2024 Workshop – Afrofutures. Migrants’ Housing in European Context / Hrvoje Njiric
Cover image by students Madrigal, Ucha and Sonaware
Workshop Leader: Hrvoje Njiric
Workshop Assistant: Esperanza Campaña
Date: 15th to 19Th of April.
The task is focused on low-cost collective housing for African migrants, on affordable and innovative solutions for basic dwelling needs within a specific Spanish context of the city of Granada. The study of integrating indigenous African architectural qualities into European cities, particularly within an educational setting such as the architectural faculty in Madrid, is crucial for several compelling reasons. Madrid’s architectural academies are well-positioned to be at the forefront of this innovative and socially responsive area of study due to the city’s cultural history and the unique relationship between Spain and Africa.
Floor plan image by students Madrigal, Ucha and Sonaware
In essence, the study of African architectural integration in European cities has both theoretical importance and practical implications for the MCH participants. Spain, with its unique intercontinental ties and its evolving multicultural landscape, is indeed an apt and significant showcase for research in this field.
Through such investigation and application, future architects can contribute to creating urban environments that are more inclusive, ecologically responsible, and culturally enriched. Granada, with its deep historical connections to African culture, particularly through the Muslim Maghrebi influence, stands out as a perfect spot to rehearse the embedding of African indigenous architectural structures into contemporary urban environments. One of the main reasons Granada is well-suited for this kind of architectural exploration is its rich Islamic heritage, most famously epitomized by the Alhambra. The blend of intricate ornamentation, courtyards, water features, and lush gardens serve as living examples of the African influence on Iberian soil which has been preserved over centuries. For architects and participants in Madrid and beyond, Granada provides a tangible case study of African cultural legacy and its integration with European architecture.
Image by students Akins, Gaxiola and Patel
Migrations impact housing resources and community relations. In reception countries such as the UK and Sweden/Norway, migrants put pressure on the housing market, while becoming a key part of the social fabric of the ageing buildings. In the power hegemony of planning, the voices of immigrants and minorities tend to be left behind. Through mapping of personal stories and opinions that are otherwise overlooked, one could create a living archive of activities and values of the neighborhood, as well as provide a new strategy to integrate citizens’ ideas and wishes in the urban planning process. The modern information and communication technology and active design tools such as mapping, could be powerful devices to crowdsource opinions and thoughts by inhabitants and to grasp important insights for a more inclusive, sustainable planning.
From this point of view, the project explores a dwelling typology where the hierarchies within the spaces of the home are dismantled, and where the new domestic interior is conceived without a traditional articulation. Through a labor-based process of construction, the fabrication of the domestic space confers authorship to the inhabitants that constantly re-configure the idea of home. The domestic space is investigated not as a finished product, but as a space in continuous modification within the community. Therefore, the evolving nature of the dwelling mirrors what it means to live today, while offering future alternatives. Include a dimension of time and the idea of architecture as an unstable process into your approach.
About Hrvoje Njiric.
About Esperanza Campaña.
