Participation in Architecture : Agonism in Practice
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Participation in Architecture : agonism in practice Ammon Beyerle 2018 Doctor of Philosophy by Creative Works and Dissertation The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning / Melbourne School of Design Supervisors: Doctor Karen Burns and Professor Kim Dovey Submitted in total fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy [This thesis is accompanied by five Creative Works booklets] This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Ammon Beyerle, 2018 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0480-2708 ABSTRACT Abstract Literature about participation in architecture promised architecture the restoration of a moral dimension, arguing that participation would offer opportunities for empowerment and deliver broad benefits. To its disservice, the field of participation has been dominated by a rational ideology, and a focus on agreement and decision-making – incorporated in the term ‘consensus’. The dominant approach to participation has been at the expense of difference, passions, arguments, resistances and tensions present in the participatory process – incorporated here in the term ‘agonism’. Exacerbating this gap between consensus and agonism, a lack of real-world examples and analysis of everyday participation, has led to a quite limited practical language about participation or descriptions of the concrete process of participation in action, and arguably an avoidance to design and critique participatory processes in architecture and urban design. This Doctor of Philosophy attempts to do participation in architecture through a series of Creative Works in practice, by carefully considering approach, and, designing for difference and bottom-up empowerment of others with social, physical, emotional and psychological benefits specific to each project. The methodology exposed the realities of participation in architectural design practice with communities, highlighting social themes for exploration and multiple modes for practice. This research project demonstrates that agonism is an action- orientated way forward for participation, arguing that the tension between architecture and participation is actually productive. It concludes that difference rather than consensus is crucial to participation, suggesting for architectural and urban design practice that the philosophical role of an architect is to consciously create and maintain opportunities to keep alive the participatory process in the world, by critically designing participation. Ammon Beyerle / PARTICIPATION IN ARCHITECTURE : AGONISM IN PRACTICE Page iii ABSTRACT Page iv PARTICIPATION IN ARCHITECTURE : AGONISM IN PRACTICE / Ammon Beyerle Declaration This is to certify that: – the thesis comprises only my original work towards the PhD except where indicated – due acknowledgement has been made in the text to all other material used, – the thesis is fewer than 100,000 words in length, exclusive of tables, maps, bibliographies and appendices. Ammon Beyerle / PARTICIPATION IN ARCHITECTURE : AGONISM IN PRACTICE Page v Page vi PARTICIPATION IN ARCHITECTURE : AGONISM IN PRACTICE / Ammon Beyerle Acknowledgements Many people provided support to me in this PhD project, a long project of numerous stages. Through positive relationships at The University of Melbourne, Faculty of Architecture, Building, and Planning, I gained the particular impetus and purpose for my research direction: Ian Woodcock, Paul Walker, Catherine Bull, Philip Goad, Kate Gamble, Anna Maskiell, Justyna Karakiewicz, Angela Alessi, Darko Radović, Steve Whitford, Tom Kvan, Jeff Turnbull, Mario Gutjahr, Eckhart Hertzsch, Chris Ryan, Michael Trudgeon, Scott Drake, Beatriz Maturana, Rennie Liffen, Graham Brawn, John Sadar, and my current supervisors and panel members. I was part of Urban Village Melbourne which was, next to my academic relationships, the foundation for starting my research, my creative approach and my community development practice. This resonates today. For the genuine invitation to commence my PhD at Monash University, Caulfield: Shane Murray. There I was given physical resources, and gained a valuable perspective of art and design via staff and other students, including my initial panel members: Terri Bird, Tom Nicholson and Bernard Hoffert, and visiting critic Lee Stickells. I sincerely thank the professional staff Pat Douglas and members of the Graduate Research School for treating me so kindly, and professionally. The University of Melbourne welcomed me back at the end of my second year with study support and the presence of professional research staff Jane Trewin, Steven Thurlow, and Sally Jones. For my ethics permission Ceira Barr, Stephanie Flanagan, Ray Green, Clare Delany and Kate Murphy. As a research project by Creative Works, none of my work would have been possible without the enduring effort of my collaborators in practice, and my Co-Director for six years. In addition, I wish to show gratitude to my other professional partnerships over this time each of which had strong impacts on my thinking and practice – and need not be identified in this document. Staff at Here Studio, and numerous volunteers believed in and gave to our projects, as did our clients. (Although I have named a limited few in this thesis, I endeavoured to list all the important contributors to my projects in my professional practice). To this I want to mention my studio team for the unspoken aspects of supporting a PhD researcher, including working with an absent director that provided fluctuating focus and finish, against inconsistent levels of critique and guidance – I understand this meant willingly taking on my projects, working alone and picking up innumerable loose threads outside of my research. For my finishing period I note my Associate Director Phillipa Hall. Ammon Beyerle / PARTICIPATION IN ARCHITECTURE : AGONISM IN PRACTICE Page vii Over the duration of this journey I have had many mentors and friends that helped me get through the emotional and practical aspects of the work: Kate Shaw, Dianne Moy, Nirvana, Mary-Ann Jackson, Ralph Green, and in the end Greg Missingham, without whose estimation, reassurance, collegiality and editing I may not have made it in the end. My research mates should also get a mention: Simon Wollan, Tim Derham, Ceri Hann, Patrick Sunter, Andreanne Doyon, Elek Pafka, Rochus Hinkel, Hayley Henderson, Stephanie Liddicoat, Kelum Palipane and Jonathan Daly. There have been many others that have encouraged me, often through simply listening to me, inviting me in to explore and sharing their own work. A special mention: Lachlan McDowell, Marni Badham, and Danielle Wyatt. I appreciate my panel members providing me vital ingredients including an understanding and belief in Creative Works. Janet McGaw for persistent encouragement, suggestions and positive critique. Alex Selenitsch for creative wisdom and lateral discussion. Thank you to my minor supervisor whose decade-long mentorship inspired me to an awareness of urban design theory, to whom my research seeks to respond, Kim Dovey. I reserve this pre-final paragraph for the endurance of my principal supervisor whom I share a nuanced perspective for the need, approach and tone to this research, Karen Burns. Thanks to my family, Frankie, Arie Andrea Beyerle James, and my life partner Michelle Emma James. Page viii PARTICIPATION IN ARCHITECTURE : AGONISM IN PRACTICE / Ammon Beyerle TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents Abstract iii Prologue 1 Introduction 7 Theory Review 19 what is (agonistic) participation and architecture 1968-9: the ladder of participation 21 1970s: building the unfinished 26 1980s: the theory of communicative action 35 1990s: occupying architecture 44 2000-2006: architecture and participation 55 2007-2011: spatial agency 69 Conclusion 74 Practice Review 83 how to do (agonistic) participation in architecture Principles for Architecture 85 Principles for Urban Design 90 Art Praxis: social practice and antinomous value 95 Conclusion 97 Research Methods 101 Creative Works 109 List of Creative Works 111 Explicating the Creative Works 117 Discussion – Part 1 121 a case by case critique Case Study 1 – Cathedral Place: site/space 125 Case Study 2 – Pop-up Hub Melbourne: making/materialisation 130 Case Study 3 – Hub Melbourne: practice/place 136 Case Study 4 – Ballarat Civic Hall / Coworking Space: facilitation/leadership 143 Conclusion 150 Discussion – Part 2 155 a synthesis Philosophical processes framing (critical) participation in architecture 157 Questions describing what is (and how to do) participation in architecture 161 Conclusion 170 Conclusion 173 Epilogue 181 Ammon Beyerle / PARTICIPATION IN ARCHITECTURE : AGONISM IN PRACTICE Page ix TABLE OF CONTENTS Bibliography 183 Appendix 1 – Matrix of Projects 205 Page x PARTICIPATION IN ARCHITECTURE : AGONISM IN PRACTICE / Ammon Beyerle PROLOGUE Prologue I can’t remember since when, but architecture for me has always required both a personal and professional undertaking. Rejecting early on the implication that learning a profession and practicing should be dispassionate, it became a key principle to me that an architect could only produce good architecture in relationships with other people. So, I rejected any assertion that involving other people in the process compromises the outcome. I returned to Melbourne in 2005 to complete my final degree in Architecture, after what seemed a lifetime abroad,