Places of non-resistance

Abstract

Dutch cities are both expanding and densifying, corresponding to a global
trend in which people increasingly tend to live in cities. Urban densification
implicates the development of new buildings and redevelopment of part of the
existing building stock, to meet the aims of future cities and their populations.
These alterations to intensively used urban spaces will evoke resistance from
involved stakeholders. As such, this research aims to identify strategies to design buildings without resistance, by studying resistance throughout all phases of a building process and determining the power of architects in coping with these resistances. These strategies enable architects to design and develop buildings of non-resistance. Firstly, the most recurring definition of resistance is that it is an action that is executed against an opposition. The effect of resistance, in the degree of intention, visibility and recognition, varies. This study distinguishes between overt resistance, in which intention and recognition are clearly delineated, and everyday resistance, which cannot be clearly defined, which is often invisible, and not well articulated. The elaboration of resistance in the built environment is shaped by means of a focus group and several expert interviews. Outcomes are that resistance is inseparably linked to the built environment and shapes projects. The interviewee faced both overt resistance and everyday resistance. The strategy that interviewee applied, in response to resistance, can be divided into two categories. Intended strategy, where certain emerging resistances are solved from experience, protocols and premeditation and Emergent strategy, where mostly from an ad-hoc situation is responded to.
Intended strategies for an architect to deal with resistance is mainly focused
on existing, overt resistances. Where everyday resistance is often forgotten.
Where a solution is often sought reactively. This research makes a proposal
to deal with this everyday resistance. Whereby the strategy goes from mostly
emergent to intended. And thus can be anticipated in advance. The proposed
strategy looks for needs and values in the neighborhood. This is done by
making an inventory of specific values of individuals and turning them into
general values. These values are then a starting point to base design decisions
on. It is up to the designer to give his own interpretation. When these values
are adhered to, people may disagree about the elaboration of these values,
but (if all goes well) the result will be in line with the original value of the
environment.The goal with this strategy is to design a building that has as little resistance as possible. Also called a building of ‘non-resistance’. The proposed strategy is explored, further defined and used in a case study of Rotterdam.