Graça’s Urban Parliament Construction was a workshop designed with the intention of build up a better understanding of the urban space on the neighborhood of Graça by a hand, and to set an infrastructure that could assist on MEDS Reaction LX 2013 workshop, which was performed at this Lisboan district from Aug 3rd and Aug 18th 2013. Reaction workshop reunited 250 architecture, design and related disciplines students -and young professionals- from all over the world with the purpose of working on a small scale the principles of urban public space use.
Urban Parliaments are the result of the researches undertaken by the Spanish collective Zuloark about the urban space. These were called “Universal Declaration of the Urban Rights”. This project aims to stimulate and open a discussion about and between the public space and its users, and the different agents that set it up. It is on this form of open dialog that the Reaction Team hosted one of the very first Urban Parliaments, trying to hence students and the community of Graça.
CONSTRUCTION
The Urban Parliament building process took 5 days, and it was driven by the collective Zuloark, which collaborate with a few Reaction members, volunteers, and community members.
The working methodology was preset for this workshop, inspired on Zuloark horizontal working schema.
Every participant was expected to have some critical thought and be able to share and spread knowledge within the different teams; skipping this way the traditional pyramided teaching system: from someone to all.
On their role of coordinators, the collective Zuloark, set tools, know-how, basic statements and questions. It was constituted on this way an exchange space where all could learn from all with no barriers.
The first step of this workshop, design and reflection framing, was undertaken on the streets of Graça Neighborhood, aiming to research the dimensions of the urban furniture present at squares, avenues, lanes, etc. After this first research the team started the construction of the physical structure of the Urban Parliament. This structure was done at the Church of the Monica’s Convent.
The Parliament was thought as an octagon divided in eight equal units. Six modules were set up leaving two absent. This configuration allowed an open access to the structure by a large gate or two small accesses: an open structure that invites to talk, a structure open to different sets.
Next step involved all the participants and organizers. It was important to define the placement of the Urban Parliament and its configuration to guarantee a confortable, functional and debate-friendly space. Decisions regarding the physical measures were taken in base of these discussions, and the modules were defined in order to build up the six units octagon.
Each unit was made by a different team. Units were assembled and designed individually but looking to a perfect combination. This process matches Zuloark horizontal team building and knowledge spreading, underlining the autonomy and deep dependency of the different members on the working process.
Once teams were set, they designed their own Urban Parliament prototype (or more than one!). Proposals were presented and discussed with the other team members and groups to find the best solutions.
Every module was built up and they were different: one module is lighter (less structural elements), other grew out of the octagon pure form; one has a back side, and other has a blackboard to track the conclusions on the debates.
This freedom avoided a standard production, allowed a functional structure where mistakes and imperfections were welcome. These points were important for a critical learning respecting the horizontal knowledge sharing presented above. Finished the construction of the modules, the Urban Parliament was transported to Belvedere of Graça were for a full day became a piece more of the urban “native” furniture. A place where debate about urban space, a place where to sit down, a place where to read, or simply a place where to take some sunbaths.
