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University of Washington (Yamani Hernandez)

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    design activism

    By yamani
    Apr 17, '05 4:03 AM EST

    on a more exciting note:

    our project for design activism is growing. we are now a group of 6.
    our project geared toward addressing homelessness is three-fold, beginning with designing low cost temporary shelter to be used by people who are homeless. Apart from “designing”, the effort is to engage in participatory public education and Action by holding a public + student workshop and collective building session. Additionally we are connecting this effort with the real life efforts to bring tent city to UW . Finally, the culmination of these efforts is the distribution of the shelters and the organization of a “Sleep Out” at the end of May using the shelters we design, and any others that people make or bring, in order to draw attention to problem of homelessness, spur action and a vision for tent city on the UW campus. This means a lot of WORK...but we are all so passionate about it, i think it can work...especially joining with other student groups to make it happen. we are currently in researching relevant precedents (can't be all shi-shi poo-poo materials...we're aiming for make-shift and portable) and having a llittle group crit/charette on tuesday for our first pass at prototypes for our event. hopefully i can post some images from that tuesday...



     
    • 4 Comments

    • Anonymous

      I think your project sounds very interesting. I would love to see pics of the finished products. I'll get back to you with information of some things I have seen done in Sao Paolo, Brazil and Tijuana, Mexico where there a real need for housing and people take to creating homes from found objects. I've been researching this topic for a bit to design something also. Good luck and I'll be in touch.

      Apr 17, 05 3:55 pm  · 
       · 
      yamani

      please do, anonymous one. we are so interested in building off what others have done yet not reinventing the wheel.

      Apr 17, 05 7:52 pm  · 
       · 
      Bryan Finoki

      Yamani, definitely keep us posted. Congrats on your efforts, I think it is great you guys are pushing this. You may try contacting Asia Wright, if she is still in the country, west coast rep for AFH. She was working with Dignity Village in Portland. I believe spoke at the HOPES Conference. She may be able to help you out too.

      I am curious, what type of status will Tent City on university land receive? Are they getting a safe temporary encampment protection, like some of the other Tent Cities, or will this afford them more longterm land rights?

      Certainly post your pics.

      Apr 17, 05 8:15 pm  · 
       · 
      David Cuthbert

      I'd love to see aerials of everyone sleeping out in the main lawns - would be nice

      Apr 18, 05 9:09 am  · 
       · 

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