Recollection
Since beginning my studies in architecture, I have been interested in the social impacts of the built environment, which has inevitably led me to the PRAXIS atelier. Throughout this year, I have explored how each aspect of our lives can be viewed with a political lens, including the small, seemingly inconsequential habits we form, which, in my case, is hoarding little trinkets. This personal attribute blossomed into a year-long study of the psychology of accumulating 'things', a habit strongly linked to the political issue of overconsumption and pollution. This resulted in a project that encourages people to collect, share waste to re-purpose, and remind themselves to treasure the things they own rather than continuous consumption.
On the one hand, this project aims to facilitate re-use on a macro scale by providing a space for AEC professionals to meet, record construction waste available for re-use and see what is available; by making waste materials easier to source, this bridges knowledge gaps about waste in the industry. On the other hand, this project provides for locals who may have collected a few too many bits and bobs by offering open workshop spaces, where tools are available to re-purpose these items, as well as a market hall for regular sales of old items.
Delving into theory is fundamental to my design process, with texts such as 'The Comfort of Things' by Daniel Miller, 'Critique of Everyday Life' by Henri Lefebvre and 'Life Between Buildings' by Jan Gehl guiding me to an outcome that sensitively approaches the tendency to hoard. Miller's text in particular was influential in opening my eyes to the significance attributed to objects based on memories, ultimately inspiring this project's overall ethos: to recollect our reasons for owning things and re-collect the items we have abandoned without repair.
