Transformative Perspectives of Spaces In-Between: Design for the Sense of Belonging
“Transformative Perspectives of Spaces In-Between” is an initiative that focuses on education and learning and presents a pedagogical methodology that enables students to explore between science and art, individual and collective, thus realizing that a New European Bauhaus triangle of values -sustainability, inclusion and experience- shapes their design strategies for transformation of spaces. The initiative realizes through the course of "Interior Architecture" at the University of Prishtina.
Local
Kosovo
Prishtina
Mainly urban
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)
No
No
Yes
As a representative of an organisation
Name of the organisation(s): Faculty of Architecture, University of Prishtina "Hasan Prishtina" Type of organisation: University or another research institution First name of representative: Arta Last name of representative: Xhambazi Gender: Female Nationality: Kosovo Function: Assistant Professor Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: St. Arkitekt Karl Gega, no. 1 Town: Prishtina Postal code: 100000 Country: Kosovo Direct Tel:+383 49 252 842 E-mail:arta.xhambazi@uni-pr.edu Website:https://fa.uni-pr.edu/
As academic staff, we always have the moral responsibility of the mission we carry out to have feedback that changes our lives for the better no matter how slowly or a little, at the same time it changes the way we think and act with each other and how we help our environment for a better quality of life. This starts from us and conveys to our students in a way that at the end of each lesson and project, we become better than we were.
This is why the course of “Interior Architecture” starting from 2016 aims at developing research-based design culture emphasizing the need for research-based and process-oriented design pedagogy development. The pedagogy promotes the use of an architectural program as an essential and ethical approach not only as a process of inquiry but also as a process that promotes a multistep feedback/feed-forward process. In 2021, a design project was carried out by the students of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Prishtina together with the academic staff and the contribution was given to the Faculty of Law by revitalizing the unused spaces of the premises within the faculty being the Initiative for “Transformative Perspectives of Spaces In-Between”.
The initiative grounded on the premise of the willingness of the representatives of both faculties Architecture and Law that transferred to the design task for creating new learning informal space. Secondly, the need for the association of the community to support the growing trends and needs for change and progress in terms of communication, sustainability and learning was emphasized. Thirdly and most importantly, the design process was centered on the participation and visioning of spaces for the students and teachers.
The initiative resulted into set of projects that merged boundaries between sustainability, inclusion and beauty shaping pathways toward better environments for education and everyday life while regaining a sense of belonging and waiting to be implemented.
Research Based & Process Oriented Design
Sustainability
Atmosphere
Belonging
Integral Architecture
The initiative supports the opinion that sustainability grounds on cultural changes encouraged by economic systems as well as using modern technologies. This means that is not enough just to create buildings and spaces that are good with nature, but one should also think about the ecological relationship from the perspective of experience also.
In our projects, this manifests to inner courtyards, green roofs, giving the students and the users the impression that they are connected to nature and inside buildings. For example, the students worked to transform those unused spaces with potential into an outdoor amphitheater and offer qualitative education with an integral approach and accessible communication between professors and students, simulating a type of trial where the lawyers of the future will practice as young professionals. Also, the unused space of the terrace was transformed into an innovative and reflective space, associating it with the mission of the University. In addition to being multifunctional, flexible, relaxing, combined with works of art, it is design as “green” also.
So in this way, through our designs space becomes dynamic and participative way of influence in the raising of environmental awareness, including the user as part of the process, and therefore exceeds the question of physical space itself.
In terms of aesthetic, the initiative considers space not abstract nor neutral, but rather a lived experience. It emphases that the beauty of the design can be found in the multitude of interpretations of the environment, including emotion. So, the question of designed experiences, sense of the place, and sense of belonging are conceptual terms that reflect in the materialization of interior spaces.
For our projects, the core of the design process is place-making which begins with an observation that takes into account the existing place, and then presenting work that reflects a greater respect for the past, but clearly designs the present and for the future. The visioning focused on the central role of the moving body in the perception of space, and designs consider the sensory qualities of light, sound, temperature and materiality as elemental language.
For example, atria represents a creative feature as it always gives buildings a sense of space, light and liveliness. It always brings benefits and creates a space for development, which positively affects the psychological experience. Building momentum becomes a key part for the project; continuity and movement created through the elements in the atrium enable the creation of a diversity of space usage. Continuity relates to the interior of the building with the yellow color that moves from inside out. So, through design open space transforms to the atmosphere of a cultural and recreational space, which together with the amphitheater program promotes events and the integration and inclusivity thus increasing the usability of this space.
In addition, all the designs emphasize material selection, colors and acoustic characteristics through which a greater range of experiences can be reached. They chaise for a sense of tranquility, silence and security, providing aesthetic pleasure, affirming order, coherence and meaning as they help to create a relationship with the environment and sense of belonging.
The initiative considers architecture as part of larger systems articulated by collective issues addressing examination of the relationship between human behavior, cultural values and the physical environment. The main reason shaping this objective is the fact that what is a simple reason for the architect is not a simple reason for the users, meaning that the attitudes and values of architects are quite different from the attitudes and values of users.
In order to meet inclusive criteria not only the design for all principles were applied but there are implemented several basic concepts of design process such as pre-design research, architectural and design program and user participation.
For example, the revival of abandoned places inside the building and their transformation into common spaces for work, learning and recreation considered student needs but also the teachers were participants during visioning. The creation of informal spaces for teaching and learning adds value to the space and proper importance to the learning process but it also considers accessibility and design for all principles. The design for the needs of the administrative spaces and working stations presented new demands and trends in predesign research but they been shaped by local demands.
Students and academic staff of Faculty of Law benefited from “Transformative Perspectives of Spaces In-Between”, but not only. The initiative affects the University of Prishtina also, because the qualitative spaces of such inclusive projects encourage further development not only in education and learning but for various cultural and artistic activities becoming a benefit of the society, and making community the beneficiary also.
Nevertheless, the implementation of the very first extracurricular project with its bold design transforming physical space of the in-between spaces of Faculty of Law echoed the need for further transformation of Interior spaces of existing building. The further collaboration between Faculties effected the Methodology of the Interior Architecture Course. The syllabi was shaped in order of realizing the new design tasks and making students of architecture benefiting from the initiative because of the complex experience within those comprehensive projects. Because the designs are being implemented this makes Faculty of Architecture beneficiary itself.
We can say that the impact of the initiative has been on validating and appreciating school projects of the students of Architecture and the impact that Achitecture School has on developing sustainable processes of design. In addition, it becomes evident that updating of the syllabi and design task should take place in real time. This presents its own challenges in many aspects because they are processes that take time to realize but still are efforts that have a measurable and valuable impact.
The initiative of the heads of both Faculties, Architecture and Law as parties of the project, was within the scope of the curriculum in accordance with the conditions and needs of both parties. The professors of the Course "Interior Architecture" developed the syllabi in the framework of the initiative for Transformation of the unused spaces and through the semester and they facilitated the design the process. Students were the most important participants of the process since they completed the tasks as their semester assignments going through meaningful experience.
In the other hand, within the Course of Interior Architecture, design becomes comprehensive process, emphasizing the needs of students and teachers of the Faculty of Law as participants.
Therefore, within the school project that is already in the process of realization within the year, the students, professors and heads of the institutions engaged, contributing with their requests from different teaching and learning experiences, academic experiences inside and outside the country, the latest pedagogical trends and all together as a group contributed toward making better places. Underutilized outdoor and other spaces transformed into informal space for learning and inclusiveness that gives a constructive and real example of how we can approach to improve the teaching and learning processes alongside contemporary trends - through architectural design, designing in the real situation and learning by making the project a reality.
During the process, different meetings were organized. As said the participants were the heads of the faculty, the administration and the students to express their requests, needs, and preferences together with the teachers, designers, and academic leaders of the course coordinating and channeling the work.
Since the design were to be implement in a near future, the agreements between aesthetic and functional part of design, principles and requests of the parties, were accompanied with detailed thinking and support of professionals in giving building advice regarding the technological issues.
Inclusion of different parties was the added value of the entire teaching and learning process as is the realization of real projects. In addition, upgrading the syllabi has the impact on the curriculum of architecture studies while shaping young professionals and the people who use these spaces in everyday life.
The character of the initiative closely relates to the willingness and readiness of all parties involved.
Academically speaking the focus was on pedagogical methods focusing not only in the classroom but also outside the classic learning environment with complex pattern of activities. That included not only a real life problem but also a real life project with its different stages. In addition, professional visits with the teachers of the course created an experience of dealing with potential clients; learning how to approach in real projects with an academic character; and drafting the design program in coordination with the requests and the budget. Students dealt with the design challenges and took responsibility of presenting concepts and proposals but at the same time understood technological and technical problems are inevitable challenges in the realization of ideas.
All these issues within a single course present dimensions of the innovative character of the initiative and curriculum transformation.
The integral process provides premises that shape our future ways of learning and thinking and as such is always replicable and transferrable.
Working in different fields of knowledge together with students and users (of spaces and places we design) is very significant and crucial in relation to what we offer to the community.
Because, the architects tend to think differently than the users, the participatory process is crucial. It offers innovative and comprehensive solutions that not necessarily are easy but ensure quality and can transfer to other places and context.
Bringing the real life problem in the classroom, implementing design solution on the ground and shaping the future architect’s culture outside the formal learning environment also are valuable elements of the initiative that:
- Can be applied to transferable to small-scale project for educational purposes,
- Learning and pedagogical methodology is transferable to design studio courses within the different levels of complexity and
- Promote multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches.
The philosophy of the course “Interior Architecture” attempts to develop beyond Critical Inquiry and Process Oriented Architecture by introducing the Interchangeable Design Pedagogies as Live Project Studio, Community Based Design and Design-Build as elaborated in Spatial Design Education (Salama, A.M., 2017).
Theoretically, this means active engagement for introducing design principals, emphasizing inquiry-based, active and experiential learning, learning within and across the boundaries of classroom settings, and bringing the build environments to the classroom.
Practically, in terms of design task means aiming innovative thought and practice in studio-based classroom, applying creative transformations (testing extent and potential of a pedagogical event) and testing community based processes.
The pedagogy progresses in different perspectives and territories of knowledge:
- Development of a systemic perspective for the design process through the production of the program and constructing a process as a whole involving community.
- Emphasizes Knowledge Production through the Projected Atmosphere and Lived emotions and
- Considers Sustainability as Political agenda promoting it actively.
Involvement of different beneficiaries created premises for designs not only having functional, aesthetic or atmospheric qualities, but in addition, they added value of learning by doing - as a formal and informal educational process - inclusive and multidisciplinary.
The initiative provided premises that from beginning had great interest from all parties for improvement of teaching environments with different approaches and methods, synchronized with conceptual view of course curriculum.
Finally, we can say the overall methodology represents integration of the theoretical and practical aspects of interior design meaning “transformation” shapes strategy of “Interior Architecture” course and is a promising concept for the 21st century’s architectural pedagogy.
There are many global challenges within creative processes, both those of curricula development and values offered to the community.
The local initiative indicated that the sustainable solution to the problem needs multidisciplinary approach at many different levels and from different fields of knowledge. This was important in every stage of design from the design brief, design proposal and project implementation. This helps not only improving the initiatives and projects, but has impact on the awareness and the way of thinking of the community and citizens, upgrades the quality of acting and living in places and spaces. In the end, it continuously improves the curriculum and leads toward innovative and contemporary approaches to old or novel problems.
Designerly wise we can consider the initiative as a manifest of architecture through social activism addressing environmental and social issues through the process. It attempts to construct a metaphorical bridge between time and space and invests in spaces that are different from what we find in local culture. This replicates and stimulates character and self-awareness, so it is very important to understand the role in opening the way for quiet development of “new societies” and preservation of existing ones.
The initiative progresses in two directions, that of improving the curriculum and providing the opportunity to learn on real cases and outside the class environment, and that of the interest of the institutions for promising collaborations in improving the work and the processes for the common good.
Regarding the first issues, we can say that everything started as extracurricular work of few students in the framework of the "Interior Architecture" course whose creative design transformed the in-between space of the Faculty of Law. This bold design revealed a new environment illustrating how regenerative processes contribute to restoring a sense of belonging. It revealed important dimensions such as the reuse of spaces for positive exchanges between generations and spaces that support diversity. In addition, this design project became an inspiration for the succeeding projects, fully integrated into the framework of the 2022 course syllabi of “Interior Architecture”. From this perspective the results are the design projects of students who within the conceptual territories of sustainability, accessibility and beauty, as values of a New Bauhaus, have found the trajectories to form their design strategies. These designs are result of the process that emphasized participation and visions of the students and educators in regard of Regaining a sense of belonging and wait for the implementation.
Secondly, the initiative exceeds academic boundaries and provides premises for contemporary ways of thinking and acting where professionals and non-professionals interact at different levels to achieve a common goal. The result is not only a benefit for the community but it promotes intellectual, social, cultural and academic development and provides an example of how a single initiative can induct many innovative and practical processes for of improving the quality of life and the environment for everyone.
“Transformative Perspectives of Spaces In-Between” valued suitability and promoted nature. It embraced problem framing and systems thinking. It acted for sustainability in individual and collective sphere. Used adaptability and exploratory thinking for envisioning sustainable future.
The thing that the initiative highlights is developing competences for relating the perspectives/competences of sustainability to one another, or said in another way understanding how they transform the questions and answers of the same problem from the same problem within the different levels of complexity (Wilber, 2000; DeKay, 2011; Xhambazi,2018). For professional development of an architect, this means lifelong education, while for education in design and architecture it means development of responsive research through interdisciplinary approach.
