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NOTES FROM WEEK 8 TUTORIAL
Development of topic:::

WAITING BEHAVIOUR & ETIQUETTE::
~ waiting by something ~ wait in a queue
~ have to be doing something ~ data of waiting time
~ worth waiting for ~ like to wait with others
~ individual preferences - time

NEGLECTED SPACE::

- our cultural attitude
~ so obvious we miss it?
~ % of time but don’t give it attention
~ valuing

DON’T NEGLECT WAITING SPACE::

>> a major part of our lives
EXAMPLES of waiting that can maybe: - CHANGE CULTURAL ATTITUDE, slow someone down in a space
- CHANGE THE WAY WE THINK of etiquette; OK to give time/value to space
Could become a PLACE IN ITS OWN RIGHT
RAISING THE PROFILE OF WAITING SPACES IN DESIGN

RAISING THE PROFILE OF WATING SPACES IN DESIGN... (Refined)

1. INTRO TO WAITING - WAITING BEHAVIOUR & WAITING ETIQUETTE
:: waiting next to something
:: needing to do something (scribbling, etc.)
:: has to be worth the wait, e.g. tickets, iPhone
:: individual preferences (time)
:: orderly queueing vs congregating in mass
:: to see & be seen

2. IS IT A REFLECTION OF OUR CULTURAL ATTITUDE/BEHAVIOUR?

:: waiting as a part of ritual (e.g. of other attitude > tea ceremony)
:: culture of instant gratification > ‘fast’ food, ‘fast’ service [drive thru], ‘buy now pay later’
:: instilled in us - injustice to wait > ‘time is money’
:: filling the void - waiting being boring
QUOTES REFLECTING AN ATTITUDE

3. DESIGNING WAITING SPACE

:: so obvious we miss it
:: % of time spent waiting
:: can be transitional spaces
:: lost importance -> doesn’t generate obvious income [e.g., of women & bank]
:: what makes a waiting space popular
:: by waiting makes it a ‘place’ for others to wait (e.g., Hachiko)
(USE EXEMPLARY WAITING SPACES)

OUR SKILLS::
Kylie > PhotoShop, grapics
Oliver > CAD
Michael > PPT, Word
Sharon > graphics

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The "Waiting Spaces" project progresses::

Presentation outline (above)

The lecture given this week by Kelly Greenop (2008) really spoke to me about my own values and misconceptions about Aboriginal people. It really brought to life an accurate depiction of Aboriginal treatment in the past and the reality of what they endured. During last weeks blog I mentioned that I would like the other side of the story, that viewed Aboriginal culture in a positive light and I felt this lecture gave me that insight. Like Greenop (2008) says we tend to be given an idea about Indigenous life through images of outback Australia, boomerangs (pan identity) and slum villages. She describes that 70 percent of the indigenous population actually live in the city. What interests me is their view on city living, how they have adapted to this environment and what it means to be an aboriginal in contemporary culture.

Another interesting topic Greenop (2008) described was the idea of cultural change versus cultural loss. It is a blurred line between what is veiwed as loosing cultural identity or ritual as opposed to what western culture calls ‘progression’. I believe that certainly parts of culture should be preserved and nurtured. Does this mean having a museum for everything along the path of history? What people fear too much is as Hezel relates “Change itself is not so much the problem as what it may lead to: the death of the culture”. I think change should sometimes be allowed to happen. Change has often been beneficial to culture and made it a rich tapestry that displays the past and the present.

References:

Greenop, K. (2008). Urban indigenous place values. Retrieved September 4, 2008, from Queensland University of Technology blackboard academic http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab=courses&url=/bin/common/course.pl?course_id=_35883_1

Hezel, S. J. (2005). Cultural loss: How real is the threat? Retrieved September 4, 2008, from http://www.micsem.org/pubs/counselor/frames/cult_lossfr.htm?http&&&www.micsem.org/pubs/counselor/cult_loss.htm

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During her lecture this week, Carroll Go-Sam (2008) discussed the idea of indigenous identity in the public realm. She raised questions about what true identity is, what true history is and how could architecture tell an accurate story about a culture..

Aboriginal identities have received a mixed, broad and often ambiguous perception in the public realm. Images splash the media pages of alcoholism, rape, protest and other negative depictions of their culture. We are not educated on the positive nature of this culture, or the true practices and fabric that give identity to the Aboriginal people. There is also what Go-Sam (2008) describes as “Pan Identity”, which can sometimes be an iconic symbol of a culture, like the didgeridoo that is in fact an instrument specific to a certain tribe. This lack of education often leads to stereotyping and looses the integrity and validity to an indigenous culture and history.

In architecture we can provoke and evoke social change and awareness. Renzo Piano’s Centre Culturel Tjibaou in New Caledonia has been described as “important and progressive” (Message, 2006, p. 7) in creating a symbol for this kind of social change. The architecture, the activities and the workshops that are part of the project create an interest in the culture and traditions of the Kenak people. The center was named after a revolutionary leader, Jean-Marie Tjibaou, who believed two cultures could peacefully exist side by side. To achieve this he perceived that “strength would emerge as a by-product of cultural pride” (Message, 2006, p. 13). It is an important landmark for social change because it educated and produced symbols of national identity to the people at a time where there was political transition.

Similar to this I believe that Australia is undergoing a political change and a heightened awareness of Aboriginal culture and identity. During February 2008 by Prime minister Kevin Rudd delivered a speech that aimed to respectfully acknowledge the past injustices to the Aboriginal people and embrace a “proud people and a proud culture” (Rudd, 2008, p. 1). This speech encouraged a nation to unite, to reconcile and to embrace a partnership of indigenous and non-indigenous. We live now with a new version of tradition, a contemporary culture that encompasses many. In Tijibaous words however we must face tomorrow with “a firm personality” (Message, 2006, p. 13).

REFERENCES:

Go-Sam, C. (2008). Contested Space: Musgrave Park Aboriginal Cultural Centre. Retrieved August 29, 2008, from http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab=courses&url=/bin/common/course.pl?course_id=_35883_1

Rudd, K. (2008, February 13). Kevin Rudd’s sorry speech. Sydney Morning Herald, p. 1.

Mayo, J. M. (1996). The manifestation of politics in architectural practice. Journal of Architectural Education, 50 (2) 76-88.

Message, K. (2006). Contested sites of identity and the cult of the new: the Centre Culturel and the constitution of culture in New Caledonia. reCollections: journal of the National Museum of Australia, 1 (1), 7-28.