2017

REFUGEES WELCOME

Reinventing the Architectural Possibilities of a Refugee Center in the Heart of Madrid

Ufuk Ersoy | David Franco | Ulrike Heine

FOREWORD

One of the discussions that emerges recurrently whenever we tackle difficult social issues through architecture deals with the possibilities of our discipline to produce an actual impact over such complex realities. This hesitation is even greater in an environment like the schools of architecture, in which the exploration of process-oriented and alternative ideas is encouraged over final and more direct solutions. In another words, the question we are asking ourselves here is if really there is a contradiction between architecture’s social ambitions and its experimental drive towards new forms and materialities? Rather than struggling to choosing between them or finding a middle ground between these two sides, the studio presented in this publication, which took place in Clemson University during the Fall of 2017, attempted to merge them without giving up any of the essential values that each of them represent. Focused on the extremely complex framework of the European refugee crisis, the studio project demanded from the students to rethink the fundamental question of how contemporary societies treat ‘the other’, and to use their answers as creative fuel towards new forms of urban architecture. In this way, the question of social justice in the built environment goes beyond providing a critical perspective to the world we live in, by opening, also, a cultural frame for creativity and discovery.

Introduction

PROJECT BACKGROUND

This studio called attention to a serious problem that has become increasingly demanding and started to occupy the future vision of the cities in the Northern hemisphere: the refugee crisis. The number of asylum seekers who arrived in European cities only during the years of 2015 and 2016 was approximately 2.5 Million. And, this migration is not expected to come to an end so soon. In these circumstances, two fundamental questions wait for answers from architects: (1) Where and how can these refugees dwell in the cities? (2) Are there alternative to the refugee camp within these urban environments?

It is difficult to overstate the seriousness of the situation produced by the European refugee crisis since 2013. Not only societies or political bodies have been incapable to respond to the massive presence of refugee from Syria, Iraq and other countries. European cities have also been unable to find a place for millions of productive –and often highly educated– people. This scenario puts an incredible stress on our discipline, as thinkers and designers of cities, reveling the weakness of architectural design in terms of its capacity to produce relevant social transformations. In such context, reimagining how a building in an urban context, and the public space around it can host refugees in a socially comprehensive way becomes an extremely significant exercise. An exercise that implies understanding and rethinking aspects as diverse as the potential role of the refugees in an urban setting, the possibilities for a positive social and architectural impact in the specific site, the complexities of the perception that a building of this kind will have for the rest of the society. In this studio we used the AIA COTE Students Competition as a way to approach this problem without simplifying it, attending not only to questions related specifically to the refugee crisis but also to climate, technology, space and culture. With that end we worked on a series or urban sites in Madrid (Spain), specially chosen to put in play the questions proposed by the competition brief, as well as the general theme of the studio.

GENERAL THEME

Below is a short but very revealing excerpt about the refugee crisis by the Polish thinker Zygmunt Bauman, extracted form the book “Strangers at Our Door”, one of the required readings for this studio:

“Massive migration is by no means a novel phenomenon; it accompanied the modern era from its very beginning (though time and again modifying, and occasionally reversing, its direction) – as our ‘modern way of life’ includes the production of ‘redundant people’ (locally ‘inutile’ – excessive and unemployable – due to economic progress, or locally intolerable – rejected as a result of unrest, conflicts and strife caused by social/political transformations and subsequent power struggles).”

As Bauman explains in the text, the problem of the refugees relates to many other excluded social groups in the contemporary capitalist society. Therefore, this project is not only a direct answer to a specific problem. It is also a way of exploring and testing how architecture can respond to challenging social and political issues.

SITE CONSIDERATIONS

The sites from which the student were able to chose from to develop the Refugee Center are SIX public spaces and squares near the historic center of Madrid, all of them connected around the axis the Gran Vía Avenue. Gran Vía was one of Madrid’s major urban operations at the start of the 20th century. This new thoroughfare became the main commercial and cultural hub in the city centre and the trunk route for east-west mobility. In the back streets around it, however, there are several empty public spaces within the compact historic core, which show obvious signs of spatial, economic and social degradation. One of the main reasons for this degradation was the transformation of most of these spaces in the 1970s and 1980s into roofs for underground public car parks, built without consideration of the need for above-ground public spaces, as their de-sign obeyed the technical and economic logic of underground infrastructure.

Three of these squares lie north of Gran Vía:

- PLAZA DE LOS MOSTENSES

- PLAZA DE SANTA MARÍA SOLEDAD TORRES ACOSTA

- PLAZA DE PEDRO ZEROLO.

Another three are south of Gran Vía:

- PLAZA DE SANTO DOMINGO

- PLAZA DE LAS DESCALZAS

- PLAZA DEL CARMEN

The City Council is currently proposing a total urban renewal of these spaces, including the possibility of intervention on the underground car parks and their access infrastructure (vehicle ramps, stairs, lifts, etc.). We will use this real scenario of transformation as an opportunity to develop a refugee center inside or within the boundaries of one or several these public spaces.

PROGRAMMATIC APPROACH

Due to the newness of the question asked by the project, the program of the building was fully open for consideration. Anyhow, the main goal was proposing alternative to the typology of a Refugee Camp, in which refuges are merely placed, aiming only to cover their bare necessities. Instead, we should think of a building that can beyond serving as a residence for a smaller group, will also give service to the wider community of refugees. The center should also embrace the symbolic representation of the community in a especially visible area of the city. Some of the programmatic areas covered by the building could have been:

- ACCOMMODATION. Accommodation and support for the resident applicant and his family..

- INFORMATION, GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING. Orientation for the social, labor and cultural integration of the asylum applicant in the Spanish society.

- LEGAL ADVICE. Advice and processing of requests for Asylum and shelter

- HEALTH CARE. Individualized psychosocial care, group or community; Guidance on health issues and assistance delivery required through the public health system

- CHILD CARE AND FORMAL EDUCATION. Schooling of minors

- BASIC AND PROFESSIONAL TRAINING. Assistance for vocational training and learning Spanish

- PROMOTION OF ASSOCIATIONISM AND SENSITIZATION. Collaboration with social entities (city councils, NGOs, Cultural associations, businesses, churches, communities, neighborhood associations, cultural centers and Social groupings)

- SOCIOCULTURAL ANIMATION. Cultural activities, leisure and free time, etc.

These were only a series of suggestions of the kind activities that the center could hold. The actual definition of the program was part of the project.

CONNECTIVITY HUB

KSENIA KRASNOVA | YIBO ZENG

A place for the community, for integration, a place for communication, a place for rest, a place for learning, a place for entertainment, a meeting place, a place for help, a place for a feast - this is a market square. The market square in the center of Madrid (Plaza Mostenses) now looks more like parking with lifeless facades, which a large stream of local residents uses only for transit. Realization of a large social, ecological and economic potential of the area is a priority of the project. Focusing on the city project, which should transform the square and give the city an effectively functioning space for many years to come, the services necessary for local residents were put in the forefront. But refugee issue perplex the people around the world. The project aims to response the situation happened in the Madrid city in this field due to last wave of refugees. The square was chosen due to its central location and ineffective contemporary usage of its potential. It is currently occupied by the old malfunctioning market building, lot of parking spots and roads. The project keeps the market feature, as necessary traditional attribute of the square

and combines it with the public kitchen to serve and connect the residents with the refugees. The building program is designed based on the local climate and peoples’ daily life needs. One of the main parameters for design was the urban context. Form of the building is following functions, people circulation and square space formation to create natural integration in terms of scale and functioning. The double skin or second facade, which covers all the building and part on outdoor public spaces, is made of recycled plastic provides the in-between space with reduced sunlight, higher humidity where people can relax and communicate. All climate specialties are considered and used as an advantage. For example, the solar panels on the roof provide the electric power for the building. 200000 plastic bottles make the building skin, it saves the material and reduces the pollution. Activation of ground floor level life creates vibrant pedestrian city square, which is gonna accumulate city life and economical efficiency.

HEALING THE GROUND

AMANDA KRISTOFF | ELISA PADILLA

Healing [the] Ground is an architectural project in Madrid, Spain in response to the current refugee crisis in the European Union. The project is a radical reuse and adaptation of an existing underground parking that eliminates 481 car spots in the heart of Madrid. Having 66% of the total existing area being reused for passive air-cooling, 84% of the infrastructure recycled, 143% of storm water captured and stored on site, and only 5,900 of new sq ft of built intervention, the project is highly active in the ecosystem of the city. As of today, 1.3 Million refugees -the majority from Middle Eastern countries- have fled their homelands seeking asylum in the EU. In 2015, Spain made a commitment to the relocation of 9,363 refugees but only 1,286 have been officially relocated. Madrid has vocalized an exceptional positive feeling towards welcoming refugees into their community making our site a prime location for our project. Through the architectural intervention proposed driven by adaptive re-use strategies and passive systems, our project’s program focuses on creating a shared space for both refugees and locals to interact and avoid isolation. It encourages the integration of refugees into their new community through the manipulation of the urban landscape and the spatial qualities of the built environment. The site is the Santa Maria Soledad de Torres Acosta Plaza located just North of the major circulation vein, Gran Via. Currently, the existing space holds a vast and underused plaza with three levels of parking below grade. Our proposal is to renovate the plaza creating a healing ground for refugees while simultaneously providing a sustainable design solution through the recycling of

the existing, yet, underused parking structure. The introduction of local flora and fauna and passive systems play a key role in the overall design strategy. Having the majority of the program located below grade, allows us to maintain an open plaza space at ground level while taking advantage of the open space left by the parking structure. Canopies of varying programs symbolize protection and a helping hand for refugees. The Integration Center and the Children’s Center are designed to foster a safe place for refugees that seek help. A Café at ground level, right above a Gallery space promotes the interaction and cultural acceptance between locals and refugees. The landscape design has been meticulously thought out by selecting specific plant species local to the region and native to the refugee countries not only to create a comforting and welcoming environment, but to attracts local fauna such as birds and butterflies into the courtyards. Pre-conditioned air provides thermal comfort in the hot and dry climate while a water retention system supports a natural urban landscape created throughout the plaza. The programmatic elements of the site suit the needs of both refugees and locals providing plenty of opportunity for social interaction. By addressing the wellness of the refugees, the community as a whole begins to thrive. Ultimately the goal of the project is to help provide resources and opportunities to lessen the burden of integration and create a sustainable space resulting in communal wellness.

INTERCONNECT

MADISON POLK | HARRISON POLK

Interconnect is a refugee integration center located in Plaza de las Descalzas, designed to aid the process of integration for a growing refugee population in the city of Madrid, Spain. The building occupies the site of an abandoned bank building and shares public plaza space with a historic convent, gallery/event space, contemporary shopping center, and a collection of other mixed-use programs. Interconnect is a contemporary project that responds to its immediate urban context to provide connectivity to an existing network of pedestrian paths in the city center, echoing the belief that refugees should feel like they can belong in Madrid. Currently, Plaza de las Descalzas is an under-activated site in the middle of the pedestrian network that connects a total of 8 streets and 5 public plazas. The footprint of the integration center aims to achieve a strong urban fit by extending a pedestrian path through the site and framing additional public space that will encourage healthy physical and social interactions between local and refugee user groups. The 55,360 square foot integration center provides the city with much needed space for program necessary to help acclimate refugees to a new society; these include a refugee service center, a community media center, and a gallery. The refugee service center provides legal, professional, financial, and childcare services to the refugee population. The community media

center brings locals and refugees together in one space by providing access to information and technology; a coffee bar and café provide flexible space where users are invited to spend their time. Dedicated to culture and art exhibitions, the gallery space is designed to provide physical connection for the building programs, as well as social connection for people by educating them about the refugee experience, and providing space where Madrid and refugee cultures can come together. Practicality and cost efficiency characterize the relationships designed between structure, material assemblies, and sustainable strategies for the project. A series of terraces and large window openings are carved out of the building’s monumental form to provide views of the city, further connecting users to the surrounding urban context. While solid, rough textured Berroquena granite distinguishes the building’s exterior; the interior spaces are open and flexible, defined by indirect natural daylight and grand circulation around a central atrium. Locally sourced materials benefit the control of daylight and thermal comfort in Madrid’s hot, arid climate. Even in its smallest details, the integration center is designed to communicate connectivity to the city of Madrid: it is space designed to help refugees connect to their new home.

SUPERFICIE-AL

SOLENE CLAVEL | ANDREW COLLINS | KATIE KOWALSKI

Beginning in 2012, a rising number of migrants journeyed to western Europe, seeking asylum from economic hardship and war-torn countries in what the world now refers to as the “refugee crisis”. During their travels, refugee’s cell phones become their lifelines, affording them access to locations of refugee camps, various government services, and contact with family members. Yet, this same accessibility to resources is not so easily found upon arrival into Madrid. Immigrants become alienated from Spanish society due to a lack of language training programs, employment opportunities, and government aid, making it difficult for them to truly integrate within their new culture. To bridge this gap, Superficie-al seeks to use the already familiar lifeline of the cell phone to bring in both refugees and residents of Madrid and create meaningful physical connections through integrative programs and open spaces. It’s name (a play on the Spanish word for surface and the English, superficial) goes beyond surface level by challenging media’s perception of refugees as a superficial condition and highlighting technology’s importance in understanding their needs. One of the key aspects of this proposal is the building’s ability to respond to users on a personal level – through their cellphone. An application specific to the building provides a gateway to its programs, allowing users to filter and choose the services they require. As technologies shift and building methods advance, the digital feedback loop created in Superficie-al will respond and adapt to conditions based on user demand. This connectivity, as well as energy and water movement, is manifested in “energy columns” found

throughout the central open-air portion of the structure. These columns perform multiple functions, including funneling down the energy collected by solar panels above to capacitors that provide wireless charging on each level. They also capture and circulate water through the building and down to cisterns in the existing unused parking garage below, which doubles as a space to pre-condition forced air. The columns also provide support for the large roof above, which shades the space from Madrid’s hot, dry weather, and plays host to BIPV panels, rock gardens and walkable surfaces. The building’s form follows the perception of the refugee by creating a subtle landscape with a strong emphasis on sightlines. Users can meander along the sloping paths and find themselves in an open courtyard looking up at the faceted surface overhead, or, they can wind up fifty feet above looking out over busy Spanish streets. By adopting the properties of a traditional plaza, the paths created take into account the various velocities at which people move across the space, making plenty of room for possible social interactions. Similarly to how refugees rely on technology during their travels, the infra-structure of Superficie-al supports interaction and access to a new physical network through a technological platform. This proposal is about connecting and integrating newcomers and city residents through positive interactions that not only add to the existing digital, physical, and infrastructural net-works, but also support a sustainable life cycle for the building.

Symbiotic Exchange

CODY BLEVINS | LUKE BRIGMAN

With more than 63 million internally displaced persons globally, the issue of displaced refugees specific to the Middle East and North Africa continues to press the issue to a scale of global consequence. An archive of research reinforces that persons seeking asylum primarily enter the EU through the Southern tip of Spain. Consequently, Spain has a healthy past of immigration and has no policies in place which disadvantage their citizens or refugees. Comparing Spain’s age gap to the influx of refugees, we propose to create a mutually beneficial relationship that will sustain itself as well as the context it exists within. The Symbiotic Exchange occurs under a 111,444 sq. ft. cloud occupying 85% of Plaza Descalza in Madrid, Spain. The cloud condenses physically between the woven layers of a 52,352 lb. parametrically designed space-frame. As the life force of the proposal, the cloud shadows a 20,160 sq. ft. studio building for textile production with a dedicated 1,100 sq. ft. rooftop herb garden. Both of which are skills that contribute to the major industries in Spain as well as the refugee origin countries. The significance of the Exchange has everything to do with its location. Operating on a multitude of scales; the cloud provides a free, passive conditioning of outside air in a hot and dry Mediterranean climate. Locally, Plaza Descalza is flanked by two streets that exist as public walking markets which our proposal will strengthen. Also, being catty-corner to Puerto Del Sol transit station, the Exchange marks a destination for commuters and pedestrians alike. Economic and cultural exchange are sustainable this way

through thoughtful collaging of natural passive systems. In a climate that receives only 17 inches of rain annually, the cloud is able to effectively capture and repurpose 1,053,244 gal. of water. On the ground moisture permeates through a layered, paved surface, and is collected in retention tanks. A slow collection process accelerates evaporative cooling in warm months and decelerates it in cooler months when humidity is naturally lower. This means the temperature exchange is variable; constantly keeping the shadow of the cloud at a comfortable temperature. As moisture evaporates from the ground and reflection ponds, it is captured by a layer of embedded fog mesh on the belly of the spaceframe. A gutter system doubling as the structure of the fog mesh directs the water to voids in the skin of the canopy where it may precipitate and be retained. The biological cycle for the entire site was intentionally constructed to pro-mote a sustainable, breathing micro ecology. Various flowers, and wetland plants act as natural pesticides while also replicating natural conditions to shelter desirable insects, and provide food for local birds. The glazed studio wall is lined with a bed of lavender to purify air and foster a healthy working environment. Integrating a displaced population will be successful here because we have not designed a facility, we have not designed a market, we have designed a living ecosystem that collapses social class in crafting an atmosphere of integration.