The Middleground
Challenging Asymmetric Membranes
R.E. Kok (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
R. Cavallo – Mentor (TU Delft - Theory, Territories & Transitions)
F.J. Speksnijder – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - Teachers of Practice / AE+T)
Joran Kuijper – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - Theory, Territories & Transitions)
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Abstract
In the case of the 2017 Grenfell Tower, the fire affected those who were already socio-economically underprivileged. Many residents of the Grenfell tower did not just become homeless or lost personal belongings, approximately two-thirds suffer from post-traumatic stress. Such layered and systemic disparities in the built environment as well as their consequence are often obscure due to systems’ complexity and dependency on external influences. Disparities and potential effects remain largely hidden.
Disparities have been found to be particularly present on six planes: sound, reflection, social, exchange, recreation, and accessibility. Together the disparities on the planes form an assemblage of disparity. The asymmetric condition of disparities depends on the degree of affluence and deprivation of the analysed territory or machine. Disparities express themselves as asymmetric membranes, which can be both material and immaterial. To a largely extent they determine the accessibility to the membrane’s territory – which may or may not perpetuate existing disparities.
The intent of the design is to address the existing dichotomy and polarity between territories of affluence and deprivation, to challenge asymmetric membranes that perpetuate deep-rooted disparities. The middleground acts as its own agent, its own territory, that provides continuous impulses challenging existing disparities. The middleground itself, ironically, also consists of a sequence of asymmetric membranes. These membranes, however, intend to address and potentially disrupt the disparities found on the six planes.
The middleground aims to challenge the trends of perpetual inequalities, fragmentation, and exclusivity. Designing the middleground as a multiplicity of membranes creates a sequence of spaces that mediate in varying degrees between public and private. This proof-of-concept intends to show how the middleground approach can promote inclusivity on the various planes considering the multiplicity and complexity of disparities.