community rope jumping activity with Architects for Peace
Interactive public art activities with Public Assembly
Bamboo sculpture with Giant Grass
City tour with Citizens for Melbourne
Public talk with Tanja Beer
Public talk with Andrea Cook
Exhibition - city map by Visionary Design Development
Exhibition - city map by Streat Melbourne
-

Hope to see you there!

From the team at Architects for Peace.

Alvaro Maz on Creative Suburbs - Thursday 9 May 2013

Date: Thursday 9 May, 2013 
Time: 7.00pm
Venue: Elisabeth Murdoch Building, Victorian College of the Arts (Southbank campus), 234 St Kilda Road, Melbourne

Last month’s panel discussion raised questions around how we occupy space – and the problems with existing planning and governance structures that limit and sometimes prohibit socially just access to space.

To continue this conversation, next month we have Alvaro Maz from Creative Suburbs – talking about ways to empower communities and individuals to shape the city they live in.

Alvaro is a former international development devotee interested in spreading ideas, examining and connecting places and people – when he’s not feeding his chocolate addiction. Originally from Colombia, he now lives, eats and blogs in Melbourne. Alvaro is also the founder of Creative Suburbs, a community consultation platform established to share and support ideas to enhance the built environment in suburban Melbourne.

Refreshments provided/gold coin donations welcome!

Image credit: Alvaro Maz

Landscape Food Paradigm | Thursday 13 October 2011 at 7pm | Public talk by Michael Howard

Words@Bldg50 October Edition:

Landscape food paradigms, with Michael Howard

Much of the current conversation around new food paradigms has a focus on domestic urban production . A boutique model that will come and go and have little affect on our broader food world . How can we shift these paradigms of production across a range of scales without loosing the the energy currently generated by the community groups? What are the considerations and how can we engage with them through design. The role of design is often ignored in this area of agriculture and considered only through pragmatics. What else can working landscapes offer and how do we infiltrate what we understand as closed industrial sites?

Will be joining us is Michael Howard. Michael is a founding member of FOODLAB: Food and landscape architecture bureau and lectures in landscape architecture at RMIT University, Australia. His research interests include food systems, productive landscapes and designing for future food urbanism. His design teaching focuses specifically on the spatiality of food systems in urban, regional and remote Australian Landscapes. His recent projects have investigated ideas around efficiency, redundancy and cross programming of peri urban food production zones in Melbourne Australia.

Join us for an evening of talk and conversation, followed by light refreshments. Entry by gold coin donation.

Video of the event:

Part 1


Part 2


Q&A

Thursday 2 July 2009, 7.00pm :. Urban renewal + revitalisation: A tale of two cities

At RMIT bldg 50, Orr St, Carlton
(off Victoria St, between Lygon and Cardigan)









Renewal and revitalisation are buzzwords around town. Drawing on preliminary findings from current research in Dandenong and Footscray, both presently subject to R & R processes, Maree Pardy considers a range of questions related to the promises of and visions for the renewal of these suburbs. Qualitative research in both suburbs has so far involved interviews, observations and conversations with policy and planning personnel, visitors, local residents and retailers. Both suburbs share rich yet diverse histories of class, socio-economics and immigrant and refugee settlement. Both also share a distinctive element of cultural diversity, which has been central to much discussion about their branding and futures. Yet, while cultural diversity is discussed, multiculturalism seems to have disappeared from many agendas.

Focusing on the difference between cultural diversity and multiculturalism, Maree will present some of the differing relations to ‘place’ among urban designers, social and urban planners and the many and diverse individuals and groups who inhabit these suburban spaces. The difference between cultural diversity and multiculturalism is outlined and deployed to suggest the possibility of an interesting discursive split arising here, as these suburbs are differentially imagined as spaces of display and/or spaces of dwelling. Maree will explore some prospects and risks that emerge from and within this split.

Dr Maree Pardy is an anthropologist who researches in the areas of multiculturalism, gender, and immigrant communities in urban Melbourne. She teaches in the Gender Studies program in the School of Philosophy, Anthropology and Social Inquiry at the University of Melbourne. Maree has presented a number of papers dealing with areas including identity, nationalism, multiculturalism and globalisation and authored the article "Kant comes to Footscray Mall—thinking about local cosmopolitanism" in the 2005 publication Sub Urban Fantasies. Her current research project ‘Urban revitalisation, public space and intercultural encounters’ is being undertaken with Professor Ruth Fincher, Professor Ghassan Hage and Ms Cathy Henenberg.

Download the PDF flyer for this event here

Entry by gold coin donation...refreshments provided

TRESPASS:. public forum:. 6 November 2008

When: Thursday 6 November 2008, 7pm
Where: RMIT building 50, Orr St, Carlton

TRESPASS is the subject of our next lecture night. This idea has emerged from our probono committee's recent involvement with the Student Housing Action Collective (SHAC), a group currently occupying a vacant Melbourne University property in protest against the cost of student housing.


















We'll be joined by members of two very different groups that have both grabbed media attention recently for their unconventional mis-use of urban space: Cara Wiseman, a participant in last September’s PARKing day in Melbourne and two residents from SHAC.





















Note: We will be requesting a small donation of a needed item for the SHAC residents rather than the usual gold coin donation. Some needed items are listed below:

soy - milk - rice - beans/pulses - canned tomatoes/tomato paste - onions - honey - peanut butter - muesli - tempeh - walnuts/nuts - coffee - vacuum cleaner - can opener (!) seedlings - esp. shade friendly plants - seed raising mix (!) bread knife (!) knife sharpener (!) master plunger (!) towels - bath mat - face towels - tea towels - lamps - YOU - computer - coffee perculator large - fairylights

Click here to download the flyer.

Learn more about the international PARKing movement or read up on SHAC in the news.

Urban Spaces and Cultures of Tokyo: May 1, 2008

7pm Thursday 1st May
RMIT BUILDING 50
(Orr Street, off Victoria Street)
Gold coin donation

Presentation by Darko Radovic

This talk will give an visual overview of some of the well-known parts of Tokyo, and spaces and activities which make those precincts vibrant and distinctive. A particular focus will be at Nezu and Yanaka, two largely residential parts of the Japanese capital city which were lucky enough to survive both the catastrophic post-earthquake conflagration in 1923 and fires which followed American bombing in 1945. As such, Nezu and Yanaka - provide the most valuable ‘vertical’ connection with the past, places with patina which pre-dates the drama of the Japanese encounter with the West. In terms of urban design and architecture, they exemplify a number of spatial qualities which can be seen as peculiar, or even unique to the Japanese city.

The starting position of the research behind this talk (which was conducted at the University of Tokyo 2006-2008) is that environmental sustainability and cultural sustainability can never be separated, that built spaces which truly respond to the environmental condition always belong to culture of the place in and for which they were created. That position will frame the conclusion- that Nezu and Yanaka in Tokyo, and similar living historic environments worldwide, contain messages of critical importance for sustainable urban development.


Darko Radovic is Associate Professor at the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning at the University of Melbourne. He received his doctorate in Architecture and Urbanism from the University of Belgrade, Yugoslavia, and taught, researched and practised architecture and urbanism in Europe, Australia and Asia. Most recently (2006-2008), he was a Professor of Architecture and Urban Design for the Centre for Sustainable Urban Regeneration at the University of Tokyo.

Darko’s investigation of the concepts of urbanity and sustainable development focuses at culturally and environmentally diverse contexts, which exemplify and expose difference and offer encounter with the other. He is the co-author of Green City: Sustainable Homes, Sustainable Suburbs (UNSW Press/Routledge 2005), Cross-Cultural Urban Design: Global or Local Practice? (Routledge 2007), and the author of Urbophilia (the University of Belgrade, 2007) and Another Tokyo (University of Tokyo, 2008).

Download poster: here

Going Underground in Santiago: March 6, 2008

Going Underground in Santiago
Presented by Beatriz C. Maturana (B.Arch M.Urb.Des. PhD candidate University of Melbourne)

The city of Santiago has undergone incessant transformation in the last twenty years. However, perhaps the most noticeable and unexpected change has been its surrounding geography. The magnificent mountains, the Andes that until only fifteen years ago were perpetually covered in snow and ice cap glaciers, lay bare in today’s summers as a reminder of our recklessness.

While many of the urban transformations follow on a relatively stable trajectory of modernisation and improvement of the social conditions, this course was interrupted during the period of the Pinochet’s dictatorship. The dictatorship’s rejection of urban planning, in favour of the ideology of the ‘free market’ and left a damaging legacy of urban sprawl and inequity. This has presented a challenge to the governments of the last twenty years. In redressing the urban ills, these governments claim that they have placed society, culture and sustainable ‘quality of life’ above all other concerns.
This presentation will show some projects that illustrate how Santiago deals with the issue of densification and pedestrianisation of the city. The three projects are the extension of the Metro lines, the new library in the Faculty of Architecture (PUC), and the Centro Cultural Palacio de La Moneda. The presentation is based on a series of observations collected over three weeks of 'walking the city'.

About Beatriz C. Maturana (B.Arch M.Urb.Des.)
Architects for Peace president and founder
Beatriz was born in Santiago, Chile and she left for Australia in the mid eighties. She completed her architectural degree at RMIT, Australia in 1992 and a Masters of Urban Design at the University of Melbourne where she is currently a PhD candidate focusing on architectural education. She runs her own practice and teaches at RMIT and the University of Melbourne. Beatriz founded Architects for Peace in 2003 in response to the silence around the unjustifiable war on Iraq.

(Click on image to download the poster)




see powerpoint:

| View | Upload your own

Thursday March 6, 7pm, RMIT bldg 50 (entry: gold coin donation)

Making the City an 'Off Lead' Area for Kids - April 5, 2007

This presentation shows how planning can help to increase children's independent mobility by including their views and experiences into planning processes.

Cultural values of freedom, the market and democracy are operationationalised by competitive self-interest and symbolized by privatized lives. This focus on individualism also underpins institutional, community and family risk management activities aimed to protect children. Combined with the conceptualisation of children as ‘incompetent’ or as dangerous, they are removed from public space for their own safety or for the safety of others. As a result, children's independent mobility has decreased significantly in the western world.

About the presenter: Julie Rudner is a PhD Candidate at the University of Melbourne and tutor in Social Planning for Health, Research Methods

More information coming soon...

Thursday April 5th, 7pm at 50 Orr Street, South Carlton

Public Space Private Space Other Space

This year the senate passed wide-ranging changes to Whitlam’s NT land
rights laws, with one day for discussion. Hear what happened, what it could
mean, and what built environment professionals can do about it.

[Aboriginal land] is communal property. There are communal
spaces such as the townships and roads and government-funded
bodies, which are more like public space, and there are houses
and other landholdings, which are more like private space.
Private space deserves the protection of trespass laws - public
space does not.

Mal Brough, Minister for Indigineous Affairs, in The Australian, October 5th 2006,

A4 Flyer / Poster:
http://butterpaper.com/assets/files/words_nov2_5.pdf

background reading:
http://www.butterpaper.com/talk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1546

A moderated discussion. WORDS@Bldg50 Thursday
November 2nd, 7pm at 11 Orr Street, South Carlton
www.architectsforpeace.org

Urbanism of Barcelona and its relevance to Melbourne - July 6th

On urbanism of Barcelona, and why I think it is relevant for Melbourne
July 6th, 7pm RMIT, Bldg.50

Darko Radovic will present a slide-show of recent and current urban and architectural interventions in Barcelona and open discussion about possible relevance of those experiences for Melbourne.

Dr. Darko Radovic
DEngArch MSci (UrbArch) PhD (Belgrade)
Head of Urban Design University of Melbourne, Associate Professor in Architecture

RMIT Building 50, Orr St South Carlton (near Victoria Street) 7pm, gold coin

Soumitri Varadarajan - May 4th

Soumitri Varadarajan, the Programme Director at RMIT Industrial Design, will present on May 4th, 7pm.

Soumitri will be discussing the entrance of modernism to indian architecture, focussing in particular on the IIT Delhi, a brutalist building by an indian architect trained at the Tennessee Valley Dam. The talk will also look at Le Corbusier's role in Nehru's vision for a modern India

Soumitri's website

The Baghdad Museum is empty

THE BAGHAD MUSEUM IS EMPTY

The Baghdad Museum is empty yet
We are told, in this war
The Angel of Death deals
A delicate hand:
In the guns’ sights,
Fifty faces stamped on a stack
Of poker cards
Fifty kilo smart bombs
Invisible, silent, first punched
On the lap-tops …in the war room of Quatar
Beamed from Pine Gap to outer space
Ground invisible B52’s deadly cargo rains over
Specified ten meters square,
Curtesy, Baghdad’s street directory
To kill the Evil One (who is it today?) reported
Dining in a fashionable restaurant

A smart war, a skilled hand, a sharp knife,
for Iraq, surgery,
Removal of malignant tissue, whilst…
The patient lives.

On the streets of Baghdad,
A message from beyond the clouds,
First harbingers of peace -
White bed sheets of Baghdad’s City hospital
Drying in the sun
Turn chocolate black caked in dry blood.

Hapless faces of the mauled stare through the CBN lens
Into my living room, for
In this war, the Angel of Death comes with finesse

Only collateral damage and friendly fire harm the innocent
And THAT is reasonable

We can rest content, in oblivion
in the darkness,
Sleep peacefully on our beds.


S Ivanovich, May 2003