To conTribuTe To peace, one musT know abouT conflicT
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70 ReclaimingBabur’s‘LightGarden’inKabul Jolyon Leslie74 ReturntoNature Alessandro Petti, Sandi Hilal and Eyal Weizman78 Peacebreeding Arjen Oosterman
81 SEEInsert:ArchisInterventionsinSouthEasternEurope
122 TheAfghanGordianKnot Allard Wagemaker128 TheSoldier:PositivePeace Allard Wagemaker interview132 ThouShall(Not) Lilet Breddels and Arjen Oosterman134 TheEmergingCitiesofIraqiKurdistan Anna Wachtmeister140 WorkinginaPalestinianRefugeeCamp:
Talbieh,Jordan Joumana al Jabri, Reem Charif and
Mohamad Hafeda144 It’stheArchitect’sFault! Wouter Vanstiphout150 IntellectualDisasterTourism Edwin Gardner152 TheDistanceNarrows Hannes Schmidt and Sophie-Therese
Trenka-Dalton160 Colophon
12 Editorial Arjen Oosterman16 TheSocialScientist:DidSomeoneSay
Collaboration? Gerd Junne interview20 WarsoftheWorld Nik Dimopoulos and Timothy Moore22 ProvideandEnable:TheRoleofArchitects
inPost-WarRecovery Sultan Barakat 24 TheArchitect:KeepingthePace Esther Charlesworth interview28 TheAestheticofEthics Rory Hyde32 TheArchitect:SmallChange,BigResult Malkit Shoshan interview42 TheRoadtoHellIsPavedwithGoodIntentions Vincent Schipper44 There’sNoSuchThingasaNeutralState Nik Dimopoulos and Timothy Moore46 BlueFabric Pieter Paul Pothoven50 BlueVoxpop52 IntheServiceofPeace Nik Dimopoulos and Timothy Moore56 BetterSafeThanSorry:EverydayLife
inPost-InterventionarySociety Mark Duffield66 TheLawyer:TitleandRight Scott Leckie interview
conTenT
How do we materialize peace? on the level of fundamental and basic needs, global society more or less knows what is wrong, and what to to do about it. There is a wealth of knowledge and experience in relief and first aid organizations, as there is with architects. we're ready to intervene in conflict areas, to fight for peace, but what are we to do next? experts seem agreed on strategies, but are the architects and politicians ready for the long-haul?
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peace figHT Arjen Oosterman
Youdon’tneedtobeaphilosophertoseethatpeaceisstruggle.Onemightevengoastepfurther:peaceiswar.Warandpeaceareantagonisticandsymbiotic.Itmakesonewonderifaworldwithoutwarispossibleatall.If,forlackofamorepositivedescription,peaceisdefinedastheabsenceofwar,thenwarisaessentialcomponentofpeace.
Fortunatelyarchitectsdonothavetosolvethisriddle,sincetheyfightforthegoodcause.They’reheretohelp.Architectureissupposedtoaddsomethingpositiveandimproveasituation,isn’tit?Thecatchis,itain’teasy.It’susefultorealizethatthissocialroleisarelativelyrecentdevelopmentinarchitecture.Beforethemid-nineteenthcenturyarchitecture’spublicrolewasoneofcommunication:tobroadcastandconfirmorestablishaperson’sorparty’sposition.Ifarchitectureaddedtothepublicdomainorsocietyatlarge,thiswasagift,ademonstrationofkindnessandbenevolence.Itwashierarchicalandpolitical,notmoral.
Thetwentiethcenturymayhavebeenthemostviolentageinthehistoryofmankind;itwasalsothemoralage.Goodarchitecturehadtodomorethancommu-nicateandprovide,orhelpandsolve,exclusivelyservingtheinterestofasingleclient;ithadtoeducate,changeandimprove.Themoralsuperiorityofaparticularkindofarchitectureandaparticularwayofdesigning,theexistenceofsuchapositionatallwasself-explanatory,unchallengedthroughoutthecentury.Thatdidn’tpreventarchi-tectsfromcontestingtherightdirection,butthatcontestdidn’taffectthisunderlyingprinciple.That‘paradigm’lostitsmonopolyattheendofthelastcenturywhenideo-logicalclaritywithinarchitecturalpositionsblurred.ArchitecturenolongeroperatesinnameofTheFuture,nolongerknowsbest;atitsbestarchitecturemodestlyorflamboyantlytriestosolveproblemsandissueshereandnow.Andfirstandforemostittriestoserve.Eventhegoodolddistinctionbetweencommercial(bad!)andengaged(good!)architecturehaslostitsappeal.Thedeveloperisthearchitect’sbestfriendandweadmirehisorhergutsandvision.Andtheuser,let’snotforgettheuser,nolongerameekcustomerbuyingwhateverisondisplay!Architectureshouldlistenandrepeatwhatit’stoldtosay.Attheendofthetwentiethcenturyarchitecturewithoutanagendahadbecometheanswertopastcontradictionsandparadoxes.
Ifthatistoday’sreality,howcananarchitectevenstartthinkingaboutoperatinginpost-conflictareas?Howshouldhedealwithunfamiliarculturalandoftenhighlypoliticalsituations?Thesequestionsareallthemorepressingsincearchitectsgetblamedforallsortsofproblemsintheirowncountriesandcultures.Urbansocialunrest?Blamethearchitect.Segregation?Blamethearchitect.Adisadvantagedpartofthepopulation?Blamethearchitectanddemolishhisproduct.Itisprettyeasytoblamethearchitectfortensionsinsociety.Thegoodnewsisthatarchitectureseemstomatterandistakenseriously.Butifarchitecturecanhaveanegativeimpact,couldn’ttheoppositebeanoptiontoo?
Onecouldclaimthatthisisthewrongargument,anabsurdambitionarchitectsshouldn’tmaketheirown.Butwhatdoesonedowhendutycallsgiventhatconflictandpost-conflictsituationsarerealitieswhicharelikelytobewithusforawhile?Lookingatthe‘mapofconflicts’inthisissue,theirnumberincreaseddramat-icallyattheendofthecentury.Andthereisnosignofchange,yet.Toputitbluntly:itisagrowingmarketwithlotstodo.Buthow?Ifweforgetforamomentaboutthediscrepanciesthediagramonthenextpageshows,thereissomecommonsenseadvice.Therearelotsofdon’ts,whichyouwillfindthroughoutthisissue,andacoupleofclear,experience-basedrecommendations.Ittakescourage,therearenoguaranteesandtherewillbemoredisappointmentsahead,butifwe’reseriousaboutthisglobalcommunity,ifthequalityofasocietyismeasuredinitsabilitytobeinclu-siveandnotexclude,ifcaringandtakingcareisthehumanthingtodo,webetterstartfindingoutwhatarchitecturecancontribute.Particularlyhowitcanhelpwith-outintroducingmoreornewconflict.
Thisissueislargelybasedonourconferenceearlierthisyear.Atwo-daysymposium‘howdowematerializepeace’(NAI,RotterdamMay2010*)wasthekickofftoexplorepotentialsofarchitectureinthefieldofpost-conflictreconstruction.Asecondconferenceisscheduledfortheendof2011.Awareness,goodpracticeandknowledgeexchangeareallpartoftheprojectwithpragmatismastheguidingrule.Andthisisimportant,becausetheroadtohellispavedwithgoodintentions.
* The‘ArchitectureofPeace’-projectisajointinitiativeofArchis,theUniversityofAmsterdam,theNetherlandsArchitectureInstitute,andPartizanPublik.
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leVel of supporT
emergency assistance
rehabilitation reconstruction
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15Photo Nell Minnow
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proViDe anD enable
THEROLEOFARCHITECTSINPOST-WARRECOVERY
Sultan Barakat
Changesinthenatureofwarfrominterstaterivalriestointernalinstabilityandcivil
conflicthaveradicallyalteredourperceptionofreconstructionandtheroleofthe
architectinpost-warrecoveryprocesses.Nolongeristhearchitecttheforgerand
executerofalarge-scalesystematicplantotransformthebuiltenvironmentinthe
aftermathofwidespreaddestruction.Inthenewcontextofstatefragilityandinternal
conflict,thearchitectmustadoptnewapproachesthataresmall-scale,bottom-up
andcommunity-driven.Inmanycasesthereisnolongeracleardistinctionbetween
situationsofwarandpeace;protractedconflictsraisethedilemmaofrebuilding
duringsituationsofinsecurityandinstability.Fragilecontextsaremademorevolatile
bythemultipletransitionsexpectedofsocietiesrecoveringfromwar,suchas
plannedtomarketeconomies,ruraltourban,orauthoritariantoliberaldemocratic.
Withinthiscontextofcontemporaryconflictthesecomplexitiesconstitute
bothdirectandindirectchallengestotheroleofthearchitectinguidinganddirecting
socialoutcomes.Thechangingnatureofconflictandthefailureofarchi-tectstomobilizehaveledtothemarginalizationoftheprofessioninpost-war
recoveryprocesses.Asharedvisionaffirmingthecentralandproactiveroleofthe
architectinpost-warrecoveryandpeacebuildingisabsolutelynecessary,andgiven
thecomplexnatureofthepost-conflictcontexts,suchvisionmustbeethicallydriven.
Localperceptionsofrecoveryfrequentlyfocusonreaffirmationofidentity
andregainingthecontroloflivesandlivelihoodsattheindividualandcommunitylevel.
However,contemporaryreconstructioninterventionsfrequentlyignorethedemands
foridentityandcontrol.Intheaftermathofwar,thebuiltenviron-
mentassumesacomplexroleinforgingidentityandempoweringordisempowering
communitiesindrivingtheprocessofreconstruction.However,acommondilemma
existsbetweenthedemandsforswiftandeffectiverebuildingandformsofrecon-
structionthatincorporategreaterprotectionforculturalheritageandfosterinclusive
identities.Experienceoverthepast50yearshasshownthatrapidreconstructionis
notwithoutrisktoqualityandresilienceaswellasthelong-termprospectsforpeace
andpeacebuilding.
ThearchitectofsweepingreconstructionaftertheWorldWarII,ormore
recentlytheBa’athiarchitectsinthewakeoftheIran-IraqWar,havebeenrendered
obsoletebythechangingglobalenvironment.Itisimperativethatanewdefinitionof
thearchitectisofferedandthatskillsaretaughtinenablingcommunitysurvivaland
supportinglocalcopingstrategies.Architectscoreanalytical,communicationand
designskillsandhavethepotentialtoconstituteadistinctcomparative
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advantageintheprofessionalfieldofreconstructionthatcanenable
architectstoassumealeadingrole.
Extendingtheroleoftheprofessionbeyondthearchitectasconceivers
andexecutersofblueprintplanstopotentialnegotiatorsofpost-conflictbuiltenviron-
mentpoliticsisimportant.Architectsarewellpositionedforthisfunctionbecause
theirtrainingrequiresskillsinnegotiatingcompromisebetweentheinterestsofcom-
petingpartiessuchasauthorities,clientsandcommunities.Theseskillsarelearned
byarchitectswhoworkdirectlywithlocalcommunitiesandareexpectedtounder-
standtheperspectiveofclients.Inter-disciplinaryandproblem-solvingskillsinherent
inarchitecturalconceptualizationandproductionenablegreaterunderstandingof
recoveryprocesses.Suchskillsofempathy,understandinganddiplomacywillbecentraltotrainingagenerationofconflict-sensitive
architectscapableofnavigatingandtransformingcomplexpost-warcontexts.
Furthermore,thereisaneedtomoveawayfromrelief-drivencharitable
actionstolonger-termdevelopmentalresponsestoconflict.Itisvitalthateffortsto
inducedevelopmentareinitiatedatanearlystagewhenresourcelevels,politicalwill,
andpublicattentionremainhigh.Assuch,earlyengagementis
essentialtoguidingthetransitionfromrelieftorecovery.However,itisimportantto
keepinmindthaturbanrevitalizationisnotrestrictedtosimplephysicalrehabilitation
ofthebuiltenvironment.Successfulreconstructionrequireseconomicandsocial
recovery.Theactiveparticipationoflocalcommunitiesintherecoveryisthecentral
pillarforsuccess.Thearchitectshouldsupportlocalizedinitiativeinaprocessof
community-drivenreconstruction.
Planningcodesandlegislationsareimportantbutaredifficulttoenforce
intheimmediateaftermathofwar.Insituationsofrapidinstitutionalengineeringand
changetypicallyassociatedwithpost-conflictinterventions,establishingappropriate
regulationstoguidetheearlyphaseofrecoverymaynotbepossible.Asaconsequence
architectureshouldbeflexibleandeasytoadapttotheday-to-dayenvironment.
Theremaynotbeadequatelevelsofcompetencytoundertaketherequiredrehabili-
tationandreconstruction.Therefore,itisimportantthatexistinglocalcapacities
arerecognizedandthatrebuildingisnotperceivedtobeanopportunitytoworkfrom
a‘cleanslate’.Alsoimportantistoinvestinbuildingthecapacityofarchitectsto
respondinanappropriateway,bothatthenationandinternationallevels.However,
trainingina‘moral’vacuumriskscausingmoreharmthangood.Theconstitution
ofanethicalcodeforarchitectsisvitaltoensurethatrebuildingmaximizesthelong-
termprospectsforsustainablerecovery,developmentandpeace,whilebeing
consciousofthecentralrolefaithandpoliticsplayinthelivesofthemajorityofthe
peopleinpost-conflictenvironments.
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itcanhaveahealingaspect.Peoplejustwanttotalkaboutthesethingsaftertraumaordisaster,andwanttobeinvolvedintheprocesswhenquiteoftenthey’recom-pletelyshutout.Idon’tthinkthatconsultationinitselfcanprovidepsychologicalmending,butIdothinkinvitingpeopletobeapartofthegeneralprocessbyputtingupplansandmodels,isapartofthatjourney.
TimothyMoore Withthisinmind:howdoesatypicalArchitectsWithoutFrontiersprojectrun?Howdoyoudeterminewhichprojectsrequireyourattention?Whatkindofpeopledoyouneedtobringtogether?Atwhatpointyoudecidetoact?
EC Theprocesshaschangedalotinthelasttenyears.Atthebeginningwewouldgetarequesttodoanythinganywhere,andwewouldtryanddoitwithnofunding.Itwasascattergunapproachingeographiczonesweknewnothingabout,onprojectswithnochanceoffunding,andwouldinevitablyleadtoaletdownforthecommunity.SolastyearwetookabigrethinkoftheinstituteanddecidedtoreduceourgeographicalfocustotheAsia-Pacificregion,particularlyNepal,India,Vietnam,andremoteindigenouscommunitiesintheNorthernTerritoryofAustralia.
Oneofthecriteriaisthattheprojecthastohavefundingforconstructionorelsewegenerallywon’ttakeit.Furthermore,althoughweofferaprobonodesignservice,twoorthreeofourprojectshaveaprojectmanagersowemanagetheconstructiondocumentationandtheprojectadministration,whichleveragesafeefor
RoryHyde Inyour2006bookArchitectsWithoutFrontiers:War,ReconstructionandDesignResponsibility,1youdiscusshowafterawarhasendedandaphysicallineofdivisionwithinacityisdismantled,oftenapsycho-logicaldivisionremainswithinthemindsofthepeople.Howcanarchitectureplayaroleinreintegratingacity?
EstherCharlesworth That’sthequestion.InfactI’veseenmoreexampleswhereittendstodisunitepeople.Youquiteoftenhavethemanmadedisasterofwar,thenthereisthepoliticaldisasterafterwardsofincompetence,andthenthere’sthethirddisaster:thedesigndisaster.Architectsneverreallythinkaboutreconstructionintermsofpsychologicalreconstruction.Theytendtogofortheclassicheritageapproach,byrebuildingwhat-it-was-where-it-was,ortheyusethefunky3Dfly-insoft-ware,whichhasnothingtodowiththeactualcontext.
Ontheotherhand,I’vewitnessedfirsthandinBeirut,Mostar,andparticularlyinNicosia,howarchi-tectsworkingininterdisciplinaryteams,withlawyers,planners,psychologists,andpoliticians,haveputtogetherlong-termreconstructionstrategies.I’dhatetousetheword‘heal’,becauseit’ssuchaclichéintermsofpostwarreconstruction,butthroughanundertakingspanningtwentyyearstodevelopandimplement,thesecollabora-tiveteamsproducedaresultonbothsidesofthedivide,inwhichneithersidewasfavored.
Ithinkwhenit’sdoneinathoughtfulandwell-consideredmannerwithotherprofessionalgroups,
THEARCHITECT
keeping THe paceEsther Charlesworth interviewed by Rory Hyde and Timothy Moore
esther charlesworth is an architect juggling the energy of a not-for-profit organization with the sustained pace of professional delivery. along with two colleagues, charlesworth set up architects without frontiers over a decade ago to provide pro bono architectural services to humanitarian causes. after traveling the cities of mostar, berlin, beirut, Jerusalem and belfast, and co-authoring a book, Divided Cities, on these observations, esther charlesworth chose to focus on the region closest to her, the asia-pacific. There is, of course, no place like home.
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Photo David C Fox
Photo Andrew Bossi
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samewayinthedevelopedworldasindevelopingcountries’.2Thus,inconditionsthatcouldnotbefurtherapart,onoppositesidesofthecultural,economicandgeographicdivide,thesamerestrainedaestheticemergesinparallel.
Butcanoneaestheticbemore‘ethical’thananother?Surelytheethicalresponsibilitiesofarchitec-tureareachievedthroughdeednotappearance.Ifaprojectisdoinggood,doesitmatterifitisn’talsolook-inglikeitisdoinggood?
TheIslingtonSquaresocialhousingdevelop-mentinManchesterdesignedbyFATArchitectsandcompletedin2006isundeniablydoinggood.Apartfromaccommodatingthosethefreemarkethasleftbehind,theprojectincludesstrategiestosaveenergy,carbonemissionsandwaterandisconstructedofsustainablematerials.Itisalsofun.Withacastellatedandmeanderingparapet,acheckeredbrickpatternsupposedlyderivedfromadandy’ssocks,andornatewindowrevealsandbalustrades,itchallengesassumptionsofwhatsocialhousingshouldlooklike.However,noteveryoneagreeswiththisplayfulapproach.AlejandroAravenaofEle-mental,whenIinterviewedhimfollowingapresentationbySamJacobofFAT,attackedtheirlyricalaestheticlanguage,arguing‘Idon’tthinkyoucanplaywiththesekindsofissues,[socialhousing]isaseriousthing’.IsAravenaright?Shouldsocialprojectsbeexpressedwithacorrespondinglanguageofearnestness?Orhasourtrainingledusarchitectstomeasureethicalvaluebyimagenotimpact?
Whenarchitectureisdeployedtothefrontlineinapost-conflict,post-disasterorhumanitarianscenario,itisnec-essarilydeterminedbylimitations.Limitationsoffunding,limitationsofpolitics,limitationsofmaterial,andlimita-tionsoftime,tonamejustafew.Asaresultoftheselimitations,builtformoftentakesonaustere,minimalandevenauthenticqualities;incasesofurgency,thereislittleroomforcapital‘A’architecture.Forthisreason,itistobeexpectedthattheportfoliosofArchitectsforPeace,ArchitectureforHumanity,orMOMA’scurrentexhibitionof‘responsiblearchitecture’1containverylittlebling.Typicallyprojectsofthistypeareconstructedoflocallyavailablematerialusinglocaltechniques,andfailingthat,thequintessential‘no-frills’choiceofthesocially-engagedarchitect:plywood.Adefaultlanguageofminimalismoperatesasa‘non-style’–anabstractaestheticlanguagethatdoesnotcarryanyassociations,butisablankcanvasforthesubsequentapplicationofother,personalandlocal,associations.Ethicshasanaesthetic.
Asarchitectsareincreasinglyinvolvedinsocially-engagedprojects,thisethicalaestheticisbecom-ingitsowndefinablestyle,andappearingincontextsthatarefarfromconstrained.ChileanpracticeElemental,whoearnednotorietyfortheirinnovativeallocationofscarceresourcesinsocialhousingprojects,haverecentlybeencommissionedtobuildoutsideofthislimitingenvironment,mostnotablyforSwissfurnituremanufac-turerVitra.Despitebeingfacedwithavastlyexpandedbudget,andtheabsenceofasocialneedtofulfill,Ele-mentalhavechosento‘approachdesignproblemsinthe
THe aesTHeTic of eTHicsRory Hyde
Journee des Baricades, a one day sculpture, Wellington, New Zealand, 2008.Heather and Ivan Morison
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13. Camp Sajkovac,Podujevo,
lead nation Czech. Rep.
12. Camp Olaf Rye,Mitrovicë,
lead nation Denmark
11. Camp Casablanca,Suhareka,
lead nation Austria
9. Camp Victoria,Ajvalija,
lead nation Sweden
8. Camp Novo Selo,Mitrovicë,
lead nation France
5. Camp Ville, Ljpljan,lead nation Finland
4. Camp Lebane,Lebane,
lead nation Portugal
3. Camp Monteith,Gnjilane,
closed in 2007
200 m/1000 ft
1. Camp Bondsteel, Uroševac,lead nation USA
2. KSF area Prishtina,Prishtina
5. Villaggio Italia, Pejë,lead nation Italy
10. Camp Kfor Pestovo,Pestovo
14. Camp Prizren,Prizren,
lead nation Germany
15. Camp Vrelo,Prishtina airport
16. Camp Sultan Murat,Prizren,
lead nation Turkey
7. KFOR base Prishtina,Prishtina
The footprint of army bases in Kosovo.
Aerial view of Camp Bondsteel, KFOR Task Force.Photo PD-USGOV
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Army base, UN headquarterKosovoSerb enclave
Serb Enclaves under Serb administrative power
NATO bases and UNMIK headquarters
Kosovo
EULEX* EU MISSION #1EUC* EU MISSION #2EUSR* EU MISSION #3
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UNMIKUnited Nations Mission in Kosovo, main administrative power
NATO KFORKosovo Force
* Administrative power occasionally overlaps, Administrative power division is unclear
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A timeline of developments in Kosovo.
Berlin Tempelhof Airport, an important military site throughout the first half of the twentieth century, re-opened as a public park in May 2010. © Christo Libuda