Back from summer in France, spent reading but not writing: a) Jeremy Till – ‘Architecture Depends’ (2009), good on allowing for the unexpected and disorder within architectural practice; b) J Hughes and S Sadler (eds.) – ‘Non-Plan’ (2000), featuring classic essays on participation in modern urbanism; and c) John Thompson – ‘Critical Hermeneutics’ (1981), concerned with philosophy in relation to language (an intellectually challenging study of Wittgenstein / Ricoeur / Habermas – now on page 118 and hard going). All to be reviewed in greater detail now that I’m up-to-date in terms of teaching/preparation responsibilities.
Having walked round the ‘Mapping Nottingham’s Identity’ exhibition in Central Library on Monday evening with Dasha, this evening she led a lively and well-attended workshop on the Sneinton part of her work. Participants were invited to a) identify what resources (based upon who they are or what organisations they represent) they felt able to use or deploy in order to improve the quality of life in the area; b) identify what activities they could engage in, on the basis of these resources; c) describe two specific changes in the future that might reflect progress towards the kind of ‘improvement’ envisaged; and finally d) describe actions that might be taken in order to bring about such changes. In the final part of this exercise, participants were invited to identify these ‘action’ ideas as either risky/difficult or viable/worthwhile. Well presented and an opportunity to renew contact with some old friends as well as meeting some interesting new people: eg a) ‘Rich’ from NTU –associated with RSA and citizenship (he will email me tomorrow to say more about himself); b) someone from Backlit Gallery – also interested in public participation; c) Alva from Nottingham Contemporary – who invited me to an event there tomorrow evening related to their ‘City Questions summer school’ (looking at the Broadmarsh Shopping Centre renewal plans in terms of citizen engagement); d) Bahbak Hashemi-Nezhad (www.bh-n.com), from RCA claiming an interest in regeneration and community participation and the presenter at Nottingham Contemporary tomorrow (having previously worked on an event for Hyson Green, based in the New Art Exchange: I took his email address and promised to let him know about my own interests before we meet again). Tom Hughes advised me there is a strong likelihood that Sneinton alchemy will suggest Old School Hall, next to Greens Windmill, as a focus for my proposed action-research – we are to meet tomorrow to discuss this further. And then Friday/Saturday is to be DArch Workshop 4.1 – no email received yet advising of the proposed programme.
So back into the flow in terms of material for Research Study 2 perhaps, but still some major work to be put into Research Study 1 before I can submit it: a) complete Appendix A identifying community architecture projects and initiatives. b) complete the Assemble case study (having received no feedback on my summary of their narrative). c) contact at least two more practices with a view to interviewing them in order to acquire Case Study material – requiring consolidation of my Appendices on survey questions and protocols, followed by writing up the Case Studies themselves; d) complete Doc 3 text, drawing conclusions from my Case Studies.