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Refan M. Abed

Summer 2021

Summer 2021

REFLECTION My journey at GSAPP was multiple forms of dialogue. It contained me in a framework that sparked my perceptions, imaginations, and records of narratives.

This publication aims to expand upon the realization of inner and outer dialogues on topics that matters to me and have subconsciously been pre-occupied with. It can be seen in every piece of work, investigation, process, and thought. These matters include unfolding the topics of care, justice, and connection. I was able to take on many roles that I never thought I would occupy; sometimes as a designer, other times a critic, or a narrator, but most importantly, a Human; who is allowed to make mistakes and learn from them. Allowed to question all the undeniable things, facts, and beliefs.

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GSAPP Graduation Portfolio Di·a·logue 2

LEARNING LEARNING TO UNLEARN IS THE HIGHEST FORM OF LEARNING LEARNING TO UNLEARN IS THE HIGHEST

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Index 58

28

Ford Foundation Funded Summer 2021

104

Tools for Show Spring 2021

Transscalarities Fall 2020

82 Process & Questions

Refan M. Abed

Architecture Narratives Fall 2020

92

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Process & Questions

ULI hines Competition Fall 2020

Childcare city Fall 2020

84

Monograph Spring 2021

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4

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Directed by: Andres Jaque TA: Jana Berankova

From exploitation to mutual care Debates

Maria Puig de la Bellacasa, Matters of Care

When

addressing

the

topic

ethical,

political,

cultural,

of Care, the first thing that

and social backgrounds and

comes to mind is the Care

implications. Therefore, it is

that is out of love, affection,

worth

and

responsibility.

process,

the

author

from

articulated

different

unpacking

However, Care

perspectives,

Care’s

to

that

care,

decolonization

of

this

requires knowledge

and unlearn ability. To put this

and

in an architectural context; An

defined it. Her argument of

analogy is made between this text

considering the Care act when

and elke Krasny’s Architecture

it is out of obligation for an

and Care; in the sense of how

underpaid

Karsny defined Care as an act

care

act,

mentioning

worker,

for

instance.

How Care in this case can turn into a moral pressure.

of” connectedness,” Bellacasa defines Care as responsibility for

others’

wellbeing.

Both

definitions means that we as architects must pay attention

6

Another interesting approach

who, and therefore, study and

that I relate to is how the word

understand

Care itself is very generic, and

based on our assumptions, but

it differs from an individual

their actual desires.

to another according to their

their

needs

not Refan M. Abed

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not only to how to care, but

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A city for Child Care Caring can be viewed as a species activity that includes everything we do to maintain, continue, and repair our world so that we can live as well as possible.

Fall 2020 Studio Professor: Bryony Roberts The studio responded to the current moment by examining how child care is entangled with gender, race, and labor politics. Addressing child care as both an architectural and social issue, the studio will address space of care holistically, imagining how a new child care center could support three intertwined populations: children, parental figures, and care workers. Working at the scales of both architecture and urban design allowed exploring child care design from the material realization of an

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individual building to the larger scale of its surrounding urban context.

A childcare facility was designed as the heart of a Community Land Trust - a form of land stewardship that supports long-term affordability and counters gentrification.

Outer

Dialogue

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How can architecture offer access for a healthful and equal lifestyle considering children, working parents, and care workers? And How can architecture organize different scales of community engagement over different demographics?

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Outer

Dialogue

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Refan M. Abed

In the 21st century, Flushing has cemented its status as an international melting point, predominantly attracting immigrants from Asia.

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Outer

Dialogue

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Outer Dialogue 15

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Outer Dialogue 17

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Re-imagining the

Play Design Strategy The design looked into the natural world to create a framework for space and influential playground design precedents. These included multifaceted forms that inspire different types of interaction and activity—addressing a central question: How can the built environment relate to children's imagination, cognitive development, and aesthetic appeal?

Play Design strategy

Playground Approach The design looked into the natural world to create a framework for space and influential playground design precedents.

These included multifaceted forms that inspire different types of interaction and ac tivit y—addressing a central question: How can the built environment relate to children’s imagination, cognitive development, and aesthetic appeal?

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05 01 03

06

04

02

Risk Discovery The tunnel suggest a solid, warm, and enchanting entry.

Circles cutouts acts as windows into the larger room, simultaneously revealing the tunnel’s elevation while letting in cascades of light.

Socialization

Escapement Interaction

A tree house provides a place to hide away, in a good way! It offers a change of scenery from children.

Engagement

Reflection

Refan M. Abed

The play structure allows small groups of children to interact with each others, and with children outside through the openings.

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Living a childhood tha is joyful also depends on the joy of their parents

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Outer

Dialogue

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How can architecture offer access for a healthful and equal lifestyle considering children, working parents, and care workers? And How can architecture organize different scales of community engagement over different demographics?

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Outer

Dialogue

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Summer 2021

It was essential to consciously bring in some of nature’s intriguing aspects into the design thinking; this encourages children to move in countless ways and help them fully explore their physical and cognitive abilities.

Small risk Sensory textures Outer

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Child Care Facility

Dialogue

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Summer 2021 Refan M. Abed

The visual and physical connectivity between the co-working space and the childcare fosters the concept of a parent-led cooperative model of childcare, while the co-living design creates a genuine alternative residential option.

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Co-working & Co-Living

Outer

Dialogue

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Anji play is a Chinese original concept which was adapted in the project, it is a Minimally-structured, open-ended environment to allow children to explore, imagine, and create.

Outer

Dialogue

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Redefining the relationship between learners and systems of learning founded on the discovery of the true capacity of the learner.

Refan M. Abed

Documenting this since I believe Is the housing in strategies project expandable? of repetition, Can it change with variation, hesitation, its residents? anticipation, recollection, and repetition.

PROCESS

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How can the Justice for women economically and environmentally be implemented through Architecture in Housing projects?

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TA: Jana Berankova

profound awareness. And the principle

Geopolitical Divides Debates

Mbembe starts Necro-politics

architecture and its examples

with

had

proposing

introduced

a

unique

a

brief

introduction,

his

borderless

perspective where architecture

writing style of intellectual

offers

activism,

justice

and

protects

without

control

human rights. The highlight

points, but with a wealth of

of the relationship between

expertise. Although this text

the built environment and the

is incredibly well-produced, it

animation and modeling are too

is a little hard to

connected where it can work as a

Eyal Weizman, Forensic Architecture

tool

Achille Mbembe, Necropolitics

specific incidents

It

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post-coloniality.

The articulation of forensic

to

analyze

more efficiently.

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of

is

incredibly

It is incredibly critical to think of architecture as an investigative discipline

understand

at

times. Biopower, sovereignty,

and

the state of siege may be confusing to the uninitiated

critical to think of

concepts.

architecture as an investigative

Nevertheless,

discipline;

increases

opportunity to present new

our capacity as architects in

ideas and thinkers that will

practice, including providing

unquestionably

justice.

the

It is a work in which philosophy,

understanding of decolonization

politics, and race are mixed.

and democracy criticism.

this

It provides an opportunity to

reader’s

Summer 2021

delve into political, social, and

it

is

also

an

expand viewpoint

and Refan M. Abed

GSAPP Graduation Portfolio

Directed by: Andres Jaque

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ULI Hines Competition The ULI Hines Student Competition offers graduate students the opportunity to form their own multidisciplinary teams and engage in a challenging exercise in responsible land use.

Teammates:Cam Fullmer, Shamkhal Hasanli, Begum Karaogl, Camille Lanier.

Supervisor: Adam S. Frampton, Adjunct Assistant Professor at GSAPP. Greenexus serves to bridge the gap between the racially and economically divided communities in Kansas City that have resulted from historical redlining. By rethinking the East Village area as the crossroads of the business district and the neighborhood to the East of I-70, the project invites an eclectic group of individuals to co-live, work and play. Neighborhoods that are predominantly tech-driven are often known for their non-inclusive development practices. We challenge this notion by creating an international hub for Green Technology while

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simultaneously integrating previously underrepresented communities through education, job training and tech-literacy programming through public amenities.

Outer

Dialogue

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Outer Dialogue 35

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Circulations

Outer

CONNECTIONS

C I R C U L AT I O N

C I R C U L AT I O N

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Connection

Dialogue

PHASING

Summer 2021

Phasing

Refan M. Abed

CONNECTIONS

PHASING

USE

USE

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Use

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Outer Dialogue 39

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TA: Jana Berankova

between science fiction and

When

addressing

environmentalism issues in a post-anthropocentric manner, I relate to the author’s argument.

Interspecies Relationships Debates

In the context of ecological consciousness, of

this

criticism

anthropocentrism

is

articulated, with a strong focus on the experience of social minorities such as women and non-Western individuals -since

Rosi Braidotti, The Post Human

I am both. Hence, the acceptance

Donna Harraway, A Cyborg Manifesto

of

multicultural

views

and

the criticism of imperialism and ethnocentrism add to the debate on becoming a critical factor that explains the links between anthropocentrism and geo-centered perspective.

I was intrigued

Di·a·logue

by

40

the

term

“ O p t i c a l i l l u s i o n ,”

the

social the

boundary

reality—describing women’s

experiences

Summer 2021

describes

as a “fiction and fact of the crucial kind’. The terms used contributed in a postmodernist, non-naturalist style and in the utopian tradition of imagining a genderless society, to socialistfeminist culture and theory.

It makes unaccepted female behavior noticeable and calls it the ground of life. But the ground of life? What about all women’s

ignorance,

exclusions,

and

all

the

deficiencies

of expertise and skills? What about the access of men to everyday competency?

Most structures and politics seek to solve problems that are not clearly defined

Refan M. Abed

GSAPP Graduation Portfolio

Directed by: Andres Jaque

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Ford Foundation Funded An investigation on how activism was born-where people realized that disruption, civil disobedience, and political participation could change the future for millions.

Summer 2021 Instructors: Gabrielle Printz and Rosana Elkhatib The architect is one of many professionals who is conscripted to deliver

FORD* FOUNDATION** FUNDED***

the projects authorized or supported by private foundations; but who is also uniquely capable of identifying the ways in which design functions in and through institutions like the Ford Foundation. Part of the challenge of this studio is to develop methods of reading closely and judiciously

INSTITUTIONAL OPERATIONS IN A DEVELOPABLE WORLD

the ways in which the foundation presents itself as a benevolent force in

in which Big Philanthropy’s declared goals to address inequality resort

Di·a·logue

to self-affirming and self-perpetuating tactics, expanding the space of

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AN ADVANCED STUDIO LED BY F-ARCHITECTURE SUMMER 2021, COLUMBIA GSAPP

provision by private interests as the state continues to winnow social entitlements.

Outer

In the era of Gofundme—the market’s response to state disinvestment in the public—and the increased urgency of mutual aid, the burden of overcoming poverty and dispossession has been distributed to a mass of willing donors.

Dialogue Meanwhile, corporate and institutionalized philanthropy sets the moral agenda for social progress within the operative spaces of the finance class. Human empathy has been

In this studio, students will engage in collaborative research and mixed representational methods to track the circulations of philanthropic capital through the complex organizational forms of institutions like the Ford Foundation and into the so-called “developing world.” The work of the studio will consist in bifocal analysis of the private foundation at-large and its spaces of influence through careful study of a selected Ford-funded project, historical or contemporary. Through this process, we will identify opportunities for multiscalar interventions that can address or disrupt the interplay between benefactor and beneficiary, American wealth and global poverty, private

Refan M. Abed

* the individual ** the institution *** the $$$$$$$$$$

the world. Taking this work on its own terms involves seeing the ways

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ard tow

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es ov a m 045 c i r 2 me by d A or an f col t f o hi s s ple hic eo rap rity p g mo ajo de m As eing b

The stories we hear the most still represent a select few. By lifting up underrepresented or unheard voices, they can strengthen understandings of human complexity, and can push back against narratives that undermine fairness. And we can disrupt inequality.

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Refan M. Abed

- Ford Foundation

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Outer

Dialogue

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GSAPP Graduation Portfolio

$550M $600M $450M $550M $400M $450M $350M $400M $300M $350M $250M $300M $200M $250M

Programs with most Programs with most grants grants Education

$150M $200M $100M $150M $50M $100M $50M

Henry T. Heald

01

H. Rowan Gaither Jr.

Paul G. Hoffman

1950

Henry T. Heald

01

H. Rowan Gaither Jr.

Paul G. Hoffman

1950

$300M $250M $300M $200M $250M

Overseas EducationDevelopment Programs Governance and PublicPrograms Policy Overseas Development National Affairs Division Governance and Public Policy Peace andAffairs social Justice National Division Urban Peace Poverty and social Justice Humanities and Art Urban Poverty International Humanities andDivision Art Resources and the environment International Division Human Rights Resources andand the environment International Cooperation Human Rights and International Cooperation

$150M $200M $100M $150M $50M $100M $50M

Summer 2021

$600M

Henry T. Heald

02

McGeorge Bundy

Henry T. Heald

02

McGeorge Bundy

JPG

JPG

PUBLIC AFFAIRS

PUBLIC EDUCATION

URBAN POVERTY

URBAN-TRANSPORTATION PROBLEMS [1961]

TEACHER-TRAINING PROGRAM [1974]

EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT [1994]

$1M

FORD

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN

MIGRANT WORKERS IN THE FOX RIVER VALLEY

FORD

$225K

INNOVATIVE SCIENCE MUSEUM

FORD

$250K

FAMILIES AND WORK INSTITUTE

LOW-INCOME CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES

$300M $250M $300M $200M $250M $150M $200M $100M $150M $50M $100M $50M

McGeorge Bundy McGeorge Bundy

$300M $250M $300M $200M $250M $100M $150M $50M $100M

NEW YORK

Education / Women Empowerment

$50M

Education / Women Empowerment

Franklin A. Thomas

Youth training / Women Empowerment Youth training / Women Empowerment

CALIFORNIA

ILLINOIS

$150M $200M

Franklin A. Thomas $500M $450M $500M $400M $450M $350M $400M $300M $350M $250M $300M $200M $250M

RUSH-HOUR TRAFFIC CONGESTION IN MILWAUKEE

$150M $200M $100M $150M $50M $100M $50M

Human Rights / Family stability

Susan V. Berresford

Franklin A. Thomas

Susan V. Berresford

Franklin A. Thomas

RS TS HE EN AC UD TE ST 36 00 10

SURVEY SITES

Human Rights / Family stability

E

$900M

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN

$850M $900M $800M $850M $750M $800M $700M $750M $650M $700M $600M $650M $550M $600M $500M $550M $450M $500M $400M $450M $350M $400M

LY

AL

NU

AN TH

M

IU

OR

AT

OR

PL

EX

SELECTED SITE

SURVEY SITES

FINANCIAL EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT NEEDS MEDIA/INSTRUMENT OF FORD’S IS ACTIVATED “IN SITE REPRESENT THE “USER

$300M $350M $250M $300M $200M $250M $150M $200M

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$50M

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03

Susan V. Berresford

Luis A. Ubinas

2012

03

Susan V. Berresford

Luis A. Ubinas

2012

Refan M. Abed

$100M $150M $50M $100M

Foundation Presidents Foundation Presidents Paul G. Hoffman 1950-1952

H. Rowan Gaither Jr. 1952 - 1956

Henry T. Heald 1957 - 1965

Paul G. Hoffman 1950-1952 McGeorge Bundy 1966 - 1679

H. Rowan Gaither Jr. 1952 - 1956 Franklin A. Thomas 1980 - 1995

Henry T. Heald 1957 - 1965 Susan V. Berresford 1996 - 2006

McGeorge Bundy 1966 - 1679 Luis A. Ubinas 2007 - 2012

Franklin A. Thomas 1980 - 1995

Susan V. Berresford 1996 - 2006

Luis A. Ubinas 2007 - 2012

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COLOR

SIZE

Red, orange, and yellow are the best colors

large, screen centered

seen by people with low vision or colorblind.

CLOSED CAPTIONS

AUDIO NARRATION

Not regular subtitles

a human narration, a bit of detail, nonrobotic.

CLOSED CAPTION TIMING

THE GAPS

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time gaps to allow audio narration

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appears exactly at the time of it being said

A MORE INCLUSIVE MEDIA APPROACH Outer

Dialogue

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Refan M. Abed

Camp Jened, the summer camp run by hippies that is the heart of the documentary Crip Camp, exploded those confines. In its freewheeling, radical atmosphere of equity, a community was born.

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Outer

Dialogue

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7

5

6

9

4 3

10

2

1

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2: Disabled in Action movement 3: Suitcase against board of education 4: 504 Sit-in 5: Institutionalization 6: Bunk sample 7: Untold stories 8: American with Disabilities Act 9: Swimming Pool 10: Dining Hall; aka social space

Outer

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1: Socialization space

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Summer 2021 Refan M. Abed

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While VR is definitely not a substitute for accessible spaces, immersive technologies are uniquely positioned to overcome the limitations of physical space to create more accessible, equitable experiences.

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Outer

Dialogue

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Summer 2021 MONOGRAPH BY REFAN M. ABED MAKERGRAPH STUDIO

SPRING 2021

COLUMBIA GSAPP

Inner

MONOG R APH BY REFAN AB ED Dialogue

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THE THINGS THAT WERE THERE AND THE ...

T H AT A R E STILL HERE

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Summer 2021 Open Self Hidden Self

04

Unknown Self

10

11

Inner

Dialogue

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03

Gathering

This book is an introvert journey of me, myself, thoughts, Obsessions, and feelings.

All of which unconsciously affected my profession and previous works.

Reflection

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02

Blind Self

LOT-EK

01

Intersection

Studio instructors Ada Tolla & Giuseppe Lignano

Discovery

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Spring 2021

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A new perception of the

Self Exploration

Refan M. Abed

The plastic pre-cut twist tie selection was because it is fragile yet robust; it can bend but never break. It represents my lifelong journey of synchronizing my inner and outer selves, private and public, seeking to express myself openly.

The hand manipulation randomly revolving around a center; as an abstract representation of my strive for perfection that never exists.

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Exploring time perception, fragility, multiple realities, attachment and perfectionism.

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Inner

Dialogue

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Refan M. Abed

The unparalleled object is questioning the possibility of developing not having a force over its manipulation method.

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Dialogue

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A creation of

The Obstruction

Refan M. Abed

Using the object as a starting point of the insite design sparked me to interrupt physically and mentally the path of the user as a first stage of the self-disclosure journey in the park.

Because we are usually trapped in cliche conversation, these ropes will interrupt the movement and the mind by asking questions that we may have been ignoring for a while.

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Exploring mindful walking, avoidance of cliche conversation, and a chance to pause.

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Inner

Dialogue

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Dialogue

Inner

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113th

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Highlighting abandoned objects in the park as an awakening movement to internal abandoned

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119 Inner

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Exploration of the cycles of time that ranges in its length according to its complex interconnectedness with memories and moments in our lives.

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Dialogue

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A creation of

The Release

Refan M. Abed

I aim in this installation to provoke people’s feelings by letting out anything that might be stuck in their heads and hearts since forever; I invite them to write letters to themselves, to a relationship that ended or that is still there.

The project removes the barrier between one’s self; a motive to find the strength to use the healing power of empathy & forgiveness.

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WHEREVER YOU GO THERE YOU ARE

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Inner

Dialogue

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A suffocation process that reflects my obsession with being present and living the moment; attached to objects representing memories.

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Inner

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The core of

Dependency

Refan M. Abed

In this piece, I embrace the idea of memory and its relationship with identity. The installation is made out of people’s clothes, which is a representation of belonging and identity.

I aim to create spaces where new memories can be made, where people can interact, meditate, group, and isolate.

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Because in the inside, we are all the same.

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Inner

Dialogue

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To make is to bring into existence.

To give being to, to give form to, to manifest, to produce, to arrange, to work,to do.

Documenting this since I believe in strategies of repetition, variation, hesitation, anticipation, recollection, and repetition.

Refan M. Abed

PROCESS

GSAPP Graduation Portfolio Di·a·logue

Ever tried.

Ever failed.

No matter.

Try again.

Fail again.

Fail better.

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DESIGN SEMINAR

GSAPP Graduation Portfolio

Longing for Home

Graphic Architecture Project ||| Instructors: Michael Rock & Whitney Dow

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Refan M. Abed

Architecture and storytelling have always been connected and intertwined profession; this course introduced basic narrative storytelling techniques, coupled with an introduction Architecture is to some of the terminology of narrative theory, and an ever-present apply them the problem to form of visual explaining and animating architectural projects. The storytelling final project is a short film, a story of a life transformation between moving into another country and all the feelings that come along the pandemic.

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Inner

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Directed by: Andres Jaque TA: Jana Berankova The main idea explored in this

This text filled my mind with

essay relates a lot to the type

questions, starting by the way

of architecture in which we

we imagine the Anthropocene,

live and experience every day,

to the intangible consequences

which is the “Architecture of

of humans’ cumulative impacts

containment and detachment”.

on the planet, and the sort of

The benefit of reading this is

image we have of ourselves for

to dig deep into the reason

the future eras. It also made me

why this type of architecture

feel more responsible for the

started, and it fascinates me

climate change I am causing as

Lydia Kallipoliti, The Architecture of Closed Worlds

that the beginning was a utopian

a human because humans today

Dipesh Chakrabarty, Postcolonial Studies and the Challenge of Climate Change

dream of replicating the earth

are not only the dominant

in its totality -the symbolism

species on the planet, they

of

in

also collectively constitute a

the human hands-, which is

geological force that determines

not achievable or beneficial.

the climate of the planet much

Moreover, all the prototypes

to the detriment of civilization

and

itself.

CLIMATE DIVIDES

Debates

the

earth

contained

experiments

mentioned

for people isolated themselves

90

purposes support the author’s argument of the importance of context and surroundings.

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in closed worlds for different

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TOOLS FOR SHOW

GSAPP Graduation Portfolio

Ready for Replicas Instructors: Bika Rebek

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Refan M. Abed

This course will the design, Architecture and explore storytelling have curationbeen and connected conceptualization of online always and intertwined communal spaces.

Starting introduced off from profession; this course the concept of the replicas techniques, to creating basic narrative storytelling immersive exhibition environments coupled with an introduction to someand of installations exploring the intersection the terminology of narrative theory, and between the the physical and the digital. apply them problem to explaining The 3D scanningarchitectural was investigated as and animating projects. a process and itsof potential to drive The class consists three components: and change design gives lectures, films, and methods. essays toItwatch, an introduction to There practical read, and discuss. werescanning weekly methods that assignments can be applieddesigned in everyday short class to situations, on the make some while of thespeculating ideas we consider possibilities of 3D scans for the discipline more concrete through a Film of 60 to at large.

90 seconds.

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How can we make the virtual more visceral? How can we create fictions for an uncertain future? What is contemporary paper architecture? Can we produce compelling and engaging experiences virtually?

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GSAPP Graduation Portfolio

98

Inner

Dialogue

Summer 2021 Refan M. Abed

GSAPP Graduation Portfolio Di·a·logue

How can we make the virtual more visceral? How can we create fictions for an uncertain future? What is contemporary paper architecture? Can we produce compelling and engaging experiences virtually?

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100

Inner Dialogue 101

Refan M. Abed

Di·a·logue

Summer 2021

GSAPP Graduation Portfolio

Summer 2021

TA: Jana Berankova

Turning Technology Accountable Debates

Noortje Marres, Material Participation

The idea of an object-centered

by making the reader question

theory of participation makes

whether if thing things matter.

it possible to consider the

The

object

been made between that and

is

as

a

variable.

concept This

that

notion

of

has

the ongoing traffic between technology,

various modes of interaction

democracy, regardless of how

are encouraged. What made

Marres debated the value of the

me agree with the argument

notion of an item turning on

of Marres is its systematic

participation. The text of Marres

approach to the subject, taking

was extremely successful in

the philosophical, analytical,

providing a real reminder to

and normative dimensions of

the public’s involvement with

material

technology,

participation

into

In

science,

creativity,

and

and

the climate and the material the

relationship with all of that

text

while trying to loosen the grasp

caught my attention; its title

of the paradigm that objectively

“participation

equates to technology on our

very

Di·a·logue

that

object heterogeneity and how

account.

102

comparison

general,

beginning,

as

from the

if

things

mattered” provides an insight

public

imagination,

which

into the world in which we live.

is also called the “threat of

It provides a glimpse of how

technocracy” as the key danger

human-centered the world is,

to democracy.

Refan M. Abed

GSAPP Graduation Portfolio

Directed by: Andres Jaque

103

Summer 2021

TRANSSCALARITIES

GSAPP Graduation Portfolio

Workshop sessions Directed by: Andres Jaque TA: Jana Berankova

Di·a·logue

Refan M. Abed

Following the advice of instructors, and in seminar-like groups, each student will work individually during the course of the semester,developing three bibliographical and documentary researches that will result in the production of three500-word texts analyzing the way threespecific architectural designs unfold as transscalar as a meansto respond to specific societal, ecological,or environmental enactments.

104

Inner

Dialogue

105

added mirror columns as an exhibition

it. Nevertheless, did the design fulfill its

surroundings and appreciates cultures has

stands around the site; this increased

concept? Did it likewise serve the rich

many other methods than creating a mirror

the surrounding’s heat and forming a

surrounding?

that “literally” reflects it.

dazzle. Considering the thermal comfort

The

building

surroundings opposing

the

stands instead

out of

primary

from

blending intention

the

through architecture always enhances

in,

the users’ experience, which did not

and

happen at Maraya.

Maraya concert hall -which means mirror

concept due to the gleaming material. It

It

in Arabic- is located in Al-Ula, Saudi

also did not introduce Al-Ula’s traditions

architecture,

Arabia. Mada’in Salih is not far from

to visitors and tourists from all around the

buildings, and develop new designing

is

great

to

experiment

create

with

unconventional

alUla; the Nabataean people carved their

The radical abstraction of the surroundings

world. It colonized both the building’s form

methods. However, when experimenting

glorious tombs into the golden outcrops of

and man’s singular incursions into the

and function, crystal clear in Maraya hall’s

with architecture in this case, many

Quweira sandstone, and UNESCO declared

landscape is a process of objectifying

interior. It does not reflect the culture in

aspects must be considered to the site’s

it as the first World Heritage Site in Saudi

architecture; while Architecture goes

any sense. Instead, it looks like a generic

unique location and history. At Maraya,

Arabia. Due to the site’s importance, the

beyond

senses

concert hall that can be seen almost

the birds are as disoriented as the

Royal Commission appointed the Maraya

and create a vision and experience.

anywhere globally without considering the

humans; due to the Mirror box in the

concert hall to create a new cultural

Architecture needs to be designed in all

historical site.

middle of one historic desert location.

event site and destination in just four

dimensions to form an extraordinary

While many international projects have

with their social and environmental

months. The designers intended that

adventure through all scales and means

used mirror cladding extensively, thermal

matters, would a regular citizen feel

the building will be landscape-inspired

of

the

comfort is a main constrain. The use of

valued, acknowledged, heard, and seen?

architecture. The installation hosts an

interrelated species, both human and

reflective materials has drawbacks; a

immersive theater and an interactive

non-human. The entire mirror glazing of

reflective exterior wall causes unwanted

Cultural Spaces and Kinetic Art show. The

Maraya does not serve the quality of the

bird collisions and glare. The concept

Maraya Concert Hall is or at least should

structure.

of reflecting the surrounding by the

that,

it

interaction,

must

evoke

considering

all

be a temporary building that should last

immediate use of a full mirror cladding did

a few years and then leave; it is meant to

not consider the all-year hot sunny climate

be a work of Land Art, a vision created by

of Al-Ula, Saudi Arabia. The architect also

Inner

Dialogue

Summer 2021

Instead, it decreases it. Considering the

Refan M. Abed

GSAPP Graduation Portfolio Di·a·logue 106

Maraya Building what did it truly reflect?

the natural and social background around

107

What would the result of a collaboration uniting an architect and a theatre creator look like? It is the fun palace; it began

and the discovery of new inventions and

innovative, imaginative, and courageous;

become social designers or collaborate

creative ideas that work in actuality.

it removed structure constraints, served

with them. Although, several relevant

Architecture

the

civilization

topics should be included in this debate:

comprehensive and diverse fields, and

freedom. Furthermore, the concept was

the meaning and future of the architectural

it touches on many social, political,

to create a building that suits any site.

profession, the division of labor in society,

and environmental aspects. This fact

However, despite the concept’s ambitious

the professionalization of different tasks

might be why it makes architects so

vision, overlooking that the “one size fits

that have been practically intangible so far.

self-sufficient to the extent that they

public,

and

further,

“no-where.”

Fun Palace illustration, the architect

environmentalists

the fun palace was going to be authentic.

Nevertheless, it turned into an imaginary

Di·a·logue

project that stayed on paper, and the

108

following paragraphs explore why it turned imaginary.

a

social

and

design

environmentally friendly projects that

to new mindfulness. Price developed

theater[1]. The architect intended that

as

Moreover, architects call themselves

the receptive subjects of mass culture

based on Littlewood’s vision of a dynamic

himself

with

designer without a decent background.

kind of theater designed to awaken

the individual’s various needs and desires

collaborate

most

environmentalists or politicians. In the

Littlewood who had conceived a new

performative architecture, adaptable to

the

piece of architecture can belong to the

acknowledged

to

of

do

Cedric Price and the theater maker Joan

and refined his idea of interactive,

prefer

one

all theory” is not valid in architecture. No

as a collaboration between the architect

not

is

Summer 2021

It is fair to argue whether architects should

In all cases, the architecture may provoke

do not reflect the anticipated concept

The Fun Palace did not seem like a building

modern society to produce anything, from

as an outcome. The reason behind that

in any common understanding. Instead,

buildings and communities to educational

is also the lack of collaboration notion.

it was a socially interactive machine

experiences

Architects

that anticipated adapting to its time

reality should not eliminate the notion

other’s eyes, understand and appreciate

and place’s evolving cultural and social

of collaboration between architects and

what is important to others. Architects

circumstances. Nevertheless, removing

social scientists, for instance, in this case.

have a huge responsibility for what

constraints -such as culture and context-

In general, successful projects are the

they produce because they only serve

removes the sense of belonging. Thus,

ones that involve architects working with

their immediate clients, yet they serve

does removing all the restrictions assist

scientists, engineers, social designers, and

society.

human freedom, as the architect claimed?

many professions that promote innovation

Inner

Dialogue

and

new

societies;

This

must

perceive

through

Refan M. Abed

GSAPP Graduation Portfolio

Fun Palace Architecture as a Social Designer

The idea behind the design concept was

109

In 1998, 72% of the population voted for incorporating the Seattle public library, committing to adopt a participatory process

at

all

levels,

including

the

design phase. OMA Architects won the competition, and consultation discussions included

Ten

multiple

age

groups,

tendering regular inputs that should be considered. The architect succeeds in Making the library iconic and unique in its contemporary form and function.

However, the project found some critics related to the communicative aspect of designing the library.

Di·a·logue

The concept behind the public citizens

110

actively participating in the design is a positive initiative and necessary in our

an

discussing any project’s unsatisfying

and information is easily accessible.

international architect can be challenging

results. Accordingly, it is crucial to

Proving civil society in the design process

to reveal a sense of place defined by

mention that the architectural projects

and decision-making generates a sense of

historical, environmental, cultural, and

and designs that neglect the public’s

belonging. Nevertheless, examining the

political importance. Arguably, the Seattle

demands are usually the ones who are

public’s input with the design output makes

public library reflected the surrounding

competition winners. The intention is to

it doubtful whether they were impacted

by using plenty of daylight to the interior

strive to impress jury members rather

or controlled by the star-architect and

and providing views to the surrounding

than the actual users when they are

the design team in major and minor

neighborhoods. However, Koolhaas argued

-as in this case - separate entities. That

details and whether they considered or

that “the library should make a gesture.”

embraces the more significant source

contextual

issues

as

neglected their participation. The public’s

of the problem addressed in this essay.

feedback led to only slight improvements

How about if we turn the competition of

in the interior, such as transferring

reputation into a battle of effectiveness?

programmatic

floor

If we value designs, not only by their

layouts’ reorganization. In contrast, the

economic value but with their social and

core design structure remained intact. The

environmental matters, would a regular

public involvement was most likely used

citizen

components

and

by the library and the design team as a

Therefore, he proposed a creative, bold

strategic communications tool, providing

design that differentiates itself from the

an impression of engagement and control

“characterless, generic” office buildings

while merely removing the public from

immediately surrounding the site. The

any significant decisions leaving that

reason behind that neglect of the public

to the experts. Hence, the design team

was what he called “futuristic vision” [1].

neglected the public’s participation in the

In conclusion, the architect and his team

library’s interior architectural design and

ignored the public citizens on many levels

designed the exterior without considering

and scales. Nonetheless, looking at the

its surroundings.

problem’s root is more important than

Inner

Dialogue

feel

valued,

Summer 2021

Addressing

acknowledged,

heard, and seen?

Refan M. Abed

GSAPP Graduation Portfolio

Was Seattle Public Library Designed for the Public?

modern days when everything is digital,

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Di·a·logue

SO THE STORY GOES ...

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GSAPP Graduation Portfolio