MDes Interior Design School of Design
Eden-Gabriela Uta
I am an interior designer who has a passion for shaping the built environment around the needs of the people inhabiting it. Having a love for details, I focus on a range of areas such as the craftsmanship of finishes, creating bespoke pieces and curating the flow of space to fit the activities and the lifestyle of the user. During my degree, I have been heavily researching theories on community spaces, place-making, non-places, third places and expression of identity and culture in interior design.
Don’t let our stories die with us
PROJECT STATEMENT
I proposed an adaptive reuse of an abandoned non-place by building on its existing character and transforming it into a third place for the diverse communities of Glasgow.
The host is represented by the collective identity and memories of the people of Glasgow. The intervention proposes a gallery space that honours the collective by letting their stories live on from generation to generation, immortalised in a physical space.
The space transforms into an immersive living theatre experience. The existing gallery is utilised as a
scenography set and actors among visitors populate the space. the intervention is a proposal for adaptive reuse of third spaces with existing history . All barriers are removed as the spectators can explore the space freely at their own pace. The visitors are walking through the rooms while the play is taking place, interacting with the actors and with the surrounding environment.
The set is a speculation of a timeline narrative (past, present and future) on how people expressed their collective identity and memories through the habitation of their space and the performance of their customs and crafts.
The journey is set out so that there is only one route, start to finish, that the visitors embark on, never crossing paths and never going back, only forward. Because the topic of collective identity and memory is such a serious topic and the venue’s scoop is to provide entertainment as a third place, vagueness is necessary to allow people to complete the narratives. Of off base scenarios they can continue the story line in their own way, or create an entirely new fictional storyline. The venue aims to encourage people to express themselves and to get fully immersed into the experience. Each room (representative of a fixed point in the timeline) has its own story, known and followed by the actors. It all switches when the living theatre inserts small opportunities of improve. The audience can actively take part in the improv activity. To be noted that the improve might take the narrative into a different direction which means that even the existing storyline known by actors (for each room) needs to be improvised.
The exit of one space might radically change the entry story line of the following,
The spontaneity of the improv matches beautifully with blurring the lines between fiction and reality. Moreover, because of the diverse cultures present in Glasgow, there are endless possibilities in terms of narrative, making the venue a great place to come back to.
Further direction
The concept can act as a canvas for multiple plays and events to take place in. It would be testament to the value found in adaptive reuse of public toilets in Glasgow, encouraging people to take them over and make it into new entertainment venues, ultimately diminishing the adversity shown in the present.
INTERVENTION- A SERIES OF VISUALISATIONS
The series walks the reader through each room, completing the journey in the same order as spectator would. For all the rooms there are concept collages used to tell the story and set the atmosphere and 3d visualisations of the space (scale proportionate).
1. The journey starts outside, in the world as we know it and continues with the descent into a unknown world.
The interior features and finishes of the existing site are kept as is, because the site is part of the heritage of the urban fabric. The aim is to preserve its charactyer and history. The white metro tiles and brick steps favour the storyline, not giving away any clues regarding the
aesthetics of the event.
Vertical glass openings are carved into the existing wall and coloured LEDs are used. They act as a threshold from the outside to the atmospheric stage design present downstairs.
2. The first three rooms represent the past. The first one speculates on the earliest signs of expressions recorded by mankind, cave drawings.
The room has stripped back distressed walls that act as a canvas for the spectators. Markers are provided for the audience to immerse themselves into the play by drawing their interpretations of domesticity within rural and urban contexts. This room bridges the gap between the current built environment and the characteristic expression of the past.
3. The first three rooms represent the past. The second one speculates on a traditionalist view of the past, self expression though craft and connection to nature.
This room is specifically an ode to Eastern European cultures and their attention to craft, the idea of passing down their knowledge so that the secrets of handmade objects do not disappear. On the other hand, the idea of nature, connection to nature and land is expressed though the design of this room. While craft might not be something that all people identify with though their culture and memories, nature is prevalent across all.
4. The first three rooms represent the past. The third one speculates on the connection between storytelling, folklore and mythology.
No specific mythology is predominant, the aim is to showcase a variety of cultures. A subcategory of the above mentioned could be superstitions which can act as a great stating point for the improv section of the living theatre experience.The magic of folklore, of deep rooted superstitions and of the word of the world of mouth story tales takes over the narrative.
5. The fourth and fifth rooms represent the present.
The fourth is reminiscent of our day to day rituals, of gathering around the table and storytelling in our domestic spaces. This room brings a level of domesticity while celebrating the connection with our loved ones
6. The fourth and fifth rooms represent the present. The fifth room is contrasting the fourth. While the former was celebrating the present connection between us and our loved ones, this rooms acknowledges the temporary nature of life.
It is staged as a place of remembrance, thinking of the loved ones that have passed, a photographic memorial, a space to share, to talk and to be heard are all part of the concept of this room.
7. The sixth and seventh rooms represent the past. They both speculate on a new sci-fi reality unfolding far away into the future.
Th future of the world is full of destruction, nothing that we knew ever looks the same. Humans’ lifespan has increased drastically to the point that their memories from the first quarter of their life are so far away from the present that they are starting to forget them. In order to hold on to good memories, people become resourceful with the way they feed the memories to the brain. The first scenario illustrates a world of destruction and a bunker-like interior in which memories of the past play in loop so that they are not forgotten.
8. The sixth and seventh rooms represent the past. They both speculate on a new sci-fi reality unfolding far away into the future.
The future of the world is full of destruction, nothing that we knew ever looks the same. Humans’ lifespan has increased drastically to the point that their memories from the first quarter of their life are so far away from the present that they are starting to forget them. In order to hold on to good memories, people become resourceful with the way they feed the memories to the brain. The second scenario illustrates a world taken over by other entities in which humans are forced to forget their past lives. In this world, the only access to past information and events is through a memory feeding system. In this world we are dependent on robots and technology.
More on the concept
The host is represented by the collective identity and memories of the people of Glasgow. The intervention proposes a gallery space that honours the collective by letting their stories live on from generation to generation, immortalised in a physical space.The space transforms into an immersive living theatre experience. The existing gallery is utilised as a scenography set and actors among visitors populate the space. the intervention is a proposal for adaptive reuse of third spaces with existing history . All barriers are removed as the spectators can explore the space freely at their own pace. The visitors are walking through the rooms while the play is taking place, interacting with the actors and with the surrounding environment. The set is a speculation of a timeline narrative (past, present and future) on how people expressed their collective identity and memories through the habitation of their space and the performance of their customs and crafts. The journey is set out so that there is only one route, start to finish, that the visitors embark on, never crossing paths and never going back, only forward.
The vagueness of whose and what collective memory is intentional. Firstly, since the show is for the people of Glasgow and aims to identify in small way with their identity, the vagueness is necessary due to the diverse cultural backgrounds within the community. So called blank space is needed for the people to immerse themselves in the story and resonate with some of the scenarios of the play. Secondly, because the topic of collective identity and memory is such a serious topic and the venue’s scope is to provide entertainment as a third place, vagueness is necessary to allow people to complete the narratives. Of off base scenarios they can continue the storyline in their own way, or create an entirely new fictional storyline.
Silliness is part of the real charm. Fictional stories are as entertaining as historical facts, but often their creation engages communities even more.
The venue aims to encourage people to express themselves and to get fully immersed into the experience
Each room (representative of a fixed point in the timeline) has its own story, known and followed by the actors. It all switches when the living theatre inserts small opportunities of improve. The audience can actively take part in the improv activity. To be noted that the improve might take the narrative into a different direction which means that even the existing storyline known by actors (for each room) needs to be improvised. The exit of one space might radically change the entry storyline of the following. The spontaneity of the improv matches beautifully with blurring the lines between fiction and reality. Moreover, because of the diverse cultures present in Glasgow, there are endless possibilities in terms of narrative, making the venue a great place to come back to.
Learning how to adult
What is it: A welcoming space offering cooking classes for young adults who either want to learn how to cook at home or who want to better their skills
Age target: Generally new students who moved out on their own for the first time and need to figure out ‘how to adult’
18-24 year old
Where: Second floor of 123 Sauchiehall st as it is close by to all student accommodations
What is in there: Main cooking space-kitchen space and greenhouse for them to learn where food comes from and to be responsible of growing and ensuring that the herbs and vegetables planted are thriving
Possible expansion: Possible future expansion on 3rd floor by introducing a cafe space and another level to the greenhouse
Digi-ER
SHORT DESCRIPTION
Digi-er is a playful exploration of space and its capacity to exist through its individually or as a duplicate within our world.
The proposal draws upon various existing digital methodologies of recording the built environment such as Lidar Scanning, Bim modelling, Point Cloud and Mesh systems, while making the most of traditional analogue methods of taking in the space around us. To name a few, these would be walking as a method of discovery, experiencing the cityscape and its rich visual and tactile stimuli as well as sketching on site. Moreover, the act of remembering space is an essential practice in my process of creative reconstruction of heritage.
Through this project, I am proposing a new method of rebuilding spaces in the digital realm in order to preserve local heritage that communities at large can enjoy, irrespective of geographical boundaries. The manifestation of the concept comes as a reaction to the fact that even though space recording technology has evolved in a way that it can create 1:1 representations, the process and devices used are not readily available to all. Alternatively, buildings can simply be recorded with a smartphone and be pieced back together in creative ways to revive a once-forgotten venue. Communities can take back their space and create social places in a digital realm, may it be in the Metaverse or in the format of a world-building video game. Rebuilding for a new digital city is a way of sustainable development of the future. We preserve heritage without straining the environment, putting it through countless attempts of demolition and restoration.
For the purpose of demonstration, my proposal focuses on a national monument in Craiova, Romania called Casa Poenaru. It once was a vibrant third place loved by the community as it was hosting dancing, cooking, craft lessons as well as theatre plays and concerts. Nowadays, its doors have shut from the public, and it lays as a non-place of the cityscape, as a ghost of what it used to be. Lastly, the research is informed by theories such as Ray Oldenburg’s ‘The Great Good Place: Cafes, Coffee Shops, Community Centers, Beauty Parlors, General Stores, Bars, Hangouts, and How They Get You Through the Day’, Veysel Apaydin’s ‘The Interlinkage of Cultural Memory, Heritage and Discourses of Construction, Transformation and Destruction’, and Marc Augé’s ‘Non-Places: Introduction to an Anthropology of Supermodernity’. Case studies were formed around SESC, Lina Bo Bardi; Eternelle Notre Dame and Assasin’s Creed graphics and methods of mapping space.
ABSTRACT
Third spaces are essential to the well-being of citizens and represent an integral part of place-making and creating a tight-knit society. While the site I am analyzing is a B-listed national monument located in Craiova, Romania, I am expanding on how sites at a distance can become third places for communities at large. In this paper, I am questioning why third spaces have typically been limited to specific sites and one’s proximity to them. Because of technological advances, gathering and entertainment venues can be virtual sites accessed online, thus removing the barrier between people, and geographical boundaries become invalid. People are no longer tied down to singular places and geographical mobility can be done remotely, the same way Web II, through social media, created and connected communities, irrespective of background, around the world. I am exploring methodologies of preserving heritage through digital means such as LiDar Scans, Bim Modeling, Point Clouds data and analogue by using walking as a way of recording the site, drawing, and note-taking. The analogue and digital methodologies are combined with the aim of re-imagining the existing site and honouring the cultural heritage by preserving it digitally. I propose that the virtual space hosts game nights, theatre shows and dancing lessons. The result consists of a series of visualisations speculating on how after the methodology is used, such spaces can be used as online venues and social spaces, even hosting workshops and classes which could be accessed through VR equipment or by simply using a laptop or phone.
INTRODUCTION
Communities are often built around social spaces which act as third places. The fewer venues one has within their city, easily accessible to all, the more segregated the population becomes, with an overall lower level of wellbeing. The site chosen for my proposal is a B-listed national monument located in Craiova, Romania. As it is my home city, I have a good understanding of the lack of third spaces available to citizens, witnessing several social venues closing down over the past few years. Not only that, but the current third places are exclusively cafes, bars and shops, no free-of-charge community spaces exist. In my opinion, that poses the question of ethics. Design Justice Network is a framework that inspires designers to make ethical responsible decisions and to think thoroughly about the needs of communities. The first principle states that ‘we use design to sustain, heal, and empower our communities’, but the social infrastructure of Craiova harms its community as spaces are not, in fact, designed for all.
Teenagers seem to have even fewer places to gather outside school (second place) and home life (first place). Generation Z is too young to go to concerts, festivals and bars unattended by an adult, yet too old to use traditional outdoor playgrounds built for children. They are stuck in an in-between age gap and no physical spaces seem to be designed with them in mind. Online environments, such as video games, tend to be their way of populating space, providing an opportunity for gathering and communication.
On the other hand, the city has a built environment rich in heritage which is reflected through its locale and culture. Unfortunately, historical buildings are delirict, left abandoned with no plans of future restoration due to lack of funds.
Spaces exist, and the citizens have a nostalgic attachment to them, but these interiors are closed off to the public. Nostalgia plays an important factor because nobody dears to propose demolition of these non-places, yet the thought of making plans for rehabilitation is more daunting.
PROPOSAL
Through my proposal, I am speculating on the future of non-places (third places) and how they can be transformed into community venues in virtual
form as a way of preserving heritage sustainably. The reasoning is that the future is shaped by technological advancements and community spaces should evolve accordingly. Abandoned buildings, especially national monuments, need adaptive reuse proposals instead of construction initiatives for new builds. In turn, I question whether adaptive reuse can take the form of a digital artefact, as the physical cityscape is subject to natural disasters, normal degradation due to weather conditions, and building regulation requirements constantly being updated. A digital place could be available, accessible to, and frequented by all, one that exists independently with no demand on society. A lot of current third spaces are limited to geographical boundaries. Thus, certain communities do not have ownership over space or even a physical place they can use as a platform for gathering. Moreover, migration is highly prevalent in Romania, leading to citizens not being able to access or ever experience their nostalgic childhood places again.
The fluid nature of architecture facilitates its transformative capabilities to be adapted to new demands of society. Through place-making and clever adaptive reuse, buildings can re-become lively community hubs. Culture is dynamic and the built environment reflects it. In the process of adaptation, places are reborn; they evolve and transform, especially when users help bring them back to life and relations are resumed within the space.
AIMS
- To create virtual third spaces that will remove any geographical boundaries between communities
by existing online, anyone can access it even if they are in a different country;
- To re-imagine and speculate on how virtual reality public spaces will become as essential as the built environment
virtual venues do not take up space in our cityscapes, therefore millions of them can exist;
- To approach the virtual representation of heritage as a mean of sustainable development of the future
does not strain the environment by building and demolishing sites; reduces potential carbon footprint;
- To record heritage sites in a playful way as a result of the site recording methods used
it can be a creative way of taking ownership of the site and expressing the character of the locale;
- To create a digital artefact that is reminiscent of the past, yet can adapt to the present and future, even post demolition
should the original site be demolished, the digital version of it does not need to cease to exist, it can adapt to technologies, needs and wants in the future.
METHODOLOGY
- LiDar Scanning using my own phone and the built in LiDar sensor;
- Photogrammetry;
- Analyzing and building 3d white model based on the existing sourced plans from the owner of the site;
- Point Cloud representation and manipulation sourced from initial photogrammetry meshes;
- Reversed composition -Rebuilding 3d photogrammetry photos taken during site visit;
- Reimagining space by converting 2d outlines of scans of site into 3D Photoshop models;
- Video of existing site layerd with video of scans;
- Layering and combining the results of the different site recording methods in order to digitalise the site in a unique way;
- Case Studies;
- Making a desktop model of site as a way of exploring analogue methods of representation and their constraints.
In my experience, LiDar scanning the site with automated photographs during the initial walkthrough proved effective in capturing bigger spaces but less effective if the rooms were scanned on their own. Upon creating new photogrammetry models from the same images as well as the aid of additional ones, the model failed to be reconstructed accordingly. The initial poly cam model could be exported and transformed in point clouds, but it has to be noted that any changes in level and height, for example, stairs, were made obsolete. Everything became one plane. In fact, reverse modelling from point clouds, should one need to add more information through captures(photographs), in case the scan has voids, is still an issue and a hard process. All the faulty recordings, after identifying faults and gaps are layered to create an as accurate as possible representation. Because all softwares have their own visual language, the material and textural resemblance of the digital artefact will differ from the existing site. It will be reminiscent and the overall look, if not close to similar, but the artefact will not be a replica. The project proposes an experimentation of combining recording methods and does not guarantee genuine alikeness. In turn, it can be questioned if the new digital world is in itself a separate world detached from reality. Is it a reconstruction, a copy, or is it an entirely new space?
However, it needs to be noted that BIM processes were not invented with the aim of recording and preserving heritage; their main use was within the construction industry. The aim was to digitally represent simple solid forms in order to test and present projects prior to implementation. It is only recently that BIM has been used to record the architectural memory of buildings, so the software is just now starting to adapt to the demands of the field of research.
Polycam states that they only guarantee up to 2% of accuracy when using their app to scan objects, assuming the scan was done under good conditions.
OUTCOMES
- To relate the process of digital restoration to sustainability practices that can be employed in the design field to better the climate crisis;
- To develop the beginnings of an articulation on methodology to be used by communities to re-populate their locale;
- Relate critical issues to previous theoretical works from a broader context to develop a comprehensive methodology;
- Demonstrate through findings and experimenting with processes that the proposal could be used to develop online meeting and venue spaces further;
- Use a range of software to challenge traditional ways of preserving heritage;
- To demonstrate the importance of using both analogue and digital methods to construct an authentic digital artefact;
- To create an analogue 1:50 site model that is a representation of the methods used;
- To create a digital walk-through video showing the different digital methods.
Exploring the site & reconstructing it
In order to reconstruct the site I needed to record it in a comprehensive manner. In my case, it was done by employing both analogue and digital methods. The main analogue method used was walking as a way of experiencing and remembering the space around one’s self. People’s memory of space is fragmented and the mind tends to manipulate the visualisation of it through our memories. The overall impression of the site tends to be similar to reality, but certain details get lost. Due to that, drawing on site was used as a secondary method of recording the building.
Additionally, the digital methods used were taking photographs of the site, recording it in Polycam by using LiDar scanning, turning it into mesh and afterwords combining the two with BIM Modelling for a more comprehensive digital artefact of the original site.
Analogue model making was used for producing a physical artefact that embodies the accumulation of all processes used for reconstruction. Therefore, all methods and processes were needed so that I could develop my own methodology for recording and reconstructing heritage, a creative methodology that seeked to ‘fill in the gaps’ of current technologies. Nonetheless this one could be more accessible to all, rather than the standard equipment currently being used by official organisations such as UNESCO.
Caitlin DeSilvey introduces a new way of seeing preserving heritage and its decay. As she points out, our capacity to preserve the structures of the built environment is overshadowed by the volume of such sites that ‘need’ saving; as well as the time and technological constraints such undertaking implies. We are accustomed to preserve by making sure all interior finishes are in pristine condition as they were on the day the site was built. Man is taking over nature and tries to separate it from our domestic environments, yet nature and its ongoing processes tend to take back the space.
For my proposal of methodology I decided to preserve the building in its ‘decay’. To highlight the passing of time and the relationship of the built environment and nature. As I am creating a digital artefact, mold, humidity effects and growth on walls cannot be considered a health hazard anymore, they are only a beautiful and poetic testament of time.
Initial visualisation
My methodology was constantly being shaped by the processes I used and I experimented with in my pursuit to deconstruct physical space and recreate it digitally. Creativity was at the core of my experimentation and because of it I was seeking to create an artefact that encapsulates the visual language of the existing building, but that also challenges traditional forms of archiving heritage. Therefore, I embraced the particularities and quirks of each stage of implementation.
The series of images presented in the following pages records my development towards the aims set out in the beginning. While the first series of images is more abstract, it was key in defining the methodology which first lead to the beginning stages of the digital artefact and its final form.
While recording and collecting data on the site I expected the scans to fail to show a comprehensive picture of the building, but, they turned out to be full of voids. Thus, I explored the site thoroughly at distance by merging digital recordings of site to fill in the voids where scans failed to provide all the necessary information.
I intend to develop a methodology that can be used by anyone with access to minimal everyday equipment so that communities can start taking the initiative to record abandoned sites local to them. These sites can further be transformed into digital artefacts. Such artefacts can be used as an online meeting space for socialising (a third place) and an information aid in local museums when presenting the city’s history. Expanding on the last point, online databases can be created to facilitate urban design development proposals or as a learning tool for engineering, architecture and design students. For example, the Mitchell Library is an excellent archive for students to use in Glasgow, though hardly any plans are digitised and readily available to the public. Even if they were a digital CAD file, a 3D structure still needed to be made for use. Design practices need to build the outer shell of the building by referencing hand-drawn plans and images taken on-site. The process of guessing them is often time-consuming and far from foolproof.
Most digitised artefacts nowadays are purely used for information purposes and as a record of heritage sites. Heritage could be made available for generations if the site is preserved digitally to be used as an online venue. Recent technological developments, the rise of Web III and the Metaverse, and people’s appetite for these allow me to speculate that certain classes, workshops or events might move online. Lifestyle games are popular, but what if this venue was built after the structure of games but made part of our everyday lives? We already take pilates classes online, so why not take it a step further and meet at a digital venue with friends, where everyone has their avatar but does the exercises from the comfort of their home? VR headsets, a screen, voice commands, or motion sensors could be used. Learning and downtime can be moved online, and digital cities can act as an extension of the physical, providing citizens with more options for activities.
