The project incorporates unprogrammed spaces, while also creating surprising connections between the different functions of the building. The Herstedlund Community Centre designed by Dorte Mandrup Arkitekter is a user-driven community centre commissioned for a then-new residential area in Albertslund, Denmark. Image © Adam MørkĪs many architects have said before, architecture should also leave room for the unplanned, for spontaneous activities and encounters. Save this picture! Community centre Herstedlund by Dorte Mandrup. The initiative is a remarkable example of working with the existing built environment and local communities to address specific social issues. The research is part of a larger endeavour to re-imagine civic assets across US cities, to foster engagement, equity and economic development. The proposals range from expanding the function of libraries to accommodate gatherings and support digital development, to adapting parks into more activity-oriented spaces with more diverse topographies, or making police station more friendly environments, allowing for much more positive interaction, thus building trust. What are the opportunities for people to interact? How can buildings spark new relationships?” On these lines, Studio Gang’s research project, Reimagining The Civic Commons, proposes different strategies for increasing the potential for social interaction of existing public buildings and amenities, thus creating more resilient communities. In an interview with Vladimir Belogolovsky, Jeanne Gang, founder of Studio Gang Architects explained her view of the architect as relationship builder: “I think of architecture as a system how you set up various opportunities for people to relate to one another, and to be empowered. Save this picture! Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership. The vast array of activities create a vibrant place, complemented by its informal setting. Sharing a meal around long dinner tables, with almost 200 of your neighbours, from all kinds of backgrounds is undoubtedly an element of cohesion within the community. In the course of a single regular weekday, the church’s central nave is the setting of a great number of activities, from yoga classes to ping-pong, movie screenings, theatre performances, music events, while also serving as a cafe and a great dining hall. The former church has been converted into its neighbourhood’s living room by ArcgencY architects. One such example is Absalon Community Centre in Copenhagen. In this case, space is a container for whatever function suits the collective therefore, the careful assemblage of activities is the driver for social interaction. Sometimes, architecture’s potential to bring people together lies more in the programming of the building than the spatial form itself. In light of architecture’s (re)acknowledgement of its potential to nurture community building, it is worth examining different ideas and projects that could help define a design method focusing on creating social interaction.Ī post shared by Absalon on at 9:05am PST For a variety of reasons, from fostering social cohesion, promoting social justice, to tackling loneliness and mental health, architecture that encourages social interaction is a topic of great interest. Architecture can help build social capital, and numerous design strategies can generate fertile ground for social interaction and various unplanned activities. Substantial social capital means increased cooperation among citizens, less friction and a keen awareness of the common grounds and entwined fates. Social capital refers to the relationships established between social groups in heterogeneous societies, through shared values, trust and reciprocity. The following explores how architecture can improve the social capital of its surroundings through design strategies and thoughtful programming, creating the fertile ground for social interaction among different groups of people. Denise Scott Brown once said: “Architecture can’t force people to connect it can only plan the crossing points, remove barriers, and make the meeting places useful and attractive.” Although it cannot control the outcome, architecture holds the potential to set the stage for chance encounters and social interactions, thus nurturing community building and influencing the fabric of our social culture.
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