Ina Bakka Sem-Olsen2.avdeling Bergen Arkitektskole

- “Barents2058” - “Fishy buisness”- Fantastic Studio - “Blown away by Golta” -Sotra, Norway- “Being an architect in a foreign culture” - Chimundo, Mozambique

The Barentsscenario course looked into the situa-tion in the Barents region and the established collaboration across the borders. The new focus on this region can call for different scenarios of development, and we compiled it in tree scenarios we invetigated as a group. The outcome we made was this book. This groupbased work is therefore interdependent on the outcomes from the other groups working on the other scenarios. I was part of the “Fishy business” scenario, and we investigated the posibilities for the region to expand its aquaculture production, how and why. before the creation of the scenarios there was preliminary analyses in different groupworks to make a common back ground from which our scenarios where based. We also did a studytrip to the Hammerfest, Hurtigruten, Kirkenes, Murmansk, Zapoliarny and Nikel.

After the completion of the book representing the different scenarios, we where invited by Pikene pa broen to take part at the event Transborder cafe during the festival the Barentspektakel. Representatives from the different scenarios therefore traveled to Kirkenes ans Nikel during January 2009 to present at this event. I was the representative of my scenariogroup at the presentation and making of the exhibition in Nikel, Russia.

This course was led by Gerrit Mosebach, with Ron Sluik as DAV teacher and Borghild Holsvik as coordinator.

This course was about creating a “Studio” for us to operate as architects within. A lot of effort was put into establishing an office, understanding aspects as branding and storytelling, before the final task was to work with a client. Three differnt clients presented themselves and their projects and we where to choose which we wanted to work with. Whether we desided to work in a group with the others choosing the same client, or work alone was flexible. We where three girls choosing to work together.

Our approach was to work closely with the client, the site, and the situation surrounding the site.

Our client ended up very happy with the our project. He is determined to work further for realizing it. We were invited to take part in the Perifericonference organised by him in relation to the Periferifestival 2009.

For the Periferifestival of 2010 he have contacted us for making a prototype for use during the festival, with a transformation into a prototype for artist and residence to be placed on the site afterwards.Also he have led to another enquiry.

Teachers: Fantastic Norway - Håkon Matre Aasarød and Erlend Blakstad Haffner

“Being an architect in a foreign culture” is a lot about reflecting on the position one as architect beholds.The basis of this course was the 5 week studytrip - 1 week Soth-Africa, 4 weeks Mozambique.On localtion Chimundo the interaction with client and kids laid the foundation for the rest of the course. The trip itself had an outcome in a built building, and the process was collected after in a compendium, and a small movie, this was joint work.The individual projects was ten solved in different manners, I desided to work alone.

Meeting another culture, its people and their requirements makes the reflections upon architecture take new and unforeseen turns. The pragmatism and strengths of the situation is close and leads us in our way to making architecture and spatial qualities to play together with the local situation.

“Being an architect in a foreign culture”Semester Course autumn09 Bergen School of Architecture

Ina Bakka Sem-Olsen

“Being an architect in a foreign culture”Semester Course autumn09 Bergen School of Architecture

Ina Bakka Sem-Olsen

chibuto

chimundo

Irmã Catarinas plot

This project started out with a study trip to visit Irmã Catarina and her place in Chimundo. Irmã Catarina have an explicit wish to develop her place and the plot she has to a safe home for about 150 orphan children as well as an educational workshop. During our stay we decided to contribute the way we know best, so by building a small school building it became a symbol of her dream one day can come true.My continuation of the project takes some of the building concept we used in the school building and explores this as a structure. The structure then incorporates the workshop needs and orphanage needs as well as it provides a pragmatic approach to how much building is needed in this environment.

Understanding the situation from our trip I started investigate some aspects about the organisation on the plot. My means for understanding the local logic was that of the grid and that of structure. This again lead me to other means.

On our trip we already were able to establish a master plan for the area, so it is within this masterplan I have based my work.

The situation of Irmã Catarinas plot is on the outskirts of today’s Chimundo. The plot is 140m x 80m -about 2,8 acre.

n

crops

crops

crops

chickens

kindergarden

kitchen

main house

entrans

Existing masterplan

Today the plot contains:1 small traditional brick built school building1 small open pavilion1 brick made main house with 4 bedrooms, 1 storage room, kitchen, and hallway, which we used for eating, and bathroom.An added on guesthouse on the back of the main building containing 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom.1 traditional straw structure with 2 bedrooms.1 chicken house2 straw walled open roof toilets1 brick walled open roof toilet

The start of activity on the plot was underneath and around the big three, by us called “the mother tree”. From there the development shifted from the left west side of the plot till the right side of unknown reasons. A reason can seem to be the better connection to established infrastructure.The “unused” parts of the plot are kept as crop reserves, but the infrastructure of the exploitation of the value of the crops is bad, mainly due to climatic conditions and economic issues. The crop areas are not distinguised in any way from the rest of the activity.The buildings serve definite purposes, with a certain level of hierarchy in usage. Common for all the buildings, regardless of structural method is a lack of light inside.Mainly activity happens outside, whether it is play or cooking. During the day the heat from the sun forces all to slow down activity and seek refuge in the shadow of a tree or a built structure.

“the mother tree”

n nIntensity in use

privat

public

sunlight and shadow

closed room

open room

towards courtyard

north

flexibility

structure

Our intention with the structure we built was so provide Irmã Catarina with two more appropriate classrooms of different values. One solid for privacy and security, and one open for flexibility in use and privacy. The content of this building is not confined, and can be altered in future use. In my project I include it in the workshop situation where it can provide another workshop area or an educational unit for the different workshop situations.

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horisont safety

orphanage consept structure orphanage consept social activity

Consept

orphanage consept sleeping

Social activity

The trees play an important part in this landscape and different social life is often connected with the trees.An important dimension is from one tree to another - Shelter- Security- Social lifeThe system of the trees are investigated as a grid

The existing Buildings creates another grid.

So what then makes the space in between?

Can these investigations clearify the local logic of the use of the Land?

It becomes apparent the importance of the trees are not so much their linear connections in between each other, rather one can see the horizontal connection, much due to the scale of underneat a tree, the social implications and the level of dimention the tree provides in a landscape of few …

Investigating the grid

Security - the Motherthree

Structure

The structure provides a new logic for building expansion.The expansion of the structure from the already built school building makes a grid it again will be easy to make modular elements/programs to fill inn the grid.

Placing the program within the logic of the structure. Playing with elements and space

The walls will also provide some shading. But mainly they will provide flexibility to shelter and secure.

The fillings of these walls only have limitations in the fantasy. Straw, fabric, textiles or solid slabs are all possible. A mix of fillings is desirable to get a maximum diversity of light, shadings, colours and visuality.

We developed some flexible walls in our building.This was new to the local situation.

The possibility of flexible walls gives room for modular thinking, dividing labour aswell as the “product” it self

Big flexible walls Small flexible walls

By making easily handable modules for covering the walls of the 2nd floor , these modules can give exstra jobs to women. This way they also take part inn the building process aswell as making money. Payed pr. piece ex.

In the situation under the hot sun of Africa, shading is essential for maintaining a level of activity. Therefore my structure are mainly providing a big roof for shading of the area. Then the different programs are placed at different levels in the structure, underneath the roof.

RoofThe angling of the different roof slabs prevent the roofing to be a solid large roof as well as it lets light true and creates different spatial situations underneath, with different levels of light and shadow. Water will be collected from the edges into a system of gutters. The collection of water from roofing is a lack in the local variants of roofing. The water will be collected to into a cistern.

ncrops

animals

workshop/edu-cation

crops

kitchenorphanage

Orphanage programThe orphanage will after Irmã Catarinas wish house 150 orphan children. It will be possible to start with a lower number of children and expand.With the maximum of 150 children there will be need for about 35 adults to take care of the children. For this Irmã Catarina wants to engage local single mothers or the like. The expansion of the structure from the already built school building makes a grid it again will be easy to make modular elements/programs

to fill inn the grid.

A very needed aspect in this community is work for women. And to the situation this work need to be flexible work, due to other responsibilities like childcare fetching water and wood for fire.But the gain if being able to make some money and take part as working people for these women will be of significant value to the whole community.

Choice of view and inlet of light

library/study

diningarea

Sleeping units

Groundfloor Social activityDiningareaLibrary/studyKitchenWorkshop

2nd FloorSleeping units

Structur

Sleeping unitsProvided privacy on an elevated level as in a tree. The sleeping units are the only fully built units. The walls are made up of the smaller flexible wall modules made by local women.Sleeping floors are either 24 or 12 children, the bigger divided in two by a stair. The smaller sleeping floors have access by a bridge from one of the bigger units. The sleeping floors are preferably organized as family units with a caretaker and children of different age to resemble how the family is organized locally, also when it comes to responsibilities.All beds are bunk beds. If made in workshop it is preferable to make them with small storage drawers under each bed.

OrphanageThe children Irmã Catarina wants to house will be orphans or maybe children exposed to mistreat and abuse. To provide security and a safe home for these it is important to try provide some of the like conditions as other kids. Therefore it is important to divide the function of the school/workshop and the home of these children. The orphanage shall provide privacy of a home as well as providing the needed household education one would normally get in a home. Therefore the family units are also very important.Beside the sleeping units the orphanage have dedicated area digged down from the ground level for dining area, and library/study. The whole of the outer structure will hold different size flexible walls to close and secure from ground till 3m above ground level at night. These flexible doors are ideally held up to maintain a float of social interaction like normal is outside.

Social AreaOn the ground level underneath the structure the social activity is allowed to flow freely to some extent as a main rule. The particular dedicated areas, like the dining area and the library/study are digged down 60 cm. The edges here being differentiated as steps, benches or straight cuts from the upper ground level. The whole ground level underneath the structure can be closed up and secured by the big flexible walls surrounding the structure.

Kitchen Today the main area for cooking and prepearing of food is outside, behind the staw structure. Some of the cooking is done in the inside kitchen. By providing the proper situation outside, the preparation of food is contained in its natural environment, but with improved conditions.Placement is also essential. There is no need to obstruct the established infrastructure, and placing in functionality towards handling and transportation of grosseries. Also between food preparation and consumtion. By also ading a graywater system, the gray water can be exploited to water crops.

WorkshopThe workshop is basically an open shaded area with designated solid floors for specific use for the workshop. The workshops then are able to “spill” out on the ground. The solid floors may well be exposed or closed of as is liked, they can be expanded, or they can be adjusted with solid walls for more shelter, or solid brick boxes for securing equipment.An example of use will be that each floor is designated woodwork, metalwork, another working with other materials – reuse, textil, etc.

During and after the course the processing of our material from the trip have lead to; making of a compendium, a movie, lunch lectures at architectur offices, trying to get publishing, exhibition during Copenhagen climate exchange, etc. This work continues as we all have engaged very much in this project. The money we have collected from our lectures will be used for continuation of this project.

teachers of this course: Andre Fontes, Sixten Ralfh. Trip coordinator: Bror R. Hansen

This is from the exhibition in Copenhagen.The exhibition was made by Stine Bjar and me, and put up by us together with Olafiá Zöega and Silje Klepsvik.