The role of architecture has expanded from the design of a physical structure to a holistic approach of place-making. The citizen is an active protagonist & his/her everday practices are central to the design of possible worlds. The architect meanders between roles; being an observer of daily practices & translator of ideas, acting as a mediator between stakeholders & inventing designs, s/he choreographs the aspects & actors of place-making. In this, the architect opens up to creative collaborations in space.
By inserting probes the creative collaborators, test the desires of various urban actors over space & challenge dialogue. The probe allows for the visibility of potentials. It challenges the negotiation of multiple usages within & accesses to one space; finding common ground.
Reflecting the probe & translating its findings, the architect is able to invent future worlds (i.e. inclusive spaces) & to direct its implementation - to choreograph the urban.
"Keep in a safe place - this stuff´s valuable, you never know who´s gonna try pinch it from you" - Handing out "Free Space" to hawkers in downtown Johannesburg that are threatened by displacement as a symbolic act initiating a dialogical process with urban decision makers.
As part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of "Berlin-Gropiusstadt", we initiated a discussion with inhabitants of the failures and successes of this satellite town. A mobile structure was constructed, moving around the site. In collaboration with Erik Goengrich.
An abandoned ticket office was re-activated as a fight club within the parameters of a soccer stadium during the FIFA World Cup 2010 corresponding to the local desire for a space for boxing. In collaboration with Cascoland.
In order to stimulate local (informal) economies, a food market was set up within the parameters of a soccer stadium during the FIFA World Cup 2010. Local vendors offered local cuisine to the soccer audience during the public viewings. In collaboration with Cascoland.
In a process of branding local informal businesses in the township of Alexandra, this hair salon´s slogan corresponds to its customers desire: "Make me nice". In collaboration with Keabetswe and Ray Mokwena.
