Action Plan

Catching People E5

A room under a tree

A tree in my bedroom

INTRODUCTION

The question we are discussing here is “What kind of architect do we want to be?” isn’t it? So, let me answer you with another question: What is an architect? Or even better: What should I do to become an architect?

If we search for the meaning of that word in the dictionary, we’ll find that an architect is “a person qualified to design buildings” But we all know that architects are much more than this.

We could also look for the answer comparing the most notorious professionals of our days, and then we’ll find that those strange beings known as architects are some kind of serious formal intelligent people who usually wear black clothes in a respectable elegant way.

They are some kind of demigods who study society, who study the way the rest of the people live and the needs they’ve got. Some kind of demigods who design the world where the rest of social life is developed. In other words, people in charge of improving the infrastructures of the city in order to make the overstressed lives people have nowadays easier and faster.

Some kind of genius able to pick up a white piece of paper and convert it into a building, a chair or even a city.

So, that being the case, the answer is easy, isn’t it? To become an architect I should take them as a model and try to develop my work in a similar way. I should look elegant, I should think about society’s needs, and I should create the most spectacular shapes possible in a building or a piece of furniture.

But, what if I don’t care about “black” elegance? What if I don’t want to dress in a serious and formal way? What if I cover my body with a rainbow? Would it matter very much?

And what if I don’t want to make people’s lives easier? What if I feel too ashamed of their overfrozen lives that I prefer to create emotions in those “robots” rather than creating installations which accelerate even more the way they move? Would I have become too much of a dreamer for an architect?

And if instead of picking up a piece of white paper to create something, I pick up some colourful sheets and transform it into a shapeless amount of originality? Could I still then become an architect?

I’m sure there are lot of people who would say no, no you couldn’t.

So, here is my answer. I’m Silvia, and I don’t know if I want to be an architect.

City project

As I have said before, I'd like to create spaces that people like to spend time in, where they can feel comfortable. 

Places with personality, where every detail counts.

That's why I created a scenery in my bedroom, cause I wanted it to be that wonderful place, done for me and by me. When I'm there, I feel at home.

And now I want to create that feeling. 

I want someone else to feel at home. 

But, can I create it in the city? In a public space? Can I make someone feel comfortable in the street? Or in the park?

Well, I can't do it alone. As you see, I need to know the person I'm designing for. I have to listen other people, their ideas, and learn from them. If something doesn't work, I have to change it, especially if I want to do it right. 

Especially if I want to become an architect that cares about people.

"The Cube"

Exercise 3_Two meanings for the city

In that video I want to show you  what I think it's the meaning of architecture. On the one hand I project a sadly part of the city where If you are walking, you don't see no one. On the other hand, at the second part you can see the city center with too much people and more active, vital and lively.

11/10/2013 ∙ inSIDE/outSIDE

Transform my room

                                             

                                            

My room

BEFORE

AFTER

“An artist needs a scenery.

I want to be an architect, and my room is my scenery. 

A place where I feel comfortable. 

A place where every detail is related to me in some way.

My room is the place where I create new projects and develop my ideas.”

Exercise 2_Changing the space

04/10/2013 ∙ inSIDE/outSIDE

What's the space? What does it means inside? And outside?

My room, my space, my things. Where I usually sleep, think, read, listen music...

The street where I don't own anything, where I'm just another shadow as many other strangers. The weather that remembers us that we don't belong there...

Nothing is too big and nothing matters so little. But there is nothing bigger than the feelings. And we can change them. We can play, and work with them. That's what I did, it's still my room, but I changed the feelings. I changed the space to change the feelings. Now it's not familiar for me, it's an space where I feel the discomfort of bad weather, where people and things become just shadows and where I don't own anything.