COMMUNITY DESIGN

SPRING 2021

Ellipsis:

CREATING SPACE FOR EXPRESSION & HEALING AMIDST THE LIMINAL EXPERIENCE OF DISPLACEMENT

VISUALIZATION OF COMMUNITY CENTER ENTRANCE AND STATIC GALLERY SPACE WITH SIGHT-LINE INTO PAINTING STUDIO ON LEVEL 1

LIMINAL

adjective

1: relating to a transitional or initial stage of a process.

2: occupying a position at, or on both sides of, a boundary or threshold.

ELLIPSIS

noun

1: a : the omission of one or more words that are obviously understood but that must be supplied to make a construction grammatically complete b : a sudden leap from one topic to another

2: marks or a mark (such as ... ) indicating an omission (as of words) or a pause

VISUALIZATION OF CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH DISPLACEMENT

Displaced people seeking asylum in European countries face significant issues adjusting to their countries of refuge. They must overcome language barriers, anti-immigrant/anti-refugee sentiment, meeting basic needs, finding legal work opportunities, and of course navigating the asylum system (Chaos at the Gates of Paris, Ferris). These challenges are exacerbated by cooling government attitudes towards asylum seekers, skewed media portrayals, and increasingly negative perceptions of displaced people by host communities (Baldini, D’Haenens). As a result, asylum seekers have shared experiences of isolation, hardship, and trauma both from their journey as a displaced person and their experience as an asylum seeker (LADBible). Many more develop or are at greater risk of developing mental illness or even considering suicide (Maan).

Art has been shown to be an incredibly impactful and healing tool both for processing trauma or experience and for fostering connection and deeper understanding (McNiff). In some locations in the US, art is already being used to help immigrant and refugee children to find voice to express their experiences and identity.

Without seeking to entirely resolve an incredibly complex and multifaced issue, this research seeks to understand the experience of asylum seekers in order to develop ways of allowing asylum seekers to express and share their experience and to re-frame public perceptions through a designed environment in the 18th arrondisement of Paris. Paris is heavily populated with immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers and although many of the most prolific slums have been resolved, many tent cities continue to exist as asylum seekers settle in Paris to begin the asylum process.

Ellipsis is a dynamic community project in the north of Paris that seeks to address issues of isolation, rejection, and liminality in order to ameliorate and bring awareness to the experience of displacement. Ellipsis establishes a community arts center, La Langue de Lien (the Language of Connection) to provide both practical support to asylum seekers and space for them to create, express their experience, and opportunities to make connections with other asylum seekers, refugees, and members of their host communities.

DIAGRAMMATIC EXPLORATIONS OF LIMINAL SPACE

REFUGEE

a person who, owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, member- ship in a particular social group, or political opinion, is unable to or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country (1951 United Nations (UN) Geneva Convention).

ASYLUM SEEKER

asylum seekers may describe themselves as refugees, but remain asylum seekers while awaiting a decision on their application for refugee status.

DISPLACED PERSON

usually someone who has been forced to flee his or her home owing to civil war or persecution, often on religious or political grounds, but has been displaced within their country of origin, rather than a different country.

JUMP TO LECTURE

EXPRESSION

Ellipsis provides space for personal and collective expression of emotional, psychological, and physical experience through a diversity of art forms. Giving voice to the voiceless and reclaiming

identity.

CONNECTION

Ellipsis connects asylum seekers with resources, with a community of other asylum seekers and refugees, and with the community in their host country.

HEALING

The process of creating and exhibiting artwork helps to heal trauma associated with displacement as well as being a bridge to overcome the schism between asylum seekers and refugees

and the communities in their host country.

ABSTRACT VISUALIZATION OF SPATIAL INTERACTION

EXPLODED BLOCKING DIAGRAM SHOWING SPATIAL INTERACTION BETWEEN LEVELS

public spaces

COMMUNITY LOUNGE SPACE OPENING OFF OF STATIC GALLERY SPACE

Public spaces, such as galleries and lounge spaces, are positioned along street facing walls to capitalize on sightlines between the larger public space of the city and the interiors, inviting passers-by inside and inspiring curiosity and deeper investigation. The positioning of these spaces also capitalizes on the unique existing architecture of Paris. Specifically, the large door- window features which open onto the street allow an even greater porosity to be created between the interior spaces and the street. The finishes and colors incorporated into the space seek to create a sense of place is nonetheless oriented towards celebrating artwork and expression. The finishes in the gallery spaceand lounge spaces incorporate pattern and color language that seeks to transcend cultural barriers. Aqua blues and warm neutral tones evoke positive and welcoming energy which reads similarly across cultural perspectives from western Europe, North Africa, East Africa, and the Middle East.

VISUALIZATION OF FURNITURE FLEXIBILITY IN PERFORMANCE GALLERY SPACE

community spaces

VISUALIZATION OF COMMUNITY DINING + KITCHEN SPACE - PROVIDING OPPORTUNITY FOR CONNECTION AND EXPRESSION THROUGH FOOD AND INTERACTION

La Langue de Lien also provides flexible and diverse studio spaces which embrace a variety of different types of art and expression. The interior finishes in these studio spaces remain minimalistic to allow the artwork created here and the act of creation to take precedence. The positioning of the studio spaces on the second floor (le premier étage) allow the makers to have privacy. At the same time, windows, portals, and adjacency to gallery spaces allow sight-lines into some of the studios which provide the opportunity for visual interaction and invite empathy between the public and artists and asylum seekers.

The design also addresses “liminal spaces” such as hallways to activate the physical spaces that mirror the “in-between” and “forgotten” experience of displacement. Color activates corridors and stairwells on the ground level (le rez-de-chaussée). On the second level (le premier étage), the corridors are activated with lighting, recessed seating, and sight-lines to the first level and into studio spaces which interrupt the experience of the “in between.” The activation of corridors with seating and larger lounge spaces also encourages chance- encounters and interactions which facilitate the creation of new connections.

Art (from painting, to cinematography, to sculpture, to dance) acts as a vehicle for processing the adversities of displacement and sharing those challenges and experiences with a larger community. Through the collective experience of creating and also engaging with artistic creation, Ellipsis inspires the development of empathy for asylum seekers and seeks to heal the divide between communities, challenging misconceptions and negative perceptions (McNiff).

VISUALIZATION OF COMMUNITY PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO

BUILDING SECTION HIGHLIGHTING RIYAD-INSPIRED ENGAGED COURTYARD

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