Urban Murmur

Workshop in the Kouk Khleang community

2012-01-09T15:00:00.000-08:00

Saturday 7.1 we gave a workshop in the Kouk Khleang community a bit outside the city center, just north of the airport.

Before going on this feedback-trip we have been in contact with a couple of Finnish architects we already knew, Inari Virkkala and Noora Aaltonen from Komitu Architects. They are currently working on the design and building process of a new youth centre in the Kouk Khleang community and have some useful contacts with the youth there via KKKHRDA. We decided to collaborate in the work shop. For preparations we bought a used bicycle, some tape, and some string.

We wanted to present the idea of a mobile library, carried by a bicycle, to encourage the interest in reading from an early age. This idea originates from the collaboration between NGO Room to Read and a group of students from the course of 2011. We also wanted to try some different “up-cycling” ideas using old material like empty plastic bottles or bottle-caps. An important aspect was the collaboration between the community members, the students from RUFA and us.

We decorated the bicycle together. People could choose to work on one of the three parts: basket in the front, box in the back or frame. For children we had things to draw with and examples of bicycles from 20th century Florence. We also made some small boxes out of bottle caps and bottle halves, bracelets out of can as well as a few tippy-taps (easy-to-make system for washing hands) which we hang outside the toilets of the community center.

When testing the bike for a ride around the community the idea seemed to work. Kids wanted to borrow some books. The borrowing system seemed unfamiliar to them though, and a mother suggested the community should have a meeting to inform everyone how it could work. This was then suggested to the community leader, and he said that he would take responsibly for this. Also the tippy taps seemed popular among the youngsters in the community for washing hands people were also happy about the upcycling and the children seemed to like to draw and help with the bike decorations.

Lectures in Phnom Phen

2012-01-05T14:00:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday 4.1 we gave a guest lecture at Royal University of Fine Arts

Royal University of Fine Arts, RUFA is a university of architecture, archaeology, urbanism and plastic arts. Phnom Penh has a few schools of architecture, whereas RUFA is the only public option. The City in Crisis group collaborated with RUFA on a workshop called “A city for all” in 2010 and 2011. and we wanted to show the Cambodian students the results of the work we had done after returning to Finland.

Our goal was to present the works of the City in Crisis courses in 2010 and 2011 and to open a discussion about the projects with the RUFA students. We also wanted to recruit some students for a workshop we were planning in a urban poor community later the same week.

In the lecture we presented briefly the projects of City in Crisis 2010, and more in detail the projects from 2011. We also showed some Khmer architecture we find inspiring, mostly from Vann Molyvann, perhaps the most important architect for modern Khmer architecture. At the end of the lecture we told about our other plans for the feedback trip and invited students to join the program.

Around 30 students attended the lecture, including the City in Transition course of Aalto University with 10 students and 2 teachers. Some students stayed for a while after the lecture to discuss issues like bamboo treatment, angles on roofs, practicalities of occupying the railway etc. 9 students joined us for Saturdays workshop and we met them on Thursday to discuss plans for the work shop.

The same evening we gave a public lecture at Meta House:

META HOUSE: German Cambodian Cultural Center is a forum for Cambodian culture which supports Cambodian artists and promotes the development of contemporary art in Cambodia through local and international exhibitions, workshops, community-based projects etc. by fostering links with South East Asian and international universities, galleries, curators, non-governmental and governmental organizations. META HOUSE is established as a forum and meeting place for artists, including architects. They have lectures, presentations and film screenings weekly.

We contacted the META HOUSE just before they finished their program late December, and they managed to squeeze us in while we were here. We wanted to show our ideas to the interested public to get feedback, and also to expand our network to see if any of the ideas could be developed further.

The presentation of the projects was basically the same as the lecture at RUFA earlier the same day. We had also invited represents of Komitu Architects, a group of former students of the City in Crisis course, to present their Youth Center project that is about to be realized in Kouk Khleang community.

About 30 expatiates and locals joined us for this presentation. In general the feedback was that they appreciated the presentation, and found it important to discuss these subjects in Phnom Phen in different forums. After the presentation we had some small discussions with different people, one of which was the curator for this years Cambodian festival of architecture, who wanted to publish some of our work in the festival.

A big thank you goes to RUFA and Meta House for offering us space and equipment for giving the lectures. We are also grateful to Pagna Serey for translating at the RUFA lecture.

City in Crisis feed back trip 2012

2011-12-30T03:26:00.000-08:00

Three students of the Finnish Aalto University course City in Crisis are traveling to Phnom Phen, Cambodia in the beginning of January 2012 to present projects done during the course. The students will give lectures and arrange work shops connected to the projects made during the City in Crisis course. Publications of the course can be found on: http://issuu.com/aalto_cic

A preliminary plan for the feed back trip is:

Wednesday 4.1.2012
Lecture for students 8:00 in the morning in building D at Royal University of Fine Arts (RUFA).
We will present projects from 2010 and 2011 City in Crisis course and discuss about them with the students. We will also tell about the program for the rest of the week

Wednesday 4.1.2012
Public presentation at 19:00 at the Meta House
#37 Sothearos Boulevard, Songkhat Tonle Bassak, Khan Chamkarmon
This event is arranged together with Komitu Architects, www.komituarchitects.org

Thuursday 5.1: Preparation for Sat work shop (evening)

Saturday 7.1.2012
One day work shop: Rout to read at Kouk Khleang Youth Center site, 12am-6pm
Kouk Khleang Community, near the air port, north of the railway
This event is arranged together with Komitu Architects, www.komituarchitects.org

Places and exact times of the events will be updated when they are known.
The events on Facebook: feedback trip: Aalto University City in Crisis course - Feed back trip to Phnom Phen
Public lecture: Presentation of City in Crisis -course works and Kouk Khleang Youth Center

At the same time two other groups connected to Aalto University will be in Phnom Phen. The City in Transition course and Komitu Architects, who are building a youth center in Kouk Khleang Community.

News about the City in Crisis course

2011-12-21T01:45:00.000-08:00

Students from the City in Crisis courses of 2010 and 2011 are travelling to Phnom Phen in January to present projects done during the courses. You are warmly welcome to the open lecture held on Wednesday 4.1. More information in the Facebook event: Aalto University City in Crisis course - Feed back trip to Phnom Phen. Here you can find publications made on the both courses: http://issuu.com/aalto_cic.

Open publication - Issuu, free publishing

Charlotte Nyholm has made a thesis project: Regeneration of Two Urban Poor Communities in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Open publication - Issuu, free publishing

2009-12-23T18:05:00.000-08:00

GREETINGS TO THE MUNICIPALITY OF PHNOM PENH

Wishes concerning the living conditions of the residents of the Boeung Kak 20th Community were collected on postcards in Khmer language. The wishes were sent to the Municipality of Phnom Penh (#69 Monivong Bulevard) from the main post office on 21.12.2009. We hope them to catalyst some future improvements by the municipality in the area (e.g. sanitation, electricity distribution, safety).

Most of the postcards are posted below. An A1-sized poster of all the postcards is available, please contact us (at helsinkiphnompenh@gmail.com ) and we'll send the file to you!

2009-12-22T18:03:00.000-08:00

2009-12-21T18:46:00.000-08:00

Care instructions for a Mango tree

(by a helpful flower storekeeper)

We gave a mango to the community as thanks for letting us use their yard for the workshop - Hope it grows strong and bears loads of fruit!

2009-12-21T17:13:00.001-08:00

Feedback trip to Phnom Penh in December 2009

Three Finnish Archietcture students from the Helsinki University of Technology - Noora Aaltonen, Sisko Hovila and Inari Virkkala - were presenting their book "Cambodia 2009" and the urban planning projects and ideas inside it in Phnom Penh in December 2009.

"During the trip we gave three presentations, at Royal University of Fine Arts (later RUFA), Baitong restaurant and at a community at the Boeung Kak lake, where we also organized a one-day workshop. Troughout the week we met with various stakeholders, made preparations for the community workshop and collected material for the coming TKK students.

We see the workshop at the Boeung Kak 20th community as the most successful outcome of the trip. We felt that our cleaning and recycling workshop was inspiring to the local residents as many locals joined the action spontaneously. We were astonished of the involvement of the participating students from RUFA (thank you all!) and extremely grateful for Sahmakum Teang Tnaut for their great contribution in organizing the whole day!"

WORKSHOP ON SATURDAY 19.12.2009 AT THE BOEUNG KAK LAKE

One day workshop with RUFA students, STT employees and the community members. Boeung Kok lake, village 20.

10.00 Meeting and division of tasks

-Collecting garbage in the community and collecting material for the recycling workshop
-Spreading out postcards for the community residents to send their wishes to Municipality of Phnom Penh
-Translation of the project sheets from English to Khmer

13.00 Lunch prepared by the Community members

14.00 Recycling workshop:

creating a multifunctional carpet by weaving out of the waste (e.g. plastic bags, straws) found on site

-Discussion between RUFA students and the Community members.
-Collecting greetings from the RUFA students to TKK students

18.00 Presentation for the community

(approximately 60 attendants) at the community leaders front yard.

2009-12-17T10:57:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the WORKSHOP on saturday 19.12. at the Boeung Kak lake in Phnom Penh!

10.00 Meeting in the corner of the street 86 and the Hotel Phnom Penh
10-13 Working
13-14 Lunch (provided by us)
14-17 Working
17.30 Presentation and exhibition

-Please wear clothes that can also get dirty and bring working gloves with you if you have some!
-Please bring some drinking water with you

W E L C O M E !

2009-12-10T13:49:00.000-08:00

Hey if you'd have any questions you can reach us either via email or now via our cambodian mobile:

(+855) 978 159 326

inari.virkkala@gmail.com
noora.aaltonen@tkk.fi
sisko.hovila@gmail.com

---------- Invitation ----------

W E L C O M E !

Presentation series of Urban planning projects of students from Helsinki University of Technology. After our field work period in Phnom Penh in the spring 2009, we came up with various sustainable strategies for the growth of the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh. Be warmly welcome to attend our presentations of those ideas in Phnom Penh and in Helsinki!

MONDAY 14.12.2009
Royal University of Fine Arts (RUFA), Phnom Penh
A presentation for the university students.

THURSDAY 17.12.2009
Baitong Restaurant,
No. 7, Street 360, BKK1, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

SATURDAY 19.12.2009
One day workshop at one of residential communities, time and location
will be confirmed soon!

10.00 Meeting and ideation
Division of tasks
Lunch break
Preparing the site
16.00 Presentations and exhibition of the results

The task is to create a temporary open air auditorium and exhibition
out of recycled materials found on site. An idea sheet will be
provided for the residents and visitors to write and draw their ideas
and comment on ours.

TUESDAY 2.2.2010 (In Finland)
Presentation of the results of the Feedback week to the TKK (Helsinki
University of Technology) students

W E L C O M E !

2009-12-01T04:17:00.000-08:00

2009-11-21T17:57:00.000-08:00

Sadly the Boeung Kak lake is desappearing day by day, here is an image of Bayon magazine showing how the lake is soon to to leave the whole map...

2009-11-05T07:56:00.000-08:00

2008-10-29T08:26:00.000-07:00

The Feedback Week - Check out timing from Events on sidebar. Locations will be announced later on.

Our book - Cambodia 2009 - will be downloadable from these pages within the next weeks.