The proposal, titled “Forum for the Built Environment,” surged in response to the observed deficiency of physical spaces conducive to reflection, gatherings, and citizen participation in the city. It was prompted by Estonia’s post- independence trajectory characterised by a shift towards digitalisation. Its primary aim is to function as a platform for democratic dialogue among Tallinn’s citizens on matters of public interest within the domain of the built environment.

Consisting of four distinct buildings, each distinguished by unique architectural features, the project encapsulates the multifaceted essence of Tallinn. These architectural variances symbolise the diversity of perspectives and identities inherent within societal structures, embodying the principles of democracy. The primary objective of Forum for the Built Environment is to establish a neutral ground for open discourse while facilitating collaboration between the city planning office and citizens, ensuring continuous engagement and dialogue. Furthermore, the project is not only experienced within the buildings but also in its outside environment. The project functions as a pathway, crossing through a city block. People can wander off and walk past different architectures. In addition, the ruinous garden is positioned on the eastern side of the project, which offers a space of tranquillity for reflection.

Functionally, the four buildings serve specific programmatic purposes: a Forum space for exhibitions and discussions, an Office for the City Architect for input and opinion gathering, an Archive housing physical and digital materials for city history research, and a children’s day-care facility to support parental engagement in civic activities. ... Read more

This thesis contributes to shedding light on the significance of investigating and archiving the housing conditions of guest workers after the Second World War in the Netherlands from the 1940s to the 1990s. It is a topic that has not been sufficiently addressed in architectural and urban studies. The economic boom after the Second World War resulted in a lot of job vacancies, as there were too many jobs for the population at that time. As a result, employers went to look for workers elsewhere. It caused a large influx of migration in the Netherlands, which was mainly motivated by the aspect of temporality, as these guest workers received contracts for two years. The guest workers were housed into two categories, the ‘casa’ housing, and the large-scale collective housing. Both typologies made sure that the guest workers were under strict supervision and isolated in their social and physical environment. Due to the temporality aspect, the housing was poorly built and inflexible for possible future needs of guest workers. The poor living conditions of guest workers led to the formation of independent organisations, such as the Aktiekomitee Pro Gastarbeiders, which was founded in 1969. This organisation defended the housing rights of guest workers. However, it lost its support and subsidies at the beginning of the 1990s. As a result, it led to a weaker position for migrants in society. Sadly, today’s migrants do not have independent organisations to speak out about their problems. The research used to support this argument is done through archival research gathered from the Gelders Archief and Stadsarchief Rotterdam, as well as investigating historical newspapers. The absence of guest workers in the historical narrative of post-war housing in the Netherlands is indicative of a larger issue surrounding housing for current migrants. Collecting the historical documentation of the typology of temporary housing for guest workers is fundamental to understanding the social history of migration in the Netherlands. ... Read more