2014 +2015 detroiters’ media collective
VOICE OF
en t Br in gi ng in de pe nd es pr in te d pe rs pe ct iv e pu bl ic at io ns to th am re su rfac e of ma in st me di a.
OCCUPPYING P R I N T E D S P A C E WITH THE V O I C E OF DETROITERS.
THIS ISSUE FEATURES: Site Analysis of the former Detroit Free Press Buildings on W Layafette Ave. Analysis of Building
Research Question & Research Statement detailing the aims and implementation of the design
Research Analysis, Networks, Diagrams & Data in the form of Positive News and a timeline of
Typologies in the vicinity.
exploration.
Marches in Detroit.
Aesthetic References, Appendices and Technology Exploration.
the mainstream media has its own agenda. they do no want to print the facts, they have an agenda, they have a slant, they have a bias. curt weldon american politician
media ownerships is constrained. all the information we get from them media passes through a filter that serves corporate and private interest. all media have around 70% of independent media is getting profit from sponsorship and advertising. todays media will not getting full editorial control of what they are reporting. russel brand comedian, activist
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MEDIA_IN _DETROIT As the world's traditional automotive center, Detroit, [MiCHIGAN, US] is an important source for business news. The Detroit media is active in the community through such efforts as the Detroit Free Press high school journalism program and the Old Newsboys' Goodfellow Fund of Detroit. Wayne State University offers a widely respected journalism program.
contents chapter 1 issues conflict & public expression
chapter 2 detroit in the media negative protrayal of detroit bottom_up model
chapter 3 project dissection what_who_when_where_why_how
chapter 4 DETROIT BY DETROITERS PARTNERSHIPS_COOPERATIVE BUSINESS MODEL_BOTTOM UP MODEL
chapter 5 voice of detroit target users, site analysis, spatial requirements site analysis - detroit free press building
chapter 6 exploration studies material studies integration of architecture technology
research QUESTION HOW CAN THE VOICE OF DETROIT CREATE A SPACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN EXERCISE their FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION THROUGH PRINTED PUBLICATIONS? in the current climate, CAN detroit provide A modern-day media centre that upholds the 1st ammendment towards A VIBRANT CULTURE AND DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY?
Fig. the journalist hat A lost symbol for the investigative and expressive writer. What could be the modern symbol of honest and accurately representative reporting?
the first ammendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the freedom of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.[1]
[1]
The United States Constitution - http://constitution.findlaw.com/amendment1.html
research statement
VOICE OF DETROIT IS A COLLABORATIVE agent THAT ADVOCATES OF SOCIAL CHANGE THROUGH PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN SELF-PUBLICATION, DEBATE, HONEST AND constructive JOURNALISM TO RESTORE GENUINE DEMOCRACY AS DETROIT EMERGES OUT OF BANKRUPTCY. THE GOAL OF THE VOICE OF DETROIT IS TO PRODUCE ACCESSIBLE AND AFFORDABLE WORKS BY WELL-KNOWN AND EMERGING LOCAL VOICES WHO ARE INSPIRED BY A VISION FOR A NEW SOCIETY.
THE MEDIA PLAYS A BIG ROLE IN RECREATING THE CITY AND FORMULATING ITS ASPIRATIONS INTO TANGIBLE EXPRESSIONS. BUT THIS CANNOT HAPPEN WITHOUT ADRESSING HISTORY OF DIVISION, CORRUPTION AND MALFUNCTIONING POLICIES THAT HAS STRONGLY AFFECTED DETROITS RECOVERY. WE CAN REVIVE PUBLIC SPACES AND EXERCISE RIGHTS TO CLAIM UNUSED PRIVATE SPACES UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS TO REVERSE THE DOWNSIZING OF DETROIT. IN THIS CASE, THE ABANDONED FORMER DETROIT FREE PRESS BUILDING.
Fig. UAW labour protests
The men were beaten for distributing United Auto Workers leaflets outside of the Ford Rouge Plant, Dearborn, Michigan, 23 May 1937. They fought back, and they won.
c expression
issues, conflicts & public expression issues, conflicts & public expression
issues water shutoffs detroit
1 Activists in Detroit have appealed to the United Nations over the city’s move to shut off the water of thousands of residents. The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department says half of its 323,000 accounts are delinquent and has begun turning off the taps of those who do not pay bills that total above $150 or that are 60 days late. Since March, up to 3,000 account holders have had their water cut off every week. The Detroit water authority carries an estimated $5 billion in debt and has been the subject of privatization talks. In a submission to the United Nations special rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation, activists say Detroit is trying to push through a private takeover of its water system at the expense of basic rights. We speak to Maureen Taylor of the Michigan Welfare Rights Organization and Meera Karunananthan, international water campaigner for the Blue Planet Project.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/special-features/2014/08/140822-detroitmichigan-water-shutoffs-great-lakes/ [^]
“It is contrary to human rights to disconnect water from people who simply do not have the means to pay their bills,� said Ms. de Albuquerque.
Kenya Jones fills a bucket with water at a vacant house in her east side Detroit neighborhood. Jones has been without water at home for a month because her landlord has not paid the bill.
“In practice, people have no means to prove the errors and hence the bills are impossible to challenge,” Ms. de Albuquerque declared, adding that “the indignity suffered by people whose water was disconnected is unacceptable.”
http://wordsinthebucket.com/water-detroit-human-rights
[^]
2
FORD HUNGER MARCHES The Ford Hunger March, sometimes called the Ford Massacre, was a demonstration of unemployed workers starting in Detroit and ending in Dearborn, Michigan, that took place on March 7, 1932. The march resulted in four workers being shot to death by the Dearborn Police Department and security guards employed by the Ford Motor Company. Over 60 workers were injured, many by gunshot wounds. Three months later, a fifth worker died of his injuries. The march was organized by the Unemployed Councils. The Ford Hunger March was an important part of a chain of events that eventually led to the unionization of the U.S. auto industry.
media role
Detroit newspapers published false and sensational accounts of the violence the following day. The Detroit Times, for example, falsely claimed that Harry Bennett and four policemen had been shot. The Detroit Press claimed that “six shots fired by a communist hiding behind a parked car were cited by police Monday night as the match which touched off a riot at the Ford Motor Company plant.” The Detroit Free Press wrote that “These professional Communists alone are morally guilty of the assaults and killings which took place before the Ford plant.” [4] The Mirror ran a headline saying “Red Leaders Facing Murder Trials”.
[4] Sugar, Maurice (1980). Ann Fagan Ginger, ed. The Ford Hunger March. Berkeley, CA: Meiklejohn Civil Liberties Institute. pp. 40–49. ISBN 0-913876-15-1.
Mourners confront Detroit Police officers during the demonstration and funeral procession for four of the men killed during the Ford Hunger March. Several people hold signs aloft, the most prominent proclaims “Negro and White Unite!.�
[^]
http://reuther.wayne.edu/node/7266
3
RACIAL SEGREGATION
Fig. 1967 race riots
Black people are by far the largest racial or ethnic population in Detroit, which has the highest percentage of black residents of any American city with a population over 100,000. Eighty-three percent of the city’s 701,000 residents are black. It continues to be an underreported story that a white state legislature and white governor took over the city and forced it to file for bankruptcy against the will of its elected representatives. It is also underreported that white governors and the white state legislature failed to provide Detroit with its fair share of state tax revenues – a significant contributor to the city’s current financial distress.
[^]
http://www.epi.org/blog/detroits-bankruptcy-reflects-history-racism/
white flight The Origins of the Urban Crisis: Race and Inequality in Postwar Detroit, is the first book by historian and Detroit native Thomas J. Sugrue in which he examines the role race, housing, job discrimination, and capital flight played in the decline of Detroit. Sugrue argues that the decline of Detroit began long before the 1967 race riot. Sugrue argues that institutionalized and often legalized racism resulted in sharply limited opportunities for Detroit blacks for most of the twentieth century. He also argues that the process of deindustrialization, the flight of investment and jobs from the city, began in the 1950s as employers moved to suburban areas and small towns and also introduced new labor saving technologies.
Image: Detroit suburb of Linwood.
(1867)
25 strikes throughout time
Eight-hour Strikes
(1921)
Police Strikes
(1909)
(1902)
Lattimer Strike
(1919)
When tensions between employees and management arise, it can often result in work stoppage called “strikes.” The disagreements that usually stem from a labor union’s demand for higher wages and better working conditions oftentimes result in power struggles of epic proportions that end not only in mass firings of employees, but in bloodshed as well.
(1897)
(1787)
Calton Weavers Strike
Great Anthracite Coal Strike
Battle of Blair Mountain
Ne Sh
(1894)
(1886)
Pullman Strike
Ford Hunger March
Dublin Lockout
Colorado Coal Strike
(1934)
(1932)
ew York hirtwaist Strike
(1913)
(1914)
Great Southwest Railroad Strike
Toledo Auto-Lite Strike
(1949)
(1946)
(1946)
Bituminous Coal Strike
Boeing Strike
(1990)
(1970) US Postal Strike
Salad Bowl Strike
Greyhound
(2009)
(2008)
(1970)
Hawaiian Sugar Strike
Asbestos St
royal indus dispu
d Bus Strikes
l mail strial utes
(1969) Steel Strike
UPS Workers Strike
(2003)
(1959) (1997)
trike
General Electric Strike
Southern California Grocery Stores Strikes
chapter 2 detroit & media negative portrayal of detroit bottom-up model
+ +
-
+
-
What is popular media? The types of media that are generally labeled as “popular� include commonly read newspapers, movies, TV shows, music videos, commonly visited online news journals and blogs, as well as commonly played advertisements, and novels. Main themes that appear within these media sources include the idea that Detroit is dying, decaying, and debt-ridden; that Detroit is a center of [2]racism; and that Detroit is a center for crime. After a documentary by Dateline that deliberately chose negative narratives; I think that 'Dateline' didn't lie in what it showed; it just lied by omission. So my takeaway is, let's tell the story ourselves and stop depending on people who come in and do...drive by knocks at the city when[3] the city is really trying to turn itself around. rochelle riley, columnist, detroit free press
http://detroitdigital.matrix.msu.edu/listening/popularculture/index.html http://www.thetakeaway.org/story/36372-detroit-residents-fight-back-against-negative- media-portrayal/ [2] [3]
“
“
Let's tell the story ourselves and stop depending on people who come in [Detroit] and do...drive by knocks at the city when the city is really trying to turn itself around.
portrayal of detroit in different movie genres 1910s t0 2010s
P OR T R AYAL OF DET R OIT IN THE M EDIA
the successful PROPAGATION of the voice of detroit depends on the Dissemination of ideas and empowerment throughout the city and suburbs & Giving voice to those excluded from and misrepresented by the dominant media.
REMEMBER THAT THE MEDIA HAVE TWO BASIC FUNCTIONS. ONE IS TO INDOCTRINATE THE ELITES, TO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE THE RIGHT IDEAS AND KNOW HOW TO SERVE POWER. IN FACT, TYPICALLY THE ELITES ARE THE MOST INDOCTRINATED SEGMENT OF A SOCIETY , BECAUSE THEY ARE THE ONES WHO ARE EXPOSED TO THE MOST PROPAGANDA AND ACTUALLY TAKE PART IN THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS. FOR THEM YOU HAVE THE NEW YORK TIMES, AND THE WASHINGTON POST, AND THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, AND SO ON. BUT THERE'S ALSO A MASS MEDIA, WHO SE
MAIN FUNCTION IS JUST TO GET RID OF THE REST OF THE POPULATION -- TO MARGINALIZE AND ELIMINATE THEM , SO
THEY DON'T INTERFERE WITH DECISION-MAKING. AND THE PRESS THAT'S DESIGNED FOR THAT PURPOSE ISN'T THE NEW YORK TIMES AND THE WASHINGTON POST, IT'S SITCOMS ON TELEVISION, AND THE NATIONAL ENQUIRER, AND SEX AND VIOLENCE, AND BABIES WITH THREE HEADS, AND FOOTBALL, ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF. NAOM CHAOMSKY
under heavy influence of advertising, sponsors & investors
what's wr the media
serves a larger area & sometimes global
whats wro the media in supported the war + in some instances white supremacy
not focused on [specialised] [expert] local newscast
played a role in inciting hate during the riots of 1863 [race riot 1]
what's wron detroit fr
not locally run [owned by the gannett companyusa today]
reporting censored to appease higher authorities [government] or to portray what is marketable
rong with a today?
relies on profit & driven my the market forces
ong with n detroit? july, 1995 unfair pay: pressman pay more than journalists & creatives
ng with the ree press?
used to be a 'democratic paper' then became a normal daily newspaper
changed owners & leaders moved to new york and london
used to be michigan intelligencer [informer, gatherer of intelligence, secret agent]
MEDIA IN DETROIT - World's traditional automotive center, Detroit, Michigan, US is an important source for business news. - community works - Detroit Free Press high school journalism program - The Old Newsboys' Goodfellow Fund of Detroit - Wayne State University offers a widely respected journalism program.
Local cable channels Fox Sports Detroit 16 local CBS Michigan Channel television WOLV FOX The CW stations Michigan Government Television Owned-and-operated Has additional viewers in stations of three Ontario, Canada (Windsor and major networks its surrounding area on broadcast and cable).
television
- Detroit has one locally owned and operated website - SportsRadioDetroit.com, that specializes in both internet broadcasting and digital print content.
literature internet newspaper Detroit Independent Detroit Monitor Detroit Free Press Detroit News
magazines
The Detroit television market is the 11th largest in the United States
traffic reporting Clear Channel Communications is the largest owner of radio stations in the United States, and produces on-air traffic reports for its own radio stations, and traffic information for in-vehicle navigational devices.
radio 3rd largest paper by the Gannet Company which does the USA Today & Arizona Republic
Detroit has the 11th largest radio market in the United States The Furnace Fifth Estate
Prayer-based & Revival for the city Anarchist, Anti-Authoritarian outlook and a Non-Dogmatic, Action-oriented approach to Change. longest running English language anarchist publication in North America Ten years of publishing as part of the 1960s Underground Press movement
photography Justim Ames Local Julian Bibb photographers Bill Scwab
OCCUPY MOVEMENT
The Occupy movement is the international branch of the Occupy Wall Street movement that protests against social and economic inequality around the world, its primary goal being to make the economic and political relations in all societies less vertically hierarchical and more flatly distributed. Local groups often have different focuses, but among the movement's prime concerns deal with how large corporations and the global financial system control the world in a way that disproportionately benefits a minority, undermines democracy, and is unstable.
UNDERGROUND PRESS
A publication must, in general, be committing a crime (for example, reporters burglarizing someone's office to obtain information about a news item); violating the law in publishing a particular article or issue (printing obscene material, copyright infringement, libel, breaking a non-disclosure agreement); directly threatening national security; or causing or potentially causing an imminent emergency
WIKILEAKS
WikiLeaks is an international, online, non-profit, journalistic organisation which publishes secret information, news leaks, and classified media from anonymous sources. Its website, initiated in ���� in Iceland by the organization Sunshine Press, claimed a database of more than �.� million documents within a year of its launch.
ANONYMOUS Anonymous is a loosely associated international network of activist and hacktivist entities. A website nominally associated with the group describes it as "an internet gathering" with "a very loose and decentralized command structure that operates on ideas rather than directives"
DETROIT NEWS GUILD history
At the Times, editorial workers earning between $�� and $�� a week in ���� discovered that union making between $�� and $�� a week, At the News, editorial workers who “didn’t know what our in recognize that some News employees apparently had a firmer grasp on the future: “They were the ments. They had to take cuts when the depression came, but the cuts were the result of negotiatio say in it, and they had time to prepare”. On the last day of ����, �� Detroit reporters set out to win some comparable form of protection by
issues
For the young man (and occasional woman) entering the Detroit newspaper industry before ����, a petual romance and adventure: the prospect of participating in late-breaking news, immortalizing th “scooping” the competition. The hours were long, weekend work was routine, and entry-level wages were at or below the earni eral, these drawbacks spawned little more than a characteristic cynicism or heavy drinking, not an part of the apprenticeship, a rite of passage the industrious reporter would presumably leave behin
aims
- A professional organization, committed to improving journalistic standards and open to all newspa - A union, committed to collective bargaining and open only to non-managerial employees - Enthusiasm and determination of young recruits was reinforced in ���� by a succession of econom cal, and trade-union events, all of which confirmed the impression that “organization on a live basis finally bring newspapermen into the union. - Men and Women, the craft unions, now took on a very different appearance (’guild’), for it was wi nized that the union contracts in the mechanical departments had protected blue-collar workers fro sale wage cuts and layoffs. - Fight for honesty in journalism and the news industry's business practices.
black friday
nized stereotypers and pressmen were still ncome would be the next pay day”, began to men who worked in the organized departon. They knew what was coming, they had a forming the Newspaper Guild of Detroit.
a journalistic career seemed to offer perhe famous, exposing the corrupt, and
ings of the average autoworker; but in geninterest in unions. Low wages were simply nd as he climbed in status and security.
apermen
mic, politis” would
idely recogom whole-
����, A dozen reporters “walked the plank” on what became known as Black Friday. Among the laid off were “men of �� or �� years service, conscientious, able workers whose loyalty was unquestioned”. Wage cuts averaging ��% soon followed. For surviving workers at the News, “security walked out the door with those men and fear walked in”. mechanical trades: the pressmen, typographers, mailers and other craft workers who labored on the lower floors of the News, Times, and Free Press. Journalists were professionals, destined for higher things, and a union contract would only inhibit the more ambitious among them.
DETROIT DEMOGRAPHICS_AFRICAN AMERICAN
����
���,���
Detroit Metropolitan Areas
ninth largest Black population of any city in the United States.
��,��� ���� �,���
fewer than in ���� when the Black population was more than � million
�st great migration
�� +% black
����
city with the high African American
migrated to Detroit in ve the “Great Black Migrati The largest percentage c _Alabama_Georgia_Tenn
����
���,��� ��% white
urban / suburban
�nd migration
large
r
�
��.�%
Detroit Metropolitan Areas
hest percentage of ns in the urban north
ery large numbers during ions”. came from nessee_Kentucky.
�,���,��� ++ The city of Detroit once boasted the
largest Black middle class in America.
est Black majority in the US / Most segregated of all large cities
r i o t s ���� / ����
s c h o o l desegregation
W h i t e F l i g h t
“U.S. popular culture has become increasingly desensitized to onedimensional portrayals of Black youths. Perpetuation of them as dangerous has been embedded in American society not only by words and images projected by journalists but also by a wide variety of other media and entertainment sources, including the Internet, movies and video games.” “WITH THE INTERNET, YOU CAN FIND LOADS OF IMAGES BUT IT'S PRINT WHERE YOU CAN GET QUALITY TEXTUAL CONTENT AND GOOD WRITING CAPTIONS.”
http://voiceofdetroit.net/2012/05/29/medias-portrayal-of-black-youths-contributes-to-racial-tension/
[^]
ocupp
FREEDOM Of EXPRESSION
DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY
voice
L A C O R P I C E R S P I H S N O I T A REL
a sp
by
self-publishing
bo
py_detroit_ media
top down participation
pace to create media
detroiters for detroit
ottom up
VOICE OF DETROIT IS A COLLABORATIVE agent THAT ADVOCATES OF SOCIAL CHANGE THROUGH PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN SELF-PUBLICATION, DEBATE, HONEST AND constructive JOURNALISM TO RESTORE GENUINE DEMOCRACY AS DETROIT EMERGES OUT OF BANKRUPTCY. THE GOAL OF THE VOICE OF DETROIT IS TO PRODUCE ACCESSIBLE AND AFFORDABLE WORKS BY WELLKNOWN AND EMERGING LOCAL VOICES WHO ARE INSPIRED BY A VISION FOR A NEW SOCIETY.
ta h ri r s q ua r e, at t h e h ei g h t o f t h e p ro t e s t s
BOTTOM-UP MODEL
bottom up 1. Think and act as the community:
1
Both of the work groups identified 'the community' as the main stakeholder, and thus the groups thinks/ acts as the community representative. So the other roles concerning funding, legal issues and technical issues are all designed according to the wishes and needs of the community.
2. Between money and power:
ottom One up of the work groups proposed 'internal funding', that is the generation of funds from within the community instead of from external financial organizations such as banks, state funding, funding means that the 1. Think etc. and Internal act as the community: community invests in its own place, which enhances a sense of ownership and pride of the community. Both of the work groups identified 'the community' as the main stakeholder, and thus the groups thinks/ acts as the community representative. So the other roles concerning funding, legal issues and technical issues are all designed according to the wishes and needs of the community.
2
3. Turn conflict into a possibility:
Issues of conflicts between municipality and the 2. Between moneythe andlocal power: gangs were discussed in one of the work groups. How can we use the conflicts to have better dialogue between various Onestakeholders? of the work groups proposed 'internal as funding', that How can we use conflicts a tactic to is align the generation of fundsdifferent from within the community instead interests? of from external financial organizations such as banks, state funding, etc. Internal funding means that the community invests in its own place, which enhances a sense of ownership and pride of the community.
3. Turn conflict into a possibility:
3. Turn conflict into a possibility:
3
Issues of conflicts between the local municipality and the gangs were discussed in one of the work groups. How can we use the conflicts to have better dialogue between various stakeholders? How can we use conflicts as a tactic to align different interests?
4. Cooperation in a barter economy: To involve companies in sharing their resources, both work groups suggested 'exchange of skills and materials'. For example, an engineering company and the local community can exchange their knowledge about the modern and traditional techniques; a material supplier can provide free materials in exchange for free access to the communal space.
4
5. Redefine architects' responsibility: So what role do architects play in both of the cases? 'It seems that the communities do not need an architect...'; some are pessimistic about the future of architectural practice. Reflecting on this, some in the group suggested instead that architects are becoming even more necessary in a community practice. Architects are the ones who can communicate a vision most effectively by sketching, through physical models, storytelling or by imagination. All these are powerful tools to connect various stakeholders with conflicting interests.
chapter 3 project dissection what_who_when_where_why_how
what is the [role of] the voice of detroit?
V.O.D exists as a DEMOCRATIC publisher, primarily in print publications. V.O.D is anti-capitalist, anti-profit and run on DEMOCRATIC principles. V.O.D will never sell any advertising. V.O.D will never contain content that promotes fascism, racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia or the police, or affiliate itself with organisations that do.
1.
public space in the city where people can debate and feel apart of detroit improvement
2.
a non-profit, anti-capitalist, equitably controlled by the members a part of the organisation
collaboration of partners & sharing of resources archiving facilities
3.
enabling independent voices of detroit to have a stable & far-reaching platform
4. 5.
[printing] producing literature in print for the betterment of detroit
6.
educating & enabling people to self-publish
enabling people to exercise their freedom of expression
7.
why self-publish?
�%
books in America traditionally published
self-governance how your book will be presented how your publication will look like what the contents will be total autonomy of publications shaping the narrative of a media_detroit by detroiters
traditional publishing does not add up self-publishing will allow you to market yourself and get more out of the whole process.
50% amount of money publishers keep 10% amount you get 75% potential amount you could make self-publishing
��% ��%
traditional publishing limits your proceeds. new authors only make a minor net sale of a hard over book.
self-publishing allows you to maximise your proceeds. new authors potentially get the majority net on the sale of their books.
1. write
2. check
write your book, design your cover
check it for errors
4. approve receive the proof in the mail, check it and approve the proof
5. processed your full order arrives in 7-10 business days
3. send send it to us for proofing and we print a proof to send to you
6. sell sell to the world
self-publishing: You control your marketing and your books future
WHY WOULD A SINGLE PUBLICATION BE MORE BENEFICIAL THAN MULTIPLE ONES?
recollecting detroit & distributing downtown DOWNTOWN DETROIT IS CHANGING INTO A PLACE OF WORK + LIVING SPACE. HISTORICALLY, DETROIT HAS BEEN A CITY OF SEPARATION. hOWEVER, KNOWLEDGE-BASED NEW INDUSTRY NEEDS SOCIAL NETWORKS, NOT ONLY ON THE INTERNET, BUT ALSO IN REAL SPACE. DOWNTOWN DETROIT IS A GOOD PLACE TO PROMOTE THIS LIFESTYLE.
1.
CREATE THE PERFECT CONDITIONS FOR JOURNALISM PROFESSIONALS WHO NEED AN INDEPENDENT ECOLOGY TO EVOKE THEIR CREATIVITY.
COLLECTIVE ENVIRONMENT, CATALYST TO PROMOTE PROFOUND IDEAS
2.
a combined reputation/ credibility/ influence/ popularity/ authority
3.
SAVES PAPER REDUCES WASTE
4. 5.
single-location
SHARED RESOURCES & REFERENCES
5.1 5.2
BETTER-PRODUCTIVITY
5.3
create a hyper-network of independent journalism
WE MET THE WHOLE TEAM IN THE MAIN STUDIO SPACE, COSHARED WITH SPIN STUDIO BEFORE WE WERE ESCORTED TO A REAR MEETING ROOM LINED WITH BOOKSHELVES. TWO STUDIO MEMBERS WERE CARRYING ROYAL MAIL SACKS TO THE POST OFFICE FULL OF RECENT ORDERS, AS ADRIAN COMMENTED “THATS ANOTHER RESPONSIBILITY AS A SELFPUBLISHER.” UNIT EDITIONS MAKE IT VERY CLEAR THT THEY DO NOT REQUIRE THE ASSISTANCE OF GIANT ONLINE MARKETPLACES LIKE AMAZON, THEY HAVE CREATED THEIR OWN AUDIENCE AND TRADING PLATFORM ON WHICH TO RUN THEIR BUSINESS. “WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE CUSTOMERS GET THEIR ORDER DELIVERED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE”. THAT'S THE REASON WHY UNIT EDITIONS DELIVER THEIR ORDER EVERY TWO DAYS. “ ITS ABOUT CREATING A FULLY FUNCTIONAL WEBSITE WITH GOOD DESIGN AND YOU ALSO HAVE TO BE SALES-WISE” WE HAVE REACHED THE POINT WHERE EVERYBODY HAS REALISED THAT PRINT DOES NOT STAND IN OPPOSITION TO DIGITAL MEDIA, BUT ON THE CONTRARY THEY BOT CONTRIBUTE TO TODAY'S PUBLISHING INDUSTRY AND WITH ONLINE PRESENCE, SOCIAL MEDIA AND DIGITAL NEWSLETTER, SELFPUBLISHED ARTISTS, DESIGNERS AND AUTHORS ARE ABLE TO UNCOVER THE REAL MOVEMENT IN THE MARKET AND PROVIDE A SENSE OF BELONGING TO A COMMUNITY. “IT 'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE NEWSLETTERS SHOULD BE NICELY DESIGNED, HAVE ENGAGING CONTENT AND CREATE ADVERTS AS CONVERSATION, RATHER THAN DIRECTLY TRYING TO SELL PRODUCTS.”
chapter 4 DETROIT BY DETROITERS PARTNERSHIPS_COOPERATIVE BUSINESS MODEL_BOTTOM UP MODEL
IDENTIFYING partnerships relative to downtown detroit
+
centralising operations
VOICE OF DETROIT
varied skillsets
INDEPENDENT MEDIA IN DETROIT TOWARDS ACHIEVING Local, national and world news OF DETROIT from a people's perspective
why/how are the partnerships/ networks chosen?
1. they are all non-profit organisations
2.
they are all from detroit and working for a cause for a better detroit
3.
all using words & printed matter of some form to get their point across
4.
independent voice [uninfluenced]
5.
grassroots community & participation values & morals
6.
self-published: independent - formed by their own accord & efforts & accountable
radical publishing: critically & uninfluenced narrative for a new detroit
7.
by detroiters for Detroit This diagram identifies collectively-run & independent bodies working to provide a forum for education, debate, and dialogue around the political issues affecting our communities; all of which benefit from the dissemination of their ideas physically or by giving them a voice. Each organisation explores the arts and culture that makes Detroit such a unique place.
INDEPENDENT MEDIA IN DETROIT
VOICE OF DETROIT FINANCIAL CO-OPERATIVE
voice of detroit is a registered workers co-operative. We have submitted our articles to Companies House and as long as voice of detroit exists it is legally bound to operate according to the following objects: As a co-operative, we follow the 7 co-operative principles: 1. Voluntary and Open Membership Co-operatives are voluntary organisations, open to all persons able to use their services and willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, without gender, social, racial, political or religious discrimination.
2. Democratic Member Control Co-operatives are democratic organisations controlled by their members, who actively participate in setting their policies and making decisions. Men and women serving as elected representatives are accountable to the membership. In primary co-operatives members have equal voting rights (one member, one vote) and co-operatives at other levels are also organised in a democratic manner.
3. Member Economic Participation Members contribute equitably to, and democratically control, the capital of their co-operative. At least part of that capital is usually the common property of the co-operative. Members usually receive limited compensation, if any, on capital subscribed as a condition of membership. Members allocate surpluses for any or all of the following purposes: developing their co-operative, possibly by setting up reserves, part of which at least would be indivisible; benefiting members in proportion to their transactions with the co-operative; and supporting other activities approved by the membership.
7. Concern for Community Co-operatives serve their members most effectively and strengthen the co-operative movement by working together through local, national, regional and international structures.
6. Co-operation among Co-operatives Co-operatives serve their members most effectively and strengthen the co-operative movement by working together through local, national, regional and international structures.
5. Education, Training and Information Co-operatives serve their members most effectively and strengthen the co-operative movement by working together through local, national, regional and international structures.
4. Autonomy and Independence Co-operatives are autonomous, self-help organisations controlled by their members. If they enter into agreements with other organisations, including governments, or raise capital from external sources, they do so on terms that ensure democratic control by their members and maintain their co-operative autonomy.
Detroit Future City
about: drawing on the best local and national talent as well as the insights of tens of thousands of Detroiters, the Detroit Future City Strategic Framework was released. The DFC Strategic Framework is a highly detailed long term guide for decision–making by all of the stakeholders in the City. products: Annual report document [The DFC Strategic Framework] VOICE OF DETROIT
about: The Voice of Detroit (VOD), founded in August, 2010, presents in-depth news stories on the people’s struggles, here in Detroit, nationally and world-wide. VOD also features commentary and announcements by progressive organizations of upcoming events. It is based in Detroit, Michigan. “The city’s independent newspaper, Unbought and unbossed”. products: Newspaper and Website EASTSIDE COMMUNITY NETWORK
about: Michigan non-profit community development organization. ECN envisions a healthy, diverse eastside community of individuals, families, businesses, and organizations that guide its institutions, influences its development, and controls its destiny. Residents are the real agents of systemic change and must take leadership and initiative in organizing for that change and not wait for others to do it. products: Community Empowerment Organisation
DETROIT FREE PRESS
about: The Detroit Free Press is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, USA. It is sometimes informally referred to as the "Freep". The Free Press is also the largest city newspaper owned by Gannett, which also publishes national newspaper USA Today. The Free Press has received ten 10 Pulitzer Prizes and 4 Emmy Awards. The newspaper's motto is "On Guard for 183 Years." products: Daily Newspaper FIFTH ESTATE
about: The Fifth Estate, founded in 1965, is an anarchist, anticapitalist, and anti-authoritarian, anti-profit project published cooperatively by a volunteer collective. We are committed to nondogmatic, action-oriented writing and activity to bring about a new world. We come from a diverse array of backgrounds and personal experiences, but share a common passion: to see anarchist ideas and messages brought to print and shared with people the world over. products: Monthly Anarchist Magazine
MAPPING THE STRAIT
about: Written by a Detroit native and an urban planner in the city. The website specializes in land use planning, economic development, and spatial and numeric data analysis. The blog stems from the author’s love of his hometown and interest in using maps to explore complex issues. products: Explorations of Detroit through Maps and Diagrams DETROIT DECLARATION
about: An organizing document for people who love Detroit, who sense that there is a growing tide of consensus about what our city must do differently to thrive, willing to invest time and energy into the political process to see that consensus emerge on a transformative scale. This is a movement to elect leadership in a new vision for Detroit who upholds the Declaration. products: Declaration Document and Potential Leaders
CRITICAL MOMENT
about: A collectively run independent newsprint magazine working to provide a forum for education, debate, and dialogue around the political issues affecting our communities. Each issue we also explore the arts and culture that makes Detroit such a unique place. products: Monthly Newspaper, for Detroit by Detroiters BUILDING MOVEMENT DETROIT
about: The Building Movement Project develops research, tools, training materials and opportunities for partnership that bolster nonprofit organizations’ ability to support the voice and power of the people they serve. products: Aid for nonprofit organisations SPACEMATTERS
about: Right-sizing the conversation about Detroit's future. The author has been awarded for fighting a year-long battle against the Coldwater High School administration to enforce bullying policies and start a Gay-Straight Alliance. He also just completed his most recent project, “ Queering the Apartheid City: Racial Liberalism and Detroit’s Suburban Gayborhood.” products: Articles that can be found Online, in Magazines & Newspapers. THE BOGGS CENTER
about: Our mission is to nurture the transformational leadership capacities of individuals and organizations committed to creating productive, sustainable, ecologically responsible, and just communities. products: Online resources and Activist networks
DANGEROUS DIRK COMIX
about: Comics based in Detroit that explores polictics. Off the docks, he's 12 oz. of pure rodent mayhem and a tireless defender of working people everywhere. Shady politicians and corporate overlords be warned... Dirk is coming for you! products: Comic Strips
BLAC DETROIT
about: BLAC is the premier lifestyle magazine for AfricanAmericans in and around Detroit. We cover the people, places and issues of importance to our community. We strive to be inclusive of the entire African Diaspora in our region, covering African descendants of various national and ethnic backgrounds. products: Magazine
WE THE PEOPLE of DETROIT
about: Promotes community coalition building and provides mechanisms and vehicles intended to inform, train and mobilize the residents of Detroit to improve their quality of life. [Information, training & mobilisation] products: Grassroots Organisation
THE MICHIGAN CITIZEN
about: A weekly aimed at African-American readers, and printed since 1978. Airing the views and news most important to black people, in a city that is overwhelmingly black. The Citizen was founded by community organizers & activists. Attempts to hold public officials and institutions accountable and shapes a distinctive voice in Michigan's media landscape. products: Weekly Newspaper and Website
DETROIT DIGITAL JUSTICE COALITION
about: The Detroit Digital Justice Coalition is comprised of people and organizations in Detroit who believe that communication is a fundamental human right. We are securing that right through activities that are grounded in the digital justice principles of: access, participation, common ownership, and healthy communities products: Digital Justice Empowerment
ANNENBERG FOUNDATION
about: Family foundation established in 1989. Founded by Walter H. Annenberg, publisher and ambassador, the Foundation supports the worldwide community through its grantmaking, technical assistance and direct charitable activities including the Urban Network Detroit. products: Funding
URBAN NETWORK
about: Founded by Yusef Bunchy Shakur, the Urban Network is a multi-purpose, community-centered business consisting of a bookstore, an entertainment company, and a publishing outfit. Each subsidiary is an avenue for Shakur to “restore, rebuild and re-spirit from the ground up.� products: Bookstore
MODEL D
about: Launched on 2005, Weekly online magazine covering stories of creativity & innovation moving Detroit forward. Telling the story of what's next for Detroit. products: Magazine
DETROIT EVOLUTION
about: Since 2006 we've resisted the status quo in Detroit by offering Food Education, Healthy Local Catering, Yoga, Bodywork, Sustainability Training & more! We strive for hyper-localism, and are honored to share our personal journey towards healthy, soulful, sustainable and relocalized lives. products: Food, Health, Family & Media RUSTBELT RADICAL
about: The Rustbelt Radical is a personal blog. It is revolutionary, socialist and internationalist. It comes straight from the ravaged middle of the post-industrial American Midwest and yearns for the refounding of the Marxist project. The landscapes of radical history are my main interest, but other topics might include politics, economy, work, culture, war, theory, travel, music and frequent tubthumping for the free association of producers. products: Blog
chapter 5 voice of detroit target users, site analysis, spatial requirements site analysis - detroit free press building
target us ers
SITE ANALYSIS & IDENTIFYING BUILDING TYPOLOGIES
FORMER DETROIT FREE PRESS BUILDING 331-399 & 615 W LAFAYETTE STREET, DETROIT, MI
1. former detroit free press building 1 2. former detroit news building 3. current detroit free press offices
larger detroit area
FORMER DETROIT FREE PRESS BUILDING 1 615 W LAFAYETTE ST.
FORMER DETROIT news building 331-319 W LAFAYETTE ST.
CURRENT DETROIT FREE PRESS BUILDING 152 W FORT ST.
why the detroit free press building? MACRO SCALE typologies of news dissemination.
dfp (detroit free press) moved to accommodate a digital press whereas voice of detroit believes in the power of print.
dfp (detroit free press) moved to accommodate a digital press whereas voice of detroit believes in the power of print.
prolong the material, historical & design integrity
urban setup in 50 years by detroit future city
ws
amount of space dedicated to parking
urban setup in 50 years by detroit future city
downsizing constructively: DISTRIBUTION OF PARTNERS AROUND DETROIT.
cated to parking
regeneraton of the abandoned: using the dfp building as a bigger scheme to re-occupy the vacant buildings and parking lots. DISTRIBUTION OF VACANT HOMES IN DETROIT.
roit future city
may face inadequate conservation and architectural treatment under developers and city authorities demolishing of the lafayette building in 2009
design integrity
Plantation to paper
is print dead? Is print dead? This is a question that has been buzzing around the marketing world since the rapid surge of the Internet and social media. While many businesses have completely migrated their advertising efforts to the web because of its cost effectiveness, exposure potential and convenience, print still maintains its stance as a powerful and necessary component of an ad campaign. Let’s take a closer look at print media and some advantages it has over its digital counterparts.
image transference
p ro ce s se s
printing
AMARTYA SEN CAPABILITY APPROACH Sen argued for five components in assessing capability: 1_ 2_ 3_ 4_ 5_
The importance of real freedoms in the assessment of a person’s advantage Individual differences in the ability to transform resources into valuable activities The multi-variate nature of activities giving rise to happiness A balance of materialistic and nonmaterialistic factors in evaluating human welfare Concern for the distribution of opportunities within society
FUNCTIONINGS elementary things, such as being healthy, having a good job, and being safe, to more complex states, such as being happy, having self-respect, and being calm. CAPABILITY Ultimately, capabilities denote a person’s opportunity and ability to generate valuable outcomes, taking into account relevant personal characteristics and external factors. Consequently, the capability set outlined by this approach is not merely concerned with achievements; rather, freedom of choice, in and of itself, is of direct importance to a person’s quality of life AGENCY Amartya Sen defines an agent as someone who acts and brings about change, whose achievement can be evaluated in terms of his or her own values and goals. For the purposes of the capability approach, agency primarily refers to a person’s role as a member of society, with the ability to participate in economic, social, and political actions.
DETROIT'S CAPABILITIES
DETROIT FUNCTIONINGS
DETROIT AGENCY
Initial Design Concept
Each different organisation will have a space to become their own editorial yet still be apart of a network to resources and other like-minded organisations. Within the shell of the Former Detroit Free Press, are individual shells, made to reorganise, and re-wire Detroits network of independent and valiant media entities. Their aim is to become a beacon of expression of the true Detroit voice in printed form. They fight for security in finding shelter and access to water, education and livelihoods in troubling times for the Motor City.
The combined building typologies would mean the programmes may overlap. Mapping the programmes and corresponding spatial needs can illustrate the relationships that may be present.
ENGRAVING OFFICES
REEL ROOM
ROTOG RAVURE MAILING ROOM
EDITORIAL
MACHINE SHOP PRINTING PRESS L O A D I NG P L A T F ORM
BUSINESS OFFICES
PRESS ROOM
INK ROOMS
JOB PRINTING
TENANT OFFICE
INK STORAGE LOADING AREA
CONFERENCE ROOMS DIGITAL STORAGE
PROGR AM M E E XP LO RATI ON
S T O R AGE
S T OCK R O OM
PUBLI C OFFICE S
PAPER STORAGE WEB NETWORK SUPER-ROUTER
POWER STATION
POWER GENERATOR BUILDING SERVICES
ELECTRIC GRID
L I BRARY
BOOKS
JOURNALS ARCHIVE
P U B LISHING H OUSE
PROMOTE + MARKETING
DEBUT APPEARANC E
BOOK RELEASE
PLAY SPACE
T H E ATRE
PUBLI C PIAZZ A
PRINTING DIGITISATION
DEBATE AREA
GROUP STUDY
RESEARCH FORMATTIN G
PRIVATE STUDY
EDUC ATION R E ADING CIRCLE
EDITING L ECTURES LABORATORY CLASSROOM
C O M M U NITY M O V E M ENTS ADVICE IDEA CONCEPTION SPACE
C O M MUNITY INPUT I N D IVIDUAL
SELFPUBLISH
building programmes
MAPPING NEWPAPERS CARTOGRAPHY DISTRIBUTION
MAGAZINES PRINTING
RETAIL
pROGRAMMES
BOOKS
RECYCLING DIGITISATION
PRODUCTION
SOCIAL MEDIA
ONLINE PUBLICATIONS
PUBLIC SPEAKING
libraries under attack throughout history, Libraries have been deliberately or accidentally destroyed and damaged. Sometimes a library is purposely destroyed as a form of cultural cleansing which has sporadically happened through the centuries.
Fig. Birmingham Central Library destroyed by fire, 1879
FLOODS fire wildfires
NATURAL DISASTERS
libraries under attack!
EARTHQUAKES
ARSON ACCIDENTAL
MILDEW CULTURAL CLEANSING
Fig. Siege of Baghdad, 1258 The Grand Library of Baghdad, containing countless precious historical documents and books on subjects ranging from medicine to astronomy, was destroyed. Survivors said that the waters of the Tigris ran black with ink from the enormous quantities of books flung into the river and red from the blood of the scientists and philosophers killed.
libraries disaster management Advances in technology have reduced the possibility of a library collection being destroyed by fire. These include water sprinklers, fire doors, freezers, alarms, smoke detectors, suppression systems, and emergency generators. Older libraries are usually converted by closing up air flow openings and installing fire doors, alarms and sprinklers. Air conditioning reduces the mold problems. These are all essential parts of new library design.
libraries recovery plan There is no recovery possible if a book is burnt so it is accepted that a better solution is to put out the fire with water and then dry out the books. As mold destroys paper the books are frozen until they can be dried. This process will damage the book but not destroy it and the information will be intact.
chapter 6 exploration PRECEDENT STUDIES material studies_PAPER BRICKS
Shigeru Ban writes that he, “is often asked how long paper architecture can last.” He counters this with his own question, “How long do you think concrete architecture can last?” One hundred years is a typical answer, to which he replies: “concrete buildings are prone to earthquakes and other natural deterioration. Moreover, developers are highly motivated to tear down the old to make way for the new, so it is unlikely that most concrete buildings erected today will see their centennial. On the other hand,” he continues, “the Paper Church, built after the 1995 Hanshin earthquake, was used and cared for with true devotion for decade on the same spot, whereupon it was moved to a Taiwan refugee camp and given a new life.” Thus he says, the crucial factor in whether a building will last is not the material it’s made from but the affection it is shown by those who use it. (Miyake, 2009 ,p188)
Paper Architecture can be: • • • • •
Recycled Stylized Pre-fabricated Made into Mobile Structures Reinforced / Used as a composite material
Paper Architecture is: • • • • • • • • • • •
Light in weight Create light filtering effects Cheap Stable: Able to withstand strong vibrations Acoustically advantaged Flexible to be shaped into different forms Stable dimensions (does not expand and contract like wood) has no scrap value, will not be stolen Easy & Quick to Construct Consistent in strength & size Isotropic (its properties are the same in all directions as a result of no grain), so has no tendency to split.
Although, Paper Architecture is also: • • • • •
Generally used in temporary structures Soaks water although able to dry out again Catches fire easily Chemical treatment may cause irritation to people handling the material Denser than plywood or chipboard (if the binding resins used are heavy)
creating a new structural material out of paper paper bricks
Brick A 100% Paper [Paper made into pulp using water then press out & dried]
Brick B 5:5:1 Paper : Sand : Ce
ement
Brick C 5:5:5:1 Paper : Sand : Plastic : Cement
EXPLORATION 1 Potential Paper Bricks Designs
synonymous with infinity quality of knowledge
organic movement of the public
optimum load-bearing paper bricks
ARCHES
recycled material
effective way to show hierarchy
ACOUSTIC QUALITY
Souk Mirage by Sou Fujimoto
Tama Art University Library by Toyo Ito
Souk Mirage by Sou Fujimoto
PAPER HOUSES
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