1 In ‘School and Prisons’, Amber discusses the “school to prison pipeline” and the relationship between architecture, school and crime rate. Environment as a social space is crucial to the way in which people are regulated and constrained. During the design process, is there a way that can manipulate this vital environment that can help people taste the pleasure of architecture?
2 In Black Spaces Matter, Charles discusses the special need for particular culture like black community in the design which has been undermined and disrupted for a long time. Do you think architect should acquire a basic understanding for ‘black space’ in the design process? Or is there other kind of ‘space’ we need to pay attention to?
3 In ’Black lives Matter’, it points out that people need to show their support to races which need more attention and it will be beneficial to develop further and move forward. And it mention the soft power and unfair tactics in this society led to a fake ‘regulated’ world that the discipline is nothing but a much cruelty punishment. Under these circumstances, how architecture can play a role in change the current situation and avoid the chaos happening in the future?
From the class, I thought historians have primarily focused on the tectonics and formal attributes of domestic structures of slaves, and the vernacular structures of black Americans have only recently gained attention. Using contemporary racial, it has become possible to revise the general themes of critical regionalism to formulate an architectural incidents of blackness that explicitly conceptualizes the existential conditions. In order to develop an architectural phenomenology of blackness, we must reject postmodern claims of a universal conception of phenomenal experience. As following the subsequent perspective, a renewed focus on black bodies and the spatial protocols will displace the function of the tectonic details on architectural history, thus enabling this process to start a new in the current era.
1. How does the design of a space, influence the behavior of someone who frequently experiences that space?
2. If schools were designed to facilitate a sense of openness and learning, instead of discipline, would it create a significant difference in a student’s ability to learn?
3. “He has no teacher besides his father and his own mind, and yet these are enough for him to gain control over his own space.” How could you design a space in which each occupant could make it “their own” space?
As we have learned throughout our architectural education, a building is more than just an enclosure. Architecture shapes the way that people interact with the environment, each other, and society. It can both emphasize and/or change the way in which we, as a society, organize ourselves and has proven in some circumstances to hinder our advancement. Bad architecture has begun to shape society in a hierarchal manner, rendering schools, prisons, and even offices in the same way. The architecture of all schools should be designed in a manner that is open, visible, and inclusive of everyone in a way that encourages interaction and fosters learning in students.
1. In “Schools and Prisons” by Amber Wiley, they talk about this thing called a “school-to-prison pipeline”. There is a massive resemblance between schools and prisons which is a very weird thing to think about. Education is considered a privilege to many cultures. Therefore it is very different (of course) from prison because that is a forced sentence for people to pay for their actions. The architectural design of schools and prisons are too similar for comfort. So why do we design prisons and school even similar to each other if school and education is what shapes entire generations/populations of people? If we change the design in schools in areas with high crime rates, could that help make a difference?
2. In “Black Spaces Matter” by Charles Davis II, June Jordan wrote architectural poetry. The one thing that caught my eye the most was the sentence “historians has called her “ecosocial” interpretation of the built environment, which considered architecture and the built environment to be an extension and manifestation of human ecology.” As a drop out environmental design student, she surely knows her facts and understands and conveys architecture and the environment in a way that people usually don’t. Being an architecture student, could you ever convey you interpretation through another language such as poetry, dance, art?
3. In “Introduction: Black Lives Matter” by Jonathan Massey, Meredith TenHoor and Sben Korsh, there is a lot of talk about segregation. Architectural segregation is something that we have constantly been evolving from. In the days of MLK, there had to be extra everything (bathrooms, water fountains, etc. ). Whites and Blacks could not share, but now that is something that has evolved out of architecture. As time goes on, do you believe that all of these racial issues will eventually go away? What, in architecture, do you think will be changed, like the bathrooms?
I was not in class (it was excused for me), so i’m writing a response based on other students comments about the presentation. What seemed to come up the most was the fact that many people think that all black families have low incomes. This clearly is not true and is a stereotype clearly. The generation of people who are in their mid 20s now and younger do not listen to these stereotypes as much because there are many black families who are now celebrities. We have even had a president who is African American. Times are finally changing. Our grandparents might not agree with these new generation views, but it’s a change their going to need to accept eventually.
I was not in class due to an excused absence, so i’m doing my comment based off of other people’s comments on what happened in class. A lot of the comments had to deal with how some people still believe that all black families are low income. This is a stereotype that our grandparents and some of our parents have said. This is clearly a stereotype that our generation has been breaking and does not believe in anymore. There has been multiple black families who are famous artists or business people. We have even had our first African American president which was a huge issue for some people, but for the younger generation they say it as something that should have happened a long time ago. Time is finally changing for black families and their stereotypes.
1. T. Harris, an alumni of the 1977 Dunbar building, stated that the school only took on a prison-like environment when walls and bright colors were added in later years. This phenomenon of addition to an existing project is something we will encounter for the rest of our lives as architects. How can we, either as the initial building designer or as the later renovator/retrofitter, help to keep the original design true to itself throughout time and changes of building use?
2. What does “race and place” really come down to in terms of an architectural pedagogy?
3. If dominantly poor, black neighborhoods receive the brunt of the stigmatization and “school to prison” typology, but the examples listed specified expensive school design, how can we be better about handling the fiscal needs of specific neighborhoods, rather than designing with our egos and empty pockets in mind?
During the student presentations, it came up that predominantly black neighborhoods/neighborhoods of low income, are shoved to the peripheries, and are made to look run down. This comes about because of a few factors, one of them being the broken window effect, and usually results in neighborhoods with high crime, simply because the general population feels no pride in where they live and thus lashes out at others and/or vandalizes and destroys their own property. During an internship, I dealt hands on with many low income housing projects, where the firm I worked at was trying to give the soon-to-be residents a sense of pride in their new homes. The area that required the most attention in the projects was always the surrounding neighborhood and their negative and hateful speech towards the new property. People have misconceptions about people unlike themselves, and the architect’s job is to make all people involved feel comfortable, happy, and prideful in the place they call home.
1. “…black space as a productive site of intervention” So back in the twentieth century a group of people got together and created a myth that black settlement into white neighborhoods negatively affected long-term home values. Which lead to the solidification of the idea of a white neighborhood and a black neighborhood. In which both spaces are treated completely different from each other. So June Jordan’s interest in black spaces as a productive site of intervention could be viewed as “Life isn’t fair, so you have to play the best game you can with the cards you’re dealt.” So the question is what kind of intervention should be made and how extreme should it be with the assumption of having insufficient funds to do so to make a neighborhood progressive? Should it be a community-wide led intervention where everyone should contribute or should it be an intervention of a select few?
2. “School designs promoted utilitarian concerns for order, control, and restriction of movement. Tables, chairs, and desks bolted to the floor discouraged lateral communication and other forms of community among students.” So did bolting down the furniture actually restrict communication or did the just alter the form of communication? Students are like bodies of water if you obstruct them from doing something they’re just going to find another way around the obstruction.
3. “…architecture and urban design in the United States today too often support white supremacy… a system for protecting the privileges of whites by denying communities of color opportunities for asset accumulation and upward mobility.” So my question is how does architecture and urban design support white supremacy? Architecture and urban design are both obstructed by social and psychological construct of today’s society. So, for example, a developer has an architect design a building for one thing but down the road, the developer changes the use of the building to something completely opposite of what it was designed for. If the space isn’t going to be used properly, of course, it’s going to have issues, but is the architect to blame because they didn’t predict the developer to change the use of the building from what it was originally designed for? So how can architecture and urban design be blamed for a system that is already broken and has been broken for quite some time?
1. How do you ensure a safe and creative environment for students in schools when the architecture promotes a decriminalization of students?
2. Would different races/ generations/ genders approach an architectural solution a certain way? or would they all take inspiration from their cultural background and use that as a potential guide for design?
3. Instead of having a Case-Action tactic to use architecture as a political tool, can designers generalize the political moment into a design that prevents rather that reacts to an issue?
What stood out the most to me about this lecture was the red lining aspect. It not only affects race but also affects income. which, in theory and practice is most of the time linked to race. Because blacks and Hispanic people get tossed in the shady neighborhoods and don’t get as much money as the white people in the suburbs. Having these initial divides creates a deeper cut in the fabric of society. For example, there are beaches in Long Island, NY today (where it is now illegal to segregate and exclude based on race, as we all know) that require certain permits from the city and those permits are only given to the people in a certain area that make a lot of money so they can use the beach amenities. This may seem like a fair economical assessment, but like I previously stated, race is linked to social class somehow. And those black people in long island that wanna enjoy the beach can’t, because they were red lined and segregated because of their skin color and where they were forced to live.
1.In the Reading “Black Spaces Matter,” It is explained how important and influential black culture is to the architecture that they live within. If that were the case, what would happen should the segregation between black and white cultures be removed? Would the cultures Still have their same influence or would they lessen with the existence of the other culture?
2.”Introduction: Black Lives Matter” Talks about the effect of racism on architecture. While i do believe racism can and does have a effect on the society in various ways, I don’t see how architecture could be affected by racism, at least in terms of the design of a building. How is it possible for racism to influence in such a way?
3.Within “Schools and Prisons,” it is explained how schools are designed to be similar to prisons in terms of controlling the individuals on the inside. Isn’t it good some some cases, however, for there to more security in a school that is built within a dangerous community, where having open walls could lead to dangerous situations that students have no protection against?
1. In “Black Spaces Matter”, Charles Davis II argues for the creation and proliferation of black spaces, spaces where African-Americans can come together safely and express their beliefs and ideals. While of course a physical space is necessary to hold such events, is the idea of black space more than just a physical concept? Is black space also a mindset where African-Americans feel liberated to be their most truest self?
2. Amber Wiley’s “Schools and Prison” speaks on the obscene amount of policing within black schools, from extra monitoring, random searches, and so much more. Doing this has turned school for many into something like a prison, which is in many ways, counter intuitive to learning and growth. However, is the act of turning school into a prison more than just the built? Have we as a society imprisoned African-Americans within themselves, making them feel as if they are locked in their perceived “ways” no matter where they go?
3. It’s no secret that racism has had a long and storied history within the field of architecture. From Robert Moses, urban planning, to zoning laws, to gentrification, and much more, racism is prevalent in most of architectural history. And whether or not it was intentional, the fact of the matter is that it has happened and there is no going back. Given our past, how can we as architects of the future create spaces and environments that are inclusive to all types of people, and don’t marginalize certain groups, African-American or otherwise? Moreover, how do we go about creating spaces where no one feels lesser, where everyone is one and the same? Can we bother looking back to historical examples, or would we have to start completely from scratch?
Architecture, like much of history, is rife with racial prejudice and injustice. While it may not exist in purely built form, the environments around the spaces we create and the laws that we use to govern these spaces are not free from racial oppression. Redlining, while a common practice in the past is something that stuck out to me. Even though I have seen and know the issues many low-income neighborhoods have faced in the past, it still amazes me how much progress there is still left to be done. Gentrification, for example, would be a quick fix to the troubles lower-income neighborhoods face. However, much of this is spearheaded by middle-class white people, who are almost always out of touch with the community they are entering. Perhaps, issues like these could be solved if we saw more minority-led groups enter into these low-income communities and brought change through their own means. Because let’s face it, a white person will never be able to understand the struggles of being a minority in this country. And how will the be able to design for a group that they have no way of empathizing with? That would be the antithesis of progress.
1. School and Prisons, Amber Wiley emphasizes how a school design could help discipline set up people lives. For example, the classrooms were designed for captive audience, by promoting utilitarian for order control and restriction for movement. Do you think by bolting the tables, chairs and desks to the floors, will it have promoted better efficient and effective education for the students?
2. In Black Spaces Matter, Davis talk over how the sensitivity needed in design in relation to particular cultures as well as a productive site of intervention in regard to, often overlooked, black communities. What kind of discussion or exchange ideas between the designers and community must be consider contributing engagement to cultural sensitivity. How the black space can be develop to create engagement between the cultural sensitivity and environment?
3. Black lives matter, Jonathan Massey, the racism fundamental shapes architectural and urban spaces between black and white community, where the black community reflects the lower class and white as a rich community. Do you think the architecture and urban design contribute violence against to black people?
Ecosocial Design architecture, an architecture design that promote socialism in schools by bringing open space inside enveloped. But monitoring for a lot of cameras, sensors and metal detectors, and the built environment considered an extension and manifestation of human ecology. Looking over how a school design could help discipline set up people lives. For example, the classrooms were designed for captive audience, by promoting utilitarian for order control and restriction for movement. Overlooking how the sensitivity needed in design in relation to particular cultures as well as a productive site of intervention in regard to, often overlooked, black communities. What kind of discussion or exchange ideas between the designers and community must be consider contributing engagement to cultural sensitivity.
1. Amber Wiley’s “Schools and Prisons” brings light to the fact to the “school-to-prison pipeline” and how it is implemented in black communities. I believe that this is very true and contributes to a very homogeneous way of thinking throughout black communities brought up from the school system. The way the black community is affected by this is more than statistics; it affects the state of mind which is the hardest thing to change in an individual. So how can we reimagine the schooling system in a way that does not prioritize obedience and uniformity over learning and expression?
2. “Black Spaces Matter” displays a graphic of redlining in Philadelphia. Government redlining prevented blacks from moving into suburban communities, and although it is not as prevalent today, the effects carry into the present day. How can communities overcome the effects of redlining through design?
3. Why is it important to design a space that promotes culture? This question is not a reflection of the articles, rather a topic that I have heard about in the past few years.
I found the articles quite interesting in relationship to my experience in the schooling system. As a minority who as attended Predominantly White Institutions for most of my life I find it hard to relate to some of the topics at hand, because it is just the environment I grew up in, but I could 100% relate to a statement in the presentation that mentions how our oppression from authority causes us to act a certain way. I think this really creates a homogeneous community, that at times can be good, is often seen as negative in my eyes due to the fact that I do have to think about many things that I believe no human being should have to worry about, one being – “how can I be less threatening”. It has become so ingrained into my daily life the thought is involuntary, but when I think about it from time to time I just try to shake it away so I am just content. I was not directly affected by malpractice such as redlining, but I think a majority of students can agree that the school system was built to mimic a prison. In fact it was after graduating high school i realized how the school system turned me into a robot programmed to take orders. I often felt like this “programming” has stayed within me to a large degree , and sometimes it bear down on me like a curse; a shadow of the past that I may never escape. As dark as it sounds I do think the school system has value, and people are holding schools accountable to call for a positive change.
1. Amber Wiley in School and Prisons examines the social phenomenon that happens in low-income schooling dubbed as the “school-to-prison pipeline”. In this examination the factors of curriculum, strictness of zero-tolerance policies, and overall outlook of educational outcome (teaching for academic excellence versus teaching for obedience) were brought to light. Of the most relevant factor to architecture was design of educational facilities; where contemporary, low-cost, educational buildings begin to change the environment of schools and effectively change the way education is perceived by society. This can be seen not only with k-12 schools but with college campuses as well (compare the Harvard campus to that of community colleges’). Environment is one of the largest influences of education, what are the best approaches to design of these spaces so that the perception of school isn’t as authoritative and dystopian as it has become in lower-income areas?
2. Charles Davis II, in “Black Spaces Matter” talks of the implications of society’s history on perception of race integration has shaped the physical world around us and calls to reexamine these spaces and validate the existence of other schools of thought. In architecture the validation of client’s needs and finding solutions for them is the main job we have to do. Are modern building codes, especially in urban sites, too constrictive for the fulfilment and validation of ‘black spaces’? Is it a question of the architectural creation of more infrastructure to create safer areas to allow for more expressive architecture to exist?
3. Massey, TenHoor, and Korsh in “Introduction: Black Lives Matter” discus how politics and perception are influenced by environmental factors. Architecture and urban planning is the professional approach to the creation of spaces that integrate the entirety of the human race that is it built for. Is the current capitalistic goal of most elite architecture firms to create multi-million-dollar apartment high-rises in ‘up-and-coming’ areas inherently against the ‘moral-code’ of architecture? What can we do as architects to try to address the actual needs of society instead of flooding “elite” markets in highly urbanized areas with unnecessary crap?
This lecture examines many factors that influenced society in the past and continue to have lasting effects in contemporary perception of the world around us. One of such things discussed was the school-to-prison pipeline and the likeness in architecture of low-income schools to that of prisons. It is a well observed phenomenon and it is understandable our role as architects to react to such things, not just in particular schools, but all “low-income” architecture. This begins with validation of different architecture, and an overall professional push in studying current architecture and to understand the true fabric of society, not that of the elite class. It is out role as architects to not turn our backs on this movement and to participate by learning, understanding, and being involved.
1. When people are treated a certain way and forced into a category because of their environment, which they are unable to control, it effects how they grow and who they become. How can architecture put into effect a change to more positively impact its surrounding environment without an overall sense of control?
2. If environment can so drastically limit the potential of its youth what design efforts can be taken to improve and include all?
3. Looking at the connection between space and race, if spaces were more for public function, more of an open safe place. What other design elements to you see that could further this? You can’t necessarily chose the type of people who occupy the space, so how could the design itself help make it safer or all inclusive?
Race often determines a person’s place in society. It is an extremely unfair part of our society and in no way should have control over one’s future, however it unfortunately does. When someone is forced to live in an environment that they are not necessarily proud of and looked down upon for it can affect who they become. If design and architecture can focus more on how it’s product can really make a difference there could be many benefits. Aesthetics can promote a happier and healthier way of living without having to put an exuberant amount of money into the changes. With this a safer community can form and help push people into and uplifted future.
1) Amber WIley discusses how certain forms of space- especially those that are used for education and communal settings- can be manipulated to feel “criminalizing” through the use of surveillance , security, and restrictive furniture and floor layouts. While many would argue that this kind of atmosphere is more appropriate for a prison, these qualities seem unsuitable for daily life altogether. Do you feel that there are certain settings where a “criminalizing” atmosphere would be appropriate.
2) After reading the origins of the phrases “Black Lives Matter” and “Black Spaces Matter”, it can be understood to say that these concepts only came into existence because of the social/political oppression against them. In an ideal world where these kinds of relationships and struggles don’t exist, do you feel that there would be anything to distinguish the concept of “Black Space” or “sounds, sights, and experiences” of a Black environment?
3) How can we improve our own curriculum at the School of Architecture to reflect the needs of culturally-aware space? Do you feel that there are courses or traditions already set in place that prevent us from learning more about this classification of space?
The discussion brought up by yesterday’s presenters gave me a more well-rounded scope of the readings and concept of Black/culturally-aware spaces in Architecture. Having certain people in the audience identify with specific areas, artists, or feelings in each presentation served to represent just how prominent these issues are for our generation of diverse students and thinkers. One of the things that I will always think about as I go forward is how my work will impact the cultural/personal context that it’s situated in.
As the only African-American male studying Architecture in my class year, the proper representation and comprehension of my ideas, morals, and culture is always of upmost important when it comes to my time in the academic environment. I am glad that topics like these are brought up to the attention of the student body, but what’s more important is where we go with this newfound knowledge.
1. How can architects reinterpret/redesign the practice in a way that better approaches black spaces? Is the issue more political? If so, how can architects come out of their practice to make changes that will effect society?
2. Can an architect effectively propose a structure such as the 1977 Dunbar High School by Bryant & Bryant today in an age where the prison pipeline is promoted, unrecognized by most, in the name of security for the students as the easiest and therefore best atmosphere for learning when it isn’t for minority students?
3. Architects have the ability to shape the social space. Through design, architects can alter the processes of an authoritarian system creating a domino effect throughout society, changing the nature of biopolitics. How can architects, or should architects, be able to control the specific nature in which society will change when they confront these authoritarian systems? Should architects have this power? How can they not when making these kinds of changes to society?
The readings last week provided great insight into one of the most important topics that we face not only in architecture but in all of society. The presentation in class did a good job at analyzing the topic provided but didn’t explore how architecture can positively respond to and address social and economic inequalities of race. The group presenting did address how design of a building such as the Dunbar High School and the Panopticon can influence the way people act and enforce an authoritarian system. Architecture can work on a much larger scale. Redlining was briefly brought up. Architecture needs to address a community as a whole whether it be designing a community or city or a single building. Representation and cooperation need to be part of the architect’s design.
1. The Dunbar Highschool seems like it was bound to become a prison based on the curricula involved regardless of how space was planned. If it remained open air, it would be a softcore version of the panopticon and now divided, it becomes reminiscent of a contemporary private prison. Can architecture be designed to resist misuse or is it powerless against the societal forces that seem to have the final say on its usage?
2. What makes a space black, and is it important to label spaces with racial connotations? In New York, the brownstone described
in Jordan’s His Own Where is seen as a symbol of imprisonment despite it once being a symbol of the wealthy, white elite. Furthermore, if a neighborhood gentrifies, do the urban corners and brownstones once again become white space?
3. How do you renovate architecture, an expensive ordeal, and one that can quickly become tied up in red tape that may also be written out of the favor of minorities, to better suit communities that have very little money to spend?
Architecture may try to silently rebel and protest through its architects and building designs. An architect may decline work to produce prisons and detention centers, but this is not advisable. The people that are creating these institutions will find someone to do it, and that someone could end up creating hazardous conditions that harm the prisoners. Through the building design, an architect might intervene in the situation and try to create more hospitable environments for the prisoners. The building design has its limits though, and it is a social change that is most necessary. This can be brought in through raising the public’s voice, which architecture has a responsibility in providing spaces for. Public platforms that project the voice of the oppressed are a powerful form of social engagement that architecture has.
1. Is there a fixed line between schools maintaining the safety of their students and schools removing the freedoms of their students for the sake of order? or is the line fluid, changing its position situationally based on the factors surrounding the school in question.
2. In “Black Spaces Matter”, the districts of Philadelphia are used as an example of discriminatory urban communities. As a city that is currently undergoing mass gentrification, how can citizens of Philadelphia overcome the past and present challenges while maintaining a community?
3. In “Black Lives Matter”, The Newark riots of the 1960’s are discussed as a form of opposition to discriminatory real estate development. Is the destruction that is caused by riots a necessary evil when there is no other way to overcome these policies? Or are there other, more effective ways?
This weeks presentation gave extra insight and perspective to these readings. I applaud the presenters for taking on such a heavy, sensitive subject. I felt that the insight on the School to Prison pipeline helped better my understanding of the topic, I grew up in a rural area where the thought of a metal detector or security guard at our school would have been shocking. Its interesting to see this discrepancy between those who experienced these things in their schools and those who didn’t. I’m specifically curious to see if location has any correlation to this discrepancy, or if it is just a matter of the school administration. The idea that some schools can be held to such a low standard of living baffles me, and one would be inclined to think that one of the wealthiest countries in the world would have some sort of standardized education system. Unfortunately, equality does not benefit the people who run this country as much as it benefits its citizens.
1. The Dunbar Highschool seems like it was bound to become a prison based on the curricula involved regardless of how space was planned. If it remained open air, it would be a softcore version of the panopticon and now divided, it becomes reminiscent of a contemporary private prison. How can architecture be designed to resist misuse or is it powerless against the societal forces that seem to have the final say in its usage?
2. What makes a space black, and is it important to label spaces with racial connotations? In New York, the brownstone described
in Jordan’s His Own Where is seen as a symbol of imprisonment despite it being once a symbol of the wealthy, white elite. Furthermore, if a neighborhood gentrifies, do the urban corners and brownstones once again become white space?
3. How do you renovate architecture, an expensive ordeal, and one that can quickly become tied up in red tape that may also be written out of the favor of minorities, to better suit communities that have very little money to spend?
1. In the “Black Lives Matter” reading the book “The New Jim Crow” is mentioned for highlighting the racism and classism rooted at the existence of prisons and enforced by judicial institutions. Last year, a poster in Greene was hung up calling for the abolishment of prisons. Do you think we should abolish prisons? What would be the path for architects to abolish prisons, or at least to take a stance against the current system in which it operates, further than just turning down design opportunities?
2. In “Black Spaces Matter we read about June Jordan’s “His Own Where”, and how through literature she proposed a progressive, alternate vision for modernism. This alternate form of modernism finds a belonging to black urban spaces that aren’t given the same spaces as white people. Domestic space is reclaimed in this reading as a form of power, and as a way for inspiration and hope for inhabitants. Can you give examples from today where modernism is used as an agent for social protests in Black spaces?
3. The school-to-prison pipeline is analysed in “Schools and Prisons” and specifically looks at Dunbar High School. Through increased surveillance and zero tolerance policies, Dunbar High School produces a prison mentality. The initial design of Dunbar High School in the 70’s was an open floor plan encouraging empowerment and connection. How can we as architects design in a way where our buildings won’t be used in the exact opposite way of intent? Is there a way we as architects can prevent surveillance, metal detectors, and other harrowing side effects of a police state that regularly turns a blind eye to the value of black lives from overpowering the intent of the architecture, or just not being able to be implemented in the first place?
This week’s presentation was really well researched giving many examples from outside the readings. I thought the analysis of what it’s like to be black in america today, how architecture plays into that, and what we as designers should be looking at for approaches was well thought out and organized. Moving forward from these discussions is important because the implementation of black culture into architecture as well as education is often seen as surface level or performative. Creating architecture with meaningful black spaces should be our goal while paying attention to community needs and context. Race and place hold such a strong relationship and have so much power over the future that it’s important to critically look at what’s going on in modern suburbia, prisons, and schools. My favorite quote from the presentation was along the lines of “if black lives matter, then we must also insist that black lives matter”.
1) Architects often take the Corbusian approach to urban planning in which context and existing infrastructure is often overlooked and or leveled in order to replace it with something new. Oftentimes this method leads to displacement of existing people and an erasure of a deep-rooted history, especially in lower income, ethnic communities. To what extent should architects opt to renovate and revive existing spaces rather that replace, in order to combat the controversial effects of gentrification?
2) In Diagnosing: Policing and Incarceration, it is pointed out the Le Corbusier’s cruciform buildings, which dominated his proposal for the city of Paris as a symbol of the modernist ideal, were adopted later on by for social housing. In this case the utopian agenda that Le Corbusier had for this proposal was twisted and contradicted once implemented into reality. Is it naïve to assume that architecture will be the method by which to address and reinvent social situations or do you believe that we should uphold some responsibility for how to improve the societal quality of life?
3) Often, we do not realize how impactful design is to social conditions and how certain design decisions can lead to a butterfly effect of events. Schoosl, government institutions, and prisons all have a similar authoritarian aesthetic that imposes order on its inhabitants. While this may seem like the appropriate design choice for such buildings, often the adverse effects of rigidity and lack of autonomy have adverse effects on the people that inhabit the space. Is our notion of order resonating within society as we know it or is it promoting a public that is fearful and unmotivated? Is there truly liberty and autonomy when the actions that we make as architects, designers, and citizens so impactful to the larger mass?
The topic of race not only in terms of the architectural field, but also in terms of an educational environment is something that is important and needs to be discussed. Oftentimes conversations usually end up in two ways: awkwardness that results in a premature closure or aggression in which defensiveness clouds understanding. Most people often take the first route which is not conducive to resolving and reaching an understanding. Too many times here in the US, there is a belief that if we do not acknowledge that racism exist then the problem somehow doesn’t exist anymore. This is toxic and only leads to more resentment from the oppressed and more naivety of the oppressor. Modern slavery still exists and the problems stem to the discourse of architecture. In order to create inclusive spaces, us architects need to have the hard conversations and not fall into the comfort of ignorance.
1) “In the early twentieth century, real estate agents, bank managers, and governmental officials disseminated the myth that black settlement into white neighborhoods negatively affected long-term home values.” As politics and Gerrymandering effected America in the early twentieth century what could architecture of the time have done to bridge this gap in value? And why was architecture of the time in service of the powers that be?
2) “Where students of color – especially those forced to live in poverty by an economic system that demands there be a “losers”. What sticks out to me in this quote is the circumstances in which students of color grew up in not too long ago. Architecture has a history of serving the highest bidder, but what do you think an architecture of the “losers” could look like and how could it become associated its own identity and pride?
3) From Black Lives Matter, the article posed an interesting question that I’m interested in hearing more about our perspective as architecture students in 2019, “How do(es) architecture and urban design contribute to violence against black people?” and what progress must we make in the future?
In “Schools and Prisons”, Amber Wiley quotes, “Schools represented a means to a greater purpose. They were to harmonize a diverse people, soften their antagonisms, and equip them to function as citizens in a changing society.” If schools were meant to harmonize, why did they resemble jails and correctional facilities? Shouldn’t they have been more welcoming and comfortable, with less intent to scare the students?
In “Black Spaces Matter,” the discussion of whether or not June Jordan should be described as an architect is widely disputed, but what exactly makes someone an architect? Does her knowledge of architectural history and the relationship of architecture and ecology label her as an architect, even though she has no credentials?
The Introduction: Black Lives Matter text discusses different examples of the poor outcomes of gated communites, architecture created with segregation in mind, and the links between race and space throughout time. How much does the design of space influence those who inhabit it? Could a space be initially designed with the intent for discipline, but transformed into one of shared acceptance, one that is welcoming to everyone? Shouldn’t all architecture be designed like that, anyway?
Architecture should not show segregation. Our job as designers should now be and continue to be making architecture that would be based off of equality for all. Creating environments that could be construed as harmful or lesser than areas around it just creates a divide that should not exist. It’s gotten to the point where a city block could look completely dilapidated in one area but new in others; creating not only a divide between affordability but also quality of life. When architecture was created with the idea of segregation in mind, no thought was put into comfort or aesthetics, creating a harmful environment that could have been cause to leading (in the cases of prison-like schools) students down the wrong paths. All architecture today needs to be designed with equality in mind in that not everybody is going to be able to afford extremely eco-efficient housing and more modernized designs.
How can architects encourage black architects and architectural thinkers like June Jordan to take agency over public and private space?
Oscar Newman’s idea that physical order could lead to social order ended up inadvertently justifying the broken-window policy of over-policing of poor and minority communities. How could architecture help revitalize these communities without resorting to such totalitarian tactics?
Wiley describes how school architecture has become increasingly prison-like, enforcing obedience over academic excellence. What can architecture do to push back against a society that sees students as prisoners, while fostering independence and integrity?
America has a long history of racism and discrimination, which affects people of color to this day. Redlining has created segregated neighborhoods, and those neighborhoods often are over-policed and underfunded. Architecture also has a hand in this negative environment; by creating totalitarian areas that encourage uniformity and surveillance over expression, architects continue the cycle of oppression. Prisons and schools take on a similar typology, with cameras and cheap double-loaded corridors making students feel trapped and undervalued. However, by turning neighborhoods and schools into places where black people enjoy living and feel like they have agency, architects can help people define their own life path.
Part of this is recognizing the creative potential of black people; like the young architect in June Jordan’s short story, sometimes people just need the freedom to express themselves without judgement or fear to create masterful spaces. By recognizing that black spaces matter too, architects can help create a world that’s more fair and equal.
1| Amber Wiley implements a phrase by John Dewey, “artificial uniformity”, to problematize the environment encapsulating post-assimilation public school houses. Under this definition, isn’t the underlying issue that need be addressed the oppressive nature of public schooling entities, prior to the architectural means of such organizations?
2| If we are to explore the architectural corollary of education as a means in opposition with “artificial uniformity”; how can spaces including “black spaces”, defined by Charles Davis II, emulate or embrace the complexity of any educational body of subjects?
3| Although the High Line in New York City is a particularly beautiful space, it is fundamentally segregated by socio-financial norms. In order for a “public space” to become truly public to all who exist, should the community around such space become fully aware of one another prior to construction? Public space should act as a vehicle for social engagement for a multifaceted, multicultural, infinitely diverse community.
Dunbar High School (Washington D.C.) serves as a valid example for an exhibition of what John Dewey has deemed “artificial uniformity”. The redesign in 2013 enables an active problematization of the school post its 20th century renovations. What began as an open floor plan slowly became closed off; systematically split into cells encapsulating the oppressive nature of public schooling entities. Although I previously questioned whether or not architecture could legitimately be the first step in education reformation, I believe the remodel by Moody Nolan can and has become an example for how the attitude of an entity, particularly the authority figures in public education, can begin to be shaped by the environment in which it is placed. To generate a space that acts as a vehicle for academic and social engagement one must generate an environment which is free to be impressed upon by its inhabitants; i.e. the space necessarily must act as a blank page on which the stories of all who instrumentalize it may be written.
1) Amber Wiley’s reading on Schools and Prisons highlight how the form of architecture in schools made minorities feel criminalized. Many educators had a different opinion on whether open floor plan or solid walls were a better idea. What are some compromises designs can make for schools?
2) Charles Davis II brings up the point of how Black Lives Matter, including Black Spaces. There are spaces around the community that should be thought about, redesign, brought to light. What kinds of changes can be made to these spaces in an urban context?
3) Jonathan Massey essay about Black Lives Matter talks about how racism shaped urban spaces. How can we break this lost history and culture of racism shaping our community spaces and lives?
Designing a modern day school is difficult. Some people prefer walls, some prefer open floor plan. Yet, classrooms need enclosed spaces in order to teach in peace. A similarity between schools and prisons is the use of walls. Many schools have walls and security in place like prisons. I think a way to compromise and differentiate schools from prisons is by decorating the walls. Walls can be a light color instead of dark ones. In the urban context, important black spaces should be marked officially and renovated. Many of these spaces carry a part of history. Throughout early American history, many zoning laws are in place to control immigrants. For example, zoning laws in San Francisco separated the Chinese from the Americans. We can break history by integrating different types of cultures in a block. Instead of hubs of “Chinatown”, “K-town”, and “Little Italy”, the whole block has stores of all the cultures.
1. Amber Wiley stated “Schools represented a means to a greater purpose. They were to harmonize a diverse people, soften their antagonisms, and equip them to function as citizens in a changing society.” I do agree that schools bring diverse groups of people together; however, it is difficult to harmonize everyone. Naturally people tend to join with others like themselves, background, personality, etc., rather than integrating with others. What are other ways for people to want to join together? What other places have harmony among diverse groups of people further integrated? How can architects be a part of this improvement?
2. Wiley referenced to Dundar High School as her school/prison. Would you agree that colleges would be a better fit of an example, since people from all over the world can go to a college and live with others? Although, most colleges are as highly secured as Dundar High School, students live and go to classes that are prison-like.
3. In Black Spaces Matter, Davis mentions “The fact that Fuller had also dropped out of school made him an approachable figure in Jordan’s eyes.” Through one similarity with Fuller, Jordan was able to “synthesized the themes of race and place” and receive a Rome Fellowship Prize in Environmental Design. In what ways can we make individuals from group more approachable for another diverse group?
The Panopticon was shown as a model prison since the guard is centered in the prison cells. The prisons are unable which direction the guard is facing, which makes the prisoners stay in this constant state of fear. Prisoners don’t know when they are being glanced at or carefully observed. Now imagine children at schools in the prisoner’s situation. Although, school officials are responding to the surroundings, their answering of a prison like school leave most people uneasy. The displacement of security equipment in a learning environment causes the qualities of the initial location of those objects to be transferred over to the new location, the intense environment and fear of a prison. Other changes schools had to endure like bolting down table and chairs caused students to have less interactions. This promotes the continuation of the segregation of people although schools were intended to unite a diverse group of people. Some other solutions involved passive surveillance, open floor plan, partitions and/ or transparent walls.
1. Wiley’s School to Prison states discusses the concept of school-to-prison pipeline, where public schools are disciplinary instruments that instill conformity, obedience, and control of the students, especially in school districts that hold high minority populations. Politics affects everything in our society, from policies, to design, to behavior, and so much more. How can we minimize politics in architecture, or rather, how can we become more conscientious of the potential implications of our designs?
2. The school-to-prison design methodology is stated as not to groom this idea that minority students should be punished or are on their journey to life in a penitentiary. Rather, it is meant to do the opposite and instead create a more inclusive and inspiring condition. Do you think public schools in low income areas actually are fostering these ideas through their design? Or do you believe this statement is bullcrap.
3. Architecture has helped certain individuals advance their agenda in segregation and control. How can we promote and encourage design from the standpoint of those
who are often targets of suppression?
Racism is not only social and political, but it can also become physical. Through design, it has the power to shape urban spaces in both positive and negative ways. In her essay, Wiley discusses the concept of a school-to-prison pipeline, where public schools are not treated just as educational facilities, but as disciplinary instruments to instill control over the students. Particularly, this is more prevalent in low income, high minority density populations. The school-to-prison design methodology is claimed with the intention to create a more inclusive and inspiring environment, not to punish children or suggest that they are on the path to life in a penitentiary. However, statistics beg to differ. Design has the power to aid individuals in advancing their political agendas. Robert Moses, for example, ordered his engineers to build the Southern State Parkway bridges a low height such that public buses were unable to pass through, and thus, low-income, minority populations that relied on public transportation were unable to pass through the area to access the Jones Beach. Through the bridge height design, Moses was able to successfully segregate the area to keep those he personally deemed unworthy from accessing the area. As such, it is important that we be conscientious of the political and social implications of design.
1: Dunbar High School’s open layout design, something intended to improve connectivity and openness between people, was ultimately used against it to create a controlling and prison like experience. If the building had been conceived with a more privacy minded design, would it have been able to be used like a prison as much as it did?
2: Related to the above question, Architects ultimately have little to no control on how a building is used after its completion. How much should this transition of control affect the plans and designs of the architect?
3:The creation of spaces to promote individual cultures are important, but to hide those cultures away in those designated spaces is counter productive to an inclusive society. In what ways can architects balance the need for safety and the need for connection, both from a cultural perspective and from an individuals perspective?
The tug of war between privacy and safety, freedom and control, intent and outcome, is something larger than the power an architect wields. Architecture only has so much influence over an environment, and ultimately relies much on the assumption of continued support for the architect’s vision. Due to the magnitude of factors at play in creating an environment that is meant to last a deal into the future, an architect must take each creation at a play by play basis. One day might require stacking the cards in favor of the architect’s will, others the architect may find it more beneficial to hand control to others as early as possible. The same thing can be applied to the cultivation and protection of race-based culture. With the many various intangibles at play, the architect must learn as much as he can and apply everything as best as possible for every individual situation.
1. How can architects design environments that will not be abused by the social interactions that occur within them?
2. When identifying moments and spaces in architecture, can one predict the influences on the people’s behaviors? Is an architect held responsible for the spacial designs that doesn’t support racial/social differences? How can we learn to take on different cultural perceptions to fix or create designs that respond to all cultures?
3. According to Schools and Prisons, the architectural designs of prisons and schools are similar. If the absence or quality of education is the reason for crime rates, how can we change the designs of schools in order to shape the quality of education?
In what ways can architecture create more open minded spaces that accepts everyone for their differences? Society must redefine the education system because schools are becoming more like prisons for minorities, a place supposedly for learning and making friends is transformed into juvenile detention. There is a zero tolerance policy for even the smallest mistakes made by a student of color. By looking deeper into the school to prison pipeline, the layouts and designs are quite similar. There are flaws in the architectural designs which subconsciously condition its inhabitants, drawing a clear line between the two is the first step towards reversing the pipeline effect. Getting rid of the underlying discrimination from the environment can help towards constructing unprejudiced spaces. The quality of education is deteriorating by mimicking the prison, students of color are taught in fear. A pressuring environment where one mishap can send students to jail cells and go on their permanent records. Fixing the designs of schools will resolve only a portion of the problems, a new order is needed and awareness should be increased.
1– In ” Schools & Prisons” by Amber Wiley the School- prison pipeline is discussed at length. Wiley explains that schools, especially public schools, have an increased culture of fear built into them. Through constant surveillance, school cultures being oriented towards obedience and order as well as the architecture of the schools themselves have led to they criminalization of school environments. So as said in the writing, “is it surprising that prisons resemble factories, schools, barracks, hospitals, which all resemble prisons?” and the question remains, is it? Are the students, and especially minority students that attend these school- prison institutions being set up for ultimate failure? What other institutions or architecture of those institutions sets up people for a specific future based on the experience they encounter in them?
2–Charles Davis II states in “Black Spaces Matter” that “black spaces matter, for race and space have been linked in American history”. This statement can be linked to the very racist intents of the housing market; housing management engaging n the myth that black families w=moving into wealthier areas or areas considered to be “white” would decrease the value of the homes there. Going back to today however, how can the black lives matter movement be integrated with new “black spaces”? June Jordan urges people to take back spaces so that abandoned or neglected spaces can be taken and transformed by POC or other unrepresented peoples into spaces that can let the users have control. How then does this reclamation of space and architectures relate back to the human existence and how can these spaces inform or push forward the goals of movements like the black lives matter movement? Will these spaces even have an impact?
3– How does the architecture of today both in urban and domestic settings support white supremacy, as touched upon in the “Black Lives Matter” writing? How can a building act as a system to protect white privilege and deny the same to POC? Does architecture created today still fuel similar motives ie. “contributing to the violence against black people”? And are there spaces that are created to counter this, if not what should they look like?
Society is very oppressive towards POC. Social classes are unfairly determined by race and placements in our social/ urban spaces are representative of this. The spaces that we are raised in and live in form us as individuals. So for a POC in a rundown, poor area going to a school that does not do anything to promote better life but instead is a prison pipeline creates a sad future. Whereas on the other hand a WASP living in a rich community with readily available resources to achieve higher learning, schools that promote a education that will lead to a better life. We as a society must pull together and close the gap between these spaces. Race and space have a very close connection, we as architects must realize this and form our urban fabrics to form safe environments for everyone. It is the first step in a better world. Our world needs to bring people up and give everyone more equal opportunities. There should not be such a thing as school- prison pipelines. If we can create safer schools, safer spaces that ignite learning for a higher purpose instead of setting people up for failure think of what a better world full of peace we would have?
1. In Schools and Prisions, Wiley discusses how architecture and social constructs designed for black communities sets them up for failure. In the 1980 winter Olympics in Lake Placid NY, the athletic village was designed to be repurposed as a prison after the event. With that (schools and housing structured like strict disciplinary institutions) how does that affect performance, either in school or athletics and how can that be redesigned to promote success?
2. In Black Spaces Matter, Davis discusses how preconceptions of race and color are articulated in Architecture and how that in turn perpetuates said discrimination. Is there an order to changing those preconceptions; first changing the culture or the Architecture?
3. Black Lives Matter discusses how institutions need to be designed to “standards of justice articulated in international human rights charters”. How do we need to rethink how prisons are designed so they become more ethical and places that facilitate rehabilitation?
In “Schools and Prisons” by Amber Wiley, Wiley references French philosopher Michel Foucault who once labeled prisons as “only the most extreme instruments of a broader disciplinary architecture” a powerful portrayal that, unfortunately, can easily describe educational institutions as well. Given this and a loose awareness of the status of our country presently, it’s blatantly evident that our educational system has long failed its students, though staggeringly more so for students of color. Moving forward during this progressive trajectory of architecture, how can we eliminate the inequality and pitfalls that suppress minority students within a physical, architectural approach? What can we do within our discipline to impact the quality of education and respectively quality of lives for all students?
In “Black Spaces Matter”, we affirm the truism you don’t need a license or even a degree to make huge impacts and enact positive change in society. Did the lack of conformity imposed by higher education factor into why Jordan is so successful in her career and journey? What are our capabilities that are stifled by our school and how much more could we achieve without that compromise?
In “Introduction: Black Lives Matter”, Massey, TenHoor, and Korsh cover how architecture plays a unique role in everyone’s life in that it can greatly impact the quality of it and inherently, socioeconomically disadvantage communities need the help of architects more than any other. How can we as architects enable positive change in affected communities in our careers? What will you do?
1. In “Black Lives Matter”, it is discussed that racism of the past has fundamentally shaped our architecture and urban spaces. This brings me to the question, if architecture is designed without extreme sensitivity and acknowledgement of its surrounding context, does architecture have the ability to actually foster violence against the black community?
2. In architecture schools today, there is a huge push to be environmentally conscious with our designs, and design in a way that takes into consideration how much damage we could do if we do not think carefully about the materials we use, the efficiency of our designs, etc. However, it seems like an even more pressing issue should be the issue of race and how gentrification and ignorant architecture actually creates a negative impact to African Americans in urban areas. Why isn’t there more of a push to ensure that students are aware of the ramifications of their designs? Are schools too afraid of being “politically incorrect”?
3. In “Black Spaces Matter”, June Jordan’s architectural poetry is highlighted and shown as an expression of an alternative vision for modernism. The architectural collages included in the text portray Harlem as a beautiful space of bright minds. How can we use this new lens of vision to help us to design the neglected areas of cities such as Harlem? In other words, how can we as architects start to think more like June Jordan through the design of these urban spaces?
This week’s presentation posed a lot of interesting ideas about race in our culture, and also posed some interesting questions surrounding the topic of race in architecture. Gentrification is one of the more dominant and prominent issues that are impacting low income communities, however I was surprised that the presentation did not go more in depth into this and how we can combat this issue. Discussions are important in bringing up issues of race but only to an extent; discussions should be fostering change and inspiring actions, not simply pointing out issues in society. When once low-income neighborhoods become flooded with wealthier residents, longtime residents are often displaced. There is a lack of concern for the existing residents of these low income cities; one example of this is Troy. Troy is slowly becoming populated with gucci coffee shops and white brick aesthetic cafes with $5 coffees that students are obviously happy about but we have to think about how this is affecting the surrounding neighborhoods. Are these really spaces that are benefiting the community as a whole? How can we start to design places that are providing affordable services for the people of Troy and places that benefit existing residents (not just students that come and go within 4-5 years)?
1. “Black Lives Matter” as an essay is meant to bring important questions to the table about safety of citizens and how architecture could act on this. Why has architecture not been used as a tool for the creation of sanctuaries where people could retreat when in need? Black Lives matter as much as any other, and people of all races deserve equal rights at all times. How does the idea of equal rights for everyone tie together with architecture?
2. “Black Spaces Matter” by Charles Davis II seems to discuss the idea of Black Spaces and their controversial uprising in America. Why if society seems to ultimately want equality, should these architectural spaces have terms denoted by racial denotations? How can architecture ultimately help the achievement of equality in communities?
3. “Schools and Prisons” by Amber Wiley makes a direct contrast between schools designs and how they were ultimately created to eliminate the chances of success people in these schools could and should have. Schools should be a haven where education is disseminated to the minds of those who attend it. Could Architecture create the ultimate safe space for people regardless of race? How can the past serve as a future tool in terms of design in the world of architecture?
The presentation for the topic “Race Matters” was as compelling as is the subject. The examples seemed the correlate well with the topic as were the arguments made for the issue.
Architecture is more than the aesthetic that it is associated with. Architecture is an essential tool that allows for the creation of spaces for communities. These spaces are mostly made for groups of people to assemble as a sort of safe area regardless of gender, race, etc.
The topic Race Matters is interesting in that it brings questions to the table that would not be considered otherwise. The creations brought forth by architecture are supposed to take into consideration that spacial discrimination should never be tolerated. The discussion about schools and prisons is a compelling argument since it contrasts completely different spaces yet relates them. Architecture’s goal shouldn’t be to create areas of living for a specific race, but for an all-inclusive space regardless of race. The goal should be equality, and not the creation of a further racial divide between populations of urban areas.
1. It is interesting to compare things such as a school and a prison with the same idea. It some cases it could be said as a joke, like student feeling they are in prison because of the rules that need to be followed in some schools. Recently thought the correlation between both a school and a prison has visually become more similar. In a world where kids have to be worried about the next school shooting, and schools taking acting in having security guard and metal detectors, schools really have become the same thing as a prison. There is any specific ways that the design of such schools could be done as to make the students themselves feel saver in their own space?
2. students around the world are legally forced to go to school until am specific age. The idea behind this is giving the necessary education needed for them to be working members of society, and to show that the world works around rules and whatever you do comes with a consequence. What is the exact reason that schools need to teach such things to their students?
3. While the idea of keeping students save in this environment and enforcing these rules could be beneficial to an extent. In what ways is a student psychologically persuaded by the action these schools are taking?
1. Architecture embodies the idea of providing for the public, being for the public. Libraries, museum, restaurants, hotels are all meant for the community. When certain groups have to fear for their safeties in these public areas, what would change in architecture in order to accommodate the sense of fear?
2. It may take more than just redesigning schools to counter the cycle of the poor black community going from school to prison. It’s a social work and problem that needs to be addressed. Is it possible through urban design to end the cycle?
3. What other instance of social injustice changed the ways of architectural design?
Yesterday’s lecture delved into the social aspects of architecture. Most of the time, architecture is discussed as some high-end artistry, dating back to the Classical era. There was always something more about it besides being a place to occupy. This includes religious symbolism, a theoretical way of understanding the urban landscape, and in a way philosophy. But architecture isn’t always something grand. It’s our daily lives. It’s what we experience every hour of the day. “Low-income” architecture doesn’t grab as much attention as a house that blends into the landscape, but it’s something necessary and vital to the urban life. How do we raise kids who live in poverty and don’t have all the resources they have? They say education is vital, but when schools are treated with strict dictatorship, it becomes like a prison. Schools need to help nurture the flower, not stomp it back down.
1. Moving forward in architecture, how can we as future architects and professors of architecture help to ensure a safe and creative environment for all students no matter their background r race?
2. In “Black Lives Matter” it is discussed how past architecture was shaped through racism, so how as a field of study are we able to still praise and admire the beautiful work created in a hateful environment but also hold the architects accountable for their wrongful actions?
3. In Wiley’s School to Prison essay she discusses the concept of school-to-prison pipeline, where public schools are disciplinary instruments that instill conformity, obedience, and control of the students, especially in school districts that hold high minority populations. Moving forward how can we become more conscientious of the potential implications of our designs in minority communities?
As future architects we must take notice of the type of racial background we are designing in to make sure we can do all that is possible to allow the people of that community to flourish. I believe that even though old architect was made without the communities of the buildings location in mind, we can still appreciate the architecture of the building made. We however can not praise the architects or the design with the location in mind but instead just the design as itself. Moving forward in the field of architect we must add in assessing the communities we will building in to our process of designing just like how we assess the environment impacts that the site location would have on the buildings design.
1- In a post-vernacular world, most architects are more ‘privileged regulators of urban spaces’ than architects in the vernacular sense of the term. In the original sense of the term, architecture should be the result of a life of lessons and experiences. In the introduction to Black Spaces Matter, Charles Davis II notes the lack of public spaces that feel safe for those who feel the effects of racial biases in government and policing. The piece goes on to suggest a myriad of reasons for this, based in deep-running racist sentiments and micro aggressions in culture. Jordan projected poetry and progressive language onto her work in order to represent her cultural ideals, thus making a positive culturally charged space. How can cultural representation and ideals begin to work its way into our architectural language and discourse as an important form of expression?
2- As Foucault and Joan T. Wynne both discuss in their respective readings, there is a direct correlation between the design of prisons and of schools. Schools and prisons, in function, are about making a large group of people think (and sometimes move) in one specific way. In that way, the architectural functions of order and discipline are exemplified in what Bernard Tschumi would call ‘bondage architecture’. Is the way to change the architectural problems with schools by changing the way schools are run in order to change the architectural goals and functions of schools, rather than attempting to build a better mousetrap out of the same order of rigid spaces?
3- In a sort of continuation of the last question, consider the following from Amber Wiley’s Schools and Prisons. “In many ways, the policies that underlie the school-to-prison pipeline harken back to the ‘civilizing’ discourse of early educators wanting to assimilate ethnic minorities into mainstream America”. Much of architectural discourse, especially in academia, tends to limit the creation of students by imposing ‘rules’ by way of old classics and ideologies. Specific schools, even, have a knack for assimilating their student population into a class of architects who all think the same. Can architectural discourse learn to be less ‘civilized’ and leave assimilation behind for an environment that fosters creativity and diversity?
1. Jonathan Massey introduces a number of works that illustrate the history of racism and disenfranchisement within the United States. He also highlights a number of role models within the field of architecture that might otherwise be unrecognized or acknowledged within the architectural education. As a Caucasian male in a predominately white male field, it makes me wonder how to appropriately navigate the field of architecture. How to practice and be conscious of the impact of architecture and institutionalized racism has had and can have. What do you see as a way to begin to educate individuals going into architecture so that they might better appreciate the impacts seemingly innocuous decisions can have on communities that they are not familiar with?
2. In Ambers Wiley’s’, Schools and Prisons¬, she suggests that further research into the revaluing of black lives through our schools is needed. How can we, as architects, break free of the complacency that our profession has shown in this area of design to undo mistakes of the past and provide solutions for the future? Do architects have the knowledge to redesign schools that are more conducive to the student experience?
3. In Davis II’s, Black Spaces Matter¬, the connection between segregation within the urban environment leads to a natural need for black spaces. June Jordan using writing as a way to encourage young black readers to consider the field of architecture. What do you see as the future of black spaces will be as representation within the field architecture slowly evens out?
I found the presentations and limited discussion compelling but did not feel that it was clearly defined what the role of the architect was. There were examples of what it has been but I would argue that the role thus far has fallen short. I would also have liked to have had some consideration taken towards how someone who hasn’t been affected as directly or at all by racism and disenfranchisement and how individuals of vastly different backgrounds can contribute to one another’s causes to the greatest effect.
1.Although other more successful models of teaching exist, why do we still primarily use this traditional authoritative dynamic within our classrooms?
2. How can we push new styles of teaching into fruition through architecture?
3. Can the way we design spaces determine the respect and longevity it will have within a community, how can we capitalize on this method to diminish vandalism and the deterioration of public spaces?
1. As many of my peers and myself have experienced in the SoA, the Architectural curricula does little to nothing to educate the next generation of architects and designers that will create the spaces people will inhabit. Institutions (schools and students) focus on euro-centric theory and design and learn nothing of the “black “racial/spatial subject” to create a Black Formalism and a Black Architectonic… (Black Spaces Matter)”, or any other racial or cultural aesthetics. Why do institutions continue to educate in this way when we proclaim that we are for diversity and inclusion? Sociopolitical influences are changed with education.
2. Like Booker T. Washington and Robert Robinson Taylor believed, how do we get society and institution to understand and value the idea that “race and place are mutually reinforcing entities”? In my own experience, this is increasingly difficult when the blinders of claiming to be a “multicultural sophisticated” institution and plastering diversity and inclusion on promotional materials seems to be justification enough, when in fact the spaces do not physically exist.
3. “In these schools situated deep in the belly of most cities, the prime attribute desired for their marginalized students is obedience, not academic excellence (Schools and Prisons)”. Schools are disciplinary instruments that shape populations and architects play directly into the school to prison pipeline. Can this be ignorance in all instances, bad design, or great design with bad intentions?
What if Black Culture were as pervasive in design education as modernism? I love this question! I love the thought of being immersed in my culture while I learn more about a black aesthetic. Unfortunately this just isn’t the school I go to, or the way education works. The pedagogy of the architectural school, at least in America is based on the Euro-centric cultures and aesthetic. This is the majority of education and this needs to change to be representative of a global culture. Switching to the school to prison pipeline, it exists…… how we fix it? Through support, through space, through programs, through initiatives, through investing in people. Also “As many of my peers and myself have experienced in the SoA, the Architectural curricula does little to nothing to educate the next generation of architects and designers that will create the spaces people will inhabit. Institutions (schools and students) focus on euro-centric theory and design and learn nothing of the “black “racial/spatial subject” to create a Black Formalism and a Black Architectonic… (Black Spaces Matter)”, or any other racial or cultural aesthetics” I have recently been in discussions about designating spaces for identity and cultural groups on this campus. It is extremely difficult to get people to understand the value in having a space, especially when the funding has already been allocated to other things. How can we change this?
1. In this week’s reading, one of the article discussed about the influence of the design of a school can have on the students. It seems the way a school is designed is affecting the educational outcomes. In today’s context, how can we determine the demands and needs when we design for a public program?
2. Architecture is not a subject with buildings as its only representation method; despite for literature, what are the other ways we can express our architectural idealism?
3. The readings elaborate on the topic Black Lives Matters, where segregation appears as consequences of designs. In order to eliminate the situation, designers needs to be aware of these situations. How should education, as a propeller, do to raise the consciousness of designers, and diminish the inequality from the very beginning?
In this country, people with color are facing extreme pressure. The system of education is sometimes set with discrimination that the aims of them are wrong. With architecture on education, the goal should not be “control”, but it should really focusing on “educate”; because only better education can overcome the disadvantages, restraining and forcing is not working. By using open plan and other strategies in designing, architects is able to alter the outcomes of education. Just like teachers, a good school design can instruct students to find their alchemical passions. By upgrading urban plans, the equality and life quality of people with color will be improved; people have more opportunities to receive better education, thus have the chances to apply for better jobs. Architecture is way more than just building; it is culture, it is pathways, it is bring changes.
1. Often times people do not realize the relationship between race and space. Race is usually overlooked when it comes to architecture as it is seemingly irrelevant. However, the design of a space heavily (and usually negatively) impacts a certain race/group of people, according to “Introduction: Black Lives Matter”. There is a belief by Oscar Newman that “maintaining physical order is crucial to maintaining social order”. Architects must realize their impact on society and people, and begin to dissect the core problem of the spaces that negatively impact people of color. How can architects design spaces that are welcoming and safe of violence, racism, and harassment?
2. There is a call for change in the curriculum of architecture schools. It is quite disappointing that most colleges do not teach about the radical, important people of color as a part of their major requirement course. America ultimately was built upon land that was once the Native Americans, by African Americans. Looking back at its history, there is such a heavy relationship between the spaces these people resided in and their color. Just like June Jordan, I believe it is very important, as America is the most diverse country in the world, to be aware of these correlations, especially in the school of architecture. How can learning about the history of America, its space, and its people (of color) affect the design of architecture?
3. Some believe that architects should reject commissions that are for the design of jails, execution chambers, and solitary confinement spaces. Would there be a positive or negative outcome from this act of rejection?
It was really interesting to look back at the history of the United States and seeing how there was a direct relationship between race and space. Redlining, a system of denying people (usually based on race and social class) of different services, confining them to certain designated areas. One of the presenters spoke about how the environment and the housing of an individual shapes their actions. There is factual evidence that there is more violence in the hood or the ghetto where buildings are torn down and deteriorating, compared to that of the richer, predominantly white, neighborhoods where communities are closed off, private, and are constantly maintained well. The design of buildings truly affect people and it is crucial for us architects to understand and create change in this world through our designs.
1. In architecture, does the design of the final construction of a space in any way influence the psychological mindset of everyday humans?
2. Is there any way that today’s architecture, which happens to portray discrimination at times, can make sure that students are living in a healthy and safe environment.
3. From reading, Black Spaces Matter, displays an image of redlining in Philadelphia. Redlining is influencing a certain group of people or race into not living in a particular area in attempt to keep the standard of living high. In what ways can today’s real estate community prevent redlining from happening?
1. There is relatively little diversity in the field of Architecture. This is an example of the bigger problem in architecture. Since there are fewer minority teachers and representation this ultimately trickles down into African American communities as we aren’t taught to design for these communities. Minority communities commonly have fewer public spaces and have inferior designs. How could having more diversity in architecture affect how we design for marginalized communities to help them to prosper?
2. Charles Davis talks about people using propaganda to spread fear of integrated communities to keep black communities separate. This separation kept blacks from attending better school districts and contained in poorer communities. How could societies perception of minorities change if given adequate communities and public resources? How could we change the perception of blacks are poor, cheap, and meaningless through architecture and urban design?
3. Schools, hospitals, and other public spaces in the minority community have been designed the same way, for decades. They met the minimum requirement by law and usually counterproductive? What can we change to use architecture to encourage students to learn and become better members of society through the architecture and design of schools and other learning environments? How does this apply to problems such as incarceration and drug addiction, which are common problems associated with minority communities?
Increasing the amount of communal spaces in communities has proven to significant increase the overall wellbeing of communities. It’s found that even low-income neighborhoods with more communal spaces can have happier residents compared to their higher income neighborhoods with less communal space. So why are low income minority communities to have fewer public spaces, when their community needs communal resources the most. It has to do with racism and disregard for minorities. If we provided the same resources to all communities, it would provide equal opportunity. For example, graduation rates are lower in rural communities, but those communities also have less libraries. That is just one example of how lack of resources can affect entire communities.
1. Based on the reading, “Schools and prisons,” should architecture in rough neighborhoods account for the nature of the location? In other words, should architects implement designs for security solely based on the city or town the building resides in?
2. In the “Black spaces matter,” reading, a lot of the designs become more open. Is it typical for “black spaces” to be more open?
3. In the reading, “Black lives matter,” it is said that racism fundamentally shapes architectural and urban spaces. In what way is this done, and is it a bad thing?
1. Architects shouldn’t necessarily design for stock security but adapt their designs to the facility they are designing. For example for a school, instead of a metal detector in the middle of a corridor, design it to be more inviting.
2. Black spaces aren’t necessarily always open, the state of the design mainly relies on the predilections of the architect.
3. The architectural and urban spaces are motivated and influenced by racism giving notion to the idea of racism and providing insight into that notion.
1. Through design, architects can change the process of authoritarian systems, create domino effects in society as a whole, and change the nature of biopolitics. How can architects or architects control the specific nature of society that changes in the face of these dictatorial systems?
2. In Black Spaces Matter, Davis discusses the sensitivities required for design-related cultures and the intervention sites for the often overlooked black community. What kind of dialogue must be made between the designer and the community to contribute to providing cultural sensitivity in some way, while also contributing to the gradual change?
3. In Black Space Matter, Charles Davis discusses the importance of creating specific spaces for black communities. However, will the creation of these “black spaces” lead to more racial segregation, because these spaces are related to a certain race?
For modern architects and urbanists, it is necessary not only to increase the urgency associated with the creation of black spaces, but also to understand that there are various aspects and variables that can influence “black buildings”. The red line is the systematic division of the community. Communities and communities caused by selective price increases. The wide impact of this process can lead to more problems in these environments. The broken window strategy asserts that if a window is destroyed, the building is not being maintained or noticed, so more people may continue to break the window. In many urban areas, rents are uncontrolled, and if a community suddenly becomes desirable, then there is no stopping upgrade. Minorities are often driven out of their communities and do not receive any benefit from investments or interests in their area.
1. Davis detailed the work of Jordan in June and her influence on architecture. Obviously, this effect is not very broad, which raises the question of how architects should consider the current architectural curriculum and provide a platform for architects, that is, it should be taught as a separate field. Not a mainstream area. In this context, the whitewashed building considers ignorance, giving it a unique individual value, or should it be integrated into the mainstream curriculum to prevent this connotation from continuing?
2. In the reading of “Black Lives Matter”, it touches the close relationship between space and race. Throughout the history of the development of the Americas, architecture has played a role in the process of being deprived of its rights because it has a sense of hierarchy. At this point, looking at past architectural strategies to contribute to the “black life issues” movement, what is another strategy to improve the architectural hierarchy?
3. If the school is designed to promote a sense of openness and learning rather than discipline, does it have a major impact on students’ learning ability?
African Americans have long been banned from the construction industry. By bringing architectural, urban and ethnic dialogues to the academic and public audience, we can explore the multidisciplinary approach of urban, urbanization and urban development, upscale and redevelopment through a layered and complex unique lens.
1. “Schools and Prisons” sheds valuable insight to the modern criminalization of public-school environments. It is entirely true that the implementation of metal detectors, x-ray machines, police officers, and omnipresent surveillance undermines the nature of learning itself, a nature which requires a comforting, welcoming atmosphere. The building’s innate mistrust of its students instills anxiety in its all inhabitants, which devastates learning outcomes. How might society begin to reverse this process of over-surveying students? Even if the school shootings end, will school administrations ever feel safe?
2. In an era where a high-quality camera resides in every person’s pocket almost by default, photography becomes an important vehicle for change. When witnesses to police brutality think fast enough to capture photo or video evidence that incriminate a corrupt police officer in the act, however, said officer usually goes without sentence, often placed on paid administrative leave. How has the legal system become so broken that a police officer can murder an innocent black, have photographic evidence against him, and suffer no serious legal consequences?
3. The “Black Lives Matter” movement has spawned several counter-movements like “blue lives matter,” “white lives matter,” and “all lives matter.” How can we help constituents of and advocates for these counter-movements (and anybody who supports trump/ the alt-right) understand the true purpose of the movement and recognize the need for cultural reform therein?
Police brutality/killing innocent black people stems from a white-conservative ideology that holds the law above the lives of those who disobey it. If a person is in the act of breaking the law, an officer has to spend little energy devising a reason to deem the suspect dangerous. In these scenarios, sudden decisions and quick bodily movements can cost the suspect his life in an instant. There are recordings of black men gunned down for simply raising hands and reaching for wallets; each time the officer gets little more than a slap on the wrist as his justification that “there was reason to believe he was arm” wins trial. Also available are records of officers planting weapons on gunned-down suspects, only some of whom have been indicted. America needs to re-frame its police recruitment, schooling, and comprehensive training systems to counteract the current propensity for police- sociopathy. Another area for necessary reform is punishment system for corrupt-officers, currently plagued by the “blue shield,” by which every officer pledges to never incriminate his fellow officer. This covert oath continues to conceal evidence and testimonies necessary to bring these murderers justice.
Rather than asking “How,” it is crucial to first examine what factors and conditions gave rise to the current police-state of public education and why it matters for black students in poor neighborhoods. Amber Wiley discusses the history of biopolitical schooling, which assimilated ethnic minority groups to white, conservative culture by teaching obedience in preparation for low-paying jobs. In effect, this created the “school-to-prison pipeline” of apathetic dropouts who often turn to crime. For today’s African-american communities, high crime frequencies generate a denser police regimen, which then bleeds into schools where groups of students are constantly at odds, fights and drugs inevitable. With security as top priority, project managers and county officials favor schemes which embed surveillance at every opportunity, aimed at eliminating crime within its walls and preventing potential altercations before they happen.
Violence in schools is no trifling occasion, rather an exploding epidemic of bloodshed at the hands of aggressive, frustrated, and mentally unstable extremists. The vast majority of school killing has been not by poorer minority groups, but at the hands of less socioeconomically-afflicted, white radicals.
1. While admitting that architecture has its autonomy, any building designed for men, built by men and occupied by man will automatically become the extension of the occupants’ social presence & expression. Therefore a lot of time architecture is heavily influenced by the economic and political factors, which could potentially lead to a dangerous situation for architecture as a discipline. These influence factors could be represented in an irrelevant way, but then projected to the neutral architecture to introduce more limitation instead of liberating people from that limitation. Should political correctness ever be used to define architectural design strategy?
2. “black lives matter” should represent “all lives matter”, but most of the time that is not the fact and was abused in many ways. Architecture can be seen as the barricade that resists these abuses, should we see architecture as an enclosed area that resists over-reactions?
3. If decided to open up all public architecture and project to current political correctness onto all the facilities, what could be the potential damage on the architecture’s autonomy?
The political neutrality in the discipline of architecture is hardly capable of maintaining its presence from the ignition of the design because to build a building, both the endorsement of the government and the funding must be obtained. This created a situation where architecture will have to present its form in favor of these parties. We need to understand architecture as a material expression of its social status and political position instead of the aesthetic expression of the material. In this case, architecture merely performs as an instrument no more superior than any facilities and a vehicle that carries the developing society. Therefore, we need to understand the political neutrality in architecture does not mean being free of the political trend, but being free of one fixed political representation. It should be flexible enough to accommodate any social change.
The neutrality of architecture is hardly capable of maintaining its presence since the ignition of design since any architecture will need both the government endorsement and the funding. This creates a situation where architecture must present its form in favor of these parties no matter what it originally wanted to become. In other word, the presence of architecture in a civilized society must take resources controlled by a political entity and thus must speak for that entity. In this case, the architecture is the material presentation of its social status and political position, instead of an aesthetical presentation of the material. In any developing society, architecture is no more superior than any facilities and perform as a vehicle that carries the proceeding society. Therefore, the political neutrality of architecture is to be considered not as being free of any political trend, but being free of one fixed political stand and being flexible to accommodate any social change.
Contemporary Design Approaches 
1 In ‘School and Prisons’, Amber discusses the “school to prison pipeline” and the relationship between architecture, school and crime rate. Environment as a social space is crucial to the way in which people are regulated and constrained. During the design process, is there a way that can manipulate this vital environment that can help people taste the pleasure of architecture?
2 In Black Spaces Matter, Charles discusses the special need for particular culture like black community in the design which has been undermined and disrupted for a long time. Do you think architect should acquire a basic understanding for ‘black space’ in the design process? Or is there other kind of ‘space’ we need to pay attention to?
3 In ’Black lives Matter’, it points out that people need to show their support to races which need more attention and it will be beneficial to develop further and move forward. And it mention the soft power and unfair tactics in this society led to a fake ‘regulated’ world that the discipline is nothing but a much cruelty punishment. Under these circumstances, how architecture can play a role in change the current situation and avoid the chaos happening in the future?
LikeLike
From the class, I thought historians have primarily focused on the tectonics and formal attributes of domestic structures of slaves, and the vernacular structures of black Americans have only recently gained attention. Using contemporary racial, it has become possible to revise the general themes of critical regionalism to formulate an architectural incidents of blackness that explicitly conceptualizes the existential conditions. In order to develop an architectural phenomenology of blackness, we must reject postmodern claims of a universal conception of phenomenal experience. As following the subsequent perspective, a renewed focus on black bodies and the spatial protocols will displace the function of the tectonic details on architectural history, thus enabling this process to start a new in the current era.
LikeLike
1. How does the design of a space, influence the behavior of someone who frequently experiences that space?
2. If schools were designed to facilitate a sense of openness and learning, instead of discipline, would it create a significant difference in a student’s ability to learn?
3. “He has no teacher besides his father and his own mind, and yet these are enough for him to gain control over his own space.” How could you design a space in which each occupant could make it “their own” space?
LikeLike
As we have learned throughout our architectural education, a building is more than just an enclosure. Architecture shapes the way that people interact with the environment, each other, and society. It can both emphasize and/or change the way in which we, as a society, organize ourselves and has proven in some circumstances to hinder our advancement. Bad architecture has begun to shape society in a hierarchal manner, rendering schools, prisons, and even offices in the same way. The architecture of all schools should be designed in a manner that is open, visible, and inclusive of everyone in a way that encourages interaction and fosters learning in students.
LikeLike
1. In “Schools and Prisons” by Amber Wiley, they talk about this thing called a “school-to-prison pipeline”. There is a massive resemblance between schools and prisons which is a very weird thing to think about. Education is considered a privilege to many cultures. Therefore it is very different (of course) from prison because that is a forced sentence for people to pay for their actions. The architectural design of schools and prisons are too similar for comfort. So why do we design prisons and school even similar to each other if school and education is what shapes entire generations/populations of people? If we change the design in schools in areas with high crime rates, could that help make a difference?
2. In “Black Spaces Matter” by Charles Davis II, June Jordan wrote architectural poetry. The one thing that caught my eye the most was the sentence “historians has called her “ecosocial” interpretation of the built environment, which considered architecture and the built environment to be an extension and manifestation of human ecology.” As a drop out environmental design student, she surely knows her facts and understands and conveys architecture and the environment in a way that people usually don’t. Being an architecture student, could you ever convey you interpretation through another language such as poetry, dance, art?
3. In “Introduction: Black Lives Matter” by Jonathan Massey, Meredith TenHoor and Sben Korsh, there is a lot of talk about segregation. Architectural segregation is something that we have constantly been evolving from. In the days of MLK, there had to be extra everything (bathrooms, water fountains, etc. ). Whites and Blacks could not share, but now that is something that has evolved out of architecture. As time goes on, do you believe that all of these racial issues will eventually go away? What, in architecture, do you think will be changed, like the bathrooms?
LikeLike
I was not in class (it was excused for me), so i’m writing a response based on other students comments about the presentation. What seemed to come up the most was the fact that many people think that all black families have low incomes. This clearly is not true and is a stereotype clearly. The generation of people who are in their mid 20s now and younger do not listen to these stereotypes as much because there are many black families who are now celebrities. We have even had a president who is African American. Times are finally changing. Our grandparents might not agree with these new generation views, but it’s a change their going to need to accept eventually.
LikeLike
I was not in class due to an excused absence, so i’m doing my comment based off of other people’s comments on what happened in class. A lot of the comments had to deal with how some people still believe that all black families are low income. This is a stereotype that our grandparents and some of our parents have said. This is clearly a stereotype that our generation has been breaking and does not believe in anymore. There has been multiple black families who are famous artists or business people. We have even had our first African American president which was a huge issue for some people, but for the younger generation they say it as something that should have happened a long time ago. Time is finally changing for black families and their stereotypes.
LikeLike
1. T. Harris, an alumni of the 1977 Dunbar building, stated that the school only took on a prison-like environment when walls and bright colors were added in later years. This phenomenon of addition to an existing project is something we will encounter for the rest of our lives as architects. How can we, either as the initial building designer or as the later renovator/retrofitter, help to keep the original design true to itself throughout time and changes of building use?
2. What does “race and place” really come down to in terms of an architectural pedagogy?
3. If dominantly poor, black neighborhoods receive the brunt of the stigmatization and “school to prison” typology, but the examples listed specified expensive school design, how can we be better about handling the fiscal needs of specific neighborhoods, rather than designing with our egos and empty pockets in mind?
LikeLike
During the student presentations, it came up that predominantly black neighborhoods/neighborhoods of low income, are shoved to the peripheries, and are made to look run down. This comes about because of a few factors, one of them being the broken window effect, and usually results in neighborhoods with high crime, simply because the general population feels no pride in where they live and thus lashes out at others and/or vandalizes and destroys their own property. During an internship, I dealt hands on with many low income housing projects, where the firm I worked at was trying to give the soon-to-be residents a sense of pride in their new homes. The area that required the most attention in the projects was always the surrounding neighborhood and their negative and hateful speech towards the new property. People have misconceptions about people unlike themselves, and the architect’s job is to make all people involved feel comfortable, happy, and prideful in the place they call home.
LikeLike
1. “…black space as a productive site of intervention” So back in the twentieth century a group of people got together and created a myth that black settlement into white neighborhoods negatively affected long-term home values. Which lead to the solidification of the idea of a white neighborhood and a black neighborhood. In which both spaces are treated completely different from each other. So June Jordan’s interest in black spaces as a productive site of intervention could be viewed as “Life isn’t fair, so you have to play the best game you can with the cards you’re dealt.” So the question is what kind of intervention should be made and how extreme should it be with the assumption of having insufficient funds to do so to make a neighborhood progressive? Should it be a community-wide led intervention where everyone should contribute or should it be an intervention of a select few?
2. “School designs promoted utilitarian concerns for order, control, and restriction of movement. Tables, chairs, and desks bolted to the floor discouraged lateral communication and other forms of community among students.” So did bolting down the furniture actually restrict communication or did the just alter the form of communication? Students are like bodies of water if you obstruct them from doing something they’re just going to find another way around the obstruction.
3. “…architecture and urban design in the United States today too often support white supremacy… a system for protecting the privileges of whites by denying communities of color opportunities for asset accumulation and upward mobility.” So my question is how does architecture and urban design support white supremacy? Architecture and urban design are both obstructed by social and psychological construct of today’s society. So, for example, a developer has an architect design a building for one thing but down the road, the developer changes the use of the building to something completely opposite of what it was designed for. If the space isn’t going to be used properly, of course, it’s going to have issues, but is the architect to blame because they didn’t predict the developer to change the use of the building from what it was originally designed for? So how can architecture and urban design be blamed for a system that is already broken and has been broken for quite some time?
LikeLike
1. How do you ensure a safe and creative environment for students in schools when the architecture promotes a decriminalization of students?
2. Would different races/ generations/ genders approach an architectural solution a certain way? or would they all take inspiration from their cultural background and use that as a potential guide for design?
3. Instead of having a Case-Action tactic to use architecture as a political tool, can designers generalize the political moment into a design that prevents rather that reacts to an issue?
LikeLike
What stood out the most to me about this lecture was the red lining aspect. It not only affects race but also affects income. which, in theory and practice is most of the time linked to race. Because blacks and Hispanic people get tossed in the shady neighborhoods and don’t get as much money as the white people in the suburbs. Having these initial divides creates a deeper cut in the fabric of society. For example, there are beaches in Long Island, NY today (where it is now illegal to segregate and exclude based on race, as we all know) that require certain permits from the city and those permits are only given to the people in a certain area that make a lot of money so they can use the beach amenities. This may seem like a fair economical assessment, but like I previously stated, race is linked to social class somehow. And those black people in long island that wanna enjoy the beach can’t, because they were red lined and segregated because of their skin color and where they were forced to live.
LikeLike
1.In the Reading “Black Spaces Matter,” It is explained how important and influential black culture is to the architecture that they live within. If that were the case, what would happen should the segregation between black and white cultures be removed? Would the cultures Still have their same influence or would they lessen with the existence of the other culture?
2.”Introduction: Black Lives Matter” Talks about the effect of racism on architecture. While i do believe racism can and does have a effect on the society in various ways, I don’t see how architecture could be affected by racism, at least in terms of the design of a building. How is it possible for racism to influence in such a way?
3.Within “Schools and Prisons,” it is explained how schools are designed to be similar to prisons in terms of controlling the individuals on the inside. Isn’t it good some some cases, however, for there to more security in a school that is built within a dangerous community, where having open walls could lead to dangerous situations that students have no protection against?
LikeLike
1. In “Black Spaces Matter”, Charles Davis II argues for the creation and proliferation of black spaces, spaces where African-Americans can come together safely and express their beliefs and ideals. While of course a physical space is necessary to hold such events, is the idea of black space more than just a physical concept? Is black space also a mindset where African-Americans feel liberated to be their most truest self?
2. Amber Wiley’s “Schools and Prison” speaks on the obscene amount of policing within black schools, from extra monitoring, random searches, and so much more. Doing this has turned school for many into something like a prison, which is in many ways, counter intuitive to learning and growth. However, is the act of turning school into a prison more than just the built? Have we as a society imprisoned African-Americans within themselves, making them feel as if they are locked in their perceived “ways” no matter where they go?
3. It’s no secret that racism has had a long and storied history within the field of architecture. From Robert Moses, urban planning, to zoning laws, to gentrification, and much more, racism is prevalent in most of architectural history. And whether or not it was intentional, the fact of the matter is that it has happened and there is no going back. Given our past, how can we as architects of the future create spaces and environments that are inclusive to all types of people, and don’t marginalize certain groups, African-American or otherwise? Moreover, how do we go about creating spaces where no one feels lesser, where everyone is one and the same? Can we bother looking back to historical examples, or would we have to start completely from scratch?
LikeLike
Architecture, like much of history, is rife with racial prejudice and injustice. While it may not exist in purely built form, the environments around the spaces we create and the laws that we use to govern these spaces are not free from racial oppression. Redlining, while a common practice in the past is something that stuck out to me. Even though I have seen and know the issues many low-income neighborhoods have faced in the past, it still amazes me how much progress there is still left to be done. Gentrification, for example, would be a quick fix to the troubles lower-income neighborhoods face. However, much of this is spearheaded by middle-class white people, who are almost always out of touch with the community they are entering. Perhaps, issues like these could be solved if we saw more minority-led groups enter into these low-income communities and brought change through their own means. Because let’s face it, a white person will never be able to understand the struggles of being a minority in this country. And how will the be able to design for a group that they have no way of empathizing with? That would be the antithesis of progress.
LikeLike
1. School and Prisons, Amber Wiley emphasizes how a school design could help discipline set up people lives. For example, the classrooms were designed for captive audience, by promoting utilitarian for order control and restriction for movement. Do you think by bolting the tables, chairs and desks to the floors, will it have promoted better efficient and effective education for the students?
2. In Black Spaces Matter, Davis talk over how the sensitivity needed in design in relation to particular cultures as well as a productive site of intervention in regard to, often overlooked, black communities. What kind of discussion or exchange ideas between the designers and community must be consider contributing engagement to cultural sensitivity. How the black space can be develop to create engagement between the cultural sensitivity and environment?
3. Black lives matter, Jonathan Massey, the racism fundamental shapes architectural and urban spaces between black and white community, where the black community reflects the lower class and white as a rich community. Do you think the architecture and urban design contribute violence against to black people?
LikeLike
Ecosocial Design architecture, an architecture design that promote socialism in schools by bringing open space inside enveloped. But monitoring for a lot of cameras, sensors and metal detectors, and the built environment considered an extension and manifestation of human ecology. Looking over how a school design could help discipline set up people lives. For example, the classrooms were designed for captive audience, by promoting utilitarian for order control and restriction for movement. Overlooking how the sensitivity needed in design in relation to particular cultures as well as a productive site of intervention in regard to, often overlooked, black communities. What kind of discussion or exchange ideas between the designers and community must be consider contributing engagement to cultural sensitivity.
LikeLike
1. Amber Wiley’s “Schools and Prisons” brings light to the fact to the “school-to-prison pipeline” and how it is implemented in black communities. I believe that this is very true and contributes to a very homogeneous way of thinking throughout black communities brought up from the school system. The way the black community is affected by this is more than statistics; it affects the state of mind which is the hardest thing to change in an individual. So how can we reimagine the schooling system in a way that does not prioritize obedience and uniformity over learning and expression?
2. “Black Spaces Matter” displays a graphic of redlining in Philadelphia. Government redlining prevented blacks from moving into suburban communities, and although it is not as prevalent today, the effects carry into the present day. How can communities overcome the effects of redlining through design?
3. Why is it important to design a space that promotes culture? This question is not a reflection of the articles, rather a topic that I have heard about in the past few years.
LikeLike
I found the articles quite interesting in relationship to my experience in the schooling system. As a minority who as attended Predominantly White Institutions for most of my life I find it hard to relate to some of the topics at hand, because it is just the environment I grew up in, but I could 100% relate to a statement in the presentation that mentions how our oppression from authority causes us to act a certain way. I think this really creates a homogeneous community, that at times can be good, is often seen as negative in my eyes due to the fact that I do have to think about many things that I believe no human being should have to worry about, one being – “how can I be less threatening”. It has become so ingrained into my daily life the thought is involuntary, but when I think about it from time to time I just try to shake it away so I am just content. I was not directly affected by malpractice such as redlining, but I think a majority of students can agree that the school system was built to mimic a prison. In fact it was after graduating high school i realized how the school system turned me into a robot programmed to take orders. I often felt like this “programming” has stayed within me to a large degree , and sometimes it bear down on me like a curse; a shadow of the past that I may never escape. As dark as it sounds I do think the school system has value, and people are holding schools accountable to call for a positive change.
LikeLike
1. Amber Wiley in School and Prisons examines the social phenomenon that happens in low-income schooling dubbed as the “school-to-prison pipeline”. In this examination the factors of curriculum, strictness of zero-tolerance policies, and overall outlook of educational outcome (teaching for academic excellence versus teaching for obedience) were brought to light. Of the most relevant factor to architecture was design of educational facilities; where contemporary, low-cost, educational buildings begin to change the environment of schools and effectively change the way education is perceived by society. This can be seen not only with k-12 schools but with college campuses as well (compare the Harvard campus to that of community colleges’). Environment is one of the largest influences of education, what are the best approaches to design of these spaces so that the perception of school isn’t as authoritative and dystopian as it has become in lower-income areas?
2. Charles Davis II, in “Black Spaces Matter” talks of the implications of society’s history on perception of race integration has shaped the physical world around us and calls to reexamine these spaces and validate the existence of other schools of thought. In architecture the validation of client’s needs and finding solutions for them is the main job we have to do. Are modern building codes, especially in urban sites, too constrictive for the fulfilment and validation of ‘black spaces’? Is it a question of the architectural creation of more infrastructure to create safer areas to allow for more expressive architecture to exist?
3. Massey, TenHoor, and Korsh in “Introduction: Black Lives Matter” discus how politics and perception are influenced by environmental factors. Architecture and urban planning is the professional approach to the creation of spaces that integrate the entirety of the human race that is it built for. Is the current capitalistic goal of most elite architecture firms to create multi-million-dollar apartment high-rises in ‘up-and-coming’ areas inherently against the ‘moral-code’ of architecture? What can we do as architects to try to address the actual needs of society instead of flooding “elite” markets in highly urbanized areas with unnecessary crap?
LikeLike
This lecture examines many factors that influenced society in the past and continue to have lasting effects in contemporary perception of the world around us. One of such things discussed was the school-to-prison pipeline and the likeness in architecture of low-income schools to that of prisons. It is a well observed phenomenon and it is understandable our role as architects to react to such things, not just in particular schools, but all “low-income” architecture. This begins with validation of different architecture, and an overall professional push in studying current architecture and to understand the true fabric of society, not that of the elite class. It is out role as architects to not turn our backs on this movement and to participate by learning, understanding, and being involved.
LikeLike
1. When people are treated a certain way and forced into a category because of their environment, which they are unable to control, it effects how they grow and who they become. How can architecture put into effect a change to more positively impact its surrounding environment without an overall sense of control?
2. If environment can so drastically limit the potential of its youth what design efforts can be taken to improve and include all?
3. Looking at the connection between space and race, if spaces were more for public function, more of an open safe place. What other design elements to you see that could further this? You can’t necessarily chose the type of people who occupy the space, so how could the design itself help make it safer or all inclusive?
LikeLike
Race often determines a person’s place in society. It is an extremely unfair part of our society and in no way should have control over one’s future, however it unfortunately does. When someone is forced to live in an environment that they are not necessarily proud of and looked down upon for it can affect who they become. If design and architecture can focus more on how it’s product can really make a difference there could be many benefits. Aesthetics can promote a happier and healthier way of living without having to put an exuberant amount of money into the changes. With this a safer community can form and help push people into and uplifted future.
LikeLike
1) Amber WIley discusses how certain forms of space- especially those that are used for education and communal settings- can be manipulated to feel “criminalizing” through the use of surveillance , security, and restrictive furniture and floor layouts. While many would argue that this kind of atmosphere is more appropriate for a prison, these qualities seem unsuitable for daily life altogether. Do you feel that there are certain settings where a “criminalizing” atmosphere would be appropriate.
2) After reading the origins of the phrases “Black Lives Matter” and “Black Spaces Matter”, it can be understood to say that these concepts only came into existence because of the social/political oppression against them. In an ideal world where these kinds of relationships and struggles don’t exist, do you feel that there would be anything to distinguish the concept of “Black Space” or “sounds, sights, and experiences” of a Black environment?
3) How can we improve our own curriculum at the School of Architecture to reflect the needs of culturally-aware space? Do you feel that there are courses or traditions already set in place that prevent us from learning more about this classification of space?
LikeLike
The discussion brought up by yesterday’s presenters gave me a more well-rounded scope of the readings and concept of Black/culturally-aware spaces in Architecture. Having certain people in the audience identify with specific areas, artists, or feelings in each presentation served to represent just how prominent these issues are for our generation of diverse students and thinkers. One of the things that I will always think about as I go forward is how my work will impact the cultural/personal context that it’s situated in.
As the only African-American male studying Architecture in my class year, the proper representation and comprehension of my ideas, morals, and culture is always of upmost important when it comes to my time in the academic environment. I am glad that topics like these are brought up to the attention of the student body, but what’s more important is where we go with this newfound knowledge.
LikeLike
1. How can architects reinterpret/redesign the practice in a way that better approaches black spaces? Is the issue more political? If so, how can architects come out of their practice to make changes that will effect society?
2. Can an architect effectively propose a structure such as the 1977 Dunbar High School by Bryant & Bryant today in an age where the prison pipeline is promoted, unrecognized by most, in the name of security for the students as the easiest and therefore best atmosphere for learning when it isn’t for minority students?
3. Architects have the ability to shape the social space. Through design, architects can alter the processes of an authoritarian system creating a domino effect throughout society, changing the nature of biopolitics. How can architects, or should architects, be able to control the specific nature in which society will change when they confront these authoritarian systems? Should architects have this power? How can they not when making these kinds of changes to society?
LikeLike
The readings last week provided great insight into one of the most important topics that we face not only in architecture but in all of society. The presentation in class did a good job at analyzing the topic provided but didn’t explore how architecture can positively respond to and address social and economic inequalities of race. The group presenting did address how design of a building such as the Dunbar High School and the Panopticon can influence the way people act and enforce an authoritarian system. Architecture can work on a much larger scale. Redlining was briefly brought up. Architecture needs to address a community as a whole whether it be designing a community or city or a single building. Representation and cooperation need to be part of the architect’s design.
LikeLike
1. The Dunbar Highschool seems like it was bound to become a prison based on the curricula involved regardless of how space was planned. If it remained open air, it would be a softcore version of the panopticon and now divided, it becomes reminiscent of a contemporary private prison. Can architecture be designed to resist misuse or is it powerless against the societal forces that seem to have the final say on its usage?
2. What makes a space black, and is it important to label spaces with racial connotations? In New York, the brownstone described
in Jordan’s His Own Where is seen as a symbol of imprisonment despite it once being a symbol of the wealthy, white elite. Furthermore, if a neighborhood gentrifies, do the urban corners and brownstones once again become white space?
3. How do you renovate architecture, an expensive ordeal, and one that can quickly become tied up in red tape that may also be written out of the favor of minorities, to better suit communities that have very little money to spend?
LikeLike
Architecture may try to silently rebel and protest through its architects and building designs. An architect may decline work to produce prisons and detention centers, but this is not advisable. The people that are creating these institutions will find someone to do it, and that someone could end up creating hazardous conditions that harm the prisoners. Through the building design, an architect might intervene in the situation and try to create more hospitable environments for the prisoners. The building design has its limits though, and it is a social change that is most necessary. This can be brought in through raising the public’s voice, which architecture has a responsibility in providing spaces for. Public platforms that project the voice of the oppressed are a powerful form of social engagement that architecture has.
LikeLike
1. Is there a fixed line between schools maintaining the safety of their students and schools removing the freedoms of their students for the sake of order? or is the line fluid, changing its position situationally based on the factors surrounding the school in question.
2. In “Black Spaces Matter”, the districts of Philadelphia are used as an example of discriminatory urban communities. As a city that is currently undergoing mass gentrification, how can citizens of Philadelphia overcome the past and present challenges while maintaining a community?
3. In “Black Lives Matter”, The Newark riots of the 1960’s are discussed as a form of opposition to discriminatory real estate development. Is the destruction that is caused by riots a necessary evil when there is no other way to overcome these policies? Or are there other, more effective ways?
LikeLike
This weeks presentation gave extra insight and perspective to these readings. I applaud the presenters for taking on such a heavy, sensitive subject. I felt that the insight on the School to Prison pipeline helped better my understanding of the topic, I grew up in a rural area where the thought of a metal detector or security guard at our school would have been shocking. Its interesting to see this discrepancy between those who experienced these things in their schools and those who didn’t. I’m specifically curious to see if location has any correlation to this discrepancy, or if it is just a matter of the school administration. The idea that some schools can be held to such a low standard of living baffles me, and one would be inclined to think that one of the wealthiest countries in the world would have some sort of standardized education system. Unfortunately, equality does not benefit the people who run this country as much as it benefits its citizens.
LikeLike
1. The Dunbar Highschool seems like it was bound to become a prison based on the curricula involved regardless of how space was planned. If it remained open air, it would be a softcore version of the panopticon and now divided, it becomes reminiscent of a contemporary private prison. How can architecture be designed to resist misuse or is it powerless against the societal forces that seem to have the final say in its usage?
2. What makes a space black, and is it important to label spaces with racial connotations? In New York, the brownstone described
in Jordan’s His Own Where is seen as a symbol of imprisonment despite it being once a symbol of the wealthy, white elite. Furthermore, if a neighborhood gentrifies, do the urban corners and brownstones once again become white space?
3. How do you renovate architecture, an expensive ordeal, and one that can quickly become tied up in red tape that may also be written out of the favor of minorities, to better suit communities that have very little money to spend?
LikeLike
1. In the “Black Lives Matter” reading the book “The New Jim Crow” is mentioned for highlighting the racism and classism rooted at the existence of prisons and enforced by judicial institutions. Last year, a poster in Greene was hung up calling for the abolishment of prisons. Do you think we should abolish prisons? What would be the path for architects to abolish prisons, or at least to take a stance against the current system in which it operates, further than just turning down design opportunities?
2. In “Black Spaces Matter we read about June Jordan’s “His Own Where”, and how through literature she proposed a progressive, alternate vision for modernism. This alternate form of modernism finds a belonging to black urban spaces that aren’t given the same spaces as white people. Domestic space is reclaimed in this reading as a form of power, and as a way for inspiration and hope for inhabitants. Can you give examples from today where modernism is used as an agent for social protests in Black spaces?
3. The school-to-prison pipeline is analysed in “Schools and Prisons” and specifically looks at Dunbar High School. Through increased surveillance and zero tolerance policies, Dunbar High School produces a prison mentality. The initial design of Dunbar High School in the 70’s was an open floor plan encouraging empowerment and connection. How can we as architects design in a way where our buildings won’t be used in the exact opposite way of intent? Is there a way we as architects can prevent surveillance, metal detectors, and other harrowing side effects of a police state that regularly turns a blind eye to the value of black lives from overpowering the intent of the architecture, or just not being able to be implemented in the first place?
LikeLike
This week’s presentation was really well researched giving many examples from outside the readings. I thought the analysis of what it’s like to be black in america today, how architecture plays into that, and what we as designers should be looking at for approaches was well thought out and organized. Moving forward from these discussions is important because the implementation of black culture into architecture as well as education is often seen as surface level or performative. Creating architecture with meaningful black spaces should be our goal while paying attention to community needs and context. Race and place hold such a strong relationship and have so much power over the future that it’s important to critically look at what’s going on in modern suburbia, prisons, and schools. My favorite quote from the presentation was along the lines of “if black lives matter, then we must also insist that black lives matter”.
LikeLike
1) Architects often take the Corbusian approach to urban planning in which context and existing infrastructure is often overlooked and or leveled in order to replace it with something new. Oftentimes this method leads to displacement of existing people and an erasure of a deep-rooted history, especially in lower income, ethnic communities. To what extent should architects opt to renovate and revive existing spaces rather that replace, in order to combat the controversial effects of gentrification?
2) In Diagnosing: Policing and Incarceration, it is pointed out the Le Corbusier’s cruciform buildings, which dominated his proposal for the city of Paris as a symbol of the modernist ideal, were adopted later on by for social housing. In this case the utopian agenda that Le Corbusier had for this proposal was twisted and contradicted once implemented into reality. Is it naïve to assume that architecture will be the method by which to address and reinvent social situations or do you believe that we should uphold some responsibility for how to improve the societal quality of life?
3) Often, we do not realize how impactful design is to social conditions and how certain design decisions can lead to a butterfly effect of events. Schoosl, government institutions, and prisons all have a similar authoritarian aesthetic that imposes order on its inhabitants. While this may seem like the appropriate design choice for such buildings, often the adverse effects of rigidity and lack of autonomy have adverse effects on the people that inhabit the space. Is our notion of order resonating within society as we know it or is it promoting a public that is fearful and unmotivated? Is there truly liberty and autonomy when the actions that we make as architects, designers, and citizens so impactful to the larger mass?
LikeLike
The topic of race not only in terms of the architectural field, but also in terms of an educational environment is something that is important and needs to be discussed. Oftentimes conversations usually end up in two ways: awkwardness that results in a premature closure or aggression in which defensiveness clouds understanding. Most people often take the first route which is not conducive to resolving and reaching an understanding. Too many times here in the US, there is a belief that if we do not acknowledge that racism exist then the problem somehow doesn’t exist anymore. This is toxic and only leads to more resentment from the oppressed and more naivety of the oppressor. Modern slavery still exists and the problems stem to the discourse of architecture. In order to create inclusive spaces, us architects need to have the hard conversations and not fall into the comfort of ignorance.
LikeLike
1) “In the early twentieth century, real estate agents, bank managers, and governmental officials disseminated the myth that black settlement into white neighborhoods negatively affected long-term home values.” As politics and Gerrymandering effected America in the early twentieth century what could architecture of the time have done to bridge this gap in value? And why was architecture of the time in service of the powers that be?
2) “Where students of color – especially those forced to live in poverty by an economic system that demands there be a “losers”. What sticks out to me in this quote is the circumstances in which students of color grew up in not too long ago. Architecture has a history of serving the highest bidder, but what do you think an architecture of the “losers” could look like and how could it become associated its own identity and pride?
3) From Black Lives Matter, the article posed an interesting question that I’m interested in hearing more about our perspective as architecture students in 2019, “How do(es) architecture and urban design contribute to violence against black people?” and what progress must we make in the future?
LikeLike
In “Schools and Prisons”, Amber Wiley quotes, “Schools represented a means to a greater purpose. They were to harmonize a diverse people, soften their antagonisms, and equip them to function as citizens in a changing society.” If schools were meant to harmonize, why did they resemble jails and correctional facilities? Shouldn’t they have been more welcoming and comfortable, with less intent to scare the students?
In “Black Spaces Matter,” the discussion of whether or not June Jordan should be described as an architect is widely disputed, but what exactly makes someone an architect? Does her knowledge of architectural history and the relationship of architecture and ecology label her as an architect, even though she has no credentials?
The Introduction: Black Lives Matter text discusses different examples of the poor outcomes of gated communites, architecture created with segregation in mind, and the links between race and space throughout time. How much does the design of space influence those who inhabit it? Could a space be initially designed with the intent for discipline, but transformed into one of shared acceptance, one that is welcoming to everyone? Shouldn’t all architecture be designed like that, anyway?
LikeLike
Architecture should not show segregation. Our job as designers should now be and continue to be making architecture that would be based off of equality for all. Creating environments that could be construed as harmful or lesser than areas around it just creates a divide that should not exist. It’s gotten to the point where a city block could look completely dilapidated in one area but new in others; creating not only a divide between affordability but also quality of life. When architecture was created with the idea of segregation in mind, no thought was put into comfort or aesthetics, creating a harmful environment that could have been cause to leading (in the cases of prison-like schools) students down the wrong paths. All architecture today needs to be designed with equality in mind in that not everybody is going to be able to afford extremely eco-efficient housing and more modernized designs.
LikeLike
How can architects encourage black architects and architectural thinkers like June Jordan to take agency over public and private space?
Oscar Newman’s idea that physical order could lead to social order ended up inadvertently justifying the broken-window policy of over-policing of poor and minority communities. How could architecture help revitalize these communities without resorting to such totalitarian tactics?
Wiley describes how school architecture has become increasingly prison-like, enforcing obedience over academic excellence. What can architecture do to push back against a society that sees students as prisoners, while fostering independence and integrity?
LikeLike
America has a long history of racism and discrimination, which affects people of color to this day. Redlining has created segregated neighborhoods, and those neighborhoods often are over-policed and underfunded. Architecture also has a hand in this negative environment; by creating totalitarian areas that encourage uniformity and surveillance over expression, architects continue the cycle of oppression. Prisons and schools take on a similar typology, with cameras and cheap double-loaded corridors making students feel trapped and undervalued. However, by turning neighborhoods and schools into places where black people enjoy living and feel like they have agency, architects can help people define their own life path.
Part of this is recognizing the creative potential of black people; like the young architect in June Jordan’s short story, sometimes people just need the freedom to express themselves without judgement or fear to create masterful spaces. By recognizing that black spaces matter too, architects can help create a world that’s more fair and equal.
LikeLike
1| Amber Wiley implements a phrase by John Dewey, “artificial uniformity”, to problematize the environment encapsulating post-assimilation public school houses. Under this definition, isn’t the underlying issue that need be addressed the oppressive nature of public schooling entities, prior to the architectural means of such organizations?
2| If we are to explore the architectural corollary of education as a means in opposition with “artificial uniformity”; how can spaces including “black spaces”, defined by Charles Davis II, emulate or embrace the complexity of any educational body of subjects?
3| Although the High Line in New York City is a particularly beautiful space, it is fundamentally segregated by socio-financial norms. In order for a “public space” to become truly public to all who exist, should the community around such space become fully aware of one another prior to construction? Public space should act as a vehicle for social engagement for a multifaceted, multicultural, infinitely diverse community.
LikeLike
Dunbar High School (Washington D.C.) serves as a valid example for an exhibition of what John Dewey has deemed “artificial uniformity”. The redesign in 2013 enables an active problematization of the school post its 20th century renovations. What began as an open floor plan slowly became closed off; systematically split into cells encapsulating the oppressive nature of public schooling entities. Although I previously questioned whether or not architecture could legitimately be the first step in education reformation, I believe the remodel by Moody Nolan can and has become an example for how the attitude of an entity, particularly the authority figures in public education, can begin to be shaped by the environment in which it is placed. To generate a space that acts as a vehicle for academic and social engagement one must generate an environment which is free to be impressed upon by its inhabitants; i.e. the space necessarily must act as a blank page on which the stories of all who instrumentalize it may be written.
LikeLike
1) Amber Wiley’s reading on Schools and Prisons highlight how the form of architecture in schools made minorities feel criminalized. Many educators had a different opinion on whether open floor plan or solid walls were a better idea. What are some compromises designs can make for schools?
2) Charles Davis II brings up the point of how Black Lives Matter, including Black Spaces. There are spaces around the community that should be thought about, redesign, brought to light. What kinds of changes can be made to these spaces in an urban context?
3) Jonathan Massey essay about Black Lives Matter talks about how racism shaped urban spaces. How can we break this lost history and culture of racism shaping our community spaces and lives?
LikeLike
Designing a modern day school is difficult. Some people prefer walls, some prefer open floor plan. Yet, classrooms need enclosed spaces in order to teach in peace. A similarity between schools and prisons is the use of walls. Many schools have walls and security in place like prisons. I think a way to compromise and differentiate schools from prisons is by decorating the walls. Walls can be a light color instead of dark ones. In the urban context, important black spaces should be marked officially and renovated. Many of these spaces carry a part of history. Throughout early American history, many zoning laws are in place to control immigrants. For example, zoning laws in San Francisco separated the Chinese from the Americans. We can break history by integrating different types of cultures in a block. Instead of hubs of “Chinatown”, “K-town”, and “Little Italy”, the whole block has stores of all the cultures.
LikeLike
1. Amber Wiley stated “Schools represented a means to a greater purpose. They were to harmonize a diverse people, soften their antagonisms, and equip them to function as citizens in a changing society.” I do agree that schools bring diverse groups of people together; however, it is difficult to harmonize everyone. Naturally people tend to join with others like themselves, background, personality, etc., rather than integrating with others. What are other ways for people to want to join together? What other places have harmony among diverse groups of people further integrated? How can architects be a part of this improvement?
2. Wiley referenced to Dundar High School as her school/prison. Would you agree that colleges would be a better fit of an example, since people from all over the world can go to a college and live with others? Although, most colleges are as highly secured as Dundar High School, students live and go to classes that are prison-like.
3. In Black Spaces Matter, Davis mentions “The fact that Fuller had also dropped out of school made him an approachable figure in Jordan’s eyes.” Through one similarity with Fuller, Jordan was able to “synthesized the themes of race and place” and receive a Rome Fellowship Prize in Environmental Design. In what ways can we make individuals from group more approachable for another diverse group?
LikeLike
The Panopticon was shown as a model prison since the guard is centered in the prison cells. The prisons are unable which direction the guard is facing, which makes the prisoners stay in this constant state of fear. Prisoners don’t know when they are being glanced at or carefully observed. Now imagine children at schools in the prisoner’s situation. Although, school officials are responding to the surroundings, their answering of a prison like school leave most people uneasy. The displacement of security equipment in a learning environment causes the qualities of the initial location of those objects to be transferred over to the new location, the intense environment and fear of a prison. Other changes schools had to endure like bolting down table and chairs caused students to have less interactions. This promotes the continuation of the segregation of people although schools were intended to unite a diverse group of people. Some other solutions involved passive surveillance, open floor plan, partitions and/ or transparent walls.
LikeLike
1. Wiley’s School to Prison states discusses the concept of school-to-prison pipeline, where public schools are disciplinary instruments that instill conformity, obedience, and control of the students, especially in school districts that hold high minority populations. Politics affects everything in our society, from policies, to design, to behavior, and so much more. How can we minimize politics in architecture, or rather, how can we become more conscientious of the potential implications of our designs?
2. The school-to-prison design methodology is stated as not to groom this idea that minority students should be punished or are on their journey to life in a penitentiary. Rather, it is meant to do the opposite and instead create a more inclusive and inspiring condition. Do you think public schools in low income areas actually are fostering these ideas through their design? Or do you believe this statement is bullcrap.
3. Architecture has helped certain individuals advance their agenda in segregation and control. How can we promote and encourage design from the standpoint of those
who are often targets of suppression?
LikeLike
Racism is not only social and political, but it can also become physical. Through design, it has the power to shape urban spaces in both positive and negative ways. In her essay, Wiley discusses the concept of a school-to-prison pipeline, where public schools are not treated just as educational facilities, but as disciplinary instruments to instill control over the students. Particularly, this is more prevalent in low income, high minority density populations. The school-to-prison design methodology is claimed with the intention to create a more inclusive and inspiring environment, not to punish children or suggest that they are on the path to life in a penitentiary. However, statistics beg to differ. Design has the power to aid individuals in advancing their political agendas. Robert Moses, for example, ordered his engineers to build the Southern State Parkway bridges a low height such that public buses were unable to pass through, and thus, low-income, minority populations that relied on public transportation were unable to pass through the area to access the Jones Beach. Through the bridge height design, Moses was able to successfully segregate the area to keep those he personally deemed unworthy from accessing the area. As such, it is important that we be conscientious of the political and social implications of design.
LikeLike
1: Dunbar High School’s open layout design, something intended to improve connectivity and openness between people, was ultimately used against it to create a controlling and prison like experience. If the building had been conceived with a more privacy minded design, would it have been able to be used like a prison as much as it did?
2: Related to the above question, Architects ultimately have little to no control on how a building is used after its completion. How much should this transition of control affect the plans and designs of the architect?
3:The creation of spaces to promote individual cultures are important, but to hide those cultures away in those designated spaces is counter productive to an inclusive society. In what ways can architects balance the need for safety and the need for connection, both from a cultural perspective and from an individuals perspective?
LikeLike
The tug of war between privacy and safety, freedom and control, intent and outcome, is something larger than the power an architect wields. Architecture only has so much influence over an environment, and ultimately relies much on the assumption of continued support for the architect’s vision. Due to the magnitude of factors at play in creating an environment that is meant to last a deal into the future, an architect must take each creation at a play by play basis. One day might require stacking the cards in favor of the architect’s will, others the architect may find it more beneficial to hand control to others as early as possible. The same thing can be applied to the cultivation and protection of race-based culture. With the many various intangibles at play, the architect must learn as much as he can and apply everything as best as possible for every individual situation.
LikeLike
1. How can architects design environments that will not be abused by the social interactions that occur within them?
2. When identifying moments and spaces in architecture, can one predict the influences on the people’s behaviors? Is an architect held responsible for the spacial designs that doesn’t support racial/social differences? How can we learn to take on different cultural perceptions to fix or create designs that respond to all cultures?
3. According to Schools and Prisons, the architectural designs of prisons and schools are similar. If the absence or quality of education is the reason for crime rates, how can we change the designs of schools in order to shape the quality of education?
LikeLike
In what ways can architecture create more open minded spaces that accepts everyone for their differences? Society must redefine the education system because schools are becoming more like prisons for minorities, a place supposedly for learning and making friends is transformed into juvenile detention. There is a zero tolerance policy for even the smallest mistakes made by a student of color. By looking deeper into the school to prison pipeline, the layouts and designs are quite similar. There are flaws in the architectural designs which subconsciously condition its inhabitants, drawing a clear line between the two is the first step towards reversing the pipeline effect. Getting rid of the underlying discrimination from the environment can help towards constructing unprejudiced spaces. The quality of education is deteriorating by mimicking the prison, students of color are taught in fear. A pressuring environment where one mishap can send students to jail cells and go on their permanent records. Fixing the designs of schools will resolve only a portion of the problems, a new order is needed and awareness should be increased.
LikeLike
1– In ” Schools & Prisons” by Amber Wiley the School- prison pipeline is discussed at length. Wiley explains that schools, especially public schools, have an increased culture of fear built into them. Through constant surveillance, school cultures being oriented towards obedience and order as well as the architecture of the schools themselves have led to they criminalization of school environments. So as said in the writing, “is it surprising that prisons resemble factories, schools, barracks, hospitals, which all resemble prisons?” and the question remains, is it? Are the students, and especially minority students that attend these school- prison institutions being set up for ultimate failure? What other institutions or architecture of those institutions sets up people for a specific future based on the experience they encounter in them?
2–Charles Davis II states in “Black Spaces Matter” that “black spaces matter, for race and space have been linked in American history”. This statement can be linked to the very racist intents of the housing market; housing management engaging n the myth that black families w=moving into wealthier areas or areas considered to be “white” would decrease the value of the homes there. Going back to today however, how can the black lives matter movement be integrated with new “black spaces”? June Jordan urges people to take back spaces so that abandoned or neglected spaces can be taken and transformed by POC or other unrepresented peoples into spaces that can let the users have control. How then does this reclamation of space and architectures relate back to the human existence and how can these spaces inform or push forward the goals of movements like the black lives matter movement? Will these spaces even have an impact?
3– How does the architecture of today both in urban and domestic settings support white supremacy, as touched upon in the “Black Lives Matter” writing? How can a building act as a system to protect white privilege and deny the same to POC? Does architecture created today still fuel similar motives ie. “contributing to the violence against black people”? And are there spaces that are created to counter this, if not what should they look like?
LikeLike
Society is very oppressive towards POC. Social classes are unfairly determined by race and placements in our social/ urban spaces are representative of this. The spaces that we are raised in and live in form us as individuals. So for a POC in a rundown, poor area going to a school that does not do anything to promote better life but instead is a prison pipeline creates a sad future. Whereas on the other hand a WASP living in a rich community with readily available resources to achieve higher learning, schools that promote a education that will lead to a better life. We as a society must pull together and close the gap between these spaces. Race and space have a very close connection, we as architects must realize this and form our urban fabrics to form safe environments for everyone. It is the first step in a better world. Our world needs to bring people up and give everyone more equal opportunities. There should not be such a thing as school- prison pipelines. If we can create safer schools, safer spaces that ignite learning for a higher purpose instead of setting people up for failure think of what a better world full of peace we would have?
LikeLike
1. In Schools and Prisions, Wiley discusses how architecture and social constructs designed for black communities sets them up for failure. In the 1980 winter Olympics in Lake Placid NY, the athletic village was designed to be repurposed as a prison after the event. With that (schools and housing structured like strict disciplinary institutions) how does that affect performance, either in school or athletics and how can that be redesigned to promote success?
2. In Black Spaces Matter, Davis discusses how preconceptions of race and color are articulated in Architecture and how that in turn perpetuates said discrimination. Is there an order to changing those preconceptions; first changing the culture or the Architecture?
3. Black Lives Matter discusses how institutions need to be designed to “standards of justice articulated in international human rights charters”. How do we need to rethink how prisons are designed so they become more ethical and places that facilitate rehabilitation?
LikeLike
In “Schools and Prisons” by Amber Wiley, Wiley references French philosopher Michel Foucault who once labeled prisons as “only the most extreme instruments of a broader disciplinary architecture” a powerful portrayal that, unfortunately, can easily describe educational institutions as well. Given this and a loose awareness of the status of our country presently, it’s blatantly evident that our educational system has long failed its students, though staggeringly more so for students of color. Moving forward during this progressive trajectory of architecture, how can we eliminate the inequality and pitfalls that suppress minority students within a physical, architectural approach? What can we do within our discipline to impact the quality of education and respectively quality of lives for all students?
In “Black Spaces Matter”, we affirm the truism you don’t need a license or even a degree to make huge impacts and enact positive change in society. Did the lack of conformity imposed by higher education factor into why Jordan is so successful in her career and journey? What are our capabilities that are stifled by our school and how much more could we achieve without that compromise?
In “Introduction: Black Lives Matter”, Massey, TenHoor, and Korsh cover how architecture plays a unique role in everyone’s life in that it can greatly impact the quality of it and inherently, socioeconomically disadvantage communities need the help of architects more than any other. How can we as architects enable positive change in affected communities in our careers? What will you do?
LikeLike
1. In “Black Lives Matter”, it is discussed that racism of the past has fundamentally shaped our architecture and urban spaces. This brings me to the question, if architecture is designed without extreme sensitivity and acknowledgement of its surrounding context, does architecture have the ability to actually foster violence against the black community?
2. In architecture schools today, there is a huge push to be environmentally conscious with our designs, and design in a way that takes into consideration how much damage we could do if we do not think carefully about the materials we use, the efficiency of our designs, etc. However, it seems like an even more pressing issue should be the issue of race and how gentrification and ignorant architecture actually creates a negative impact to African Americans in urban areas. Why isn’t there more of a push to ensure that students are aware of the ramifications of their designs? Are schools too afraid of being “politically incorrect”?
3. In “Black Spaces Matter”, June Jordan’s architectural poetry is highlighted and shown as an expression of an alternative vision for modernism. The architectural collages included in the text portray Harlem as a beautiful space of bright minds. How can we use this new lens of vision to help us to design the neglected areas of cities such as Harlem? In other words, how can we as architects start to think more like June Jordan through the design of these urban spaces?
LikeLike
This week’s presentation posed a lot of interesting ideas about race in our culture, and also posed some interesting questions surrounding the topic of race in architecture. Gentrification is one of the more dominant and prominent issues that are impacting low income communities, however I was surprised that the presentation did not go more in depth into this and how we can combat this issue. Discussions are important in bringing up issues of race but only to an extent; discussions should be fostering change and inspiring actions, not simply pointing out issues in society. When once low-income neighborhoods become flooded with wealthier residents, longtime residents are often displaced. There is a lack of concern for the existing residents of these low income cities; one example of this is Troy. Troy is slowly becoming populated with gucci coffee shops and white brick aesthetic cafes with $5 coffees that students are obviously happy about but we have to think about how this is affecting the surrounding neighborhoods. Are these really spaces that are benefiting the community as a whole? How can we start to design places that are providing affordable services for the people of Troy and places that benefit existing residents (not just students that come and go within 4-5 years)?
LikeLike
1. “Black Lives Matter” as an essay is meant to bring important questions to the table about safety of citizens and how architecture could act on this. Why has architecture not been used as a tool for the creation of sanctuaries where people could retreat when in need? Black Lives matter as much as any other, and people of all races deserve equal rights at all times. How does the idea of equal rights for everyone tie together with architecture?
2. “Black Spaces Matter” by Charles Davis II seems to discuss the idea of Black Spaces and their controversial uprising in America. Why if society seems to ultimately want equality, should these architectural spaces have terms denoted by racial denotations? How can architecture ultimately help the achievement of equality in communities?
3. “Schools and Prisons” by Amber Wiley makes a direct contrast between schools designs and how they were ultimately created to eliminate the chances of success people in these schools could and should have. Schools should be a haven where education is disseminated to the minds of those who attend it. Could Architecture create the ultimate safe space for people regardless of race? How can the past serve as a future tool in terms of design in the world of architecture?
LikeLike
The presentation for the topic “Race Matters” was as compelling as is the subject. The examples seemed the correlate well with the topic as were the arguments made for the issue.
Architecture is more than the aesthetic that it is associated with. Architecture is an essential tool that allows for the creation of spaces for communities. These spaces are mostly made for groups of people to assemble as a sort of safe area regardless of gender, race, etc.
The topic Race Matters is interesting in that it brings questions to the table that would not be considered otherwise. The creations brought forth by architecture are supposed to take into consideration that spacial discrimination should never be tolerated. The discussion about schools and prisons is a compelling argument since it contrasts completely different spaces yet relates them. Architecture’s goal shouldn’t be to create areas of living for a specific race, but for an all-inclusive space regardless of race. The goal should be equality, and not the creation of a further racial divide between populations of urban areas.
LikeLike
1. It is interesting to compare things such as a school and a prison with the same idea. It some cases it could be said as a joke, like student feeling they are in prison because of the rules that need to be followed in some schools. Recently thought the correlation between both a school and a prison has visually become more similar. In a world where kids have to be worried about the next school shooting, and schools taking acting in having security guard and metal detectors, schools really have become the same thing as a prison. There is any specific ways that the design of such schools could be done as to make the students themselves feel saver in their own space?
2. students around the world are legally forced to go to school until am specific age. The idea behind this is giving the necessary education needed for them to be working members of society, and to show that the world works around rules and whatever you do comes with a consequence. What is the exact reason that schools need to teach such things to their students?
3. While the idea of keeping students save in this environment and enforcing these rules could be beneficial to an extent. In what ways is a student psychologically persuaded by the action these schools are taking?
LikeLike
1. Architecture embodies the idea of providing for the public, being for the public. Libraries, museum, restaurants, hotels are all meant for the community. When certain groups have to fear for their safeties in these public areas, what would change in architecture in order to accommodate the sense of fear?
2. It may take more than just redesigning schools to counter the cycle of the poor black community going from school to prison. It’s a social work and problem that needs to be addressed. Is it possible through urban design to end the cycle?
3. What other instance of social injustice changed the ways of architectural design?
LikeLike
Yesterday’s lecture delved into the social aspects of architecture. Most of the time, architecture is discussed as some high-end artistry, dating back to the Classical era. There was always something more about it besides being a place to occupy. This includes religious symbolism, a theoretical way of understanding the urban landscape, and in a way philosophy. But architecture isn’t always something grand. It’s our daily lives. It’s what we experience every hour of the day. “Low-income” architecture doesn’t grab as much attention as a house that blends into the landscape, but it’s something necessary and vital to the urban life. How do we raise kids who live in poverty and don’t have all the resources they have? They say education is vital, but when schools are treated with strict dictatorship, it becomes like a prison. Schools need to help nurture the flower, not stomp it back down.
LikeLike
test
LikeLike
1. Moving forward in architecture, how can we as future architects and professors of architecture help to ensure a safe and creative environment for all students no matter their background r race?
2. In “Black Lives Matter” it is discussed how past architecture was shaped through racism, so how as a field of study are we able to still praise and admire the beautiful work created in a hateful environment but also hold the architects accountable for their wrongful actions?
3. In Wiley’s School to Prison essay she discusses the concept of school-to-prison pipeline, where public schools are disciplinary instruments that instill conformity, obedience, and control of the students, especially in school districts that hold high minority populations. Moving forward how can we become more conscientious of the potential implications of our designs in minority communities?
LikeLike
As future architects we must take notice of the type of racial background we are designing in to make sure we can do all that is possible to allow the people of that community to flourish. I believe that even though old architect was made without the communities of the buildings location in mind, we can still appreciate the architecture of the building made. We however can not praise the architects or the design with the location in mind but instead just the design as itself. Moving forward in the field of architect we must add in assessing the communities we will building in to our process of designing just like how we assess the environment impacts that the site location would have on the buildings design.
LikeLike
1- In a post-vernacular world, most architects are more ‘privileged regulators of urban spaces’ than architects in the vernacular sense of the term. In the original sense of the term, architecture should be the result of a life of lessons and experiences. In the introduction to Black Spaces Matter, Charles Davis II notes the lack of public spaces that feel safe for those who feel the effects of racial biases in government and policing. The piece goes on to suggest a myriad of reasons for this, based in deep-running racist sentiments and micro aggressions in culture. Jordan projected poetry and progressive language onto her work in order to represent her cultural ideals, thus making a positive culturally charged space. How can cultural representation and ideals begin to work its way into our architectural language and discourse as an important form of expression?
2- As Foucault and Joan T. Wynne both discuss in their respective readings, there is a direct correlation between the design of prisons and of schools. Schools and prisons, in function, are about making a large group of people think (and sometimes move) in one specific way. In that way, the architectural functions of order and discipline are exemplified in what Bernard Tschumi would call ‘bondage architecture’. Is the way to change the architectural problems with schools by changing the way schools are run in order to change the architectural goals and functions of schools, rather than attempting to build a better mousetrap out of the same order of rigid spaces?
3- In a sort of continuation of the last question, consider the following from Amber Wiley’s Schools and Prisons. “In many ways, the policies that underlie the school-to-prison pipeline harken back to the ‘civilizing’ discourse of early educators wanting to assimilate ethnic minorities into mainstream America”. Much of architectural discourse, especially in academia, tends to limit the creation of students by imposing ‘rules’ by way of old classics and ideologies. Specific schools, even, have a knack for assimilating their student population into a class of architects who all think the same. Can architectural discourse learn to be less ‘civilized’ and leave assimilation behind for an environment that fosters creativity and diversity?
LikeLike
1. Jonathan Massey introduces a number of works that illustrate the history of racism and disenfranchisement within the United States. He also highlights a number of role models within the field of architecture that might otherwise be unrecognized or acknowledged within the architectural education. As a Caucasian male in a predominately white male field, it makes me wonder how to appropriately navigate the field of architecture. How to practice and be conscious of the impact of architecture and institutionalized racism has had and can have. What do you see as a way to begin to educate individuals going into architecture so that they might better appreciate the impacts seemingly innocuous decisions can have on communities that they are not familiar with?
2. In Ambers Wiley’s’, Schools and Prisons¬, she suggests that further research into the revaluing of black lives through our schools is needed. How can we, as architects, break free of the complacency that our profession has shown in this area of design to undo mistakes of the past and provide solutions for the future? Do architects have the knowledge to redesign schools that are more conducive to the student experience?
3. In Davis II’s, Black Spaces Matter¬, the connection between segregation within the urban environment leads to a natural need for black spaces. June Jordan using writing as a way to encourage young black readers to consider the field of architecture. What do you see as the future of black spaces will be as representation within the field architecture slowly evens out?
LikeLike
I found the presentations and limited discussion compelling but did not feel that it was clearly defined what the role of the architect was. There were examples of what it has been but I would argue that the role thus far has fallen short. I would also have liked to have had some consideration taken towards how someone who hasn’t been affected as directly or at all by racism and disenfranchisement and how individuals of vastly different backgrounds can contribute to one another’s causes to the greatest effect.
LikeLike
1.Although other more successful models of teaching exist, why do we still primarily use this traditional authoritative dynamic within our classrooms?
2. How can we push new styles of teaching into fruition through architecture?
3. Can the way we design spaces determine the respect and longevity it will have within a community, how can we capitalize on this method to diminish vandalism and the deterioration of public spaces?
LikeLike
1. As many of my peers and myself have experienced in the SoA, the Architectural curricula does little to nothing to educate the next generation of architects and designers that will create the spaces people will inhabit. Institutions (schools and students) focus on euro-centric theory and design and learn nothing of the “black “racial/spatial subject” to create a Black Formalism and a Black Architectonic… (Black Spaces Matter)”, or any other racial or cultural aesthetics. Why do institutions continue to educate in this way when we proclaim that we are for diversity and inclusion? Sociopolitical influences are changed with education.
2. Like Booker T. Washington and Robert Robinson Taylor believed, how do we get society and institution to understand and value the idea that “race and place are mutually reinforcing entities”? In my own experience, this is increasingly difficult when the blinders of claiming to be a “multicultural sophisticated” institution and plastering diversity and inclusion on promotional materials seems to be justification enough, when in fact the spaces do not physically exist.
3. “In these schools situated deep in the belly of most cities, the prime attribute desired for their marginalized students is obedience, not academic excellence (Schools and Prisons)”. Schools are disciplinary instruments that shape populations and architects play directly into the school to prison pipeline. Can this be ignorance in all instances, bad design, or great design with bad intentions?
LikeLike
What if Black Culture were as pervasive in design education as modernism? I love this question! I love the thought of being immersed in my culture while I learn more about a black aesthetic. Unfortunately this just isn’t the school I go to, or the way education works. The pedagogy of the architectural school, at least in America is based on the Euro-centric cultures and aesthetic. This is the majority of education and this needs to change to be representative of a global culture. Switching to the school to prison pipeline, it exists…… how we fix it? Through support, through space, through programs, through initiatives, through investing in people. Also “As many of my peers and myself have experienced in the SoA, the Architectural curricula does little to nothing to educate the next generation of architects and designers that will create the spaces people will inhabit. Institutions (schools and students) focus on euro-centric theory and design and learn nothing of the “black “racial/spatial subject” to create a Black Formalism and a Black Architectonic… (Black Spaces Matter)”, or any other racial or cultural aesthetics” I have recently been in discussions about designating spaces for identity and cultural groups on this campus. It is extremely difficult to get people to understand the value in having a space, especially when the funding has already been allocated to other things. How can we change this?
LikeLike
1. In this week’s reading, one of the article discussed about the influence of the design of a school can have on the students. It seems the way a school is designed is affecting the educational outcomes. In today’s context, how can we determine the demands and needs when we design for a public program?
2. Architecture is not a subject with buildings as its only representation method; despite for literature, what are the other ways we can express our architectural idealism?
3. The readings elaborate on the topic Black Lives Matters, where segregation appears as consequences of designs. In order to eliminate the situation, designers needs to be aware of these situations. How should education, as a propeller, do to raise the consciousness of designers, and diminish the inequality from the very beginning?
LikeLike
In this country, people with color are facing extreme pressure. The system of education is sometimes set with discrimination that the aims of them are wrong. With architecture on education, the goal should not be “control”, but it should really focusing on “educate”; because only better education can overcome the disadvantages, restraining and forcing is not working. By using open plan and other strategies in designing, architects is able to alter the outcomes of education. Just like teachers, a good school design can instruct students to find their alchemical passions. By upgrading urban plans, the equality and life quality of people with color will be improved; people have more opportunities to receive better education, thus have the chances to apply for better jobs. Architecture is way more than just building; it is culture, it is pathways, it is bring changes.
LikeLike
1. Often times people do not realize the relationship between race and space. Race is usually overlooked when it comes to architecture as it is seemingly irrelevant. However, the design of a space heavily (and usually negatively) impacts a certain race/group of people, according to “Introduction: Black Lives Matter”. There is a belief by Oscar Newman that “maintaining physical order is crucial to maintaining social order”. Architects must realize their impact on society and people, and begin to dissect the core problem of the spaces that negatively impact people of color. How can architects design spaces that are welcoming and safe of violence, racism, and harassment?
2. There is a call for change in the curriculum of architecture schools. It is quite disappointing that most colleges do not teach about the radical, important people of color as a part of their major requirement course. America ultimately was built upon land that was once the Native Americans, by African Americans. Looking back at its history, there is such a heavy relationship between the spaces these people resided in and their color. Just like June Jordan, I believe it is very important, as America is the most diverse country in the world, to be aware of these correlations, especially in the school of architecture. How can learning about the history of America, its space, and its people (of color) affect the design of architecture?
3. Some believe that architects should reject commissions that are for the design of jails, execution chambers, and solitary confinement spaces. Would there be a positive or negative outcome from this act of rejection?
LikeLike
It was really interesting to look back at the history of the United States and seeing how there was a direct relationship between race and space. Redlining, a system of denying people (usually based on race and social class) of different services, confining them to certain designated areas. One of the presenters spoke about how the environment and the housing of an individual shapes their actions. There is factual evidence that there is more violence in the hood or the ghetto where buildings are torn down and deteriorating, compared to that of the richer, predominantly white, neighborhoods where communities are closed off, private, and are constantly maintained well. The design of buildings truly affect people and it is crucial for us architects to understand and create change in this world through our designs.
LikeLike
1. In architecture, does the design of the final construction of a space in any way influence the psychological mindset of everyday humans?
2. Is there any way that today’s architecture, which happens to portray discrimination at times, can make sure that students are living in a healthy and safe environment.
3. From reading, Black Spaces Matter, displays an image of redlining in Philadelphia. Redlining is influencing a certain group of people or race into not living in a particular area in attempt to keep the standard of living high. In what ways can today’s real estate community prevent redlining from happening?
LikeLike
1. There is relatively little diversity in the field of Architecture. This is an example of the bigger problem in architecture. Since there are fewer minority teachers and representation this ultimately trickles down into African American communities as we aren’t taught to design for these communities. Minority communities commonly have fewer public spaces and have inferior designs. How could having more diversity in architecture affect how we design for marginalized communities to help them to prosper?
2. Charles Davis talks about people using propaganda to spread fear of integrated communities to keep black communities separate. This separation kept blacks from attending better school districts and contained in poorer communities. How could societies perception of minorities change if given adequate communities and public resources? How could we change the perception of blacks are poor, cheap, and meaningless through architecture and urban design?
3. Schools, hospitals, and other public spaces in the minority community have been designed the same way, for decades. They met the minimum requirement by law and usually counterproductive? What can we change to use architecture to encourage students to learn and become better members of society through the architecture and design of schools and other learning environments? How does this apply to problems such as incarceration and drug addiction, which are common problems associated with minority communities?
LikeLike
Increasing the amount of communal spaces in communities has proven to significant increase the overall wellbeing of communities. It’s found that even low-income neighborhoods with more communal spaces can have happier residents compared to their higher income neighborhoods with less communal space. So why are low income minority communities to have fewer public spaces, when their community needs communal resources the most. It has to do with racism and disregard for minorities. If we provided the same resources to all communities, it would provide equal opportunity. For example, graduation rates are lower in rural communities, but those communities also have less libraries. That is just one example of how lack of resources can affect entire communities.
LikeLike
1. Based on the reading, “Schools and prisons,” should architecture in rough neighborhoods account for the nature of the location? In other words, should architects implement designs for security solely based on the city or town the building resides in?
2. In the “Black spaces matter,” reading, a lot of the designs become more open. Is it typical for “black spaces” to be more open?
3. In the reading, “Black lives matter,” it is said that racism fundamentally shapes architectural and urban spaces. In what way is this done, and is it a bad thing?
LikeLike
1. Architects shouldn’t necessarily design for stock security but adapt their designs to the facility they are designing. For example for a school, instead of a metal detector in the middle of a corridor, design it to be more inviting.
2. Black spaces aren’t necessarily always open, the state of the design mainly relies on the predilections of the architect.
3. The architectural and urban spaces are motivated and influenced by racism giving notion to the idea of racism and providing insight into that notion.
LikeLike
1. Through design, architects can change the process of authoritarian systems, create domino effects in society as a whole, and change the nature of biopolitics. How can architects or architects control the specific nature of society that changes in the face of these dictatorial systems?
2. In Black Spaces Matter, Davis discusses the sensitivities required for design-related cultures and the intervention sites for the often overlooked black community. What kind of dialogue must be made between the designer and the community to contribute to providing cultural sensitivity in some way, while also contributing to the gradual change?
3. In Black Space Matter, Charles Davis discusses the importance of creating specific spaces for black communities. However, will the creation of these “black spaces” lead to more racial segregation, because these spaces are related to a certain race?
LikeLike
For modern architects and urbanists, it is necessary not only to increase the urgency associated with the creation of black spaces, but also to understand that there are various aspects and variables that can influence “black buildings”. The red line is the systematic division of the community. Communities and communities caused by selective price increases. The wide impact of this process can lead to more problems in these environments. The broken window strategy asserts that if a window is destroyed, the building is not being maintained or noticed, so more people may continue to break the window. In many urban areas, rents are uncontrolled, and if a community suddenly becomes desirable, then there is no stopping upgrade. Minorities are often driven out of their communities and do not receive any benefit from investments or interests in their area.
LikeLike
1. Davis detailed the work of Jordan in June and her influence on architecture. Obviously, this effect is not very broad, which raises the question of how architects should consider the current architectural curriculum and provide a platform for architects, that is, it should be taught as a separate field. Not a mainstream area. In this context, the whitewashed building considers ignorance, giving it a unique individual value, or should it be integrated into the mainstream curriculum to prevent this connotation from continuing?
2. In the reading of “Black Lives Matter”, it touches the close relationship between space and race. Throughout the history of the development of the Americas, architecture has played a role in the process of being deprived of its rights because it has a sense of hierarchy. At this point, looking at past architectural strategies to contribute to the “black life issues” movement, what is another strategy to improve the architectural hierarchy?
3. If the school is designed to promote a sense of openness and learning rather than discipline, does it have a major impact on students’ learning ability?
LikeLike
African Americans have long been banned from the construction industry. By bringing architectural, urban and ethnic dialogues to the academic and public audience, we can explore the multidisciplinary approach of urban, urbanization and urban development, upscale and redevelopment through a layered and complex unique lens.
LikeLike
1. “Schools and Prisons” sheds valuable insight to the modern criminalization of public-school environments. It is entirely true that the implementation of metal detectors, x-ray machines, police officers, and omnipresent surveillance undermines the nature of learning itself, a nature which requires a comforting, welcoming atmosphere. The building’s innate mistrust of its students instills anxiety in its all inhabitants, which devastates learning outcomes. How might society begin to reverse this process of over-surveying students? Even if the school shootings end, will school administrations ever feel safe?
2. In an era where a high-quality camera resides in every person’s pocket almost by default, photography becomes an important vehicle for change. When witnesses to police brutality think fast enough to capture photo or video evidence that incriminate a corrupt police officer in the act, however, said officer usually goes without sentence, often placed on paid administrative leave. How has the legal system become so broken that a police officer can murder an innocent black, have photographic evidence against him, and suffer no serious legal consequences?
3. The “Black Lives Matter” movement has spawned several counter-movements like “blue lives matter,” “white lives matter,” and “all lives matter.” How can we help constituents of and advocates for these counter-movements (and anybody who supports trump/ the alt-right) understand the true purpose of the movement and recognize the need for cultural reform therein?
LikeLike
Police brutality/killing innocent black people stems from a white-conservative ideology that holds the law above the lives of those who disobey it. If a person is in the act of breaking the law, an officer has to spend little energy devising a reason to deem the suspect dangerous. In these scenarios, sudden decisions and quick bodily movements can cost the suspect his life in an instant. There are recordings of black men gunned down for simply raising hands and reaching for wallets; each time the officer gets little more than a slap on the wrist as his justification that “there was reason to believe he was arm” wins trial. Also available are records of officers planting weapons on gunned-down suspects, only some of whom have been indicted. America needs to re-frame its police recruitment, schooling, and comprehensive training systems to counteract the current propensity for police- sociopathy. Another area for necessary reform is punishment system for corrupt-officers, currently plagued by the “blue shield,” by which every officer pledges to never incriminate his fellow officer. This covert oath continues to conceal evidence and testimonies necessary to bring these murderers justice.
Rather than asking “How,” it is crucial to first examine what factors and conditions gave rise to the current police-state of public education and why it matters for black students in poor neighborhoods. Amber Wiley discusses the history of biopolitical schooling, which assimilated ethnic minority groups to white, conservative culture by teaching obedience in preparation for low-paying jobs. In effect, this created the “school-to-prison pipeline” of apathetic dropouts who often turn to crime. For today’s African-american communities, high crime frequencies generate a denser police regimen, which then bleeds into schools where groups of students are constantly at odds, fights and drugs inevitable. With security as top priority, project managers and county officials favor schemes which embed surveillance at every opportunity, aimed at eliminating crime within its walls and preventing potential altercations before they happen.
Violence in schools is no trifling occasion, rather an exploding epidemic of bloodshed at the hands of aggressive, frustrated, and mentally unstable extremists. The vast majority of school killing has been not by poorer minority groups, but at the hands of less socioeconomically-afflicted, white radicals.
LikeLike
1. While admitting that architecture has its autonomy, any building designed for men, built by men and occupied by man will automatically become the extension of the occupants’ social presence & expression. Therefore a lot of time architecture is heavily influenced by the economic and political factors, which could potentially lead to a dangerous situation for architecture as a discipline. These influence factors could be represented in an irrelevant way, but then projected to the neutral architecture to introduce more limitation instead of liberating people from that limitation. Should political correctness ever be used to define architectural design strategy?
2. “black lives matter” should represent “all lives matter”, but most of the time that is not the fact and was abused in many ways. Architecture can be seen as the barricade that resists these abuses, should we see architecture as an enclosed area that resists over-reactions?
3. If decided to open up all public architecture and project to current political correctness onto all the facilities, what could be the potential damage on the architecture’s autonomy?
LikeLike
The political neutrality in the discipline of architecture is hardly capable of maintaining its presence from the ignition of the design because to build a building, both the endorsement of the government and the funding must be obtained. This created a situation where architecture will have to present its form in favor of these parties. We need to understand architecture as a material expression of its social status and political position instead of the aesthetic expression of the material. In this case, architecture merely performs as an instrument no more superior than any facilities and a vehicle that carries the developing society. Therefore, we need to understand the political neutrality in architecture does not mean being free of the political trend, but being free of one fixed political representation. It should be flexible enough to accommodate any social change.
LikeLike
The neutrality of architecture is hardly capable of maintaining its presence since the ignition of design since any architecture will need both the government endorsement and the funding. This creates a situation where architecture must present its form in favor of these parties no matter what it originally wanted to become. In other word, the presence of architecture in a civilized society must take resources controlled by a political entity and thus must speak for that entity. In this case, the architecture is the material presentation of its social status and political position, instead of an aesthetical presentation of the material. In any developing society, architecture is no more superior than any facilities and perform as a vehicle that carries the proceeding society. Therefore, the political neutrality of architecture is to be considered not as being free of any political trend, but being free of one fixed political stand and being flexible to accommodate any social change.
LikeLike