Thanks to MIT, I spent the first 2 weeks of my summer traipsing around SE Asia, including a boat tour of informal settlements along the historic canals of Minburi, a suburb NE of Bangkok.
There were many many things that caused me moments of pure wonder, delight and amazement at the ingenuity, hardiness and dignity that these people claimed and displayed. Note jet ski parking at lower left.
That they are still standing is all I can say with regard to the structural integrity of these buildings, but certainly the occupants know how to accessorize for the home. Note the laundry line, a dishwashing area, ladders to the 2nd level and a Thai flag at the "front door".
raft (n) : a collection of logs or timber fastened together for conveyance by water, a flat structure for support or transportation on water (www.m-w.com);a front porch, a laundry room, a sundeck (myself)
water weeds =/= water garden?Attempt at capturing the essence of my fascination: When a system has failed to provide the physical elements needed for a modern lifestyle, people will find means to create those physical elements for themselves because the will to live and intuition to build can and will overcome those constraints.
Again, but shorter: All theory for design education aside, these people know a lot more building by hand, economy of materials and pure function than I do because they "learned' it in order to survive. Why am I even learning architecture? Am I learning?
Last time, less existential, more practical (=thesis-y?): How did these structures and lifestyles evolve? How has improved water transport technology affected the way the canal has served the community (use of rafts --> jetskis)? How long have informal settlements existed in this form? Are there elements of traditional Thai architecture present? What is traditional waterfront Thai architecture? With so many people living in these conditions, is it possible for the Thai vernacular architecture to absorb some of the qualities of these canal communities?
Again, but shorter: All theory for design education aside, these people know a lot more building by hand, economy of materials and pure function than I do because they "learned' it in order to survive. Why am I even learning architecture? Am I learning?
Last time, less existential, more practical (=thesis-y?): How did these structures and lifestyles evolve? How has improved water transport technology affected the way the canal has served the community (use of rafts --> jetskis)? How long have informal settlements existed in this form? Are there elements of traditional Thai architecture present? What is traditional waterfront Thai architecture? With so many people living in these conditions, is it possible for the Thai vernacular architecture to absorb some of the qualities of these canal communities?
2 comments:
:D yay pictures.
Maybe it would be interesting to look into the water quality of the different water front properties as well. Is there a certain standard that defines water standards for "luxury living" vs "informal housing"
?
Esther-
Water villages are magically engaging, and well worth an investigation. The fact that your experience in Thailand has sensitized you to this should allow the thesis study to become personally rewarding and help you to consider and absorb a new range of issues in architecture that might help you answer some of your "existential" questions. One has to start ones inquiry somewhere, and best to do so in an environment of interest.
Living with water is critical to human existence. We seek it to quench our thirst, we can derive food from it directly, we use it to grow our food, whether animal or vegetable, it tempers our climate, we have learned to use it as a highway on which to transport goods, we have used it for security to protect our settlements, we have used it for decor, for refreshment, for spiritual support....
At the same time we can find it dangerous, destructive and frightening in the form of floods, heavy rains, an environment for animals that bite and suck, and carriers of unhealthy germs, microbes....
There are so many interesting water settlements to look at to compare and contrast, to name a few,
1) Water villages throughout SE Asia, as you have found, the Cajun villages of Louisiana...
2) Canal cities: Villages outside Shanghai, Venice, Amsterdam...
3) House boat villages: Hong Kong, Seattle, Sausalito (Calif)...
4) Coastal and River front cities and villages
In other words, the topic is rich with possibilities.
There are many reasons communities have chosen to settle on and in water including, subsistence, defense, industry, recreation, connectivity to water transport, connectivity to nature and escape from a claustrophobic urbanity...
So some of the questions you might consider,
1) What is the value of building on the water? What are the problems of building on water?
2) Why did various water settlements seem to take root where they did, and what are the factors that created their particular vernacular?
3) Are there good ways of building on and near water, and are there settlement patterns that are inherently dangerous in the vicinity of water?
4) How are water cities organized as a human organism, what are their "ecologies" and how do they work. What are their strengths and vulnerabilities? Organization or infrastructure, public/private, service systems, construction techniques,
5) As we see the impacts on water communities from Global Climate Change, and we become more sensitized to Sustainability practices, how should we think about settling on or near water. Are there lessons to be learned from previous water settlements in this context? Current non-water settlements may become more so as water levels raise...
Bottom line, why and how should we build settlements on the water? This is a big question. But your study could zoom in and out, from big picture down to a response to a very particular place/water environment on earth. From settlement pattern/cultural pattern to how that is translated into a single building...
Hopefully, you may be able to give us a model for water development that would give us a sustainable vision to be pursued...
Can you add to these questions others that you have been contemplating?
Best, Alan
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