THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE
Maaten Gielen
On the 16th March 2016 , The PAM public lecture series had invited Maaten Gielen of Belgium to give a talk with title “The Big Shuffle” at Black Box, Publika.
Maarten Gielen is a member of the Brussels-based collective Rotor. He started his career at the age of 15, selling decorative items made from objects found at scrap merchants and flea markets to fashion stores and florists. Arriving in Brussels in 2002, he set up BSF to offer technical assistance using salvaged materials to small cultural organisations. In 2005, he established Rotor where he works as designer, manager, and researcher. In 2012 he was appointed visiting professor in the HEAD in Geneva and 2014 he curated together with Lionel Devlieger the Oslo Architecture Triennale.“The Big Shuffle” is about the material flows in industry and construction, particularly in relation to resources, waste, use and reuse.
In this talk , starts with giving a few examples to explain his idea of “The big shuffle”. The first example given was Belgian Pavilion at the 2010 Venice Architecture Biennale. Within the overall theme of “People meet in Architecture”, curated by Kazuyo Seiima of Sanaa, Rotor explores wear as a reaction to use in architecture. The title of the exhibition refers to the act of using: the relationship between the material and its users, e.g. how our bodies leave marks on the materials, and how we as users respond to that.
Called Usus/Usures, the exhibition investigates a specific phase in the life of construction materials: the time when they are subjected to use and are gradually re-shaped by human beings passing through them, walking on them, touching, pressing, stroking, scratching or holding them. The Rotor collective spent years touring public buildings in Belgium to document and collect sections of walls, banisters with chipped paint, wooden floors, stained carpets, tired stairs, elevator cabins, plastic chairs, door handles, windows, and other worn out fragments of buildings. Selections of them hang on the white walls of the pavilion. Taken out of their original context, the objects looks like minimalist sculptures.
Belgian Pavilion
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Rotor’s interest in fatigued bits and pieces of architecture started as a study to evaluate the viability of a resale network for construction and demolition waste. Their concern, however, was not entirely ecological.
Another example is the Culture Centre Bomel, Namur. The former Bomel slaughterhouse is now part of a cultural area with an extensive history and an exceptional character in a comic strip museum shall be to visit, a public park and another older house for a future occupation. In the existing buildings, which will be renovated, the project offers the development of a cultural spot. Maarten Gielen used this as an example for the reused of material. To accomplish this task, the BAEB office worked with simplicity and elegance, and through specific interventions, meticulous and small scale, valuing existing assets and minimizing interventions. The result is an architectural approach that remains consistent with the desire to reduce the maximum use of resources during construction and reduce the same time the cost of the intervention.
Apart from this, he has mentioned about Deconstruction, and gets us an example - Rotor Deconstruction. Rotor Deconstruction is company office equipment save from demolition. The founders saw a gaping hole in the market for re-use and jumped into it. Armed with a nose for art and architecture foams they condemned to death offices in search of pearls that can be saved. The concept appears viable on its own without subsidies or support. The specificity of Rotor Deconstruction is to offer contemporary or recent re-use of materials.
In addition to this, rotor Deconstruction also offers more generic materials. These are listed and sold directly from buildings destined for processing. These methods reduce the costs of handling and storage, and thus offer cheaper alternatives to products such as partitions, fixtures, doors.
By Too Xin Yi 1001231897
A designer, researcher and manager of Rotor collection, Maarten Gielen is interested in the flow of materials in industry and construction, the application and exploration of recycled materials in construction which lead to sustainable design.
The big shuffer, a talk by him was held on 16th March 2016 is mainly about the way materials or recycled materials flows in the society and the application of materials and resources in architecture.
According to him, the big shuffer means the way various types of materials from all over places are bring to the construction site, and compose together to become one huge building. For him, architects only understand various types of materials applied in building construction, but dont really have the experiance on how to joint the materials together. Thus, for him, a good architect need to know the characteristics and meanings behind each type of material used, as well as the mood of the users brought by each material within a space.
Besides, Mr. Gielen also mentioned that it is important to preceive a space as space with its function and apply the right material on it. For example, a hospital is a space for patients to rest well and recover peacefully. Thus, light materials with light colour are used as the wall to enhance the peaceful mood of the patients.
Apart from that, Mr. Gielen also mentioned that, every building has its own life span. After a certain period of time, the building will start to deteriorate by itself due to weather. Thus, deconstruction process start to take place, that is specifically choose the materials from the deteriorated building and made them use able material again for the next construction. Deconstruction is also the main practice of Maarten Gielen.
Sustainability and green design is also one of the main focus of Gielen. This is because almost all of his projects involved the reused materials, resources, deconstruction, and the application of right type of materials in right space. The reuse of materials are able to reduce the world carbon emision which lead to cooler environment. Besides, the reuse of materials in contruction practices can save the earth resources for the usage of future generation.
In conclusion, Mr. Gielen’s talk is about meaning and porpuses of various of materials used ( both recycled and new), deconstruction, and sustainable design.
By Joana Chan Sing Sien 1001335414
a founding member of the collective Rotor where he currently works as designer, manager and researcher. During the PAM talk held at Publika on 16th march 2016, Maarteen GIelen share about their scope of job. They are mainly take place on two different level which if the first one is they design and build structures, installation and exhibitions for various clients. Additionally, they carry out research, both in the field as well as in scientific literature dealing with issues of material resources, waste and reuse.
Maarten Gielen
PAM Public Lecture 05 BY Maarten Gielen, THE BIG SHUFFLE
In the talk, Maarten shared one of his project - Cultural center of namur
This project Rotor acted as matchmakers between a building and its occupants. The building was a freshly renovated 1940’s former slaughterhouse, in Bomel. Rotor’s brief was to provide equipment, but also to reflect on how the place would be used and run. Because of a tight budget, they resorted a lot to re-used equipment and materials, found on site, in the commissioner’s stocks, or on the regular second hand market. Maarten also mention about most of the furniture for this project such as storage cabinets came from dismantled office and bank building.
Besides that, he also introduce us about launches of Rotor Deconstruction after 10 years of research on the flows of materials in industry and construction. This would become a separate cooperative company which dismantles and sells reusable materials from quality buildings undergoing transformation or demolition. Rotor Deconstruction are mainly selling two categories of materials. On the one hand generic construction elements such as doors, windows, lowered ceilings, lighting divises, etc. On the other hand more exceptional batches of materials from landmark buildings. The "generics" are sold of straight from the deconstruction site. Before starting the dismanteling, an inventory of the available materials is made and send to potential clients in a newsletter. The listings allow clients to select the materials they are most interested in. Once the reserved elements are dismantled and duly packaged, clients are invited to come and pick them up or transport is arranged. This method reduces the cost of transporting and stocking materials and makes it possible for us to provide quality construction elements at very competitive prices, typically 20 to 50% of new value.
In today’s world “going green” has become a top priority in our society, and sustainable buildings and design are at the forefront of this green revolution. While many designers are focusing on passive and active energy systems, the reuse of recycled materials is beginning to stand out as an innovative, highly effective, and artistic expression of sustainable design.
In my opinion, architects and designer should take notice of the opportunities offered by recycling and reuse. Using salvaged materials not only has a positive environmental impact by reducing waste, it also offer architects materials typically unavailable, such as old growth lumber.
As a good architect, we could minimize construction waste by:
Reduce
Builders can reduce waste by:
■ using standard size and prefabricated building materials for timber, plasterboard and bricks to reduce waste from offcuts and costs for handling and disposal
■ preparing a waste minimisation plan for contractor as part of their contract
■ using secondhand or recycled materials
■ salvaging as much material as possible from the demolished structure for the new one.
Reuse
Unwanted building materials, fixtures and fittings, and heritage items such as old windows and doors can be sold at specialist or general secondhand or salvage outlets.
Recycle
Recycling waste can generate substantial savings in building and construction
By Lim Chau Yang 1001438115
PAM Public Lecture 05
Maarten Gielen
Introduction
Maaten Gielen is a member of the Brussels-based collective Rotor. He started with selling decorative items at the age of 15. His decorative items are made from scrap merchants and flea markets to fashion stores and florists.
Rotor is a collective of people sharing common interest in the materials flows in industry and construction. He work as designer, manager, and researcher.
The Big Shuffle
The topic is mainly focus on material flows in industry and construction, particularly in relation to resources, waste, use and reuse. In the lecture he introduce creative strategies for salvage and waste reduction through research, workshops, publications, and exhibitions.
This are the project he mentioned in the lecture.
Case 1_ The Belgian Pavilion
The Belgian Pavilion at the 12th International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennial in 2010. The exhibition Usus/Usures occupied the Belgian pavilion at the Giardini. The project explored wear as a reaction to use in architecture.
The relationship between materials and its users.
The Rotor spent years touring public building in Belgium to document and collect sections of walls, banisters with paint, wooden floors, stained carpets, tired stairs, elevator cabin, plastic chairs, door handles, windows, and other building fragments. All the objects collected look like a minimalist sculpture when it exhibit in the Pavilion.
Case 3_Cultural Centre Bomel, Namur
Rotor was assigned to renovating the interior as the people there would want to preserve the outside of the building.
Rotor successfully fulfill all the functional requirements, without compromising on durability, aesthetics, consistency of the project and using a lot of recycled materials.
Before
After
Case 4_Rotor Deconstruction
Rotor Deconstruction sells two categories of materials. On the one hand generic construction elements such as doors, windows, lowered ceilings, lighting divises, and others. On the other hand more exceptional batches of materials from landmark buildings. They are sending an inventory of the available materials is made and send to potential clients in a newsletter. The listing allow clients to select the materials they are most interested in. After the elements are dismantled and duly packaged, clients are invited to come and pick them up or transport it arranged.
This method reduces the cost of transporting and stocking materials and makes it possible for them to provide quality construction elements at very competitive prices, typically 20 to 50 % of new value.
Review
In my opinion, the lecture was very inspiring for all the designers. He make us re-think about the word “recycled materials”, that now every designer was using. It is very important for designer to understand the lifespan and the value of the materials that used in the building. Wrong materials will make more waste to the world.
ROTOR
By Tan Xin Kai 1001438114
MAARTEN
GIELEN
Maarten Gielen is designer, manager, and researcher of the Brussels-based collective Rotor, comprised of people sharing a common interest in material flows in industry and construction.
Rotor handles the conception and realization of design and architectural projects; and also develops critical positions on design, material resources, and waste through research, exhibitions, writings, and conferences. The group recently curated OMA/Progress, a large exhibition on the work of OMA, at the Barbican in London.
He started his career at the age of 15, selling decorative items and objects found at scrap merchants and flea markets to fashion stores and florists. Arriving in Brussels in 2002, he set up BSF to offer technical assistance using salvaged materials to small cultural organizations. Two years later, the association merged with the organizations of Zinneke Parade, where Maarten set up a program for the reuse of industrial waste.
He was particularly in relation to resources, waste, use and reuse. His lecture also mentioned about some of the few creative strategies for waste reduction through research, publications, workshops and exhibitions.
CASE 01
THE BELGIAN PAVILION
It's relationship between architecture and human occupation. By focusing on the mundane and the overlooked details of architecture, the collective brought poetry, history and emotion to the biennale. It's also called Usus/Usures, the exhibition investigates a specific phase in the life of construction materials: the time when they are subjected to use and are gradually re-shaped by human beings passing through them, walking on them, touching, pressing, stroking, scratching or holding them.
CASE 02
ROTOR DECONSTRUCTION
Rotor’s approach consistently and often visually emphasizes the effects of human planning, oversight, and extended use on the built environment. In parallel with these exhibition projects, Rotor continued to realize various design projects, often interventions in existing architecture. This work has its equivalent in a growing series of deconstruction projects in which Rotor oversees the dismantlement of building components, in buildings slated for demolition, for reuse purposes. These dismantling and reselling activities are conducted under the heading of Rotor Deconstruction, a spin-off entity created in 2014. It is specialized in the dismantling of large-scale office interiors.
Q & A SESSION
What is the Rotor’s core idea?
Answer: Reusing materials is a challenge and almost impossible up to some point, and that actually drives us (Rotor) to be more curious towards the possibility and what they can actually achieve. Innovative can expand your ideas.
hew wooi kean 1001335533
Use the recycled material, respect the value of material, don't waste it and save the money.