Whiteness & Spacial Consequence
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Publicerad
Författare
Typ
Examensarbete för masterexamen
Master's Thesis
Master's Thesis
Modellbyggare
Tidskriftstitel
ISSN
Volymtitel
Utgivare
Sammanfattning
Architecture is humanity. Spacial humanity. Architecture
isn’t just making a wall, a floor, or a window. We, as
architects, analyze human movement, need, and
connection. Architects study how space works for
human needs and are responsible for reflecting on
if the solutions are good solutions for actual people.
Beyond the aesthetics, which are tedious since they are
subjective, the architect is responsible for considering
what happens in space. What movement does it dictate?
What behavior does it encourage? Architecture is
realizing that social injustices affect space.
The consequences of racism and colonialism are
translated into spaces we use daily. This thesis
explores these issues in Gothenburg and proposes
a way to intervene and teach about them, through
architectural, speculative, design. The thesis uses a
few different concepts to speak about Gothenburg in a
decolonizing way: confession, heritage, borders, exile,
participation, listening, representation, neighboring,
hospitality, decolonization, profanation and returns. To
activate these concepts different methods are used:
photogrammetry, to uncover truths; infographics, to
be educational; cartography, to be bold; interviews,
to act as a humble listener; ironic design, to point out
fault of current power structures; speculative design, to
ignite thought; and journaling, to reflect on my part in
structural racism. Above all, using graphic, architectural
material as a means of provoking a discussion.
It ends up with a few different suggestions on how
to welcome new residents of Gothenburg while
simultaneously commenting on how not to do it. In
particular, the thesis shows how to take account of
the narratives of space and places with the help of
speculative design. The thesis invites and critiques
whiteness as a construct and border in the built
environment and deals with institutional racism, and
my own position of power. Supported by stories and the
narratives of space the thesis adds to a discourse and is
an activated piece of anti-racist work, reflecting on the
architect’s accountability and calling to action.
Beskrivning
Ämne/nyckelord
heritage, critical whiteness studies, anti-racism, decolonization, spacial separation