On July 15, I prepared lunch for everyone working on the site at Parker Street, Vancouver. The design of the meal was based on my response to site condition, leftover materials and people working there. I reused the existing bricks that were stacked to be thrown away for creating a platform. This might be the last use of a hundred years old bricks on the site. Our gathering, eating and speaking on the site around a temporal installation allowed a different form of knowledge and communication to be shared; one that is rare to find in the architecture studios.
Architecture is not only about building, but the spaces between buildings.
Architecture is not only about the final outcome, but the process.
I asked:
What are the ways people can involve in architecture?
What are our cultural/social agencies towards our built environment?
How can we participate?
The Scenario
It is around noon.
They are working on a hundred and ten years old house.
They remove, repair, rebuilt on the site.
Stories appear and disappear in front of their eyes.
It is dark inside since the windows are covered with plywood.
There is a table.
Plates and cutlery have been designed beforehand and are ready on the table.
What do they think about this building?
They should be tired.
They need to sit and relax. They don't want to sit straight and formal around a table perhaps.
They may want to lie down a bit.
Food is warm and ready to be served. We sit close to each other.
How do they participate in the process of thinking? How do they participate in the process of designing?
I asked: How would they design?
We eat.
There are napkins in green.
We talk about the house, us, past, present.
There are tea, juice and coffee after lunch.
There is a box that we can put the dirty plates in it.
They get back to work.
I will take the box.
It is full of stories, thoughts and shared moments.
