DESIGN Tue, 12/21 2:09PM • 11:06 SUMMARY KEYWORDS architecture, architectural, decolonization, space, design, reimagine, important, cities, professor, architects, reza, question, live, understand, future, systems, pandemic, speaking, colonization, part SPEAKERS Afua Mfodwo, Reza Niq, Timo Baoba Afua Mfodwo 00:04 How is the future of the spaces we live in connected to the ways in which we design these spaces. And this episode of unraveled, I speak with architecture professors to understand the role decolonizing architecture has in making the spaces we live in more inclusive. My name is Afua Mfodwo. And this is unraveled. Last year, I spent a lot of time inside. I know this was a case for most people in 2020. I live in a two bedroom apartment and I spend most of my time in my my room that I had previously never really needed to spend that much time in became my permanent workspace. The main place I did schoolwork the main place I took breaks from school, I did everything at home. After getting tired of seeing the same space all the time, I decided to try and see things differently. I rearranged things, I moved my bed closer to my window so I could get more natural light, and I tried to get a few new things from my room like a new mirror. Eventually, I got tired of this. I had tried to reimagine my space the best I could, I realized that there was still some things missing. After some time, I realized that my frustrations with space and my questions about couldn't simply be answered by moving things my frustrations had forced me to look at space in a different way. The pandemic had made it obvious that our spaces now have different needs. Living in a world where all these needs are met can only be possible if we rethink how to see and use space. This episode is about understanding how imagining an inclusive and more representative future is connected to reimagining space. And this future will only be possible through decolonizing architecture and design. concept means and what role it has in shaping our future. I spoke to two architecture professors who explained it and helped me understand what I try to incorporate this type of thinking in my everyday life. So how has the pandemic affected the way architects see space? Speaking to Reza niq, the font of an experimental architectural studio called sheep, and an architectural professor, the pandemic had made it clear that spaces needed to be more flexible and comfortable. Reza Niq 02:23 So if you're living, working, playing all in the same space, it has to be a bit different things can't be all static. So in my opinion, there are things that need to be designed that are that are flexible enough that can be adapted for live work play mentality in one spoon. Afua Mfodwo 02:43 So what does decolonization and architecture and design really mean for Timo Baba? A professor teaching a class about decolonization in architecture. This concept can be summarized by architecture that is in harmony with nature, Timo Baoba 02:57 for me, ultimately, the big one, but it boils down to you know, impact in harmony with the natural environment in a way and that is also a question of culture. In the broadest term, Afua Mfodwo 03:07 Reza decolonization in architecture is about ways that changes can be made to the processes in design, and who's involved in these processes. Reza Niq 03:16 For me the way I have been trying to think about how we can decolonize architecture has been to think about every aspect and every nuance that is associated to architecture and design and city building. I feel like a part of it is about thinking about our processes in design, and who is involved within the design. And that's for me is really important in my practice. And also like thinking about decolonization architecture growing Afua Mfodwo 03:46 up in Accra, Ghana, and Johannesburg, South Africa, the architecture around me was very different to I'm used to seeing internet design wise, this made me gravitate towards spaces that prioritize natural light. Because of how sunny both Accra and Johannesburg are. Historically, the architecture in both cities has been impacted by colonialism. But recently, it's become more important to prioritize ideas and building practices that are unique to both countries, as shift essentially connected to decolonizing architecture in Canada for the shift to be possible. It's important for architects and architectural systems as a whole to center indigenous voice as this has historically never been the case. Reza Niq 04:25 bigger part of it, especially in Canada is an in the US I would say decolonization is about looking at pre colonization or the Europeans actually came here, and how did the indigenous people of the land actually use the land and everything that we have done to build the cities that we live in today have been with the colonizers perspective. So nothing that we have developed is actually considering the indigenous perspectives of living and furthermore, it's not even like Not just including them, but actually behind them the discounting their experiences and actually continuously pushing them aside, Afua Mfodwo 05:06 why is decolonization architecture such an important topic? And why is it necessary for reimagining the future thinking tourism, one thing I understood is that decolonization in architecture would make the architectural systems as bases around us more representative of everyone's needs. Reza Niq 05:22 So generally, architecture has been as a profession is a very white supremacist, you know, criteria. It is, you know, mostly old white guys that are making decisions there. It's a graded system for the city or the the systems developed for housing in the city. And this is problematic because especially when you are looking at the world population, and then the metropolises in the world, like, it does not reflect the people that are actually designing and building these things for us. And it's not for us. So it makes a lot of people uncomfortable in that it isn't. It doesn't reflect where what they are comfortable Afua Mfodwo 06:09 with. So how can we imagine a future that's more reflective of everyone's needs speaking to table, he suggested that the only way to reimagine the future is to question the architectural history that's been taught in schools, Timo Baoba 06:21 an important part of decolonization is it's not just being forward thinking. It's also looking back at what we learned questioning some of those things as well, you know, and how we were taught certain things or the way we learned architectural history was that some stuff Egypt and then some stuff, Greece and then Rome, and then then we jump to the Middle Ages, and then there were 400 500 years of the Dark Ages, and no one really knows what happened in the dark ages. And but the Dark Ages were not dark ages, globally speaking, they were in a period of Renaissance and growth and cultural richness in many other parts of the world, outside of Europe. Afua Mfodwo 06:56 Reza, in order for us to actually see decolonization in architecture and design, it's important for architects to reject certain projects. Reza Niq 07:04 Okay, if we are talking about decolonization, what are what are some things that we should just say, you know, what we're not gonna, we're not going to add to it, we're not going to add to the prison system, the we're not going to add to the police system. So these are all the military complex like, because all of those things are part of the conversation of colonization. And if we truly want to decolonize architecture and design that we kind of have to make some hard decisions and be like, No, I'm not going to do that anymore. Afua Mfodwo 07:38 Understanding the importance of this concept made me question how I could contribute to seeing it in my daily life. Considering the fact that I'm not an architect. I asked Reza about this. And he suggested that the best way to see decolonization in architecture in our societies is for people to actively educate themselves. Reza Niq 07:57 Main thing is like, you know, as a student, as someone who's just, like, frustrated with how shit is working out, and it's like, you know what, this is not the way I want. This is not the kind of world I want to live in, or actually, like grow old in is to learn about them learn about some of these movements learn about how settler colonialism has affected architecture and design and cities, and the imperatives we have socially in, in Canada. In our cities like Toronto Afua Mfodwo 08:32 table, diversifying the scope of architectural education is also important in decolonizing architecture, Timo Baoba 08:39 not to say that it's bad to learn about the European Renaissance, but we really need to understand, appreciate and expect that every part of the world has had a renaissance, every part of the world has contributed something immense to global heritage, global society, global richness, and ultimately, it's it's a local story. It's not necessarily a story of empires. So back Afua Mfodwo 09:02 in my room, where all my questions about space started, I've been trying to understand how I can make my space a better reflection of myself. And the inspiration I've found from the coaches I've been exposed. I've been thinking about my bookshelf, and specifically, what architectural books I can include in my reading, to help me get a better understanding of the cultural heritage, and ideas that architects from all over the world can add to my understanding of space. I've been thinking of what books I can get, and how I can share this education with others, because ultimately, the spaces in the future will be representative of the people who live in them. And that's what decolonization and architecture means to me. This episode of unraveled was hosted, reported and produced by me Afua Mfodwo. Our associate producer is Talha Hashmani and our executive producer is Elena De Luigi. Special thanks to John Powers for composing our theme music, and Ben Shelley for creating our podcast artwork. Our professor is Amanda Cupido and special thanks to Lindsay Hanna and Angela Glover. - 1 - 00Transcribed by https://otter.ai