COLLABORATIVE TOOLS FOR COMMUNITY ARCHITECTURE

Sinopsis

Our understanding of architecture and its practice is changing.

It does so to respond to a changing reality affected by multiple crises (financial, social, political, sanitary) that have questioned the conventional understanding of architectural production.

We find ourselves in the need to act locally to respond to complex urban situations. For that, it is crucial to address the social reality as much as the built environment. This brings the need to question project methods and to develop new disciplinary tools.

This book proposes a practical methodology of architects as proximity professionals who tackle everyday needs and incorporate users in one or more project stages. An architecture based on the collaboration of social stakeholders, institutions, technical staff, and users.

The first part of the book, toolkit, presents an instrumental analysis of the architectural collaborative project. More than 100 tools and strategies are organised according to the project phase.

The second half of the book, works, applies the toolkit to analyse 23 built works, mostly in Barcelona’s metropolitan area.

The main goal of the book is to consolidate and broadcast collaborative architectural practices from a solid and open methodology that allows its replicability in other contexts.

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Why supporting the initiative

Because it claims and exemplifies architecture as a tool for social transformation that is committed to local communities.

Because it explains and consolidates an open methodology for architects as mediators.

Because it shows that architecture responds better to the needs for which it has been created when it includes users in its decision-making phases.

Because it is a necessary instrument of use to designers, local stakeholders, local governments, technical staff, and architecture students.

Because it makes visible that collaborative strategies are an intrinsic part of the history of architecture, often invisible behind a heroic narrative.

Because there is a lack of knowledge of these strategies among architects, technical staff, and users.

Because architecture is and has always been fundamentally collaborative.

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Book details

The book will be edited by the publisher Arquine (www.arquine.com), with an estimated publication date of September 2022.

The book will have two editions, one in English and the other in Spanish, each with 1,000 copies. It will contain 370 full colour pages, with an approximate size of 17x24 cm.

It will be distributed internationally.

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About the author

Raül Avilla-Royo is a Barcelona-based architect and a member of the Arquitectos de Cabecera association. Raül teaches at the Barcelona School of Architecture (ETSAB) and the Architectural Association (AA) in London. He has developed research on collaborative architecture within the framework of his doctorate at the Royal College of Art (RCA) in London.

Arquitectos de Cabecera (AC) is an academic group and an association born from an assembly movement formed by students and lecturers from the Barcelona School of Architecture (ETSAB) in 2013. Working in the city and focusing on collectivity, the methodology aims to bring the figure of the architect closer to the citizen and calls for a more committed role of the architect towards the social structure of the city. We work with groups, associations, municipalities and universities, concentrating on the existing city, its problems and contradictions. Our current research topics address the intersection of social movements and architecture, the role of the architect in urban transformation, new forms of architectural pedagogy, and new forms of housing within open metropolitan areas. Arquitectos de Cabecera has been exhibited and awarded nationally and internationally.
www.arquitectosdecabecera.org

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About the rewards

The rewards respond to different types of collaborators. All book rewards include shipping within Spain. Unfortunately, given the size and weight of the book, shipping it outside of Spain as pre-order at a reasonable price is unfeasible. However, the financial contributions from outside of Spain are fundamental for the feasibility of the book publication.

For this reason, we have opened crowdfunding to international contributors who wish to make this possible and are willing to appear in the credits of the book. The author wants to thank in advance the generosity of all donors and their support in making this possible.

The book will be available to collect in Barcelona during Autumm 2022. Otherwise, after September 2022, the book will be available for purchase with international shipping.

You will be asked about the preferred book languageonce the campaign is over.

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Goal of the contributions

The book is currently in the content review phase. The first objective of the campaign is to finance the publishing, printing and distribution costs. Additionally, funding shall will be needed to cover image rights, predictably from archive images. Finally, donations may cover salaries for tasks that would otherwise be assumed with no compensation: content review, translation and proofreading, and graphic design. The professionalisation of such tasks would result in a qualitative improvement for the publication.

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Calendar

Crowdfunding – until 1st June 2022

Content revision – until 15th June 2022

Layout and pre-printing – July 2022

Printing – August 2022

Publication – September 2022

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+ Info

Follow us in IG Raül Avilla-Royo e IG Arquitectos de Cabecera

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