The Architect – Informal Settlements + Indigenous Architecture
Informal settlements and indigenous cultural space privilege the pragmatic and thrive on innovation. Insurgent public spaces were shaped throughout history and are the foundation of spatial improvisation and creativity. I have a strong desire to translate strategies of impromptu place making into design practice. I am intrigued by what happens when sustainability is a necessity for survival rather than a financial incentive. There are opportunity for architects, designers, and planners to document, preserve, and acknowledge the experience of communities with modest means. Over the next ten months I will research cross-cultural, transnational, interdisciplinary, community centered, socially and environmentally sustainable design goals while also observing and documenting indigenous place making and overlooked communities in Taiwan. In particular, I’ve selected two urban settlements to compare in the Fall (Treasure Hill and Toad Mountain) and two indigenous communities for the Spring. The two indigenous communities are Pongso-no-Tau/Lanyu and the village of Kochapogan in Pingtung. This week, I’ll be providing an overview of Treasure Hill. I will focus on research in Fall 2018 and will be proposing a course for Spring 2019 with my co-researcher Dr. Shumei Huang.
What is Treasure Hill?
Treasure Hill was built in the late 1940’s as an illegal settlement in what is now the Gongguan neighborhood in Taipei. It was created by Kuomintang Military, anti-aircraft war veterans of the China Civil War, that fled to Taiwan. They were members of the China Nationalist Party. They settled in an area that was designed to protect the city’s southwestern side from a potential Communist air attack. The soldiers stationed and eventually built homes adjacent to their anti-aircraft equipment. They married local women, started families, and settled in Taipei permanently. During this period, there was a housing shortage throughout Taipei, so the military veterans did they best they could to create what is considered a basic need – shelter. Because of the illegal and impromptu housing status, the residents did what they could to make the environment sustainable. They recycled and filtered grey water, tapped into the cities electric grid for minimal electricity, composted organic waste, and re-used waste whenever possible. They lived in this area from the 1940’s to the 1980’s with little resistance from the government, but eventually, there was a threat to demolish the housing. In 1989, there were protests and demonstrations by academics, students and citizens highlighting the lack of access to affordable housing and housing discrimination. An NGO and a group of scholars at National Taiwan University, (NTU) stepped into to work on developing the community as a settlement preservation area. The conversation was relevant to NTU since the settlement is in close proximity to the campus. It took many years of conversations and debates before any decisions were made on the land. After deliberation , the settlement was preserved for original inhabitants and artists in the 1990’s. It was officially designated as a historic site in 2004. It was renovated in 2007 by the Taipei’s Department of Cultural Affairs. It reopened in 2010 under the management of Department of Artist-in-Residence, Taipei Culture Foundation. Only 22 original of the military veterans moved back into the community. It’s unclear how many relocated willfully and how many were displaced.
Why is this interesting?
- Perhaps the solution to sustainable environment do not require complex engineering or expensive equipment but at a minimum the introduction of passive design system that work within the contexts of the natural environment.
- Protest led to protection and preservation of a historical community but its unclear statistically how many residents were displaced.
- As an academic institution and prominent landowner in Taipei, NTU advocated for the option of preserving rather than demolishing for market rate housing. They chose to advocate over preservation of history and affordable housing over potential increase in real estate value of the land.
I’ll be documenting the history of this settlement in a Case Study and will be comparing to another similar settlement in Taipei called Toad Mountain. Next week, I will follow up with a similar description of Toad Mountain.
The Matriarch – Being a Mom in Taiwan
Leila’s first week of school was pretty incredible. We live approximately six minutes by car, 27 minutes by bus, and 29 minutes walking. After I drop her off from school at 8:30, I can get to my office at NTU within 15 minutes. I am also able to pick her up from school at the pick up time of 4:00 pm. The 4:00 pm pick up time is actually brilliant. I can easily work a 7 hour work day and then can personally pick up my daughter from school. I don’t have to stress about after-school or hiring someone else to pick her up. We can spend our afternoon together, eat dinner, and once she goes to bed; I can continue my research from home. I did not have this flexibility in my New York work schedule, but it feels like a more humane work schedule. It breaks up the work, allows me to spend quality time with my daughter in the evening, and it is overall much less stressful.
Leila’s first week of kindergarten was filled with multiple activities such as field trips, library visits, and class helper duties. The teacher met with us and explained that this year is a big year for her filled with responsibilities and expectations. She will be graduating from kindergarten and in Leila’s school that comes with a few requirements. Every Tuesday she is the designated class helper. She will be selecting a book of her choice and presenting and reading it to the younger students and acting as the assistant to the teacher. Len and I were both surprised to learn that one of the other requirements for kindergarten graduates in her school is to complete a 7 km (4.3 mile) bicycle ride just North of the city next April. So, Leila does not know how to ride a bike without training wheels. I imagine that if we were diligent and spent time in our neighborhood park and teaching her the essentials of bike riding 101, she would know by now, but alas, she does not. Last week, we went to the bicycle store and purchased a bike (with a basket) and this week Leila has been cycling to school. I eventually have to work with her until the training wheels come off. Initially, I was a little overwhelmed by the thought of my daughter riding a bike for 4 miles, but I’m increasingly more comfortable. Maybe, she can actually do this?!? I started by run/walking along side her trying not to panic in the chaotic city traffic scene. I recently purchased my own back, and now we ride together. Although there are scooters and cyclist everywhere, and the traffic seems a little scary at times; the city has created bike lanes and to our walk on school we pass a handful of cyclists. The school is 2.2 km (1.3 miles) from our home and we are working toward removing the training wheels. Hopefully, by April she will be prepared for her bike ride.
Life in Taipei – Recycling and Composting
Each week, I will discuss a personal aspect to living in Taipei and the ways that it is unique. This week I want to address the way the city deals with trash. There is a complex system for trash here in Taipei which ultimately leads to cleaner streets and more awareness about your personal trash usage. Taipei residents are given a specific time and place for trash disposal and a list of what goes out on each day in the various categories of recycling. Our time is between 6:18 and 6:30 pm. The days are Monday – Saturday, but what goes out each day is very specific. All discarded food is completely separated and placed in a bin for composting. And since, organic trash and subtropical climate don’t mix, we were advised to place food/trash in the freezer to avoid attracting ants or other miscellaneous insects. The plastics and paper are sorted separately and no soiled paper/plastics can be included with the rest of the recycling. And, you are required to purchase a specific blue recycling bag. And to eliminate the use of plastics, if you go grocery shopping or shopping at a convenience store, you either have to bring your own bag or purchase one. Len, Leila, and I made a group family trip to the trash bins on Friday evening. It is a site to behold. You can see all of your neighbors venturing out bringing their bags and physically engaging with the items they must discard. The benefit is no one ever sits trash on the street or the curb for pick up. It is inconvenient, but on the other hand, it makes me very very conscious of the amount of trash I consume in a week. It also makes me wonder if the trash and composting was influenced by the military veterans that settled in 1940’s in Treasure Hill.
