u.polis minimal commons

Ivan Kucina

Elvan Dajko

architecture workshop at Polis University Tirana

October 25 – November 6, 2010

bit of coexistence where there’s nothing left to lose but a lot to add

Minimal Commons is the architecture workshop that explores strategies to exploit Tirana’s physical and mental voids in creating common places for social exchange. Urban voids are the leftovers of the rapid urban growth followed by disintegrating process (social, functional, legal, economic, cultural, political, both historic and contemporary). Voids appear everywhere in the city at many levels, shapes and scales in both space and time. They could be seen to encompass the whole spectrum of urban phenomena: from informal to institutional, from temporal to eternal … This project will propose that urban voids signify the spaces in-between fulfilled individual ambitions, territories and interests.

Taking a multiplicity of urban voids as starting point, students are going to establish a provisional taxonomy of Tirana’s voids. After that each student will chose one void for further research. It will be scanned and mapped to expose a subjective network of vibrant relations between social actors, their behaviors and the built environment. In the next phase, using a series of diagrams to navigate through the mapped territory, each student will conceptualize a community managed public building, such as, local communication center, education and research laboratory, school of missing studies, station for urban activism, architecture and media workshop… Students will create a comprehensive variety of small scale outcomes with a diverse programs and shapes. Finally, a serial of architecture projects that are presented as Google Sketch Up 3D model will be planted in the Tirana Google Earth satellite map.

The potential of exploiting voids is providing a new model of urban development that is abandoning the ideal of the control and unification of the socialist system and the pressure of hostility and disintegration of the post-socialist one. Creating common capacity could lay claim on architecture in a different way, as part of an ongoing life full process in which production of the city is shared between the residents and experts. Common buildings should not take place thanks to ideological programs or market pressures alone, but under the impulse of social actors that are initiating new ways of producing frameworks in which to live.

Strengthening common capacity could have many positive outcomes in the city: interest and curiosity are stimulated, groups and persons establish their temporary identities, and new solutions are invented to old problems. Minimal commons should not seek to eliminate voids, but to understand how to maintain lively controversies instead of deadly conflicts, how to create smart means for constructive exchange among the various concurrent states of existence.

Neighbor geographical position,

map of Tirana

Zone position and connections into the neighbor

Photos from the zone

Mental map_
abstract expression of mental experience
impact

Interviews
-habitants at the neighbor

Phenomena

Finding keywords of the perfect profile group,
based on interviews and phenomena

Created profile biography and his life story and experience for the certain zone

Name: Ton Hoti

Age: 21

Gender: Male

Status: Open relationship

Life-style: Protagonist

Profession: Graphic design student & part-time work as a designer

Monthly income: ~420eur

Living situation: With friends in an apartment

Characteristic & adaptations: very sociable, outgoing, born leader, organized, systematic, active, energetic, explorer, curious, creative, ambitious

Self-concept: self-esteemed, forever young, in search for innovations and diversity, very energetic, self-willed

Identity: optimist, free spirited and avant-garde

Aspirations: diversity in everything, action, energy release, socializing, emotion express

Hobbies: street arts, technology, online &out games, reading (novels and psychological books), movies (especially thrillers and documentary on technologies), music (mostly jazz and reggae)

Interests: in everything – very curios nature, mostly graphic design and IT.

profile and scenario

-developed as a conversation between me and the profile/person-

‘’It’s interesting the fact that a man lives and act continually meanwhile happen to lose the very essence/tendency of this journey – comfort and beatitude. Why do we live, work or why do we even laugh?! To overlive the day or to enjoy the day!!! What memories do we have along a pathway! How happens the same distance we experience it short and beautiful or long and boring?! Why easy-fast task-work sometimes is a very lasting one?! What about the morning wake-ups! For example, today you’re an enthusiastic one and the next morning you have no motivation to get up!’’

…

This is how Toni starts his life-story. He is 21 years old and actually this entry is in contradiction with his excited, positive and smiley face.

Then he continues…

‘Even though I’m not a pessimist, a contrary, there are moments when I find myself discussing and agreeing with my friends regard this topic. Routine days are responsible for this inner conflict of mine, my life journey.

As much as a man adapt to the ambient, his aspirations and needs will be fulfilling.

I live in an old neighbor near city center for around 6 years. We are 3 roommates living in an old apartment. Although the apartment and neighbor contains some political (not kind) memories, I can say it’s a quite, homely, safe and regular zone. Actually sometimes, notably on weekends, this area is very silent – as a dead one. On my behalf, I would never spend a weekend day at home, it would drive me crazy. Accept park that is near my house, there’s absolutely no activity near. I’m used to move, action is my second name huh. I was born and raised in a village, we had a very big house with an amazing garden also big park was near us. Ouch, how I miss the un-endless space, the playing hours with my friends, the laughs when we singed / act as VIP, the freedom and excitement etc. A child/man should have the space and opportunity to develop and train his creative side, exploring, inventing and organizing his own life and will. Maybe I’m too childhood nostalgic, but I sense that here in Tirana (or only my neighbor) is missing. We all have to go outside far away maybe just for a café or for some leisure. I study for graphic design and I work as a free lance as a designer. Approximately 10 hours per day I am in a rush, walking, running, in a bus or taxi. I usually wake up at 7AM, the lectures start at 08:20am, so I have to catch a bus – lucky me the bus station is near apartment. I really love to take with me in a bus a cup of coffee so I could start lectures with eyes wide open, but this is an odd wish – there’s no café near my apartment. Usually I have classes ‘till 13:00pm and afterwards is lunch break, battery charging for the next mission – work. I usually work at home because I have no office and apartment is the only place. My job requires creative results, so I need motivation and inspirations. And again there’s nostalgia… I wish I could have that garden to sit with a pen and laptop, i-pad with jazz music, some snacks and coffee… I know for sure that if in pauses I would see and talk with people it will raise work product quality; my work could and would be fineness if I would work in a social area and with motivation inputs very close. Huh, you see I’m systematic and organized person but work and school is not the only objective in my life. After 07pm, I’m very open to night life challenges and activities. It usually requires transport and financial inputs, but I manage it somehow. Movies are my specialty (mainly thrillers), karaoke to release stress and music to fulfill my soul. Weekend days, very special one, means dance club, parks, beach, bowling, tennis, football, parties, karaoke etc… Huh I have so much desires for fun, accomplishing hmmm it depends on financial factors. To go to a club, for example, there is need money for taxi, entry fee, drinks and again taxi. It’s a pity for me that there is no club in my neighborhood. On Sundays I usually go to café before lunch and after I love to read novels, magazines and strips. I love Grisham btw. The Sunday evenings are usually for movies and relax.’

Then he stops for a minute, takes a deep breath and says…

‘You see why people call me a perfectionist and they say to me: you are going to live forever. I try not to let myself into routine; I try to live as diverse as its possible… This is me! Attempting to live as when I was a child, a happy and free-spirit man.

We still were walking and talking, and by these last sentences, we arrived at the dynamo stadium. He told me that we are almost there, because I offered him a company. Did I mention that we live in the same neighbor?! Anyway, we were about to enter into our block and in front of us was an empty place un-used and un-treated in front of apartment blocks. Well when I say empty, I mean no people or activity, there were some cars and garbage. I asked him ‘ what do u think about this place? Do you know what happens here? And he responded me….

‘Well, know is fine no rain its dry; by the winter u cannot walk here at all is all mud. When I go to the work or where ever I use this shortcut, (it connects me with the city); I hate when it rains, I have to walk all around to reach the main street. It’s a dad zone, no one stays here all are passing just like me; btw for what else could we use it?! Also for parking when its dry of course also. I don’t know why there isn’t built something, maybe a park or a café, I would like a café there very much. It would be on the way to work, I would drink it or take way on the bus. Instead of using for something good or productive, I toxin myself every day. You see u have garbage all over nobody deals with the waste-baskets, all the neighbor is a basket to throw garbage. ‘

Then I asked ‘ is there any life here, ok you mentioned that people only pass for transit, what about vehicles?

‘Well habitants from these buildings park they’re car here by night, and probably early in the morning they go to work or anywhere else by car – because when I go to school I see only cars that goes to the center and also when I come back There are again parked infront of their apartments. In general this place is very quite, no people, no children, no cars, no animals, no green…

It’s a dad place!!!

Keywords derived from the scenario/phenomena/profile conversation

divided into 4 groups